Some scientists say that the very landscapes around us can be converted into musical phrases.
To prove this point Bill Cornish transports us into a world of musical mountains and valleys,
rivers and oceans. The very cover of Horizons reflects the depth to which we are taken in
this musical journey. Although many of these songs tend to be a bit on the longish side with the
title track itself coming in at 7:52, it's not an undertaking that you'll regret. It will, however,
help you clear your mind and soul of the drudgery of daily life. This album goes perfectly with a hot
bath, candles and a glass of wine. The album opens with the gentle flutes of the song Precis
which, about a minute in, quickens the pace with strong percussion and synth work. We then get into
the title track, Horizons with it's native sounding rhythms and beat. As I stated before, this
song clocks in at over seven minutes long but how else would you do justice to something as wide as the
world's horizon itself? The Days of Summer follows with a more up-tempo beat that may actually
have you boppin' your head a bit.
"Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference"
With it's eerily provocative melody, The Road Less Traveled evokes the spirit of these words
by Robert Frost. The sensation of discovering something unexpected from taking a chance in life is as
good an advertisement for this album than anything any copywriter could come up with.
Having spent a year in Alaska I feel that I'm qualified to comment on the song, The Last Frontier.
Again, Bill uses the sounds of Native Americans to convey the feeling of being in this unspoiled territory.
The song builds in tempo as every mile through the tundras is more spectacular than the last, with the
majesty of tremendous mountain ranges and the creeping giants of glaciers creating a landscape that no human
mind or hand could have envisioned. On the next song Bill definately does a little swinging with the tune
Ten 'Till Ten with guitar work provided by Grady McGrew. The album concludes with the song
Shinto, refering to a Japanese religion that is characterized by veneration of nature spirits and
ancestors. A very appropriate finish for an album that is itself a loving tribute to the discovered and
undiscovered beauty of the world we currently populate.
Is Horizons a little off of the beaten path? Perhaps. Should that deter you from discovering
the beauty that lies within its digital codes of 1's and 0's? Certainly not. Do yourself a favor and
take a journey to the unknown and at the end of that journey you can say to yourself, "And that has made
all the difference."
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