“This 2008 instrumental CD is one of the best British progressive rock albums in recent memory, pure classic prog, close to Genesis (or Steve Hackett solo) and Camel. Yak are a keys/bass/drums trio, but their sound is bigger than that — after hearing this, you will swear that there is a guitarist in the band, one who has the expressive Hackett/Latimer lead style nailed! In fact, keyboardist Martin Morgan is playing the guitar parts from a keyboard, the best emulation of that sustained electric guitar style we’ve ever heard. Of course a guitarist or two will be required live, as the guitar and keyboard sounds are layered. Just when you’ve despaired of ever hearing a British prog band create the real thing again, you are rescued by a Yak. “Sounds like Dave Greenslade jamming with Genesis​”

“Beautiful music”

“At this moment in time there is an abundance of great prog bands and music around. However, only very few capture the essence of the genre enough to allow listener to become immersed in the mood or atmosphere of the music’s intention. Journey of the Yak is one of the few. For the lovers of Steve Hackett from Acolyte to Spectral Mornings will find this album a dream to listen to. No mean feat when you consider the scarcity of guitar on this album. Martin Morgan’s wicked pitch bending and clever keyboard voicing has all but the most critical nerd fooled into thinking that he has a Strat in there somewhere. When i first listened to this album i kept waiting for the singing to start and after i listened to these crafted pieces for the second and third time i was glad that it didn’t. So many band are making albums now that brim with fantastic musical events yet marred by poor vocals, especially none English speaking bands. Yak’s music stands up on it’s own and does not need the accompanyment of vocal and lyric. It’s nice too to hear real drums as so many musicians now place reliance on the virtual/software technology to represent their rhythm. Dave Speight on drums along with Gary Bennett playing bass make a huge difference to the album taking the soundstage away from being of the modern manufactured sound. It can be heard that a great deal of attention to detail has been made especially to the careful selection of Mellotron sounds portrayed via Martin Morgan’s Kurzweil.

From the opening drones of Gates Of Moria to the grand Hackett like outro of the title track “Journey Of The Yak” the whole disc seems to brim with gems. So many albums of this nature sound at their best when listened to via a good Hi-Fi and this one is no exception. However, i found that Yak’s music lends itself equally to the car, i-pod or discman. Litening to “Entangled In Dreams” reminded me of when i rushed home with a copy of Spectral Mornings and slammed it onto the turntable and was then transported to a better place. Yes folks it really is that good. “March Of The Huorns” begins with a little more of a sedate pace yet still manages to explode into an organ lead barrage of shear joy. Gary Bennett’s bass playing on this track really carries the whole piece along beautifully. I was caught a couple of times in the kitchen playing air key’s to this track. “Dearly departed” is the most sombre piece on the album openingwith a very warm solitary piano and moving into a slow and enjoyable conclusion with some great Mellotron sounds, not least the flute pad that brings it to a close.

I make no apologies for perhaps too many references to Mr Hackett who incidentilly said of this album “that it was beautiful music”. But i am firmly convinced in my own little world that this is the album that Genesis should have made following Wind and Wuthering instead of trying to attract ladies. I was told by the gentleman who sold me the disc that proceeds from the sale go to the tower Hill animal sanctuary and that all production costs have been met privately. A brilliant cause methinks as it cost a fortune to keep the animals fed and clean. Check out fiona@towerhillstables.com should you like to make a contibution via paypal.

All in all this album has a feel good factor in that it transports you back to better days. If you want a quick try before you buy click onto Yak’s myspace site www.myspace.com/yaktunes and have a listen.

In the present world we seem to be no longer kings with regard to football, cricket, industry, politics or economy. Yak reminded me of a time when we where and that somethings can only be imitated. Prog rock as we know it is predominantly English and Yak demonstrate this point admirably. I hope that Martin and the boys don’t sit on their hands and let this talent go to waste. I for one would pre-order any forthcoming Yak album.”

“It’s tough writing a review for an album like “Journey Of The Yak” without gushing like a fanboy; especially when every note on the recording strikes a positive response. After several years of listening to hit and miss projects from once respected artists like Marillion it’s great to find a CD that satisfies from beginning to end without reaching for the remote to skip past tracks of uninspired ballads.

Talented keyboardist Martin Morgan is the mastermind behind “YAK”. The original group was relatively short lived, existing as a collective between 1982 through 1984, yet the music of YAK endured as Martin continued to composed and record material for the next 20 years as a solo artist, multitracking keyboards to emulate a four-piece band to great effect. After listening to the material from his first release “Dark Side Of The Duck” on MySpace I was mystified to discover this was all done by one guy on keyboards.

For his 2008 instrumental release Martin expanded YAK by enlisting drummer Dave Speight who was working with ‘Harmony In Diversity’ (a group spearheaded by X-Yes guitarist Peter Banks) as well as ‘Whimwise’ a project of Nick May (former guitarist of The Enid), and bassist Gary Bennett. The trio then set out to record what I feel was the best progressive rock album of 2008, “Journey Of The Yak”.

For the uninitiated, the music of YAK harkens back to the golden age of 70s’ symphonic rock from pioneers like Camel and early Genesis; as well as the solo albums of Steve Hackett (which is amazing considering there is no guitarist). Martin emulates the emotional sustained guitar tones of artists like Steve Hackett and Andy Latimer beautifully. I needed to refer back to the CD sleeve to see if the line “Martin Morgan plays Fernandes guitars” was listed somewhere in the notes.

The compositions are beautifully arranged and performed with power, passion, and precision without resorting to self indulgent noodling or a bombastic barrage of light speed solos and arpeggios. “Journey Of The Yak” should also appeal to fans of UK , Happy The Man, Edhels (France), Mind Gallery, East ( Hungary ), and Solaris ( Hungary ). What more can I say but rate this a perfect 10 out of 10.

And there is more to recommend this album than the music itself. The CD is being sold as a fundraiser for charity – with all proceeds going to Tower Hills Stable Animal Sanctuary. Yak absorbed all the productions cost, so the money collected from the sale of the CD goes directly to Tower Hills Stable.

Tower Hills Stable Animal Sanctuary is run by Fiona Oakes who takes care of 400 rescued animals including 34 horses and 35 elderly dogs, 51 cats, and assorted sheep, pigs, cows and numerous smaller animals. Fiona takes no income, there is no staff, and all administrations costs are met by private donations. Every penny spent goes towards feed bills.”

“Originally active in the early 80’s, it took 20 years and the dedication of keyboard player Martin Morgan to present the music of Yak to the world. Arguably not the best of band names, but thankfully the music is much better than what one might expect from a band with a name which gives some funny associations.
Instrumental, progressive symphonic rock is the name of the game here, with the keyboards as THE dominating instrument. Lush, mellow moods and harder majestic ones; slow themes as well as faster more complex motifs - the keys are ever present and totally dominating on all tunes.

More often than not we’re served multilayered keyboards; up to six different layers at most if my hearing and analyzing skills were up to it when going through this creation. A minimum of one symphonic layer from the tangents will be found on most compositions, and additional layers will often be provided as organ or piano. Flute-sounding layers and spacey sounds are other often used textures from the keys, and there’s also the flowing solo segments with a guitar-tinged sound to it. Additional elements utilized are synthesized versions of backing vocals/choir, lighter floating melody lines and deep, slightly ominous sound layers.

The focus is on mood and atmosphere rather than complex creations though; some dissonances and disharmonies are used as effect but most of all this is a harmonic production in a modern symphonic tradition, which I guess will be classified as neo-progressive by many.

Musically we’re talking a mix of influences from Genesis and Camel mainly, with inspirations taken from the more atmospheric creations of these fine acts from the 70’s. Some compositions sound more like the one than the other; but most times the music comes across as a mix of both.

It’s a nice release; no filler material on display albeit nothing truly outstanding either. There’s captivating moods and melodies aplenty though, and I suspect quite a few fans of symphonic rock will view this as one of the better releases of 2008.”

“Martin Morgan kept the Yak dream alive since the band’s formation in 1982 and the result is the band are finally able to release some excellent instrumental progressive albums. The “Dark Side of the Duck” began the voyage and the band set sail to embark on their latest venture “The Journey of the Yak”. The band’s members have ties to prog legends Yes, Whimwise and The Enid and so you may expect the influences to come out strong on their album. In fact the influences of Camel and ELP are far more pronounced. The use of multilayered keyboards, with flute-sounds and scorching guitars are the dominant force. The Steve Hackett style guitar breaks are mesmirising. There are even passages of vocalisations using synthesizers in the soundscape.

The album evokes pleasant aural imagery of wide sweeping plains, vast mountain scapes and Tolkienesque fantasy horizons. The atmosphere is dreamy and haunting but never less than uplifting and evocative. There are some intricate complexities of music such as the title track and these sequences are juxtaposed with simple pieces such as ‘Dearly Departed’. The beauty of this track is it’s melancholy melody that touches the emotions, especially the flute sections that have a powerful resonance. It begins with beautiful piano, a very pretty melody that is consistent and rather sombre but utterly compelling. It is a short track but so endearing and lulling in a dreamy way.

The real feature of this music is rather than just background music there is an imposing mood that grabs hold and refuses to let go. I have heard the music many times now and it is always a new experience as the listener is allowed to take from it whatever he or she wishes. There are long lead guitar breaks such as on the title track. Morgan is masterful on keyboards, particularly mellotron, Dave Speight produces innovative metrical patterns on drums and Gary Bennett is the rhythm machine on bass.

On the opener ‘Gates of Moria’ the keyboards dominate and there are swishes of wind effects and a strong melody. The atmosphere transports you out of the real into the imaginary realm like all good music should. You can visualise the sounds. The opening track is compelling and has a hypnotic melody that draws you in with every listen.

’Entangled in Dreams’ has a soft flute and acoustic sound. The melody on piano carries it along beautifully, and this is echoed with the electric guitar, a virtuosic performance of huge string bends and harmonics. The Hammond sound kicks in and it sounds more like ELP in this passage. This is one of the best works on the album and it grew on me very fast like osmosis. I think it is more like Camel than other pieces or “The Snow Goose” album especially, it certainly has that classic 70s prog sound so difficult to emulate, though Yak have managed to do so masterfully on this album. The ending with haunting flute sounds and ambient guitar and keyboard is absolutely spine chilling prog; a masterpiece track that really resonates with my senses on every listen.

’Jadis of Charn’ features a Baroque intro and then an infectious hook in melody. The guitars are heavenly with strong string bends and they are played over relentless grinding organ. In particular I like that riff 7 mins into it that locks in and reminds me of 70s prog such as the early Genesis or Caravan or even Nektar come to think of it. I would rate this track as a definitive highlight. This is the reason I listen to prog; to discover scintillating, captivating music such as this.

’March of the Huorns’ begins with Classical Baroque nuances, choral voices, and then a huge sound blast of keyboards backed by the crash of drum and bass. There is an interplay of instruments creating tension and release that all prog songs should encompass. The sound embodies a sense of wonder and exploration. The Emerson like Hammond sound is always welcome and those Gong-influenced spacey guitars that rise and fall over embellishments of sporadic drumming; a pure delight to my ears. The melody on guitar is now familiar after several lessons and always lifts my spirits high. This chugs along at a brisk pace with heavy handed piano and strings via mellotron played with dexterity by the hand of Morgan.

The final track ‘Journey of the Yak’ is the absolute fresh sound of Yak and this featured as a track on “Prognosis 4” that came as a sampler with the Classic Rock Presents Prog magazine and introduced me to the band. Interlaced within this last epic are some incredible proggy moments. It begins with piano and huge lead guitar in a wall of sound. It locks into a rather jagged staccato riff that sounds orchestral and the way the drums kick in is enough to gain my attention. The main drawcard is the Hammond blasts once again that remind one of Rick Wakeman or Emerson. The virtuoso musicianship of the trio is incredible and they go into full flight on this. At 3:40 a deep staccato drone introduces the new time sig and the Hammond organ crunches a wondrous motif with some soaring spacey guitar passages. The music has an organic quality with dissonances in sound and metrical shapes that fracture the rhythms. At 7:04 a warm piano chimes in and it rings the mood down to a serene feel, then the Andy Latimer style guitar lead break takes it to a new level. This is some of the best music I have heard in a long time.

So, overall the album is a remarkable throwback to all that made the 70s great, when prog was a dominant force; virtuoso musicianship, lengthy tracks, extended keyboard and guitar solos, moody atmospherics and a conceptual framework: that pertinently describes “The Journey of The Yak
”

“This 2008 instrumental CD is one of the best British progressive rock albums in recent memory, pure classic prog, close to Genesis (or Steve Hackett solo) and Camel. Yak are a keys/bass/drums trio, but their sound is bigger than that — after hearing this, you will swear that there is a guitarist in the band, one who has the expressive Hackett/Latimer lead style nailed! In fact, keyboardist Martin Morgan is playing the guitar parts from a keyboard, the best emulation of that sustained electric guitar style we’ve ever heard. Of course a guitarist or two will be required live, as the guitar and keyboard sounds are layered. Just when you’ve despaired of ever hearing a British prog band create the real thing again, you are rescued by a Yak. “Sounds like Dave Greenslade jamming with Genesis”