Peter Gee - Pilgrim (2023) CD-Rip

"Pilgrim" is my seventh solo album release (or eighth if you include the gospel album "The Life Of God In The Soul Of Man"), and my fourth album release with worldwide distribution company White Knight Records. "Pilgrim" is a concept album, over a total of 69 minutes, which is based upon John Bunyan’s famous book of 1678, "The Pilgrim’s Progress" This was one of the books that most influenced my father, Reverend Michael Gee, in his ministry as a vicar in the Church of England for over 30 years. Then when my father died in 2000, we erected a stained glass window in his memory at Holy Trinity Church, Brimscombe (his first parish church as a minister), of the scene from Bunyan’s book where Pilgrim brings his burden to the cross. So this album was very much for me a personal journey, and a mission which I needed to complete in memory of my father, and of his wonderful life of loving and serving other people.

Although it was first published in 1678, this is still the story of every human being on our planet today. We are all travellers who are just passing though this world, and we are all on a journey throughout this lifetime, and then when we die, we move on to the world to come. And we all need to keep to The Way and choose not to end up in a place of evil or darkness, but press on towards The Celestial City, or Heaven, as we call it today.

This "Pilgrim" album showcases the amazing vocal talents of Steve Thorne, Jimmy Flanders, Becky Brannigan and Hayley Oliver, as well as regular collaborator Steve Christey (Jadis) on drums.

"Pilgrim" contains a stunning array of musical styles from the progressive "The Wicket Gate", "The Delectable Mountains" and "The Celestial City", to classic rock song "The City of Destruction" to the soaring guitar solo on "The River Of Death", from the beautiful female vocal solo introduction to "Pilgrim’s Burden" to the early Genesis style acoustic pieces "Faithful" and "Enchanted Ground", from the captivating powerful piano pieces "Pilgrim Lays Down His Burden At The Cross" and "Doubting Castle", to the groove based "Low Country of Pride" and the more commercial "Vanity Fair", and on to the darker pieces of "The Destroyer" and "Valley of The Shadow Of Death". And yet this whole album has a wonderful power and unity to it and the story draws you in to see whether or not the Pilgrim, named "Christian", will succeed in his life long spiritual journey from The City of Destruction to The Celestial City.

"Pilgrim" is a great progressive rock album, with something for everyone, including some beautiful and soulful vocals, magical 12 string guitar pieces, evocative piano melodies, soaring guitar solos and wonderful performances throughout.

If you like Pendragon’s music, or if you just like good rock music, progressive structures and songs with melody and emotion, then you will love this album! This is an album that you can really enter into the world that it evokes, and the story that it tells of Pilgrim’s journey through his life, including the key moment when God sets "Christian" free from the burden of his past mistakes and wrongs, forgives him and sets him free at the cross to travel on towards The Celestial City. This is a beautiful allegory and you can truly immerse yourself within the story - everything that a good concept album should do! Finally, this album cover features the beautiful 18th Century colour map of Pilgrim’s journey, which in itself is a wonderful piece of art.