Before recording this album, Eloy's fifth, Frank Bornemann had to rebuild his group. With Klaus Peter Matziol (bass), Detlev Schmidtchen (keyboards), and Jürgen Rosenthal (drums), he had the lineup that would become known as the "classic" Eloy. Furthermore, this version of the band crowned him producer, giving him a wild card to do what he had in mind. Thus the transformation of the group from a blues-rock-influenced avatar of Jethro Tull (circa Benefit and Aqualung) to a symphonic progressive rock group leaning toward Dark Side of the Moon-era Pink Floyd was completed with the release of Dawn. A concept album co-written by Bornemann and Rosenthal, it tells the tale of a man who after a sudden death comes back as a ghost. He tries to pass on his newly acquired knowledge to his loved one (Jeanne, also the name of the girl in Power and the Passion). The album ends with his dissolving into light, closing on the quote, "Nous sommes du soleil" ("We are of the sun") from Yes' Tales From Topographic Oceans, released two years before. The hard rock edge featured on earlier LPs has been purged (including most of Bornemann's guitar solos) to make way for multi-layered keyboards. A string orchestra complements the group on many pieces, most notably "Glinding Into Light and Knowledge," the end of "Lost!?? (Introduction)," and the opener, "Awakening." Together with Ocean, Dawn remains one of Eloy's finest albums, at least musically. The new lineup is able to ornament and refine Bornemann's generally simple songs. As for the lyrics, it's a question of taste.
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