Sol Surfers

Because they�re probably pretty tired of it by now, I�m not going to draw the comparison of Lynn Stokes and Sol Surfers to the hit rock band Pink Floyd. I�ll only say that I had a strange compulsion to watch �The Wizard of Oz� while listening to this disc. The beauty of this album is in its thematic simplicity while using complex rhythms and tried and true instrumentation in innovative ways. There�s a flow to the disc that is lost if you press the �shuffle� button on your player, so don�t. From the outset, it�s clear Stokes had a plan for the album and it comes across as perfectly as any album I�ve heard recently. Steeped in the style of that classic band we won�t mention, there are also other obvious influences that make this artist unique. After consuming the liner notes, set out on your journey through the varied emotions of Stokes� adventure of life, loss, pain, and release. There�s something overwhelmingly calm about the album that allows for a connection with a greater power. That being the beauty of music in the first place, welcome to one of the best albums around at creating such connectivity. This is a headphone album best enjoyed alone the first time, then shared with every friend you can muster. With each friend, however, insist upon their purchasing a copy for themselves. The saxophone work on the album is pure poetry, and Stokes is masterful at wrapping each lyrical composition with the perfect blend of rock, off-jazz, and spice. At times, you can notice a Narada Michael Walton influence as Stokes unites nature, �psychedelia�, and guttural rock guitar into nine symphonic movements of pure art. Not new-age by a long shot, but perhaps newer-age-retro is more like it. I found great pleasure in just leaving the disc running over and over. Each song became like a familiar friend. Grab your copy of this veteran�s artwork in song and you�ll see for yourself.

Liner Notes:
Terra Nocturne is the story of one person�s journey through the emotions and transcendental experiences which transpire during the course of one particularly lucid night. It begins with the haunting sounds of the flute, as if beckoning the full moon to rise over the horizon. Lush and moody, Sacred Moon�s Light is a song which expresses the perceptions, sensations and spiritual restorative power of witnessing the rise of the moon on a warm, sensual spring evening. In Where Have You Gone, this blissful mindset is shattered by the realization that, due to the tragedy of war, poverty or unjust detention, a loved one is missing and cannot ever again be present for this experience. This overwhelming feeling of solitude is evoked in the instrumental Terra Nocturne as the deliverance of sleep begins to set in. Let Go is a portrayal of not only the feeling of release into slumber but also the pain of separation from a loved one, and at the same time, the pleasure of liberation from the physical body at the moment of sleep or death. The soul leaves the body in Open Door for the spiritual lessons and astral journeys suggested in the songs American Dream and Dream Sequence. In the last moments of sleep, before the sounds of morning, Across the Barrier seems to suggest that healing, restoration and salvation are possible through the transformation of consciousness.
- Lucky Boyd - MyTexasMusic.com

These are all excellent tracks, and they all seem very much of a piece. The execution of the arrangements is impressive, from the PINK FLOYD-like vocal approach & swimming murky vibe to the excellent playing and production. The melodies are strong and resonant, and the lyrics all sing well. The result is a very impressive. The tracks have a thread of an artist with a signature sound. No doubt, the music has a unique quality blending the storyteller with a haunting sound design while dodging the trappings of rock 'n roll cliches. Ultimately, the sound resonates with a sense of beauty focused on the story and it's storyteller. The music makes the kind of impact usually directed to fans of Lou Reed, Tom Waits, or Dylan. Keep writing and good luck! - TAXI Music

Dear Lynn,

That is one of the best records I've heard in a long, long time. The recording is top-notch and the songs are killer. Really good lyrics and storytelling.

It reminds me, here and there, of Gerry Rafferty, Creedence Clearwater, Johnny Rivers, the Animals and Bob Dylan.

I really like the presentation: I can hear the voice; I can understand the words; the words I'm listening to are very cool; and the arrangements are very enjoyable. I'm speaking as a musician and as a music writer that listens to a lot of CDs.

Sorry for the slow response. The CD has been staring at me for awhile. But I'm glad I got to it.

Please feel free to email me at hsaldana@express-news.net or call me at the Express-News at (210) 250-3380.

Email me the details of your gigs next week, and I'll put the Night after Night item together.

Hector
- San Antonio Express News

Lynn Stokes has been successfully making a name for himself throughout the USA prog music circuit, as a talented musician and a exceptional songwriter. Clearly his music is so versatile and deliver various musical aspects, developed under a superb orchestration, we can find elements of Progressive Rock, Aor, Symphonic Melodic Rock, Classic Rock, New Age and Space Music. After two considered albuns, his new work titled as "Terra Nocturne", is the story of a journey through the emotions and transcendental experiences, which transpire during the course of one particularly lucid evening. The musical style written on this album, draws a magnificent demonstration of Melodic Symphonic Progressive Rock, Space Music and Classical Rock, full of exciting guitar's solos, amazing keyboards sounds, accompanied by atmospheric instrumental section, where the musical arrangements reminds me some thing very near to "Pink Floyd's" albuns "Wish You Were Here", "Animals" and "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason". "Terra Nocturne" was produced by Lynn Stokes, recorded by Spencer Ramzel at 6th Street Studio, San Antonio, Texas, mixed and mastered by Roland St. John Perez, all songs written by Lynn Stokes, except Sacred Moon´s Light lyrics by Stone Bryson and Dream Sequencer by Lynn Stokes and Roland St. John Perez. Including nine tracks, among 53 min, really full of pure emotions. A special and particular attention to and my favourite songs are: "Sacred Moon's Light", (was selected by the Progressive Rock Hall of Fame to be included in their forthcoming compilation CD, Soundscapes Volume One, and was mailed to 1000 record labels, reviewers and radio stations around the world), "Terra Nocturne", "Where Have You Gone", "Let Go" (This song has been selected by Versailles Records to be included on their upcoming compilation CD 'Road TRIP Rock Vol. 1/2.), "Open Door", "American Dream" and "Across the Barrier". In fact, "Terra Nocturne" will be enjoyed by fans of progressive rock music with the symphonic atmosphere in the same line of "Pink Floyd", "David Gilmour", "Roger Waters" and "Yes". You can visit Lynn Stokes & Sol Surfers at Sonicbids.com. RadioIndy is pleased to present Lynn Stokes & Sol Surfers with a GrIndie Award for the CD "Terra Nocturne". The musicians on this project are: Lynn Stokes - Guitars and Vocals, Mike Orbelo - Bass Guitar, Roland St. John Perez - Keyboards and Sythesizers, Kevin Cooley - Drums, Jerry Savoy - Saxophone, Dean Evans - Flute, Lisa Stokes - Vocals Chorus and Phil Grota - Flute on "The Crossing". Brilliant and indispensable work, highly recommendable... (Comments by Carlos Vaz) - Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal

Lynn Stokes and the Sol Surfers album Terra Nocturne is so floydian in sounds and structure that it could genuinely be taken for a lost Pink Floyd album recorded somewhere between Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. It is also near, in atmosphere, to the first solo project of David Gilmour. This implied a mellow and slow music, not the more experimental and punchy side of the band such as shown on the Ummagumma album. That said, and even though it is almost a copycat of the original, I have found it incredibly good, and I prefer it to what Pink Floyd did after the Wall. The musicianship is simply superb and the ambiances created made me realize that I have lately missed the mind blowing and meditative qualities of that strand of progressive rock. It has been a long time, since I had so much pleasure listening to an album. I float listening to it.
Each musician contributes to this eerie overall impression of a new Pink Floyd project. First Lynn Stokes vocals and guitar anchors well this feeling of a strange «déjà vu», he plays the guitar like David Gilmour (particularly the timbre of his guitar ) and he surely sings a lot like him, with hints of Waters voice at times. The keyboards and synthesizers work of Roland St John Perez is up to Richard Wright levels. However, it is the sax of Jerry Savoy and the flute of Dean Evans that create the Dark Side of the Moon feeling. The drums of Kevin Cooley are discrete as is the bass of Mike Orbelo. The mixing seems to have been directed by Alan Parsons himself.

I have heard many bands that approach Pink Floyd style, but in my view, The Sol Surfers are certainly among the very best. Each tune is interesting and the overall feeling is exquisite. In addition, this music is very easy to listen. Most tunes are rather short except for three songs.

“Sacred Moon's Light” is surely an echoes (pun intended) of Dark Side of the Moon “the Great Gig in the Sky”. It may seem odd, but I perceive an organic feel to this song (I am unable to explain precisely why). The sax is the main ingredient here, but the voice, the guitars and the keys also contribute aptly to this excellent beginning. It is one of my favourite on the album.

“Terra Nocturne”, the title track, is a short new age like instrumental piece.

“Where Have You Gone” is a superb floydian ballad.

“The Crossing” is like part of a movie score in the style of the so-called spaghetti western films, I have in mind the music of Moricone.

“Let Go” is a mix of The Wall vocals with the synths and guitars of Which You Were Here (Welcome to the Machine for instance), rendered in a subdued fashion. It is very pleasing to ear.

“Open Door” is punchier than the rest of the album, with a fun rhythm. It is here that we can ear some drums. A very good instrumental track, indeed.

“American Dream” is the « piece de résistance» of the album. It is very… slow, dreamlike and mind blowing. Can you guess who influence this song? The sax is the most interesting instrument here, producing a jazzy floydian ambiance.

“Dream Sequence” is in continuity with the preceding song, the acoustic piano is mixed with many tracks; one with a heart beat, other one with different sounds of voices & other tracks with other things, and did that strike a chord? That gives an experimental feel, but also a sense of «déjà vu». It is very quiet in tone.

“Across the Barrier” is a pop sounding finale in the like David Gilmour eponymous album.

If you are a fan of Pink Floyd, you will probably love this album. If you like middle of the road or quiet progressive rock, this is a must buy for your collection. Even if this is heavily inspired. - ProgGnosis

Lynn Stokes is a life-long musician from the Texas scene. A guitar player with many bands over the years, he’s seen space cowboys and the Vaughan Brothers and even opened up once for Bob Dylan. After a musical awakening while researching his family heritage, Stokes began writing his own songs in earnest. In 2007 he formed the Sols Surfers in order to showcase these tunes, and the end result is a lovely little album called Terra Nocturne.

Terra Nocturne opens with Sacred Moon's Light, a mellow song poem peppered with saxophone runs and ethereal instrumental work. Fans of Pink Floyd will absolutely love this tune. In general there have been strong comparisons between Lynn Stokes & The Sol Surfers and Pink Floyd. This particular song sounds as if it could have walked right out of the Wish You Were Here Sessions. Terra Nocturne continues in the same vein, making the most use of stereo channels to walk the sound around the listener. We change speeds a bit with Where Have You Gone, which is more of a piano ballad. The song is gorgeous and reflects some serious training on the piano. Other highlights include The Crossing, Open Door, the melancholy American Dream and Across The Barrier.

It is very clear where Lynn Stokes & The Sol Surfers influences lay. The songs on Terra Nocturne are well crafted, intricate, mellow and psychedelic. Pink Floyd fans and jam band fans in general will really dig Terra Nocturne. The mix of acoustic and electric instruments along with real world sounds sampled in will appeal to mixologists, and the musicality will appeal to the musicians amongst my readers. If you really don't like Pink Floyd, there's no point in going here as you won't be able to get by the similarities. Otherwise it’s an excellent record.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5) - Wildy's World

�Terra Nocturne� by Lynn Stokes & Sol Surfers is a musical journey through many moods and emotions, highlighted by well-crafted songs, thoughtful arrangements and exceptional musicianship. Each piece is very symphonic and orchestral in nature, representing a single movement in the overall album, which is meant to be a cohesive and interrelated piece of music. The style of writing on this album draws a strong inspiration from the music of Pink Floyd. Listen to �Where Have You Gone� and �Let Go,� for great examples of this in both the songwriting and the smooth, mellow vocal style. While this influence is evident, this material is also very well-written and unique, being calm and psychedelic while also complex and elaborate at the same time. The album contains many sections where instruments are panned throughout the stereo spectrum, providing an entrancing listening experience through headphones. This release also features many excellent musical performances, from the skilled saxophone runs on �Sacred Moon�s Light� to the fine guitar work by Stokes on the title track �Terra Nocturne.� �Open Door� and �Across the Barrier� are of a more upbeat nature, with great performances by all involved. �Terra Nocturne� by Lynn Stokes & Sol Surfers will be enjoyed by fans of rock music with the symphonic atmosphere of Pink Floyd and Roger Waters.
-Rodney and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
- RadioIndy.com

Attention Pink Floyd lovers! This album from Lynn Stokes will certainly interest you. ‘Terra Nocturne’ is packed to the rim with songs that remind you of PF…the atmosphere, the songs, the singing and even the vocal timbre. That all important Pink Floyd guitar sound can be found here as well. There is, however, not enough of those Floydian guitar solos to declare the whole thing as a Pink Floyd album. The solos are there, but they are mostly played by saxophone or by classical guitar.

I’m not saying that this is not a solid album, on the contrary. These are very beautiful songs that could’ve ended up on the ‘Wish You Were Here’ or ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ albums but didn’t due to a lack of space on the vinyls back then. The slide guitar, the build up and the structure is almost identical to the other songs such as “Us and Them”, “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” and “Wish You Were Here”. The sound of the saxophone solos is just phenomenal. It doesn’t take long to appreciate the songs because they give that familiar feeling. There are a few exceptions though. “Open Door” doesn’t sound anything like a Pink Floyd tune and therefore is the least liked. The production of the last song on the album is quite weak. Even though “Across the Barrier” contains the most guitar elements, its’ quality is boarder line. It could’ve been a lot better and that’s really a pity!

This album is a welcoming surprise for Pink Floyd lovers, especially since there are so few good symphonic albums in this style that being released. The music here is great so it doesn’t really matter that it’s not 100% Pink Floyd.
- Prog-Nose.org

Lynn Stokes and his band Sol Surfers have released a new album titled "Terra Nocturne". It is receiving very positive reviews. One song (Sacred Moon's Light) has been selected by the Progressive Rock Hall of Fame - to be included on their forthcoming compilation CD.
Heavily influenced by mid-period Pink Floyd, these American guys have brought an excellent styled material blending the sound of classic psychedelic progressive rock.
I can not think of any valid criticism on this record. - ProgBase.com

While you’re waiting for Pink Floyd to reform, you could do much worse than pass an hour listening to this little album. In fact you may as well set aside a whole evening. Because when you’ve listened to it once, you’re almost certain to want to play it again.

Lynn Stokes is a life-long musician from Texas who has played guitar with many bands over the years. He even once opened for Bob Dylan. Writing his own songs was a later development, but inspired by researching his family heritage, Stokes formed the Sol Surfers a year or so ago. Terra Nocturne is the band’s first album. (Take care if searching for this record, as Stokes’ first album, Off To Sea Once More released under his own name in 2001, is made up of Scottish and English sea shantys!)

Anyway it’s immediately clear where Stokes’ musical inspiration now lies and fans of Gilmour and Co will find plenty to devour here. The mellow, ethereal opener Sacred Moon's Light and its flowing saxophone could have escaped from the Wish You Were Here sessions. The piano/acoustic guitar ballad Where Have You Gone is tenderly composed, and the bluesy, flowing guitar playing on the instrumental title track is divine. After the opener, Let Go is probably my favourite track for its effortless grace. Open Door adds some upbeat jazz/rock influences to break things up a little but is a tad one-dimensional. The Crossing and Dream Sequence are just some musical/thematic padding. At 12 plus minutes American Dream is pure atmosphere. Its slidey guitar perhaps echoing Floyd a little too closely for some. Across The Border is a nice up-temp closer.

Stokes’ soothing voice fits the musical perfectly, as does the mix of acoustic and electric instruments. There’s a very spiritual lyrical theme behind the songs. In the words of Stokes it ‘conveys the story of one person’s journey through the emotions and transcendental experiences which transpire during the course of one particularly lucid night’. However this isn’t New Age by any stretch. Retro maybe. Calm definitely. There’s also a lot of detail and skill to the compositions which will reward repeat listens.

On the basis I’ve got the full product, then the packaging is poor. With just a single sheet front cover and low resolution image I’d go for MP3 downloads. Sadly that isn’t an option for this disc on CdBaby.

Basically if you don’t like mellow Pink Floyd, or bands who don’t tread their own path, then don’t bother with the sound samples. However if you do like mellow Floyd, or just fancy something to lie back to in a candle flickering room with a smooth glass of your favourite tipple, then this is just perfect.
- DPRP.net