Solution

The first album Solution.

Solution were a Dutch symphonic rock band that existed from 1970 to 1983, during which time they released six studio albums and one live album. They incorporated jazz, rock, pop and soul influences, becoming more commercial on their fifth and sixth albums.

History

Their first eponymous LP comprised mainly instrumental pieces, complex yet repetitive in structure, with bassist Peter van der Sande singing on one track. He was succeeded by Guus Willemse around the time of its release, and immediately the band began recording more vocal songs; three of the tracks on second album Divergence featured lyrics.

The third album Cordon Bleu (1975) was released on Elton John's label Rocket Records, as was its follow-up Fully Interlocking (1977). Both albums were produced by John's producer Gus Dudgeon, and featured a crisper sound and more concise songwriting.

Despite some criticism for a more commercial direction, the next two albums, ...It's Only Just Begun... (1980) and Runaway (1982) continued this trend. The two title tracks from these albums became hit singles in Europe.

Solution split in 1983, playing a final concert at the Paradiso in Holland and releasing a double live album. They have since regrouped (in March 2006) for two concerts at Panama, Amsterdam (released as a DVD in July 2007), while a triple CD compilation (The Ultimate Collection, comprising almost every track they released) was issued in 2005. Also, a 1976 pairing of Solution and Divergence (simply titled Solution) was reissued by EMI in February 2007, featuring "Fever" (left off the original CD edition) and "Divergence", the studio version of which was omitted from The Ultimate Collection in favour of the 1983 live recording.

All Solution-Cd's are available at FONOS (http://www.fonos.nl, the tripple Cd 'The Ultimate Collection' and the Cd 'Collections' are available at Bol.com while the DVD of the reunion concerts in 2006 is available via the Solution-website website (http://www.solutionmusic.nl/concert.html).

Members

The band members included:

• Tom Barlage: saxophone, flute
• Willem Ennes: piano, organ, keyboards
• Hans Waterman: drums
• Guus Willemse: bass, vocals
• Harry Hardholt: guitars
• Peter van der Sande: bass guitar, vocals
• Steve Boston: congas on the first album
• Jaap van Eik: bass
• Adri Klohne: bass
• Jan Akkerman: guitar on 'It's only just begun'
• Michiel Pos, vocals, acoustic guitars, flute on 'Cordon Bleu'
• Neppy Noya, percussion on 'It's only just begun'

Albums

• Solution (1971)
• Divergence (1972)
• Cordon Bleu (1975)
• Fully Interlocking (1977)
• ...It's Only Just Begun... (1980)
• Runaway (1982)
• Solution Live (1983)
• Reunionconcert Solution (DVD, 2006)

Reissues

• Solution (1976 - actually a double repackage of the first two albums)
• The Best of Solution Live (1991)
• The Ultimate Collection (2005)

Singles

• "Divergence" (EMI, 1973)
• "A Song for You" (Rocket Records, 1975)
• "Chappaqua" (Rocket Records, 1976)
• "Give Some More" (Rocket Records, 1977/78)
• "Empty Faces" (Rocket Records, 1977)
• "On My Own" (CBS, 1980)
• "It's Only Just Begun" (CBS, 1980)
• "Runaway" (CBS, 1982)
• "Downhearted" (CBS, 1982)
• "Bad Breaks" (SKY, 1983 - from Solution Live)

External links

• Official site run by Guus Willemse
• Dutch Progressive Rock page
• Focus Reviews page