Merlin - Bard Of The Unseen is a studio album by the Dutch

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 progressive rock

Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...

 band Kayak

Kayak (band)

Kayak are a Dutch progressive rock band formed in 1972 in the city Hilversum by Ton Scherpenzeel and Pim Koopman. In 1973, their debut album "See See The Sun" was released, including 3 hit singles. Their main popularity was in the Netherlands, with their top hit reaching #6 on the Dutch charts in...

. This concept-album is a new version of side 1 of their 1981 album Merlin

Merlin (Kayak album)

Merlin is the eighth studio album by Dutch band Kayak. The first half of the original LP is a concept-story about Merlin the magician. The second half of the LP is a collection of individual songs....

, with nine new songs added.

At concerts in 2003, the band played this rock-opera in its entirety. Singer Cindy Oudshoorn was credited as special guest on the album, but became a permanent member of the band after the tour.

Track listing

1. "Merlin" - 7:50
2. "Tintagel" - 2:49
3. "The Future King" - 2:58
4. "The Sword In The Stone" - 3:43
5. "When The Seer Looks Away" - 4:18
6. "Branded" - 3:51
7. "At Arthur's Court" - 3:15
8. "The Otherworld" - 7:59
9. "The Purest Of Knights" - 5:48
10. "Friendship And Love" - 5:13
11. "The King's Enchanter" - 2:31
12. "Niniane (Lady Of The Lake)" - 7:08
13. "The Last Battle" - 8:11
14. "Avalon" - 3:44

Words by Irene Linders and Ton Scherpenzeel. Music by Ton Scherpenzeel, except tracks 3, 5, 8, 13: Pim Koopman

Lineup

• Ton Scherpenzeel
  Ton Scherpenzeel
  Ton Scherpenzeel is a keyboardist and a founding member of the Dutch rock band Kayak, together with Pim Koopman and Max Werner whom he met whilst at the Hilversum Muziek Lyceum ....
  
   - keyboards, vocals, percussion
• Pim Koopman
  Pim Koopman
  Wilhelmus Frederikus Koopman was the drummer and percussionist of the Dutch Progressive rock band, Kayak.-Biography:...
  
   - drums, backing vocals, voice-over
• Bert Heerink - lead and backing vocals
• Bert Veldkamp - bass guitar
• Joost Vergoossen - guitars
• Rob Vunderink - guitars, lead and backing vocals

External links

• Official homepage