Alan Horvath | The Christopher Seeman Review

The Christopher Seeman Review | March 9, 2004
Entertainment: Feature Review Tolkien-Movies.com and Beyond Bree Newsletter

Alan Horvath, The 'Rings Project (CD 2004) [Akashic Records]
By Chris Seeman - The Tolkien Music List (Tolkien-Movies.com)
Artwork (above) by the late Buddy Miller - Nashville, Tennessee

When I learned that a Lord of the Rings trilogy was being filmed, I made two predictions. The first was that the movies would attract a swarm of musical hacks, out to make a quick buck off the hype. The second was that the increased public visibility the films would create for Tolkien's tale would also create an opportunity for many sincere musicians, who had long desired to set their inspiration to song, to be heard. Both predictions were correct.

For the most part, the hacks have now come and gone; the true believers are beginning to emerge out of the woodwork. Former Nashville guitarist-songwriter, Alan Horvath, is one of the latter.

A native of New Jersey, Alan has been performing in clubs and concert-halls for more than three decades. Influenced by the classic rock of the '60s, as well as by folk, country and blues, Alan plays a unique hybrid style he dubs "acoustic rock" which, while founded on the acoustic guitar, incorporates a variety of string instruments (autoharp, dulcimer and octave mandolin), as well as the occasional harmonica. Since 1973, Alan's driving passion has been to release a Lord of the Rings concept album.

As a matter of fact, Alan had already recorded this album in the early '80s, but only a two-song single was actually released. (Alan had been hoping to use the 1978 Bakshi animated LotR as a springboard, but the gambit didn't pan out.) With news of Peter Jackson's efforts, Alan decided the time was ripe to complete his quest. In 2001, he re-recorded seven of his original nine-song cycle. At that time, his plan was to expand this into two albums worth of material, but he eventually decided to go back to his original single album concept. And so this year Alan has released a re-mastered version of his 2001 recording sessions, adding three new tracks: the definitive 'Rings Project.

With the exception of "The Departure of Boromir" and "The Fighting Uruk-hai," The 'Rings Project recounts the trilogy from the Hobbits' -- and particularly Frodo's -- perspective, and the bulk of the material focuses on the journey from Hobbiton to Rivendell. The closest musical analogy to The 'Rings Project is Kevin Henry's Bilbo's Great Adventure (1999), which lyrically narrates The Hobbit in a similar folk-rock-country vein. Unlike Henry's work, Alan's songwriting concentrates more on the emotions of the characters than on the events of the story as such. Through The 'Rings Project, the listener takes part in the festivities of Bilbo's farewell party, Frodo's bewilderment in the Old Forest, the conviviality of the Prancing Pony, and the pursuit by the Black Riders.

The cycle concludes with the mixed feelings of loss and joy at the Grey Havens. The final song, subtitled "Friends Should Never Say Goodbye," is also the first Alan wrote back in '73, and in many ways it encapsulates the themes and message of the album. Ultimately, for Alan, the trilogy is about friendship, a dimension of the story that one can sometimes lose sight of in the midst of its epic grandeur. Alan's lyrical emphasis is well placed, and sets his work off from many other (equally commendable) Tolkien-inspired albums that have appeared over the last few years. Thumbs up!

Check out the 'Rings Project! [Click Here]

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