Review: Lucassen & Soeterboek’s Plan Nine – The Long-Lost Songs

Music Theories Recordings (May 17^th 2024)

Reviewer: David Mark Pearce

Right from the start my cards are well and truly on the table because this is a cracking album! The band/project is called Plan Nine and this is a collection of long lost and forgotten demos from Arjen Lucassen and Robert Soeterboek.

I’ve followed Arjen’s music since the ‘Universal Migrator I & II‘ when I was introduced to him from a dear friend of mine. The same friend that put me forward for The Oliver Wakeman Band. On a side note we supported Stream Of Passion a good few years ago now, another of Arjen’s projects!

But we’re not here to talk about that we’re here or rather I am to tell you about this fantastic album. Since I got it to review I’ve played it a lot and I mean a lot! I knew we were on to a winner when they released the first single ‘When The Morning Comes!’ I’ve read that when the vocals were recorded Robert had a bad cold I think and was struggling with his voice. Well you’d never know because, if anything, it perfectly suited his approach on the song and maybe added that spit and sawdust feel, which also fitted the video if you all saw that, but above all else he sings this and a lot of the album with so much soul!!

So what’s it sound like? Well Arjen of course and because Robert is on it it reminds me a lot of the Star One album! Mix the way that sounded and throw in some Whitesnake, Purple and I dunno some Floyd, then I think you can all figure out what’s coming your way! So apart from Arjen and Robert, we have Koen Herfst on drums. Rob van der Loo on bass, Irene Jansen and Jane Goulding on backing vocals, and on lead guitar Marcel Singor. What a player that guy is. Something different to listen to from a guitarist. Very tasteful with just the right amount of flash!!

Also, just to sweeten the pot further there is a two disc version of this album, You see this project was originally formed 30 years ago by Lucassen and Soeterboek. At the time Plan Nine eventually grew into a band of its own, attracting attention from producers and labels alike. However, as other projects such as Ayreon took center stage, Plan Nine was placed on the back burner, until now!

So, on the second disc are the demo versions of all the songs. I really enjoyed it listening to demo versions of songs as you can see where it began through to the finished song, pretty much like Whitesnake did with their recent re-issues etc It’s a brilliant hard rock/blues, with a sprinkle of prog, album and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have and will continue to do so.

Track List:

01 Doctor Robert’s Medicine Show

02 The Preacher

03 Annie Moore

04 Get Down To Bizniz

05 Before The Morning Comes

06 High Speed Chase

07 Let It Ride

08 Ice On Fire

09 Long Cold Night

10 Drunker Than Whiskey

11 Die With Your Shades On

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