A similar concept opens doors to musical atmospheres the most intimate. In the register Soft Pink Floyd, Strokes and Lynn group we are able to subdue and give rise to the dream and serenity.

Well Naturally, the shadow of the famous elder is everywhere. Lascivious guitar, flute free, weightless and slow tempo sax dot the enchanting journey rich and beautiful arabesquespastel colors. The winks at Gilmour and Waters are numerous,rhythms are often padded Terra Night Autoproduced and compositions stretch nonchalantly.

The musicians explore and assumed a smoothly reveal a delicacy
fashionable while many others groups around us send signals where dark riffs and aggressive are the main vectors. Of course, group fun sometimes we propose quality as a pastiche Let that go in the footsteps Welcome to the of machine. Anyway In any case, a tender melancholy and affirmed emerges from the Terra Night and each title is a bit like a part of a table where all new brushstroke brings an

understanding purpose of its creator. Each melody creeps in you and desire listen to them again and again is indeed there.

Then, the realization is impeccable, which does not spoil anything
and is unfortunately not always the case self-produced albums. Regularly we see happening on the scene a many groups influenced by Pink Floyd. Most of Lynn Strokes and its soil is for incorporating surfers Music from the more “romantic” the group and we restore the essence in nine compositions during which quality is still required. And one word can describe enchanting this remarkable album.
Terra Nocturne Harmonie magazine article

Artist/ Band: Lynn Stokes and Sol Surfers
Title: Terre Nocturne
Label: Self release
Year of Release: 2008
Offical Artist/ Band Link

The Review:

1. Who is the band? What is their history? What motivates them?

Looking out into the crowd of five thousand music fans at Sunken Gardens Theater in San Antonio, Texas it was impossible to see everyone due to the blinding stage lights. The excitement level was very high as we were about to go into our set opening for Bob Dylan. Having met Mr. Dylan earlier in the day during the sound check we were already on cloud nine and thankful for the opportunity that we had been awarded by winning battle of the bands contest sponsored by the promoter of the concert, Stone City Attractions. The newspaper review the next day would say that Dylan’s band could have learned a few things about showmanship from Creed Taylor and the Travelers. Spending my early days in Austin, Texas in the 1970′s allowed me to experience and witness a wide variety of exceptional musicians and musical trends; from the Cosmic Cowboy country scare to the electric blues revival of the Vaughan brothers. Concentrating mainly as a guitar player led me to playing with a variety of bands and musical styles throughout my career and working with talented songwriters whose songwriting crafts did not go unnoticed. One of the highlights of those days was opening for Bob Dylan in 1991 in front of 5000 people and getting great revues in the music press. All members of the group have extensive professional experience performing live for many years. The band plays original songs with a classic rock feel blending the sounds of soul music with the rhythms and chord structure of surf-rock. Recently honored by the Progressive Rock Hall of Fame, Lynn Stokes & Sol Surfers have crafted an original and intricate sound/vibe that is both melodic and ethereal. Songs from the CD, Terra Nocturne are being played on XM Radio channel Fine Tuning.? (Lynn Stokes.com, 2009).

2. Why did they make this album? What was the passion or message that forced them to produce what they have? Or, simply what was their motivation for the themes they chose for this album?

Two words, Pink Floyd. After a while of listening to this album it will be hard to distinguish Lynn Stokes vocals from early Roger Waters, and his guitar from David Gilmour. Since Pink Floyd is not recording at least for the foreseeable future, and Roger Waters and David Gilmour have slowed their recording schedules it is great to know there is someone here to fill the void. The Sol Surfers music is so close to early Floyd it will be obvious to any Floyd they are the inspiration. The similarities between Stokes and Waters voices is incredible and the music sounds like classic Floyd with a bit more influence from Gilmour’s solo efforts. Not the biting political satire of Waters, but the slow cool precision of Gilmour’s music and the Wish You Were Here/Nobody Home sound of Waters vocals. Lynn’s My Space page lists Roger Waters and David Gilmour near the top of his inspirational artist list. If you like Pink Floyd’s Meddle, Obscured by Clouds, A Saucerful of Secrets, or Atom Heart Mother you will probably like this album.

3. What message are they delivering through their lyrics and music?

They actually do try to deliver the message of “spiritual transformation and communion with the Creator�, through words, music, and the insert pictures in the packaging. However, for me it was not too heavy handed. The themes are generally about relaxation and getting in touch with your inner spirit which we could all use.

4. Does this music improve, change, or add to the genre? What does the listener receive from listening to the music?

Since the music here is so close to Pink Floyd, the initial fear is that the music will copy what has already been recorded. Although some songs have elements of some of Pink Floyd’s music, there is enough improvisation and originality to distinguish this album from a Pink Floyd album. I also found some Alan Parsons influences throughout the album.

The first song, Sacred Moon’s Light opens with a flute and synths and then the thunderous sax blows in and you are taken away with the Floyd rhythm, just as you hear Lynn’s voice for the first time. It as if you have heard this for years. He really did a great job of getting off to a wonderful start. The sax is fantastic. I wish more people would use it in rock, like they did in the 70s. That is what made Pink Floyd so wonderful. The willingness to experiment and use multiple instruments. The flute takes over and you are caught up in the rhythm. Just wonderful.. One of my favorites on the album. Sax blending with flute, guitar and relaxing vocals. This one would have fit perfectly on Gilmour’s On an Island perfectly.

Terra Nocturne opens with piano and a wonderful guitar riff to separate the song from the wonderful album opener. The opening guitar riff is full of power and majesty.

The piano opening of Where Have You Gone reminds me of Japan’s Kitaro. The lyrics on this one are closer to the influence of Roger Waters. Where have you gone.,w’ve been waiting all night long.â€? “You went off to war. I can’t remember what were you fighting œIt started with a lie, and for that I guess you’ll have to die. Someone has died in war and there are more overtones of ecological deprivation of the planet in the next verse. The guitar is more reminiscent of Alan Parsons. The Crossing opens with flute and acoustic guitar, and synths of wind swirling. Wonderful opening. Deeply relaxing. Then the slow drum march.

Let Go opens with synths and guitar and takes you for a ride similar Comfortably Numb or Shine on You Crazy Diamond. “So long, go on, be still, see there, just beyond the hill, go with the tide, to the other side, go on.

Open Door reminds me of some Pink Floyd Division Bell songs as well as Kitaro’s Asia CD, opening with what sounds almost like Japanese drums. Then that Turn of a Friendly Card guitar and synth sound comes out, followed by sax. Enough to remind you without being repetitive. Original, yet harking back to the past to remind you how good it was.

American Dream arrives, well dreamily. Beautiful acoustic guitar with synths and the quiet vocals. “American scene, can you open your eyes?â€? Born on a dream, rebellious and wise.â€? “To reach for the heavens and start their new lives. œIs this the American Dream or a nightmare disguise? Sax mixing perfectly with synths, acoustic guitars and piano. Just magical. My second favorite song on the album. It is an epic 12:30, journey of wonderful proportions.

Dream Sequence opens with an awesome piano accompanied by synths. Almost a Tubular Bells sounds, then vocal clips, wind and what sounds like a train, birds, children playing and crickets. The atmosphere is incredible and building, like rolling hills, in and out, like waves of emotion or rest. The slow strum of a guitar ends the piece. The song is like Pillow of Winds off PF’s Meddle.

Across the Barrier opens a little like Seamus off PFs Meddle, without the dog of course. Then the powerful electric guitar takes over, with drum accompaniment. Lift your body up and wipe away your tears. You begin to hear the Vaughan Brothers influence on this song. More electric and almost like a Hendrix All Along the Watchtower feel at the beginning, then the metal driven guitar jam reminiscent of A Saucerful of Secrets and then finally ending with the alarm clock.

This album does not push the bar of progressive rock any further. In fact, it may take us back to a time when people had time to sit down, relax and enjoy a full hour of listening to their favorite album. In that way it succeeds magnificently. However, much of the material is similar to Floyd, Waters/Gilmour and Alan Parsons, so it does not open new horizons. As Lynn’s first album, I believe it was made to lay the foundation and build a following, to do allow the Sol Surfers to do even more experimental music in the future. It is an arrival album, full of critical acclaim that should help deliver a recording contract and allow this talented performer to expand the palette with the next and succeeding albums.

5. Does it have longevity? Is it something a fan will like to play again and again?

Absolutely! I have been listening to this CD for three days straight now and enjoy every minute of it. It reminds the listener of a time when we had more time to sit back and enjoy an entire album and get into it completely. It is the type of album you need to relax with and let the music take you away and enjoy each note. I think it is a starting point for a talented group of musicians that have just begun to create.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Although I like the album allot I feel there is enough reminders of Pink Floyd and others to prevent his first album from being a monumental work to be compared with the seminal albums in progressive rock.

Reviewed by Prof on April 15th, 2009

3 stars I’ll have to say this about Terra Nocturne – it is a strong and well thought out atmosphere Lynn Stokes and his Sol Surfers are exploring on this production.

The musical style explored is a dark one; as fits the title of the album; but also one that is mellow, slick and highly melodic. Acoustic guitars and piano are the main melodic providers, serving distinct themes on which the rest of the instruments can play upon; with floating synths in the back adding texture while sax, flute and melodic guitar soloing are given the limelight in the front; besides the highly pleasing and relaxing vocals of Stokes.

In style I’d describe this as a mellow Pink Floyd from the late 70′s approaching a new age type of music – the dark atmospheres and light melodic explorations in a rich and textured setting are highly comparable to Gilmour and company, and the guitar soloing just as much – but the compositions are slower, not at all as adventurous or creative but very well performed though.

Those who like Pink Floyd at their most mellow as well as finding new age-tinged music interesting should get out and sample this creation – chances are good it’ll be regarded as a treasured acquisition.

Terra Nocturne
Review by Gary Hill
Fans of Pink Floyd should be all over this. The disc has a lot of music that could fit onto Floyd discs pretty seamlessly. That said, this group is not a pure clone as there are variants throughout, but to not mention the Pink Floyd connection would be pretty silly. Whatever the influences, though, this is a great modern progressive rock CD and I like it a lot.

Album Review

Lynn Stokes & Sol Surfers come from Boerne,Texas,USA with the release of this nine track album it seems to have a lot of heavy Pink Floyd influences but the quality and musicianship is top class, some of the guitar work from Lynn on the album is superb some very nice licks and high standard playing, one song stuck to me like glue is called “Let Go” I like the ghostly piano work in the intro and it’s psychedelic/blues feel, Lynn has captured a beautiful ambient sound on Terra Nocturne and well worth checking out….
Review by T.Halpin • RANK – 5 out of 6

by Duggan Flanakin
So my 17-year-old friend Alex Campbell, who is on track to be one of the best professional guitar players to come out of Austin in a generation, tells me he is playing in this progressive rock band, Lynn Stokes and the Sol Surfers — a show at Jovita’s that I must not miss. Now this is the ONLY young guitarist I know who lists his equipment on his MySpace page (including his 1954 Strat, his Les Paul, his 1943 Spanish acoustic, and several others, plus of course all of the equipment he uses as well). He also lays out the chord progressions and time signatures and all of the equipment he is using on every song in his playlist.

And that’s not all. Alex’s talent showed forth early on at Dave Sebree’s Rock Camp Austin, and the reception he got at the very first Antone’s showcase (which ends each Rock Camp session now) prompted the then pre-teen to develop a “strict regimen of disciplined practice 8 hours a day, focusing on scales, chromatics, chord progressions, and metronome work.” Alex further says that he “treated every guitar master as a challenge and their works provided an excellent and rigorous study for his growing technique” — masters ranging from David Gilmour and Eric Johnson to Yngwie Malmsteen to Al Di Meola and Ottmar Liebert. The lad (his dad is British, but his American mom was the Pink Floyd fan) was a founding member of Maiden Austin, lead guitarist with Jenny Wolfe and the Pack, and now plays with his own progressive metal trio Norwegia and with the hiphop band KJ Hines and the Band.

Now one MIGHT think it presumptuous for a 17-year-old to be so dead-on serious about his musical choices, or to think that others might even want to know what axes and amps he uses. But such folks would likely not have heard Alex play (or know that he was asked to endorse Dan’l Guitars a year ago). Nor would they understand the guitar culture shared by those who pursue the instrument so rigorously. But back to Jovita’s (the venue where I first heard Alex with Robin Mordecai and Maiden Austin).

Lynn Stokes is a veteran of the Armadillo Daze in Austin, a guitarist who remembers playing in a band in 1991 that opened in San Antonio for Bob Dylan (and got good reviews for his work). He Stokes says his newer songs are “stories whose foundations are found somewhere between the dream state of the human psyche and the emotional palette of the fears and joys of life in America.” The new CD, “Terra Nocturne” (on which Alex does NOT play and neither does current keyboardist Stewart Cochran), Stokes says, “is the story of a journey through the emotions and transcendental experiences which transpire through the course of one particularly lucid evening.” [Oh yeah, Alex's high school pal Austin Simmons is on bass and Dave Starry on drums in the band these days.]

The first cut, “Sacred Moon’s Light,” was chosen for the Progressive Rock Hall of Fame’s Soundscapes Volume 1 compilation. Hector Saldana wrote in the San Antonio Express-News (Stokes now lives in Boerne) that, “This is one of the best records I’ve heard in a long long time.” Now is this as good as “The Dark Side of the Moon”? You will just have to listen to decide. Just listen to “The Crossing” and “Let Go” and you will know why I even bring up the question. The album features Jerry Savoy on sax and Dean Evans on flute — this is trippy music that also reminds me a little of the Moody Blues (in its majesty and scope) and even the Doors (but not so depressing). I HEART this music, which must be listened to very late at night.

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.

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.

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.

From: Prog-Nose

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.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.