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Limeygit from IndieMonkey Reviews:
ONOFFON
Surrender Now
"First I have to give out 'props', or whatever the current buzz word is for thanks, to Von Babasin bass player of ONOFFON. Not only has he contributed a very fine article to this site, but he also has religiously visited our site waiting for a review to be posted, thanks for massaging our egos by falsely inflating our hits Von, we love you for it! Von is one-third of ONOFFON, a band that are about as easy to pin down to a musical definition as it is to grab a greased snake. They are a little bit Funk, a little bit Rock and a little bit more Jazz. If I had to try and nail their sound in one go I would probably go for 'musician's music'. This 1997 release barely scrapes in under the seventy minute mark, with two of the eleven tracks weighing in at over eleven and twelve minutes respectively. So far what I have been describing is a commercial suicide, Jazz-Rock, twelve minutes plus songs, and it is fair to say nothing here is going to set the musical world on fire. That's what I meant by musician's music, so those of you looking for a quick pop or punk fix can just hit back and find another review. OK, are the youngsters gone, good we can stop holding our stomachs in and start relaxing without having to seem cool. ONOFFON are the kind of band you have to have played in a band yourself or be past thirty to really get. I am still shy of the thirty mark but I did in my youth play in many a band, although I was a drummer so 'musician' is pushing it. ONOFFON are a three piece, joining Von is Don Lake on Guitars and Vocals and Dave Goode on Drums (and according to the sleeve 'bluejeans, fannypack and newspaper' on one track). They produce a surprisingly complex and rich sound for just three guys. Personally I think they are stronger when they focus their sound a little more, as they do on tacks such as 'Please Baby Please', 'Your Reality' (which has a definite Hendrix Voodoo Child thang going on) and 'I Don't Give No...', than when they go off on musical adventures as the do on most of the rest of the album. That said it is at no stage an album that isn't pleasant to listen to, whether I agree with the journey being necessary, it is still a fun trip. So if you have a fondness for experimental different Jazz influenced rock then you could do a lot worse than give ONOFFON a listen. Now I wonder if I can convince Von to keep coming back to look for the review of their other album, we need the hits!"
Jerry Kranitz of Aural Innovations (formerly the Progressive Music Sites Pages - OH, U.S.A.):
ONOFFON
Surrender Now
"From California, Onoffon is a difficult to define jazz, pop, blues, progressive trio consisting of Don Lake on guitar, vocals, and harmonica, Von Babasin on bass, and Dave Goode on drums. Much of the music is jazz influenced pop rock, but the blandness that such a description implies is not the case with ONOFFON. The musicianship is topnotch, the playing tight, and the music is embellished by creative instrumental passages. Songs like "Surrender Now" and "Rock Garden" feature Don Lake's soulful vocals and bluesy harmonica and are characteristic of this side of ONOFFON. The band displays a harder rocking edge on other tracks. "Your Reality" is like Cream meets the Red Hot Chile Peppers and features some spacey guitar from Lake. "I Don't Give No" also has that Chile Peppers feel but is much funkier and oddly metered. Great percussion competes with the guitar for center stage giving the tune a welcome intensity. Other tunes, however, feature a more adventurous side of the band. My favorite track on the disc is "Weekend In Montreal", which after the first few songs took me completely by surprise. With Glen Garrett guesting on tenor sax the band strays into more off the wall jazz and avant rock territory. This wonderfully schizophrenic tune shifts abruptly between manic and melodic playing. This was probably my favorite track and left me aching for more sax on subsequent tracks. "The Gift Must Always Move" has a great acoustic/electric guitar combination and great rhythms that bring this song well beyond the "light jazz" impression only a cursory listen might leave. About half way through the song the band begins to rock out and Lakes guitar takes on a subtle spacey quality. My other favorite track is "Remember Only". About half of the song's twelve minutes is an orchestral spacey piece that between the guitar and percussion has a Middle Eastern feel to it. Vocals are eventually introduced and the whole thing has a laid back feel. In summary, Onoffon has a variety of influences that make them of interest to prog rockers. The lighter tunes may put off some proggers, but I would encourage attentive listening as the band's inventive instrumental passages will reveal themselves. Personally I'd love to hear more tunes like "Weekend In Montreal". These guys can really cook."
Magnus Florin of Through Different Eyes (Sweden):
ONOFFON
Surrender Now
"Okey, what is this? A band with no limits. Influences range from jazz rock just like Al DiMeola to progressive rock just like the craziness of YES. Actaully, the jazz influence is there a lot. I guess they call their music progressive jazzrock or something like that. A very cozy feel all through the album and with great vocals by Don Lake. He's soft but still with an energy in his voice. One cool element in the music is the harmonica, also played by Don Lake, only featured in a few songs though. Yes, these musicians are truly great, Don Lake, Von Babasin and Dave Goode. What I'm missing is maybe the more direct feel and impulse of the songs. Most of them seem to float for a long time, and then drift away. But that is of course exactly what I want in other times. This is indeed a great album, and should at least be investigated by anyone. Fits heavy metal fans as well as jazzrockers."
Debbie Osborn of Xenon Records (review appears at Basement Reviews):
ONOFFON
Surrender Now
"The ONOFFON CD "Surrender Now" is a collection of contemporary jazz mixed with standard jazz sounds such as the track "Weekend In Montreal". Standout tracks "Inside My Soul" has a r&b feel while "The Gift Must Always Move" has a nice Pat Methany finger style. The track that really caught my attention was "Your Reality" which blends Jimi Hendrix guitar riffs with a laid back Pat Travers sounding groove. The members of ONOFFON are stellar musicians as is the production on this CD, this is a good choice if you like light guitar oriented jazz. ONOFFON is currently recording a followup to "Surrender Now", it will be interesting to hear more grit and edge from their sound that challenges the listener."
Tom Wilms of L'Entrepot - A Subdivision in Music (Belgium):
ONOFFON
Surrender Now
"ONOFFON is from California and exist of; Dave Goode (Drums, percussion), Von Babasin (Bass guitar) and Don Lake (Guitar, vocals). Those three gentlemen are definitely talented musicians who can create a good sound. The guy's together as "ONOFFON" bundle this talent and their knowledge of the Blues and Jazz and wrap it up as progressive tunes with a strong Jazzy touch. I must say that in general this album remains me a lot to those 70/80'ties rock bands (Yes, Rush, .............) but I mentioned this certainly not as a comparison, but it is a feeling I get while listening to "Surrender Now". For my taste are the songs sometimes to bombastic, the choruses with the backing vocals made it sound to showy. But with songs as "Weekend in Montreal" and "Remember Only" they prove that they don't shun the experiment. People who are into the progressive rock gonna love this CD certainly the Jazz influences made it a unique in the genre."
The Poobah at The Incredibly Small Concert Hall (FL, U.S.A.):
ONOFFON
Surrender Now
"Rocketing out of Los Angeles into the musical universe, God speed, ONOFFON. This threesome of top flight musicians, like so many other groups these days, offer so many integrated styles of music in their work, it's hard to pin a label on them. You could call this music Progresive-Rock-Jazz-Funk-Fusion, but let's just say, look for them under White Hot recordings. Their debut album "Surrender Now", is pure class from beginning to end. The actual members are Von Babasin: Bass & Keys, Don Lake: Guitar, Harmonica & Lead Vocals and Dave Goode: Percussion. On this recording, they're joined by a bunch of their studio buddies, including the silken voice of Lisa Panzerella on the title tune, and notable tenor sax man Glen Garrett on "Weekend in Montreal." That particular tune I had to listen to three times in a row before I went on to the rest of the album. As Mahler would be considered classical music for the ears of classical musicians, ONOFFON would be likewise for the ears of contempory musicians. If that sounds like a very high compliment it is, they've earned it. This group soars through the musical sky like few have, or can, or will."
Martyn Jones of Acid Attack Records (U.K.):
ONOFFON
Surrender Now
"California based trio ONOFFON debut cd seems to offer something for all. Describing themselves as a "Progressive Jazz" group, in the sense the music is a progressive sound, and there is a lot of jazz influence. Mixing instrumental and vocal tracks, the first track, and title track is a more bluesy number, with a strong jazz back line running through it. Please Baby Please, is a very upbeat downtown bluesy/jazz number. The contrasts in musical styles, work well, keeping you on your feet. Taking in the almost free jazz instrumental tune of Weekend in Montreal with some excellent sax soloing, to the powerhouse tune of Your Reality the tracks move from one to the next giving the listener a musical treat. The cd finishes off with two 11 mins+ tracks, and are the more constructed of the "progressive" tracks, with If A Thief Were I, an excellent acoustic number, and Remember Only... the last track, for me been the best track on the cd, a harder edged tune with long instrumental passages. All vocal tracks are extremely strong with the vocals of Don Lake, along with Dave Goode on drums, and Von Babasin pumping bass and keys, the other two band members. If you are prepared to try something that might test your musical taste, then give this one a go, due to the changing styles of the tracks, there is plenty here to keep you listening for a long time."
Kjell Jakobsen of GREENFLYZINE (Norway):
ONOFFON
Surrender Now
CD Verdict 9 out 10
"Usually I am not too fond of this kind of music, progressive jazz rock, most of such bands are to me quite boring . . But my oh my was ONOFFON a surprise, this album is quite punchy and the songs are . . well . . really good infact. ONOFFON adds a special flavour to their music, adding harmonica into some of their songs, which gives kind of cajun-taste to the compositions . . refreshing I would say. Allover this album is great, so - if you're planning to buy some Jazzrock, I will highly recomend ONOFFON. GFZ"
ONOFFON
- Surrender Now
Genre: Rock
"Fans of Brand X, Yes or Phish should dig ONOFFON, a band that mixes progressive rock, spacey atmospherics and jazz on the self-produced CD "Surrender Now." ONOFFON is a southern California group consisting of three accomplished instrumentalists: Don Lake on lead vocals, guitar, and harmonica, Von Babasin on bass and keyboards, and Dave Goode on drums. The lyrics on this release are a bit too cosmic for my tastes, but no more so than the aforementioned bands'. Best cuts include the title track, which blends bluesy harmonica, a pleasingly ominous groove and otherworldly vocals. Also cool are the instrumental "Weekend in Montreal," which is driven by guest Glen Garrett's jazzy tenor sax, and my favorite, "The Gift Must Always Move," which features some impressive guitar work by Lake. Southern California is not known for its prog rock, but ONOFFON could change that perception. This is a talented band with an interesting sound that should appeal to fusion and prog-rock fans alike."
Jason Spatola of Local Music Store Reviews (WV, U.S.A.):
ONOFFON
Surrender Now
"Progressive Rock has finally found a savior with the California-based trio ONOFFON. Led by musicians Don Lake (guitar & vocals), Von Babasin (bass), and Dave Goode (percussion), this group defies a definite genre. Their debut album, Surrender Now, shifts through pop-rock (Rock Garden, Inside My Soul), pure prog-rock (Surrender Now, If a Thief Were I), good ol' blues inspired rock (Your Reality, I Don't Give No...), and more. There are also two instrumentals: "Weekend in Montreal", a jazzy sax solo with awesome rhythm accompaniment; and "The Gift Must Always Move", featuring some really cool guitar riffs. Don Lake's vocals are down to earth and at times amusing, as shown on the dark blues track "Letter Received", a tale about getting one of those "you screwed up on your tax return" letters from the IRS. Don, Von, and Dave are very talented musicians, as are the additional musicians that played various instruments on the album.The bass lines are awesome, especially in "Surrender Now" and "I Don't Give No...". The percussion is equally good, and a few rare "instruments" are used in "Please Baby Please" (blue jeans, fannypack, and newspaper). Don's guitar playing is melodic and has a rhythmic feel. Every track on Surrender Now is beautifully arranged, played, and mixed. My two favorite tracks are the psychedelic prog-journey "Remember Only..." and the instrumental "The Gift Must Always Move". Both of these songs display the band's enormous talent. I have no complaints about anything on the album; I only wish there could be more. I recommend Surrender Now to anyone that likes decent rock music, and I hope that their next release will be as good as their first."
Gene Bearer of Local Music Store Reviews (PA, U.S.A.):
ONOFFON
Surrender Now
"If you didn't know that there was musical lineage in this band you would be able to guess after the first few songs by the tightness this trio exhibits. The third track 'Your Reality' harkens back to CREAM's 'Sunshine of Your Love" and is followed by 'Weekend in Montreal', one of two instrumentals on this disc. 'Montreal' begins with a big band feel and moves into some real soothing jazz as Glen Garrett helps out with nice saxophone work. There are songs that reflect influences of Frank Zappa both to the sound and lyrics. Both of these ('I Don't Give No..'& 'Letter Received') are fun songs that are placed among some more serious journeys. The second instrumental flows nicely through various movements keeping you wanting and waiting expectantly, fitting the title to perfection: 'The Gift Must Always Move'. The final two tracks are extended trips into love and perception, the last of which reminds me of early ELP. When I look for meditation/relaxation tracks in the future, I will be going to tracks 10 and 11 from Surrender Now. And I will be going back to the other tracks just for the enjoyment of the music.This is an independent venture with the band producing and owners of the entire package. This makes it a feel good CD for another reason altogether. Those that most deserve the benefits from the proceeds of Surrender Now will receive them. Check this out. These guys are definitely ON to something!"
Rob Forbes from LUKE Magazine (U.K.):
ONOFFON
Surrender Now
"If I had to guess which groups ONOFFON had in their record
collection, I'd probably start with the Grateful Dead, some Little
Feat would creep in, Weather Report and Santana would definitely
be represented, and from the UK: Cream, Peter Green era Mac and
possibly a couple of the Cantebury bands would make a showing
too. When ONOFFON put all those influences together the result
could be called progressive r&b, except I've no idea what
that really means. I do know that in Don Lake they've got a guitarist
who understands the genres they're messing with extremely well
and a rhythm section in Von Babasin and Dave Goode who often shine.
The first two thirds of the album, or tracks one to nine if you
haven't got a copy in front of you (you probably haven't), are
made up of shorter songs that explore a plethora of styles and
moods, but it's the last two tracks where they really open up.
If A Thief Were I and Remember Only... both stretch themselves
at ten minutes plus, and are extremely welcome. I imagine on a
stage, ONOFFON can really open up, but I don't expect to see them
down at The Shed in the near future, so the record will have to
do for now."
Stavros Moschopoulos from FAO CASA Magazine (Italy):
CD(s) of the Month (A must for your collection)
ONOFFON
Surrender Now
"Believe me that it is difficult to sit here, month after month, and proclaim with regal audacity one CD as the best over the others. There are so many interesting artists around the world and so many different tastes that the selection is difficult at best. But when I get a CD like ONOFFON - Surrender Now - the selection becomes easier. Southern California's ONOFFON (Don Lake on lead vocals, guitar, and harmonica, Von Babasin on bass and keyboards, and Dave Goode on drums) masterfully blend progressive rock, spacey atmospherics and jazz creating a concoction that is polymorphic, enticing and improvisingly exciting."
Kevin Kreiner of MP3critic.com (no longer online):
ONOFFON
Surrender Now - 10
"Simply put, ONOFFON may be the most aptly named band on earth. Their new release, a full length CD called "Surrender Now," is schizophrenic in the best possible sense of the word. This power trio of Don Lake on guitars and vocals, Von Babasin on bass, and Dave Goode on drums goes from modern rock to straight jazz to long orchestral arrangements to Tom Waits style narrative without missing a beat, and the overall result is dazzling. It's like what you want radio to be, you're not sure what's next, but you know it'll be interesting. Add some guest musicians on saxophone or marimba, and you're in for quite a ride with this one. The album kicks off with the title track, the lyrical "Surrender Now." It's a pretty thing, no two ways about it. "Rock Garden" doesn't rock as hard as the title suggests, but the introspective lyrics more than compensate. The third number "Your Reality," is closer to your standard indie rock fair, a quick moving number built around a series of repeated phrases. Three down, eight to go, and that's where it gets funky. "Weekend in Montreal," the album's fourth track, is straight ahead jazz. Featuring Glen Garrett guest starring on tenor sax, without lyrics to get in your way, if you just came in at this point you'd think you were in the middle of damn good jazz record. Which, I suppose, is why "I Don't Give No," track five, hits really hard. On its own, "I Don't Give No" is kind of ordinary as angry rock songs go, following smooth jazz, it kicks you right in the teeth. In case it's not already obvious, this record's a radio programmer's nightmare. If you listened to "Weekend in Montreal" you'd say ONOFFON is a jazz band. If you just heard "Inside my Soul" (track 6) you'd be thinking lyric driven progressive rock. On the other hand, turn on track nine, "Letter Received," and you'd say Tom Waits is back with a story about getting screwed by the IRS. Skip ahead to track ten, "If a Thief Were I" and you'd be back to progressive, orchestral style like Yes used to do it. The best part of this record, aside from the skill with which the whole thing is executed, is the variety. I can't recall the last time I found a band so proficient at so many different things, and, more importantly, one willing to show it off on a single album. The best way to enjoy this one is just to put it on and let it play all the way through, beginning to end. You'll be glad you did."
Jocke Ohlund of First Light (Sweden):
ONOFFON
Surrender Now
"...I must admit that I'm quite impressed with ONOFFON. The music has great depth and variety and offers a unique blend of different styles. The musicians are obviously very skilled and have, it seems, a great feeling for putting the right things in the right place, so to speak. But what perhaps impresses me most is the sound of the recording and of the way they play. This album sounds so incredibly alive and even the simplest and most basic parts have a feeling of improvisation to them. If you close your eyes and listen to it you can almost swear the guys are actually sitting in your living room. The mixing of this album has been done to perfection....The musical influences and styles that this band shift through makes them very hard to categorize. I certainly wouldn't call them progressive in the terms that I think of when hearing bands like Yes, Marillion, Genesis, Jethro Tull, ELP, Camel or whatever. I read somewhere that someone thought that there were obvious Yes influences on this record. I for one can't find a hint of Yes in this. So if it's nothing like Yes or any of the above mentioned bands then what's with this review, why have I done it? Isn't this supposed to be a "progressive" rock site!? Yes it is but if you look at the meaning of the word "progressive" as I perceive it, then that is exactly what we have here. ONOFFON is a band playing the music they want to play with a sound distinctively their own, expressing themselves in ways that defy categorization. So if you can find a hint of Yes or not, is not the point and never will be. The point is that this is a good album full of interesting music that is well worth having and I have a feeling the next one will be even better. So be on the lookout otherwise you might really miss something!
My rating: 7/10"
Gary Hill of the Music Street Journal:
ONOFFON
Surrender Now
This debut release from ONOFFON features song writing that covers many musical styles. In fact, if one wanted to pick a shortcoming of the work, it covers too many styles. Many times, it seems as if you are listening to a different band on each song. Rock Garden: Guitar oriented prog; this piece shows elements of things as diverse as Hawkwind and jazz. This unusual and entertaining piece has a catchy chorus. Your Reality: This bluesy hard rocker is quite reminiscent of Robin Trower. I Don't Give No: This unusual rock tune shows elements of funk, prog and more Zappa leanings. Please Baby Please: This funky jazzy number has a texture similar to Rickie Lee Jones' Chuck E.'s In Love. The Gift Must Always Move On: Howeish guitar begins this number. Building slowly and dramatically, the piece sounds a bit like Robin Trower, but reflecting the slower more contemplative side of his work. This pretty, progish piece is a strong instrumental. Letter Received: Including some solid scat singing, this bluesy traditional jazz number is performed quite convincingly. If A Thief Were I: This extended bluesy mellow rocker begins with some Steve Howe influenced guitar work. Remember Only: Seeming to run a gamut of musical styles, this instrumental is quite strong. Starting in progish psychedelic modes, ALA Hawkwind, this piece is quite dramatic at times. Other influences to be heard include, The Doors, The Grateful Dead and Yes. The Yes influence shows up mostly as the piece opens into a wonderful prog landscape."
