Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence - ROBERT FRIPP.
Information is not knowledge;
knowledge is not wisdom;
wisdom is not truth;
truth is not beauty;
beauty is not love;
love is not music;
MUSIC IS THE BEST - FRANK ZAPPA.
I think we're a little happier when we have a little music in our lives - STEVE JOBS.
Music in the soul can be heard by the universe - LAO TZU.
Rock and Roll is fire, man. FIRE. - DAVID BRIGGS.
Music grips you, gets into your soul -
GEORGE MARTIN
Big Big TrainMerchants Of Light(CD - RSK Entertainment/ English Electric Recordings, 2018) *** Genre: Prog rock Places I remember:FOPP (London) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles:Swan Hunter
Gear costume:Folklore Active compensatory factors: I have a soft spot for Big Big Train. Their blend of folk, rock, with prog tendencies is right down my musical alley (boy). The vaguely Gabriel-esque vocals by David Longdon (visually, the least likely rock star on the planet) are excellent and there are enough musical subtleties going on via Rachel Hall's input to provide BBT with their own tasteful, unique sound. This is a double live (I love double live's as you know) and the band use the best of their recent performances at the Cadogan Hall (London) for a wide ranging setting out of their impressive stall. Where do they all belong? It's very English and so BBT suits my present circumstances perfectly. It was on high rotate in the Purdmobile as we explored Hampshire recently!
GoatWorld Music(Download - Released 2012) **** Genre: Hmmm - Swedish alt prog? Places I remember: MNAC entry from Eleri Stedman Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Golden Dawn
Gear costume:Run To Your Mama, Det som aldrig förändras / Diarabi Active compensatory factors:Funnily enough, I was round at Tom's gaff recently with Lew and the rest of the Kirkhams and Lew said to me, away from Tom's hearing, that he was struggling with Goat. When I came to leave Tom said, out of Lew's hearing, that he was loving Goat and thought I would too. Too funny! My prog background has certainly came in handy when listening to Goat, that's for sure. More King Crimson and Gentle Giant than say Steven Wilson, Goat make a great noise! The eastern (rock) sounds of Diarabi kick off the set beautifully before barking mad (in a good way) collisions of instruments propel the album in all sorts of directions (maybe why Lew is struggling - just when you get a bead on Goat they lurch off in another direction). Goathead is a case in point - after a great racket comes, of all things, some very tasteful acoustic guitar!! My favs are the more mainstream prog sounds on offer here as listed above, rather than the challenging vocals of Goatman and Goathead. But they are also great! Most of the songs benefit from brevity - nothing outstays its welcome and the final song is not a second too short at 7 plus minutes. Go figure. Where do they all belong? Definitely in that wonderful 70's experimental prog milieu.
Blackberry SmokeLike An Arrow(CD - 3 Legged Records, 2016) **** Genre: American pop/rock Places I remember:HMV East Croydon Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Waiting For The Thunder (lead track and first single off the album)
Gear costume:Let It Burn Active compensatory factors: My first taste of Blackberry Smoke was Later...with Jools Holland and the song Let It Burn. Being a sucker for down home southern flavoured rock, I was captivated from the off. There are hints of The Allman Brothers, Zac Brown Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd along the way but only that - hints. There are enough distinctive edges to make Blackberry Smoke stand alone (love the name too - very evocative and rootsy). Bottom line: Charlie Starr has one of rock's great voices and he gets mean support from his bros. Where do they all belong? This was also my first purchase from HMV, well - this, and three other Blackberry Smoke albums. For some reason none of them are available in NZ, so I splurged!
ABBAThe Visitors(Youtube, released 1981) ** Genre: Scandinavian pop Places I remember: MNAC selection by Tommo Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles:One Of Us
Active compensatory factors: Tommo's selection meant that the barrier was broken - I'd never listened to an album by the poptastic Swedish outfit before, until now. Their last album, then, is my first - nearly 40 years after it was released. How come? I hear you ask. In no particular order - the light vocals (no Grace Slick moves within cooee); the strings (and distinct lack of guitars); the synths (and distinct lack of guitars). The verdict? I didn't mind the good bits: Giorgio Moroder-isms of The Visitors; One Of Us is effortlessly catchy; But the worst moments are pretty dire: I Let The Music Speak is a saccharine meh; the lightweight pop of much of the rest does nothing for me. I tried Tom, but there is no reformed ABBA fan lurking deep down in the psyche. Where do they all belong? This is a one off - won't be tracking back through the catalogue. Sorry.
Jethro TullBenefit(Vinyl and CD - Chrysalis, 1970) **** Genre: Progressive rock Places I remember: The vinyl came from the RCA record club in 1971.I loved the RCA record club. I'd pore over the booklet, read up in my music magazines and save hard. Then I'd wait for the magic parcel to arrive in the post. Heady days! Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: With You There To Help Me
Gear costume:To Cry You A Song Active compensatory factors: Benefit has grown on me over the years. In my early days it was over-shadowed by the greatness of Aqualung. But it's an album I keep coming back to more and more as the years drift by. For me, it's the first Jethro Tull phase 2 album, thanks to the guitars of Anderson and the wonderful Martin Lancelot Barre. His distinctive lead guitar is all over this album and that's a very good thing from my pov. The album easily drags me back to my bedroom at 18 Korma Avenue, Royal Oak, Auckland, NZ. First track With You There To Help Me gets things off to a great start. I love its variety before it develops into a great flute/guitar duel before it's done and exits via some deserved applause. Nothing To Say has plenty to say ('Every morning pressure forming all around my eyes. Ceilings crash, the walls collapse, broken by the lies')and includes a lovely guitar riff. The acoustic guitar bed and electric overlay is a winning formula throughout. Third track, Alive and Well and Living In, has a more laid back vocal but after Barre enters it lifts the track to another level. Then John Evan contributes some distinctive John Evan piano. Son provides variety and contributes via a heavily treated Anderson vocal and some brutal guitar stabs. That continues with the first song on side two - Martin Barre's To Cry You A Song. Inside is another varied track with a great shuffling beat and easy Anderson vocal. Play In Time features backward/speed up freak out shenanigans and another great Barre riff. Final track, Sossity, You're A Woman is a great hum along to finish us off. Where do they all belong? As I say, the great JT phase two starts here with their third album.
