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
Steven WilsonHome Invasion(CD/DVD, 2019) **** Genre: Prog rock Places I remember: HMV Oxford St., London. The day before it closed down forever I decided to finally buy this package. Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Permanating (really you need to see the actual DVD for the Indian stylised dance troupe that Wilson shares the stage with). As he says - he wrote a great pop song!
Gear costume:Lazarus Active compensatory factors: As I was watching the DVD of this concert (after listening to the CD a few times in the Purdmobile pootling to and from school), I realised something: if push came to shove - I could listen to Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson albums exclusively, and be a happy man. Yes, I'd miss many things but really, when the man is firing (and he's seldom, if ever, 'off') he is amazing and the listening pleasure to be derived from such activities, is immense. The range on this concert is breath-taking from full on prog wig outs - Vermillioncore, to tender ballads - Lazarus, to pop confection - Permanating. The band is as tight as a fish's bum - all locked in and delivering some extraordinary sounds.
Where do they all belong? I own all of Wilson's Porcupine Tree and solo albums and trust me when I say: this one is special!
The WhoLive At Hull 1970(CD, 2012) **** Genre: English pop/rock Places I remember:Fopp (London) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Young Man Blues
Gear costume:Tattoo Active compensatory factors: Roger Daltrey hails this as a better set than Live At Leeds, because he says his singing is better. He would know but I struggle to tell the difference. He's in awesome form on both sets. For me the technical rawness of a lot of Hull makes it come in second to Leeds: the bass cuts out at times or lacks power and Pete's vocal mic is underpowered throughout. On the plus side he's in amazing form on guitar and Moonie steals the show as usual with his idiosyncratic drum patterns. The Tommy songs are actually a highlight here but it's the oldies that really sting!
Where do they all belong? Sits alongside Live At Leeds and the Isle of Wight sets as peak power Who!
Colosseum Daughter Of Time(CD, 1970) **** Genre: Prog rock Places I remember: Fopp (London) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Theme For An Imaginary Western
Gear costume:The Daughter Of Time Active compensatory factors: Aptly named: the big meaty prog jazz rock sound of Colosseum is a force to be reckoned with. Jon Hiseman and his dominating drums are superb throughout this album and the big voice of Chris Farlowe is a feature as well. However, the Colosseum sound is largely down to Dick Heckstall-Smith - soprano and tenor saxophones. His jazz fusion sax honking is a strong component! Stand out track for me is always the Jack Bruce/Pete Brown song, Theme For An Imaginary Western. The version by Mountain is my favourite but every version has an appeal. Here it's the Farlowe vocals that hit me between the eyes!
Where do they all belong? This album, their fourth, is a great place to start if you are new to the delights of Colosseum.
The Moody BluesLive at the BBC: 1967–1970 (Deram, 2007) *** Genre: Progressive rock Places I remember: HMV Oxford St., London (now goneburger!) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Lovely To See you
Gear costume:Ride My See-Saw, Question Active compensatory factors: These tracks, all cut live for the teen beat programmes hosted by the BBC, are great to have on a double CD. The quality is patchy though, it must be said. The first version of See-Saw is ragged as. So is Peak Hour. But the good news is that there are enough rough diamonds to make the purchase and repeat listens worthwhile.
Where do they all belong? This is one for the fans really. Even then, it's a nice to have, rather than a must have.
Robin TrowerBridge Of Sighs(Vinyl, CD, ipod, 2019) ** Genre: English pop/rock Places I remember: CD from Sister Ray in London, Vinyl from Real Groovy in Auckland Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Bridge Of Sighs
Gear costume:Day Of The Eagle, Too Rolling Stoned (written about previously on my singles countdown) Active compensatory factors: The morphing from ensemble guitarist for Procol Harum into Hendrix style guitar hero was gradual, if you search out the last few PH albums before he left, you'll see how. But still. The guitar heavy riff rock of the solo albums still feels like a bit of a shock because he sustained the solo career for far longer than he'd been the tasteful guitarist in the prog rock outfit. Bridge Of Sighs is a amazing collection of songs featuring Robin's stonking solo guitar pyrotechnics. If you have never experienced his brand of English rock, start here! Where do they all belong? This was Robin's second solo album after leaving Procol Harum. It's a great first taster before you explore the rest and the power trio BLT work with Jack Bruce.
The Beautiful SouthQuench(CD, Go! Disc Records 1998) *** Genre: English pop/rock Places I remember: Bought from a charity shop in Caterham before we left England and put onto my ipod. Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Pockets
Gear costume:The Table Active compensatory factors: Jacqui Abbott is a wonderful singer and she is thankfully featured a few times on this record. No enough for my liking, mind. The best and worst aspects of The Beautiful South are also on display here. That would be some clever clogs lyrics that stick in my craw (whatever and wherever a craw is). Nevermind - the gems and the instrumentation make up for that in their music .
Where do they all belong? This one came after my all time favourite record from TBS - Blue Is the Colour.
