An incredibly inventive and eclectic due of Matt Deacon and Chris Jago, The Bob Lazar Story have been purveying their own unique blend of tritonal wankery since 2006, and this their latest magnum opus (that’s an Irish PI cat eating an ice cream to you and I) is now out on the Bad Elephant label.
Home to such instrumental wizards as The Fierce and the Dead and The Brackish, The Bob Lazar Story’s blend of prog, metal, fusion and huge dollops of humour fits right in with the labels ethos. Despite the fact that Matt is in New Zealand and Chris is in Los Angeles, the tightness of their playing, and the way they interact sonically with each other and the material makes it sound more like they recorded it together after a night rearranging all the genre sections in an HMV.
Frank Zappa once asked ‘does Humour belong in music?’ and I have had this debate with various people online and in the real world equivalent of Facebook (The pub!) and some po-faced Joe’s who think music should be serious and revered and played with a straight face disagreed mightily with me.
Whilst they have that opinion, they are, quite frankly wrong.
When you have the musical playfulness of ‘Baritonia’ bouncing out of the speakers at you, it’s clear that these guys know a) how to play and b) know how to play.
There is a lightness of touch and knowing wink in a lot of this album, and with titles like Toptop Switcherooney, Elbow Patch Man, In The Woods with Tony Iommi and Escape Tits it looks like that a) they revel in the absurd and b) have been reading Simon Godfrey’s twitter feed.
You can have fun in music, whilst still respecting the art form, and this is where the Bob Lazar Story’s strengths lie.
They jump gleefully from sound to sound, building some epic pieces, like the wonderful LOL, Defiantly with it’s classic synth sounds, or the aforementioned In The Woods with Tony Iommi, which is one of those walking holidays that could turn into either heaven or hell.
Mining their own rich seam of inventive, playful and joyous instrumental music, it’s hard for us reviewers to lump this into any genre because I think they’re a one band genre all by themselves, and as you listen to tracks like Make it Like It Used To Be the squelchy synths and rollicking riffs put a great big daft grin on your face.
Pop this into your ears and enjoy as another wonderfully exciting chapter in the Bob Lazar Story has just been written.
Swedish music act a strAnger is truly independent, DIY to the bone. Fairly eclectic, but fundamentally a rock and alt music act andhave been described as :
“Beck gone Soundgarden lite hardrock with the cheerful bastards of Radiohead playing lounge music in the background”.
– RockUnited
For Swedish singer-songwriter act a strAnger, music has always been an eclectic undertaking. Starting out playing in bands ranging from thrash, to heavy rock to grunge and punk-rock, while at the same time honing his acoustic skills on his own and appreciating a wide range of other musical styles; a strAnger does not worry much about genres.
In a change from the norm he has release his latest album ‘Insatiable’ on a track by track basis through 2016 and 2017 and on April 4th released the seventh track One Day. Lyrically it is a social commentary; staging the big brother – little brother relationship in a socially and criminally challenged environment.
The last couple of years have been a lot about finding a path for music in Sweden and the West, coming back from the dynamics of China. And finding a path in the changing landscape of music. Which in turn impacts the way to release music, as well as finding a balance between where and when. a strAnger is delighted to finally be sharing the fruit the last couple of years’ hard work with his new
collection of songs ‘Insatiable’.
You can buy the first seven tracks (including One Day) from bandcamp here
6174 – there you go, 6174 apparently is virtually always the Answer using Kaprekar’s Constant, which may lead some to ask what is the Question? … and what does it have to do with a new Kent based Progressive Rock band, featuring David Jackson, once of veteran ‘Prog’ greats Van Der Graaf Generator? Who knows?
‘Fate Outsmarts Desire’ is their interesting and rather impressive debut album, written and largely played by multi-instrumentalists Al Nicholson and Nick Jefferson, who formed this project in 2015. Why they have the rather peculiar band name is rather a mystery but research shows that ‘Kaprekar’s Constant’ is a number theorem devised in 1946 by an Indian mathematician in which the answer is virtually always the number 6174 in no more than 7 steps… all rather mystifying but you can google it as well if you’re really interested!
Strange as it may seem, the choice of the band name indicates that this is a group with an interest in enigmatic curiosities and history, which imbues the atmosphere of this album.
The stark and memorable opening lines of this album:
“Your band of scrotes and their dredging boats robbed the shingle from under our feet…”
make an immediate statement that this is a work steeped in atmospheric historical narrative. Hors D’Oeuvre effectively acts as a promising overture for the album, referencing elements of the longer pieces to come, and David Jackson evokes slight hints of A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers by VDGG with his distinctive droning sax sounds.
Perhaps the strongest and most memorable composition on the album is the elegiac Hallsands, (but I may be biased as I live very close to that beautiful but tragic location!) A fine song based on the true story of the negligent environmental disaster visited upon a South Devon village by rapacious developers who stripped a shingle bank protecting the village to provide material to build the docks at Devonport in Plymouth. This led to the eventual collapse of the whole of Hallsands village in to the sea in 1917 – perhaps a lesson for modern times and it’s exploitation of the environment. The music is suitably nautical and evocative of a simple seaside community falling victim to thoughtless dredgers. Paul Gunn provides some thankfully brief narration interludes, but the main impact is conveyed by the folk tinged fine vocals of Bill Jefferson, conveying more than a little anger and bitterness. Acoustic guitars with whistles and flutes conjure up the simple seaside community, ultimately destroyed by
“arrogant lies… the beach went to Devonport, the houses went to the sea”.
Epic in length and evocative in nature, Hallsands holds the attention and touches the emotions with skillfully composed music which very successfully conveys the images atmospherically. Contrasting simple acoustic passages, reminiscent of Jethro Tull in some ways, with more discordant storm driven percussive sections, Hallsandsis one of the main highlights of this album, successfully describing a captivating and instructive story in our recent history.
Real US police radio conversations introduce and underpin the remarkable Four-Faced Liar. Inspired by much more recent events, the story of the capture of the Boston Marathon bombers is conveyed in a fine lilting melodic rock song, sung perfectly by Bill Jefferson, backed colourfully with some well judged keyboards and string sounds. The events are described from the perspective of the Clock of the Boston Custom House, called the Four Faced Liar locally as none of the clock faces tell the same time. Maybe that is a metaphor for the different perspectives on how one story can be reported, or may just be an interesting local detail for a band that evidently likes idiosyncratic stories from reality. The relative brevity but excellence of this song is a reminder for progressive rock bands that sometimes ‘less is more’.
Pearl of the Lake features Dorie Jackson (daughter of David Jackson) on some lovely vocals in a much shorter and simpler song, relying purely upon the strength of the melody and the lyrics to express itself.
Dorie Jackson takes lead vocals for the epic concluding piece, Houdini – King of Cards, based on the renowned escapologist. A possibly over extended first lyrical section sets the scene before giving way to an instrumental passage, combining keyboards and saxes possibly conveying the peculiar atmospheres of séances. Houdini was very skeptical of tricksters in his life time, but wondered if he could effectively ‘cheat death’ by communicating with his wife Bess after his death. They agreed on a very personal message between them that he would try to communicate from beyond the grave. Bess started the tradition of spiritualism sessions to see if her husband, the man who could escape from any jail, managed to escape death. For 10 years after his death Bess organized these sessions without receiving a sign from her husband, and then ceased them convinced that even he could not cheat death. The closing melodic section is sung beautifully by Dorie Jackson over a slowly building backing, with her father adding some effective woodwind. The apparently real archive spoken parts from that era are interlaced with this song, and add an eerie and authentic element to the narrative.
In contrast album opener Bluebird demonstrates for me just how NOT to use spoken parts!
Based on the story of Sir Malcolm Campbell and other high speed motoring pioneers Bluebird is introduced and constantly punctuated by short explanatory spoken parts by Paul Gunn, which are clearly delivered in a tone intended to sound contemporary to the story… but have the unfortunate effect of sounding like the rather pompous Harry Enfield comedic character ‘Mr Cholmondley-Warner’. The music is melodic progressive rock imaginatively expressing the events, including the dramatic journey of the car ‘Babs’ along Pendine Sands in Pembrokeshire. A restrained but expressive guitar carries the middle section, alongside Jackson’s saxes and flutes. This is an ambitious song of nearly 18 minutes full of some finely played music, but one has to wonder whether there was enough narrative to justify such an epic treatment. Just when you think it’s over Gunn’s voice pops up to let us know the story was moving to the next stage. This is a clumsy device which for me distracted from the music – it felt like I was looking at a lovely painting in a gallery and then suddenly a tour guide stands in front of it telling me what I am seeing, but now cannot see because the guide is in front explaining it to me! The whole song feels episodic and rather a history lecture, which is a pity as there is some good music on this piece. Perhaps this new band needed to rely less upon the ‘Basil Exposition’ type interludes and really trust much more in the imaginative power of their music.
However, it would be grossly unfair to focus on this flaw, (which explains why the first song on the album appears at the end of the review), rather than commend Kaprekar’s Constant on what is undoubtedly a very promising and good debut album.
They are clearly talented musicians and singers with a mission to entertain and inform with fascinating stories and melodic rock songs. Their historical narrative songs are clearly in the same territory as the eminent band Big Big Train, but let’s not forget that a band such as Big Big Train took quite some years to mature and develop in to their current excellence. If Kaprekar’s Constant continue to develop their evident melodic sensibilities and further hone their songwriting craft they have the potential to offer much more to Progressive Rock. To think that this is a debut album is remarkable…
There are few delicious pleasures in life as wonderfully satisfying than being so completely absorbed and utterly enthralled by the music to which you are listening that all sense of time, space and place are temporarily forgotten. ‘Magnified’ is exactly that kind of delightful surprise, effortlessly exerting a mesmerising and seductive captivation which renders this beautiful debut album from Beatrix Players a thoroughly enchanting experience.
The irresistible allure of the music is skilfully crafted around the thrilling and ever powerful presence of the piano, offset and complimented by the vivid and often dramatic strings of the cello and both are nurtured and encouraged by the melodic nuance and emotional poignancy of the vocals. The shifting ebb and flow between the three players creates an exciting and edgy dynamism, the fluid and continually evolving interactions forming sumptuous textures and compelling soundscapes that are happily spell-binding.
Yet there is also a foreboding sense of driving purpose diffused at all levels throughout the album, a strong and uncompromising spirit of determination which supplies a creative vision buried in the heart of what is being played. There is a willingness to dabble, to experiment, to pursue the meaning being conveyed in the music by blending differing styles and genres in order to capture and convey the unique sound which is so earnestly being sought.
Given the nature of the instruments involved there is no surprise to find elements of classical, baroque and even choral traditions but these have been delicately infused with rhythms and styles drawn from folk, prog, blues and jazz to craft an impressively expansive and hugely evocative sound which is as enthralling as it is consuming. It is a combination which forms the perfect cradle to tell the sometimes painful and all too human stories which inspire the songs with which we are being presented.
“The power of music”, Jess Kennedy (piano) believes, is its potent ability “to make people feel something”, to take hold of you and let you become lost in the moment. At heart, ‘Magnified’ is an intelligent series of narratives, stories and vignettes which speak with tremendous power and feeling to the day to day situations in which we find ourselves, the gamut of emotions we experience and the often agonizing and difficult problems with which we wrestle.
But this is music which is sensitively designed to make you think as well as feel. It works so well because it takes the rawness of everyday experience and fuses it with the mythology and the symbolism of age old stories which are familiar to us all. Real life mixes with fantasy to create sweeping, expressive melodies that are rich with empathy and compassion and form an enticing gateway through which we hardly notice ourselves enter.
What we find is the darkness which sometimes occupies the heart of beauty and often hidden within everyday life. This is not an album which shies away from or turns a blind eye to the more troubling aspects of human experience, despite the seeming elegance and charm of the music itself. Indeed, it is precisely the combination of the open vitality of the music with a biting realism of what life sometimes throws at us which allows the songs to communicate with such commanding potency and emotional authority.
“So I can’t write a love song” is the forlorn opening to Molehill (Track 5), thoroughly bewitching in terms of the music, heartbreaking in terms of the lyrics. Never Again (Track 3) positively makes your blood run cold with its plaintive “The walk of shame / In the middle of the day / The sun hits my tears / And blinds my thoughts / And in this moment I am numb / Another night and surely I’m done”; yet all we initially hear are the strains of piano and cello gently rippling and undulating in the background.
This is the standout achievement of what is without doubt a magical album. We are graced with music which opens the soul to the full catalogue of human experiences, without blinking and yet, without retreating either. There is strength and resolve in the darkness: “I’ll cut my hair / Become courageous / For I will live to outdate this / Take a risk and find strength” (Never Again). Forlorn does not necessarily or always mean despair and resignation. We can find, within ourselves and with the help of others, the strength to rise above what trouble us.
With the release of ‘Magnified’, Beatrix Players have created a truly stunning and enchanting collection of musical experiences to delight the soul and feed the mind. Call it bewitching, call it sublime, I thoroughly recommend sharing time with it and succumbing to all the enchanting journeys on which it will take you.
A few years ago I saw a band on tour with the Darkness called Do Me Bad Things, my brother, who is almost as good at finding music that I like as David Elliott recommended them to me. Their USP was 5 different vocalists, mixing a trio of female vocalists with soul and a metal vocalist from the ‘tramp shouting in a dustbin’ persuasion, they were so good and their musical range was so diverse it inspired me to buy the album.
After one album they disappeared without a trace, leaving one great album and bags of potential.
(Romy)
I mention them now because listening to ‘Collision’, the debut album by the insanely talented Dutch band Golden Caves (out on Freia and distributed over in the UK by those nice chaps at Bad Elephant) remind me of Do Me Bad Things, if not musically then vocally, and the kicker here is that instead of needing three killer female vocalists, they have just the one, the soulful and versatile Romy Ouwerkerk whose stunning work throughout this album brings these 9 songs to life.
Formed in 2013 at the Dutch University Codarts in Rotterdam, they have been building a huge following at home, and with songs as great as this on an album that’s been honed to perfection over the past 4 years, you can see why.
(Alex)
Proving that the future of contemporary prog is very much in the hands of the youth (like the UK’s Maschine, or Saul Blease) they take the template and have crafted 9 well written and performed prog songs, with no room for lengthy epics or deviations, none of these songs get much over the 5 minutes mark, proving that sometimes less is more.
This 5 piece band have instead of filling a CD because they can, have put their heart and soul into this record, with the songs leaving you wanting more instead of thinking ‘is it over yet?’ and includes reworkings of their singles, the superb My Demons Hunt, and the simply sublime Bring me to the Water.
(Elise)
When they slot together with tracks like Doctor’s Prescription, Mother and the excellent closing When the Rain Falls, you know that this is a band who have a lot to say musically and have the confidence and skills to bring it off.
There is a great mixture of heavier guitar from Alex Ouwehand, whilst the keyboard work from Elise Polman shines throughout, and the anchors of the band Erik Stein on drums and Tim Wensick on bass allows the fluidity of the guitar and keyboards to take off.
(Erik)
As I mentioned earlier it’s Romy on the vocals that is the real revelation, soulful, rocky and on all tracks highly emotive, she is another of the new generation of progressive female vocals like Verity White or Kim Seviour who has an instantly recognisable voice, and who is firmly putting the case that contemporary prog is as much a females game as any other genre.
(Tim)
This is a mature and striking debut album from a supremely talented young band, who, based on the skills shown here and the maturity on this record, have a lot more to give, and are more than capable of making a massive impact.
If you’d not guessed so far I love this record and would put it down as the debut album of the year so far.
Corroded are back! Swedish hard rock band Corroded; a band that topped the music charts in Sweden and whose songs are worshipped by fans around the world – is finally back, and this time the stakes are raised! After previously creating music for the Swedish TV show ‘Survivor’ (Expedition Robinson in Sweden) and the globally popular video game Battlefield, Corroded now enters ‘Defcon Zero’.
The band comments – “With the new single Carry Me My Bones, we proudly present a collaboration with Anders Friden, singer in the world-famous In Flames, as a lyricist. The track itself is a hard rock song and the lyrics are hard rock as well so that gives us the unexpected number of 200% hard rock. All well, no end! Shit good!”
CORRODED – ‘Carry Me My Bones’
Tracks:
1 Carry Me My Bones ISRC: SEXTE1700701
2 Carry Me My Bones radio edit ISRC: SEXTE1700712
Lyrics: Anders Fridén [In Flames]
Music: Jens Westin Per Soläng Bjarne Elvsgård Tomas Andersson
‘Defcon Zero’ isn’t just Corroded’s first new album in five years – it’s also their first release on Despotz Records. Signing to Despotz Records has opened brand new possibilities for Corroded and given them the firepower to further strengthen their position, both nationally and internationally.
‘The goal with this album is the usual – complete world domination!’ explains singer/guitarist Jens Westin explains with a smile.
The sound on ‘Defcon Zero’ is harder without losing any of the melodic focus. Five years might have flown by but ‘Defcon Zero’ picks up when the acclaimed ‘State of Disgrace’ left off; whilst sounding completely new at the same time! Above all – it sounds Corroded.
‘We worked solely within the band this time as we entered this process, with only some raw ideas without any preconceptions. From there on everybody contributed. The creative process was based on our live performances and we had tremendous fun while recording’ Jens comments.
Some Corroded history Everything happened quickly after the release of Corroded’s debut album ‘Eleven Shades of Black’ back in 2009. The track ‘Time and Again’ was used in the Swedish version of Survivor (Expedition Robinson) and in 2010 the band won ‘Breakthrough of The Year’ at Bandit Rock Awards. When the next album, ‘Exit to Transfer’, hit the stores it went straight in at number six on the Swedish album chart. Corroded then wrote ‘Age of Rage’ for EA Games, a song that would be featured as the theme song for ‘Battlefield Play4Free’. ‘Age of Rage’ subsequently achieved Gold status, generating several million streams.
Five years may have passed since their last album but, during this period Corroded has kept on touring and their popularity has been constantly rising. Corroded pushed every limit and established themselves as one of the most prominent Swedish hard rock acts. Several of the new songs have become live favourites before they’ve even had a chance to be released, such is the dedication of the Corroded fan base!
‘We have more or less toured continuously and supported our previous album live for five years. In that sense we have been very lucky, but at the same time, we got the chance to play many of the new songs live and that proved to us they have an enormous strength’ says Jens Westin.
With the release of the new Corroded album, it’s time to reset the parameters and enter ‘Defcon Zero’!
On the eve of their forthcoming (seventh) album ‘Visuals’ on 28th April, Danish trio Mew are pleased to share new track Twist Quest. Taken from the album and accompanied by a video that sees lead singer Jonas Bjerre assume the role of creative director whilst also coordinating visuals for the band’s forthcoming live shows.
Watch it here:
Following 2015’s + – the band undertook tour duties around the world and on their return saw them enter the studio with demos that unlike previous works came to fruition comparatively swiftly in terms of writing and recording against a poignant backdrop of world events over the past twelve months
As Bjerre explains; “This song took shape during a long jam session, like we hadn’t done in a long time. It’s a joyful song, with dark lyrics. I guess the song is about being confused, and unable to keep your mind still from all the stuff that floats around it. The expectations we put on ourselves. But also there’s a sense of celebration in it.
Mew’s 80’s tinged pop euphoria reigns supreme on ‘Visuals’ and Twist Questfollows that road, dreamy vocals courtesy of Bjerre and flourishes of saxophone feature and contribute to an album that’s both nostalgic and contemporary, that looks back whilst marching forward, the sound of a band seizing the moment.
Visuals is released on 28th April though Play It Again Sam and available on CD, vinyl and digitally and is available to pre-order here.
Mew play live at:
7 May – Bangkok, Thailand – Voice Space
10 May – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – KL Live
17 May – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso
19 May – Paris, France – Point Ephemere
20 May – Antwerp, Belgium – Trix Club
21 May – Bristol, UK – Trinity Centre
22 May – Manchester, UK – O2 Ritz
23 May – London, UK – O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
25 May – Cologne, Germany – Luxor
26 May – Hamburg, Germany – Knust
27 May – Neustrelitz, Germany – Immergut Festival
28 May – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Danish Theatre
It was 1986 when the CD revolution was gaining pace and I bought my first music system with a CD player, a Panasonic system with the works, twin tape decks, graphic equalizer, record deck, you name it. I bought it from Quay Televison in Bridlington which, over thirty years later, is still standing, unlike my vinyl collection!
The first CD I bought was Billy Idol – ‘Whiplash Smile’ and from that day on,the writing was on the wall for all my cherished LPs which I’d collected over the last 7 or 8 years. My first record player was a hand-me-down from my parents. One of those old Sanyo music systems that looked like someone’s sideboard but played the music really well to my young ears.
Well, thanks to Billy, my CD collection expanded and I ended up selling all my vinyls to Smugglers Records for what now seems a pittance.
Fast forward 30 years and a certain Chris Topham of Plane Groovy (also a Virgin Airlines pilot I’ll have you know) messages me and ask me if I’d like to start reviewing vinyl. I have to admit I was a bit of a naysayer when it came to the new vinyl revolution and wasn’t 100% certain but I agreed to give it a go.
The album in question was the 3rd release from ex IQ vocalist Paul Menel and true to his word, Chris sent ‘Spare Parts For Broken Hearts’ over post-haste, arriving just before my new record deck!
Here is the PR stuff about this new album:
“This album, the first from Paul Menel and his new band, The Essentials, represents a further step in Paul’s musical evolution from his early days with 1980s UK proggers, IQ. It demonstrates well his growth as an artist and as a man, not frightened to face his demons and to confront the emotional challenges of life in the early years of the 21st century.
Ably supported by his band, The Essentials, featuring the powerhouse rhythm unit that is Tim Churchman on drums and Steven Swift on bass, this album has again been produced by the legendary Gavin Monaghan – renowned for his work with Robert Plant and Peter Gabriel among others.
Appropriately to be launched on Valentines Day 2017, the album takes us on an emotional journey into maturity, with catchy songs set to become earworms and which talk of love lost and found and the trials of life.
It’s a toolkit for those looking to mend a broken heart & go on the next phase of their life journey with Paul and his band at their side as part guru, part fellow traveller, part court jester reminding us not to take life too seriously…
Available initially on vinyl and download only through Vinyl Specialist, Plane Groovy“.
The first thing that strikes me is the quality of the packaging, the artwork by Graeme Bell is visually stunning on the cover and the vinyl centres themselves and it comes with a stylish lyric and credit sheet, it definitely feels a quality product to me.
Now, the music. Before I talk about the songs themselves, please remember this is the first vinyl I have played in a very long time. My ears have become used to a diet of clinical mp3s and compact discs so the first thing that struck me is the warmth and quality of the music as the needle tracks the grooves. It almost feels alive and what others would see as possible imperfections, I see as being an essential component of the sound.
There is a permanency to vinyl that you don’t get from anything else and I dismissed this with a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders for such along time. I was absorbed in the packaging, artwork and lyric sheet for along time and the simple act of lifting the needle to put it on the LP for the first time is joyous in its own way.
The first notes of ‘Til Dawn Rolls In’ immediately grab my attention, an upbeat and absorbing track with some excellent sax work from Sam Rogers and great backing vocals from EmmaSkipp and Kaytee De Wolfe. It has a cultured pop song feel to it but one that is much more intricate and intelligent than the usual fare we are given and would not have been out of place in the 80’s alongside Duran Duran, Simple Minds and the like. Like the bastard son of the Stray Cats and Chris Isaak, there is a warped rockabilly feel to the gloriously dark Strife with its dirty guitar riff and Paul’s edgy, knowing vocal delivery. It’s a song with a real raw immediacy to it, pared back and dangerous and I really like it, on vinyl the sound almost leaps out from the speaker to assault you.
With a graceful piano and a vocal that Paul Carrack would be proud of, Walk In My Shoes is one of many highlights on the album. A real 90’s songwriter’s classic track. Haunting keyboards and backing vocals add lustre and polish to this brilliantly classy song. I’m sat at the keyboard swaying in time as I write these words, it walks the right side of cheesy but I am seeing big hair and even bigger shoulder pads and an audition for that classic 1990’s Volkswagen advert theme. The edginess returns with Crash And Burn, a song that has a real 60’s tone to it, even a Bond theme feel with its big band strings and echoing drumbeat. You’ll love the guitar sound too and Paul’s vocal is mesmerising and dominant,especially on the catchy chorus. This is elegant pop music for adults with a mature overtone and an over 18’s certificate, imagine a dark nightclub in London’s soho and a singer in a sharp black suit, his trident voice cutting through the smoky atmosphere and you won’t be far wrong. Compare notes by playing the mp3 and then the vinyl straight after and you can literally feel the extra dimension that the latter gives to the song.
Humour is brought to the table by the Man of Steel and Kryptonite, a lighter 60’s sounding song with a levity at its core. The dancing flute of Mat Taylor gives it a playfulness and Ben Drummond’s rhumba guitar adds a sassy overtone. Paul’s powerful vocal is aided and abetted by the wonderful backing of Ange Lloyd and the song bounds along with glee right until the close. There’s a cinematic expansiveness to the jazzy Pedestal, a stylish song that really showcases the songwriting ability of Paul Menel. There is a standout performance by violinist Julianne Bourne and the whole song just feels like it should be the soundtrack to some stylish and clever movie that has to include a drive in a classic Ferrari on the Amalfi Coast, such is its passion and verve.
Bloody hell, what’s happened? The music has stopped…. Oh, yes,it’s the end of side one, hang on while I go and change it over!
Side two, now there’s something I never envisioned saying two months ago, opens with They Call Her Leaf, a song that will illicit comparisons to a certain tall Scottish singer and this is not surprising seeing that Paul was the lead singer of IQ in the 1980’s when the neo-prog movement first started and Marillion were contemporaries. It’s a powerful, anthemic track with fantastic backing vocals from Vix Vox and a chorus that soon becomes a definite earworm. There’s bombast and not a little bit of grandiosity and Paul gives a definitive vocal performance. You know those tracks that kept turning up on E.L.O albums? The ones where Jeff Lynne was channeling his inner 50’s rock n’ roll star persona? Yes? well Paul gives us his own version with the superb title track Spare Parts For Broken Hearts. It’s a rocking tune that just takes the lead and never lets up, there’s accordion and violin joining in with his demonstrative vocal that shows us the broad palette that this splendid musician has.
Blues and jazz combine on the rollicking The Pleasures Of Vicarious Vengeance. A guitar sound that George Thorogood would be jealous of and Sam Roger’s uber cool sax are the ultimate driving force on this energetic, funky song and you just have to let your hair down and join the fun. Atmospheric and moody, Hey, Did You Hear About Paul takes a more serious tone with Paul’s vocal becoming more serious and thoughtful. Jake Henry gives gravity to proceedings with his smooth keyboard playing and an 80’s neo-prog nunace from Tim Churchman adds flavour to everything.
A tongue in cheek 80’s Let’s Dance period David Bowie influence is what I get from I Told My Last Lie Today, the driving piano beat, accordion and funk infused guitar just make you want to dance and there’s some great vocal flirting between Paul and Vix Vox. Paul Menel shows he can wear different musical faces with ease and skill. A really upbeat song that is fun of fun and wants you to get down and join in with the party. The final song on what has been a really riveting and enthralling musical journey is the wistful Happy Face, a track that could have come straight from a West End musical with its theatrical feel. Jake Henry’s keyboards and piano give it a simple grace and Paul’s voice with it’s emotional edge is really touching. Duel saxophones from Sam Rogers and Andy Sax add the requisite jazz notes and Bryan Corbett brings his trumpet to this amazing listening experience, the silence that descends as you hear the crackling of the needle end is actually quite deafening.
So, I really have to come to two conclusions here and I’ll talk about the actual songs and album first. Paul Menel and The Essentials have produced a musical experience that is brilliant and enjoyable from the first note to the last.There’s humour, pathos and emotion in spades and it’s a varied and immersive listening journey. It’s an album that I will be listening to a lot that’s for sure.
Now Paul and Chris Topham have a lot to answer when it comes to vinyl. Is it a better listening experience than CD or mp3? To my ears there is a warmth and connectivity to vinyl that you just do not get with the other formats. My enjoyment of this album was definitely enhanced by the vinyl experience, the packaging and the listening. And, curse you Mr Topham, I now have twenty further vinyls to backup that verdict!!
On their 2nd LP, ‘Gargoyles,’ the Glasgow-based Big Hogg mine a rich vein of post-‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ sounds, including psychedelia, Canterbury folk/jazz/proto-prog, and the background music for those dance interludes that showed up in every 60’s movie regardless of whether the film was a musical. It’s a weird and wonderful ride.
While the music encompasses a range of influences, the songs do not come across as genre-bending or as mash-ups; rather, the album comprises myriad variations on the sounds of 1967-1969 that nonetheless cohere as a unique and idiomatic Big Hogg approach. The opening three tracks well establish this programme. Solitary Way blends folky acoustic lines, male and female vocals, and flute as a musical bed over which the drums, bass, brass, and electric guitar alternately lay down their own grooves. Vegan Mother’s Day takes a funkier guitar-solos-and-horn-showcases-galore approach, while Augogo begins with jazz arpeggios to delight the clientele of any smoky underground cafe before launching into a flirtatious mod bit seemingly intended for Bob Fosse. Each mood and tempo gives way to another at exactly the right time; the changes come across as perfectly choreographed movements rather than the butting in of a new dance partner.
Like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, ‘Gargoyles’ is a fun and thrilling ride, though it’s not quite safe as milk. The mood is ⅔ mellow trip and ⅓ psychotropic provocation as the band incorporates the punch of ‘Chicago Transit Authority’ with the Judy of ‘Dark Side of the Rainbow’. The album is shot through with a smattering of the supernatural (or perhaps simply a pagan approach to the natural?) that occasionally turns menacing, as on the imprecation of The Beast (A witch in the streets/And a woman gone loose…Burn the witch/Go up in flames) or the droning refrain and wailing at the end of Devil’s Egg, which strongly resembles the hypothetical conjoining of Frank Zappa with Drimble Wedge and The Vegetation. And the (mostly) innocuously-titled My Banana contains a rather anthemic and hooky chorus that you won’t want the children singing at school (Fuck off!/And give me peace/I want my life back/And my energy). Still, the sense of mischief is folded into quite a bit of fun and cheeky humour, as exemplified by many of the song’s titles (Vegan Mother’s Day, Drunk On A Boat, Waiting For Luigi, My Banana).
There’s really little to quibble over in this set, as the compositions, arrangements, performances, and production are all quite superb. Both lead vocalists serve their songs well, and the brass, flute, and wurlitzer sound like established members of the family rather than guests seeking accommodation. I will note that a few songs in the back half of the album employ a quick-fadeout that sounds to my ears like the band lacked direction in how to finish the tracks off. But on the whole, everything flows together nicely and the album nearly demands to played on repeat.
Big Hogg have really done it: ‘Gargoyles’ is one of the more unique, fun, and singular releases I’ve heard in awhile. The album fully inhabits that 1967-1969 period without coming off as retro, and it’s at least as upbeat as it is offbeat. Don’t fear the strange and unfamiliar, folks; embrace the weird and the wonderful. There are plenty of sing-along hooks and smile-inducing horn breaks here to carry a new listener through the initiation, and once you’re in, you’ll have twice as much fun as your benighted friends. Recommended for fans of progressive music, jazz, Bob Fosse dance sequences, Peter Cook & Dudley Moore films, boozy halloween parties, and Stonehenge.
New studio album “Novum” and 50th anniversary UK tour.
On 21st April 2017, Eagle Records release “Novum”, the brand new studio album by Procol Harum, on CD [Cat No EAGCD659] and 2LP [Cat No EAGLP661]. “Novum” is Procol Harum’s thirteenth studio album, and their first for fourteen years – following “The Well’s On Fire” in 2003. “Novum”is released in the band’s fiftieth anniversary year, which also sees the band undertake a very special UK and European tour. The album release is preceded by that of the single “Sunday Morning” on April 7th.
“Novum” features a stunning cover artwork by Julia Brown which references elements of the sleeve of the band’s eponymous debut album in 1967. With that album, half a century ago, powered by the huge and ongoing success of their debut single “A Whiter Shade Of Pale”,Procol Harum went on to help define the progressive rock genre in the early seventies whilst at the same time embracing their roots in blues and soul. “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” continues to be one of the best-selling singles of all time, one of the most recognisable and most played songs – ever.
Procol Harum has been an evolving musical force from the first performance in ’67, but always led by founding member, singer, pianist and composerGary Brooker. Most of today’s line-up has been playing together since the early ‘90s and it includes bassist Matt Pegg (Jethro Tull, Ian Brown), drummer Geoff Dunn (Jimmy Page, Dave Stewart, Van Morrison), guitarist Geoff Whitehorn (Roger Chapman, Paul Rodgers, Roger Daltrey) and Hammond organ player Josh Phillips (Pete Townsend and Midge Ure), but to all their fans, they are the real Procol Harum.
Gary Brooker said, “Our last studio album was in 2003, and with 2017 being 50 years of Procol Harum, something special was needed, which has resulted in a new album of new songs with the band as we’ve stood for the past decade, all contributing with producer Dennis Weinreich to make what I believe to be one of the finest Procol Harum albums ever – “Novum” – just listen.”
“Novum” sees a new direction for Procol Harum with the songs being written and created by the whole band, with most songs featuring words by Pete Brown, most famous for his songwriting collaboration with the members of Cream. This has given a different feel to the songs, retaining the thought provoking content for which the band has always been known but with a different slant and elements of humour.
TRACKLISTING
1 I Told on you / 2 Last Chance Motel / 3 Image of the Beast / 4 Soldier / 5 Don’t Get Caught / 6 Neighbour / 7 Sunday Morning / 8 Businessman / 9 Can’t Say That / 10 The Only One / 11 Somewhen
2017 UK Tour Dates
3 March: Royal Festival Hall with Orchestra [SOLD OUT]
6 May: Edinburgh Queen’s Hall
8 May: Manchester Bridgewater Hall
10 May: Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
11 May: Birmingham Town Hall
13 May Shepherds Bush Empire
14 May: Nottingham Concert Hall
16 May: Bristol Colston Hall
“Novum” marks not only an incredible fifty years of amazing music, but also the next step for this seminal band. As ever, the music and musicianship within the band is of the highest level and this long-awaited collection of brand new songs is sure to be welcomed by Procol Harum’s devoted fanbase.
