musik

Genesis - (1998) Not About Us

2008-08-23T11:38:00.002+07:00

Genesis - (1998) Not About Us

Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, released in 1998

Track Listings

1. Not about us (Radio edit) (4:04)
2. Anything now (6:58)
3. Sign your life away (4:44)
4. Run out of time (6:07)

Total time 21:53
Line-up/Musicians

- Tony Banks / Keyboards, vocals
- Mike Rutherford / Bass, guitar, vocals
- Ray Wilson / Vocals
- Nir Z / Drums

Genesis - (1992) Single Hold On My Heart

2008-08-19T20:49:00.004+07:00

Genesis - (1992) Single "Hold On My Heart"

1 - Hold On My Heart
2 - Way Of The World
3 - Home By The Sea (Live)
4 - Your Own Special Way (Live)

Genesis - (1978) Chicago 1978 (Pre-FM)

2008-08-19T20:16:00.003+07:00

Genesis - (1978) Chicago 1978 (Pre-FM) .shn
Title: SAB 05 Version 2 (SAB 05 V2)
Date: 13-Oct-1978
Venue: Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL, USA
Quality: A+
lineage: FM>RM>WAV>shntool>SHN

Recording comments

Best version without any doubt. Big improvement over all the older versions. This one has a great stereo image as well, with a great atmosphere surrounding you when you're listening on headphones. Best complete recording from the tour! To describe this release with one word : wonderful! Forget all other versions, get this one!

TrackList:
Disc 1
1.1 Eleventh Earl Of Mar 10:16
1.2 In The Cage 08:15
1.3 Burning Rope 08:04
1.4 Dancing With The Moonlit Knight / The Musical Box 09:34
1.5 Ripples 10:36
1.6 Deep In The Motherlode 07:00
1.7 One For The Vine 10:43
1.8 Squonk 06:44

Disc 2:
2.1 Phil Talking 02:04
2.2 Say It's Alright Joe 09:06
2.3 The Lady Lies 10:18
2.4 The Cinema Show / In That Quiet Earth 11:26
2.5 Afterglow 04:59
2.6 Follow You, Follow Me 04:32
2.7 Dance On A Volcano / Drum Duet 05:47
2.8 Los Endos 06:46
2.9 I Know What I Like 09:03
2.10 "After The Show Phil's Interview" 07:38

Total Running Time: 2:22:51

Line-up/Musicians
- Tony Banks / RMI electric piano, Hammond T. organ, APR Pro-Soloist, Mellotron 400, Epiphone,
12 string guitar, backing vocals
- Phil Collins / drums, percussion, lead vocals
- Steve Hackett / lead guitar, Hodaka, 12 string guitar
- Mike Rutherford / electric 12 string guitar, bass guitar, 8 string bass guitar, bass pedals,
backing vocals
- Chester Thompson / drums and percussion

Genesis - (1997) Congo

2008-08-19T10:51:00.007+07:00

Genesis - (1997) Congo

Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, released in 1997

Losing their way

"Congo" was the first single to be taken from the post Collins era "Calling all stations" album. Lead vocals are thus in the hands of Ray Wilson, previously of Stiltskin. The song is certainly commercially orientated, but the tribal rhythms and apparently banal lyric's did little to endear those who still purchased singles to the new music of this old band, and the release only briefly entered the UK top 30.

As had quickly become the custom for single releases, the various formats offered different additional tracks. The CD version has an extract from the magnificent "Home by the sea", presumably taken from a studio rehearsal for the then forthcoming tour. This is of passing interest only, since the definitive versions featuring Phil Collins were already available in studio and live format. Also included is a PC multi-media section with the promotional video for the single, and interviews with the three band members.

Ironically, it is the cassette version which is greater interest though. Although the title track is an edited version, here we have two other tracks which were omitted from "Calling all stations", and are otherwise unavailable. "Papa he said" is slightly reminiscent of "I can't dance", the funky backbeat suiting Wilson's style of delivery, but the song itself was left off the album for all too obvious reasons. "Banjo man" does indeed feature that instrument, but the overall sound is prosaic, with Wilson's vocals once again being the dominant feature.

These two (thankfully) rare tracks only serve to emphasise how desperate Rutherford and in particular Banks were becoming to rekindle the formula for a hit single. The philosophy here is clearly keep is as simple as possible, and it will sell in vast quantities. Unfortunately, in the process they completely forgot that you still have to come up with a decent tune.

UK CD
1. Congo (4:51)
2. Second home by the sea (edited version) (4:56)
3. Enhanced CD section with "Congo" video, Interview with Ray Wilson, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford, Digital animation of stage set design

Total time (audio) 9:47

US CD
1. Congo (edit) (3:13)
2. Congo (4:51)
Total time 8:04

UK Cassette
1. Congo (edit) (3:13)
2. Papa he said (4:07)
3. Banjo man (4:20)
Total time 10:40

Line-up/Musicians:
- Tony Banks / Keyboards, vocals
- Mike Rutherford / Bass, guitar, vocals
- Ray Wilson / Vocals
- Nir Z / Drums

Genesis - (1976) Melody Of 1976

2008-08-19T10:35:00.005+07:00

Genesis - Melody Of 1976

TrackList:
1. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
2. Fly on a Windshield
3. The Carpet Crawlers
4. The Cinema Show
5. Robbery, Assault and Battery
6. White Mountain
7. Firth of Fifth

LineUp:
Phill Collins - Vocal, Drum
Tony Banks - Keyboard
Steve Hackett - Guitar
Mike Rutherford - Bas
Bill Bruford - Drum

Genesis - (1974) Academy of Music

2008-08-19T10:27:00.004+07:00

Genesis - (1974) Academy of Music
Academy Of Music
Live at Academy of Music, New York, May 4, 1974.

Cd 1
01 - Watcher Of The Skies
02 - Britannia Story
03 - One Handed Drum Solo
04 - Dancing With The Moonlit Knight
05 - Romeo Story
06 - The Cinema Show
07 - I Know What I Like
08 - 5 Rivers Story
09 - Firth Of Fifth

Cd 2
01 - Henry Story
02 - "Some In Betweens Phil..."
03 - The Musical Box
04 - Horizons
05 - The Battle Of Epping Forest
06 - Old Michael Story
07 - Supper's Ready

Uriah Heep - The Live Broadcasts

2008-08-19T01:14:00.003+07:00

Uriah Heep - The Live Broadcasts

Track List:
01. Easy Livin’ 03:00
02. Tears in My Eyes 4:37
03. Stealin’ 04:58
04. Sunrise 03:59
05. So Tired 03:33
06. Interview with Mick Box and David Byron 00:28
07. Love Machine 02:07
08. Traveller in Time 03:18
09. The Easy Road 02:21
10. Sympathy 04:44
11. One More Night 03:11
12. Wise Man 03:02
13. Come Back to Me 03:59
14. Easy Livin’ (Reprise) 03:20

Uriah Heep - (2008) Wake The Sleeper

2008-08-19T00:57:00.005+07:00

Uriah Heep - (2008) Wake The Sleeper

Studio Album, released in 2008

When Classic Rock magz previous edition featured Uriah Heep’s llatest album “Wake The Sleeper” by saying that this legendary band is now more Purple than Purple, I was truly astonished and proud! Oh yeah … this is one of pioneer bands that I listened to the first time I knew the term “rock” music when I was a child. In the past people said that this band was in between Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin even though I disagree with this dictum. And I tell you what …! When I spun the Summer of Rock CD from the magz I find that Uriah Heep “Overload” is truly different than usual Uriah Heep music especially in the way Mick Box plays his guitar. So … I did purchase the CD from Amazon UK and it arrived last week.

I’s good to be back!

The opening track “Wake The Sleeper” is really a big surprise for me because this is what I would say: “Uriah Heep’s respond to Dream Theater”. Well, this is basically a power metal track with fast tempo. One thing that Heep has never done in their entire career and this is the fastest tempo – I think. It has no lyrics but the choirs only and the music really remind me to power progressive metal. I think the new drummer Russel Gilbrook brings this new kind of style into the band’s music horizon. I am really happy that Uriah Heep plays this kind of music. Next track “Overload” is another excellent track which has new sound of Mick Box guitar work combined with the band’s legendary sound. “Tears of The World” still present the heavy side of Uriah Heep music like the first two tracks. This track reminds me to the tune “Love Machine” of Look AT Yourself album, the band’s classic. It has all the energy and dynamics of the oldies of Heep. Bernie Shaw’s vocal is excellent back with great choirs, the unique characteristic of Heep sound. Box also demonstrates his guitar solo as past days style.

“Light Of A Thousand Stars” brings the music down into medium tempo while “Heaven's Rain” starts off with a music where the organ reminds us to the days when Ken Hensley was still in the band. Unfortunately, this is just a mundane stuff, nothing special about it. “Book Of Lies” tries to bring the music up but it does not really have a good melody or riffs to attract me. “What Kind Of God” is a mellow track with good lyrics. I like the drumming at approximately minute 3:52 even though it does not help elevate the attractiveness of the whole song.

“Ghost Of The Ocean” is quite energetic especially with great guitar solo by Box and the overall music brings me back to the band’s “Return To Fantasy” album. Again, Bernie demonstrates his good quality of vocal here. The song has a good interlude as well. “Angels Walk With You” was written by Trevor Bolder in ballad style. It has good opening track in mellow style and it moves into riffs-based music with good combination of guitar and organ work. “Shadow” is a riff-based song with very nice intro and it moves in a good flow through the vocal of Bernie. The album concludes nicely with “War Child” which combines melody and riffs. It’s interesting to close the chapter. The interlude part with guitar solo is nice.

Overall this is a very good album and there are excellent tracks as well. If Heep can maintain the excellent tracks in the middle of the album as they demonstrate at the first three tracks as well as last tracks of the album, it can be considered as excellent album. I salute the band can still make a music which carries its past identity. Keep on progging!

Peace on earth and mercy mild – GW
(i-Rock! Music Community)

Track Listings

1. Wake The Sleeper (Box/Lanzon) (3:33)
2. Owerload (Box/Lanzon) (5:58)
3. Tears Of The World (Box/Lanzon) (4:45)
4. Light Of A Thousand Stars (Box/Lanzon) (3:57)
5. Heaven's Rain (Box/Lanzon) (4:16)
6. Book Of Lies (Box/Lanzon) (4:05)
7. What Kind Of God (Box/Lanzon) (6:37)
8. Ghost Of The Ocean (Box/Lanzon) (3:22)
9. Angels Walk With You (Bolder) (5:24)
10. Shadow (Lanzon) (3:35)
11. War Child (Bolder/Gallagher) (5:07)

Total Time 50:46

Line-up/Musicians

- Mick Box / guitars, vocals
- Trevor Bolder / bass, vocals
- Phil Lanzon / keyboards, vocals
- Bernie Shaw / lead vocals
- Russell Gilbrook / drums, vocals

Uriah Heep - (2004) Revelations The Uriah Heep Anthology

2008-08-19T00:53:00.004+07:00

Uriah Heep - (2004) Revelations: The Uriah Heep Anthology

Tracklist:

CD 1

01. Gypsy
02. Come Away Melinda
03. Wake Up (Set Your Sights)
04. Here I Am (Alternative Mix)
05. Time To Live
06. Lady In Black
07. July Morning
08. Look At Yourself
09. Paradise / The Spell
10. Rock 'n' Roll Medley (Live):

CD 2

01. The Wizard
02. Easy Livin'
03. The Magician's Birthday
04. Stealin'
05. Sweet Freedom
06. Wonderworld
07. Return To Fantasy
08. Weep In Silence
09. The Hanging Tree
10. Free 'n' Easy
11. Think It Over
12. Rockarama

Uriah Heep - (2002) From The Lansdowne Tapes

2008-08-19T00:48:00.005+07:00

01. Born in a Trunk (Box/Byron) 3.47 *
02. Simon the Bullet Freak (Hensley) 3.28
03. Here Am I (Hensley) 8.14
04. Magic Lantern (Box/Byron) 8.32 *
05. Why [11.18 Min Version] (Box/Byron/Newton/Hensley) 11.20
06. Astranaza (Box/Byron) 4.46 *
07. What's Within My Heart (Hensley) 5.26
08. What Should Be Done (Hensley) 4.28
09. Lucy Blues (Box/Byron) 5.10
10. I Want You Babe (Box/Byron) 5.42 *
11. Celebrate (Bonner/Gordon) 4.26 *
12. Schoolgirl (Box/Byron) 3.25 *
13. Born in a Trunk [Instumental Version] (Box/Byron) 4.02 *
14. Look at Yourself (Hensley) 3.20
15. Dreammare [Intro] (Newton) 1.10

Line-up/Musicians
* SPICE : Mick Box (guitars), David Byron (vocals), Paul Newton (bass), Alex Napier (drums), Colin Wood (keyboards)
#2 URIAH HEEP : Mick Box (guitars), David Byron (vocals), Paul Newton (bass), Nigel Olsson (drums), Ken Hensley (keyboards)
#3 URIAH HEEP : Mick Box (guitars), David Byron (vocals), Paul Newton (bass), Keith Baker (drums), Ken Hensley (keyboards)
#4 URIAH HEEP : Mick Box (guitars), David Byron (vocals), Paul Newton (bass), Iain Clarke (drums), Ken Hensley (keyboards)

Uriah Heep - (1989) Raging Silence

2008-08-19T00:40:00.004+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1989) Raging Silence

Studio Album, released in 1989

The best from the '80's

Raging silence from 1989 - again lots of changings both in sound and musicians. The new singer Bernie Shaw ex Paraying Mantis and Grand Prix is a very good replacement of Golby, with a good voice more towards hard and heavy but fits like a glove in Heep's music. Phil Lanzon from Sad Cafe fame come to UH in late 1986 and remains 'till today constant member like Shaw. Box, Kerslake and Bolder remains the gear of Heep's music and they were constant members so unreplaceble. The music from Raging silence is rather heavy than prog, with some leanings towards hard rock but ok in the end, nice keyboard interplays and good guitar riffs and harmonies, some of the good pieces are: Hold Your Head Up (this is a Argent cover) but sounds very good in Heep's sound, Cry Freedom and my fav piece from here Lifeline. All in all a good album, among the best UH albums with a lot of energy and good ideas that tops all the rest of the Heep's albums from the '80's. 3 stars for Raging silence

Track Listings

Side A
1. Hold Your Head Up (4:33)
2. Blood Red Roses (4:10)
3. Voice On My TV (4:20)
4. Rich Kid (4:49)
5. Cry Freedom (4:34)

Side B
1. Bad Bad Man (4:11)
2. More Fool You (3:34)
3. When The War Is Over (5:09)
4. Lifeline (4:53)
5. Rough Justice (4:21)

Total Time: 44:34
BONUS TRACKS ON 1998 REMASTERED CD:
1. Miracle Child (4:11) single b-side
2. Look At Yourself (7:20) Live recording from 1987, b-side of 'Blood Red Roses' 12" single
3. Too Scared Too Run (3:58) Live version from 1987, previously unreleased
4. Corina (4:46) Live version from 1987, previously unreleased
5. Hold Your Head Up (5:53) extended version released on 12" single
6. Blood Red Roses (4:53) extended remix , previously unreleased
Line-up/Musicians

- Mick Box / guitars
- Lee Kerslake / drums, vocals
- Trevor Bolder / bass guitar, vocals
- Phil Lanzon / keyboards, vocals
- Bernie Shaw / lead vocals

Guest musicians:
- Brett Morgan / drums
- Frank Ricotti / percussion
- String parts on "When The War Is Over" arranged and played by Phil Lanzon
- Russian words on "Cry Freedom" spoken by Marie Zackojiva

Uriah Heep - (1983) Head First

2008-08-19T00:31:00.004+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1983) Head First

Studio Album, released in 1983

Track Listings

Side A
1. The Other Side Of Midnight (3:55)
2. Stay On Top (3:35)
3. Lonely Nights (4:07)
4. Sweet Talk (3:51)
5. Love Is Blind (3:38)

Side B
1. Roll-Overture (2:18)
2. Red Lights (2:57)
3. Rollin' The Rock (5:31)
4. Straight Through The Heart (3:39)
5. Weekend Warriors (3:50)

Total Time: 37:21
BONUS TRACKS ON 1997 REMASTERED CD:
1. Playing For Time (4:27) single b-side
2. Searching (3:52) instrumental out-take, previously unreleased
3. The Wizard [live] (4:52) live version 1984, previously unreleased

Line-up/Musicians
- Mick Box / guitars, vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums
- Bob Daisley / bass
- John Sinclair / keyboards, vocals
- Peter Goalby / vocals
- Frank Ricotti / percussion on "Roll-Overture"

Uriah Heep - (1982) Abominog

2008-08-19T00:27:00.001+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1982) Abominog

Studio Album, released in 1982

Track Listings

Side A
1. Too Scared To Run (3:47)
2. Chasing Shadows (4:38)
3. On The Rebound (3:13)
4. Hot Night In A Cold Town (3:57)
5. Running All Night (With The Lion) (4:24)

Side B
1. That's The Way That It Is (4:04)
2. Prisoner (4:27)
3. Hot Persuasion (3:45)
4. Sell Your Soul (5:22)
5. Think It Over (3:33)

Total Time: 42:10
BONUS TRACKS ON 1997 REMASTERED CD:
1. Tin Soldier (3:49) single b-side
2. Son Of A Bitch (4:08) single b-side
3. That's The Way That It Is (4:27) demo version, previously unreleased
4. Hot Persuasion (4:04) demo version, previously unreleased
Line-up/Musicians

- Lee Kerslake / drums, vocals
- Peter Goalby / vocals
- Bob Daisley / bass, vocals
- John Sinclair / keyboards, vocals
- Mick Box / guitars, vocals

Uriah Heep - (1980) Conquest

2008-08-19T00:21:00.004+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1980) "Conquest"

Studio Album, released in 1980

Track Listings

Side A
1. No Return (6:02)
2. Imgination (5:49)
3. Feelings (5:26)
4. Fools (5:03)

Side B
1. Carry On (3:57)
2. Won't Have To Wait Too Long (4:54)
3. Out On The Street (5:57)
4. It Ain't Easy (5:45)

Total Time: 44:37
BONUS TRACKS ON 1997 REMASTERED CD:
Bonus tracks:
1. Been Hurt (3:56) single b-side
2. Love Stealer (3:28) single a-side
3. Think It Over [vocals John Sloman] (3:33) single a-side
4. My Joanna Needs Tuning (3:02) single b-side
5. Lying (4:23) out-take, previously unreleased

Line-up/Musicians
- Mick Box / guitars
- John Sloman / lead & backing vocals, piano, percussion
- Chris Slade / Staccato drums, percussion
- trevor Bolder / bass guitar
- Ken Hensley / obx, vocoder, organ, piano, guitars, backing vocalsTracklist:

Uriah Heep - (1979) Live in Europe

2008-08-19T00:14:00.005+07:00

Uriah Heep - 1979 Live in Europe

Live, released in 1986

It’s John Lawton that makes the Uriah Heep fans need to have this live record which took in various places around 1979. I have been a big fan of Lawton since I knew him for the first time with Germany’s Lucifer’s Friend. In fact, I’d rather have Lawton than Bernie Shaw as replacement of David Byron. Yes, Lawton’s voice is unique and there is no similarity with Byron. The joining of Lawton to Heep had made the overall sound of Uriah Heep was different from the previous early years. As it’s quite different you might find some tracks who originally were sung by Byron do not sound quite smooth in this live performance. In this case, Bernie’s voice quality sounds similar in some ranges with Byron. That’s why I basically have no major issue having Bernie Shaw sings Byron’s tracks. You might find how struggling Lawton to match with the first three tracks : Easy Livin’ (3:14), Look At Yourself (5:18), and Lady In Black (7:26) (originally sung by Hensley. Thanks, Eugene, for the correction). Not really bad but I find the soul’s lost. Fortunately there are Ken Hensley and Mick Box who can make the overall music still sound Heep. When Free Me (4:53) is performed, yes .. this is really unique Lawton! The other disappointing one is during “Sweet Lorraine” (12:44) which does not sound quite right.

This is not bad at all, but I’d only recommend this for the die hard fans only.

Track Listings

Record One, Side A
1. Easy Livin’ (3:14)
2. Look At Yourself (5:18)
3. Lady In Black (7:26)
4. Free Me (4:53)
Record One, Side B
1. Stealin’ (4:54)
2. The Wizard (3:35)
3. July Morning (12:35)

Record Two, Side A
1. Falling In Love (3:04)
2. Woman Of The Night (3:12)
3. I’m Alive (4:04)
4. Who Needs Me (9:46) [Not included on the original cd release]
Record Two, Side B
1. Sweet Lorraine (12:44)
2. Free 'N' Easy (2:53)
3. Gypsy (4:52)

Total Time: 82:30
Bonus tracks:
1. Cheat 'N' Lie (6:11) out-take, previously unreleased
2. One More Night (4:55) out-take, previously unreleased
3. Easy Livin' (3:26) alternate version, previously unreleased
4. Sealin’ (5:12) alternate version, previously unreleased
5. Lady In Black (7:26) alternate version, previously unreleased
6. Gypsy (4:40) alternate version, previously unreleased
Line-up/Musicians

- Mick Box / guitars
- John Lawton / vocals
- Ken Hensley / keyboard, guitars, vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, vocals
- Trevor Bolder / bass

Uriah Heep - (1978) Fallen Angel

2008-08-19T00:09:00.002+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1978) Fallen Angel

(Review from progarchives.com)

The third and final Uriah Heep album with John Lawton on vocals, and the last for the time being with the long serving Lee Kerslake on drums.

While Ken Hensley still dominates the song writing, the rest of the band also make contributions. Lawton for example wrote 2 tracks, and co-wrote a third. Unfortunately, with Hensley having contributed so much to previous albums, his inspiration appears to be declining rapidly, and the rest of the band do not share his worthy credentials in that field. Understandable as this is, It does make for a somewhat disappointing album. Things would get worse on subsequent output before they got better and taken in context, this is far from being a bummer. The band themselves (Hensley and Box) in the sleeve notes for the 1997 remaster felt that the album was a bit "poppy", and this a fair description.

Ironically the best track is Lee Kerslake ballad “Come back to me” (co-written with Hensley), written as an anguished plea to his then recently estranged wife. Lawton’s vocals are ideal for the song, which he sings with great passion.

The tracks are all short, the longest being the title track at just over 5 minutes. On "One more night", Lawton almost carries off an Elvis impersonation, but on most of the tracks, the performance is all too similar and lightweight. In retrospect, it's all to obvious that the band had taken their eye of the ball, and were drifting away from their roots, into a more commercial area which did not fit well with their strengths. It would be several years until they found their way again.

By the way, the sleeve was a vast improvement from "Innocent victim", with a rather attractive image of a female warrior who has just vanquished her next meal, in the gatefold cover.

Track List :
01. Woman Of The Night (4:07)
02. Falling in Love (2:59)
03. One More Night (Last Farewell) (3:35)
04. Put Your Lovin' On Me (4:08)
05. Come Back To Me (4:22)
06. Whad 'Ya Say (3:41)
07. Save It (3:33)
08. Love Or Nothing (3:02)
09. I'm Alive (4:18)
10. Fallen Angel (4:51)

Line-up :
- Mick Box / electric and acoustic guitar
- Trevor Bolder / bass guitar
- John Lawton / lead vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, syn-drums, back-up vocals
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, synthesizer, slide and acoustic guitar, back-up vocals

Uriah Heep - (1977) Innocent Victim

2008-08-19T00:06:00.002+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1977) Innocent Victim

(Review from progarchives.com)

Once you get past the rather grotesque and somewhat inappropriate cover picture, Uriah Heep’s second album with John Lawton on vocals is a pleasant, if rather lightweight offering.

The songs are pretty straightforward, leaning more towards melodic rock than prog. Once again, Hensley favours his synthesiser over the Hammond organ sound which laid the foundations of the band’s early work, creating a more orchestral backing. There are a couple of good ballads in “Choices" which has great power, and the softer "Illusion. “Free me” is a catchy pop tune. It’s not exactly challenging but should have been at least a minor hit in the UK, as it was in several other countries.

"The dance" is almost funky, a style which suits Lawton's voice far better than it would have Byron's. Finally, there are a number of more traditional rock tracks such as "Keep on ridin'", "Flyin' high" "Free'n'easy" and "Cheat'n'lie"

Ultimately I am left with a feeling that the band's inspiration, and especially Hensley's, is drying up rapidly. This is perhaps further evidenced by the fact that non band member Jack Williams wrote two of the songs, and co-wrote a third with Hensley.

Track List :
01. Keep On Ridin' (3:41)
02. Flyin' High (3:18)
03. Roller (4:38)
04. Free 'N' Easy (3:02)
05. Illusion (5:02)
06. Free Me (3:35)
07. Cheat 'N' Lie (4:50)
08. The Dance (4:49)
09. Choices (5:42)

Line-up :
- Mick Box / guitars
- John Lawton / vocals
- Ken Hensley / keyboard, guitars, vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, vocals
- Trevor Bolder / bass

Uriah Heep - (1977) Firefly

2008-08-19T00:02:00.003+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1977) Firefly

(Review from progarchives.com)

While the history of Uriah Heep is littered with line up changes, the single most important one in terms of their sound took place between the previous album, “High and Mighty”, and this one. With David Byron having been sacked as lead vocalist, John Lawton (ex Lucifer’s Child) was brought in as his replacement.

In opting for Lawton, the other band members had decided to go for someone with a completely different voice and style, so right from the first few bars of “Firefly” the listener is aware of a fundamental change. Lawton’s voice is deeper and much rougher, with more of a blues/jazz tinge.

John Wetton also left the band before this album was recorded, being replaced by ex Spiders from Mars bassist Trevor Boulder. Boulder has gone on to become one of Heep’s longest servicing members, and is in fact still in the band today.

The music on “Firefly” is generally lighter than previous albums, with Hensley choosing to create an almost orchestral texture with the keyboards, on which the album is built. Yet again, Hensley dominates the song writing, with only one short track “Who needs me” being a rare Kerslake composition. The title track is a very soft but beautiful piece, a million miles from "Easy Livin’". Even when the band rock, such as on “Been away too long”, it’s not the all out wall of sound of the early days.

When listening to this album, it is necessary to first put aside any preconceptions about the music it will contain. It’s not really a follow up to “High and Mighty” but a new beginning for the band with a new direction and sound. Once that is accepted, it’s actually a very enjoyable album, with strong melodies, and tight musicianship.

Track List :
01. The Hanging Tree (3:42)
02. Been Away Too Long (5:04)
03. Who Needs Me (3:40)
04. Wise Man (4:44)
05. Do You Know (3:15)
06. Rollin' On (6:32)
07. Sympathy (4:50)
08. Firefly (6:18)
09. Crime Of Passion (Bonus, Single B-Side) (3:37)
10. Do You Know (3:16) (Bonus, Demo)
11. A Far Better Way (5:50) (Bonus, Outtake)
12. Wise Man (4:48) (Bonus, TV backing track version)

Line-up :
- John Lawton / lead vocals
- Mick Box / guitars
- Trevor Bolder / bass guitar
- Lee "The Bear" Kerslake / drums, vocals
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, guitars, vocals

Uriah Heep - (1975) The Best Of Uriah Heep

2008-08-18T23:53:00.004+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1975) The Best Of Uriah Heep

Boxset/Compilation, released in 1985

Track Listings

1. Free me (3:35) from Innocent Victim 1977
2. Lady In Black (4:33) from Salisbury 1971
3. Sealin' (4:49) from Sweet Freedom 1973
4. The Wizard (2:59) from Demons And Wizards 1972
5. Look At Yourself (5:07) from Look At Yourself 1971
6. Gypsy (6:37) from Very 'Eavy ... Very 'Umble 1970
7. Easy Livin' (2:36) from Demons And Wizards 1972
8. Return To Fantasy (5:52) from Return To Fantasy 1975
9. Your Turn To Remenber (4:22) from Return To Fantasy 1975
10. Sweet freedom (6:37) from Sweet Freedom 1973
11. Shady Lady (4:46) from Return To Fantasy 1975
12. Firefly (6:18) from Firefly 1977

Total Time: 58:11
Line-up/Musicians

See original albums for line-ups

Uriah Heep - (1975) Return To Fantasy

2008-08-18T23:45:00.003+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1975) Return To Fantasy

Studio Album, released in 1975

A high 2 stars, because the good stuff is very good. But this is a lopsided record stuffed with filler. Things begin promisingly with the first half. The return to their most beloved material hinted at with the title and artwork actually manifests itself with opener "Return To Fantasy". Full of emotion, mystery and swirling keys, along with a solid rhythm section that sees John Wetton's bass joining in with Lee Kerslake on drums after the ouster of troubled bassist Gary Thain, the song is no less than a Uriah Heep classic. Two hard-rock songs follow in the form of "Shady Lady" (a forgettable boogie number) and the excellent "Devil's Daughter". Album highlight "Beautiful Dream" follows, a magnificent song highlighting Ken Hensley's Moog expertise, stacking even more keyboards on top of that, along with one of David Byron's last bits of vocal magic. "Beautiful Dream" is one of the reasons Uriah Heep appeals to many prog fans, as these fantasy-laced, celestial kinds of things are in abundance throughout their '70s albums.

But then things sour quickly. The listener is asked to sit through four absolutely dire songs: "Your Turn To Remember", "Prima Donna", "Showdown" and "Why Did You Go": a high-school dance shuffle, a bass-horn diseased country-rocker, slide-guitar driven country-rock (again) and a vacant love song (frustratingly, with even more twangy country guitar work!). It's only "A Year And A Day" that makes the second side less than horrendous, its ethereal opening giving way to a poignant organ-driven anthem and then back again to the gentler, more contemplative atmospheres.

The two songs relegated to b-side purgatory ("Shout It Out" and "The Time Will Come") are very good. Had they replaced some of the filler, we'd have a very strong album here. Instead they served up 4 excellent songs and 5 abominations. Approach with caution.

Track Listings

01. Return To Fantasy
02. Shady Lady
03. Devil's Daughter
04. Beautiful Dream
05. Prima Donna
06. Your Turn To Remember
07. Show Down
08. Why Did You Go
09. A Year Or A Day

Line-up/Musicians

- David Byron / lead vocals
- Mick Box / guitars
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, guitars, synthesizer, vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, percussion, vocals
- John Wetton / bass, Mellotron, vocals

Uriah Heep - (1974) Wonderworld

2008-08-18T23:40:00.005+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1974) Wonderworld

Studio Album, released in 1974

In my opinion this is not a weak album. Here are some good moments like The easy road, what a beautiful track. All the album are more hard rock than progressive but fits for me very well. I always enjoy listen to this band, so my rating is 3 stars. A good one, maybe not their best but close enough. Enjoy every track, worth a spin...

Track Listings
1. Wonderworld (4:29)
2. Suicidal Man (3:38)
3. The Shadows And The Wind (4:27)
4. So Tired (3:39)
5. The Easy Road (2:43)
6. Something Or Nothing (2:56)
7. I Won't Mind (5:59)
8. We Got We (3:39)
9. Dreams (6:10)

Total Time: 37:30
BONUS TRACKS ON 1996 REMASTERED CD:
1. What Can I Do (3:10) - single b-side
2. Dreams [long version] (7:08) - unedited long version, previously unreleased
3. Something Or Nothing (3:09) - live version recorded at Shepperton 1974, previously unreleased
4. The Easy Road (2:53) - live version recorded at Shepperton 1974, previously unreleased

BONUS TRACKS ON 2004 EXPANDED DE-LUXE CD:
1. What Can I Do - single b-side
2. Love, Hate and Fear - previously unreleased version
3. Stone's Throw - previously unreleased version
4. Dreams - extended version
5. I Wont Mind - live version
6. So Tired - live version

Line-up/Musicians
- Ken Hensley / organ, guitars & vocals
- David Byron / vocals
- Mick Box / lead guitars
- Gary Thain / bass
- Lee Kerslake / drums

Uriah Heep - (1974) Live At Shepperton

2008-08-18T23:26:00.002+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1974) Live At Shepperton

Live, released in 1986

(Review from progarchives.com)

The recordings on this album are taken from a Television special that Uriah Heep recorded in 1974. Although the special was never actually broadcast, a number of extracts from it appeared on the now deleted “Easy Livin’, a history of Uriah Heep” video. The performance was never intended for commercial release in any format, but with the ongoing demand for Byron era material by the band, a belated release took place in 1986.

The original album was rather brief, but this was rectified by the remastered version, which incorporates a number of additional tracks from the same performance, plus some other relevant additions. A few of the tracks duplicate the superior versions on the “Live 1973” album, but as these recordings took place around the time of the release of the “Wonderworld” album, tracks from that album and “Sweet Freedom” also appear.

The performance by the band is not one of their best, tempered perhaps by the fact that they were conscious of the need to appeal visually as well as audibly. The recording quality too reflects the fact that it was intended only for television broadcast.

While it is good to hear early live versions of tracks such as “Sweet freedom” and “Stealin’”, only the emotive ballad “The easy road” shines through as anything more than average here. Uriah Heep made one of the best live albums ever. Unfortunately, this wasn’t it!

Track Listings

Side A
1. Easy Livin' (2:57)
2. So Tired (3:58)
3. I Won't Mind (5:41)
4. Something Or Nothing (2:51)

Side B
1. Stealin' (4:42)
2. Love Machine (2:16)
3. The Easy Road (2:43)
4. Rock 'N' Roll Medley (5:52)

Total Time: 31:00
TRACK LISTING ON REMASTERED 1997 RELEASE:
1. Easy Livin' (4:01)
2. So Tired (3.32)
3. I Won't Mind (5:54)
4. Sweet Freedom (6:59)*
5. Something Or Nothing (3:21)**
6. The Easy Road (2:49)
7. Stealin' (5:26)
8. Love Machine (2:23)
9. Rock 'N' Roll Medley (7:45)
10. Out-Takes (5:28)
a) The Easy Road
b) Sleazy Livin'
c) Easy Livin' *
11. Stealin' (6:19)*

Line-up/Musicians

- David Byron / vocals
- Mick Box / guitar, vocals
- Gary Thain / bass, vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, vocals
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, vocals

Uriah Heep - (1973) Sweet Freedom

2008-08-18T23:22:00.003+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1973) Sweet Freedom

(Review from progarchives.com)

The third album by the Byron/Box/Hensley/Kerslake/Thain line up found them moving away from the fantasy theme, but producing what was probably their most melodic album of all. The sleeve was the first clue of the changes as, unlike the previous two albums, Roger Dean was not involved. This was compensated for to some extent by the double fold out, but it still lacks the impact of Dean’s work.

Musically however, the band were still in top form. Hensley dominates the song writing once again, and the tracks generally lean towards his keyboard work, with Box’s lead guitar outings being less frequent. The album includes one of Heep’s most famous works in “Stealin’”, which in many ways is a slightly slowed down version of “Easy Livin’”. The band were as close as they’ve ever come to a world-wide hit single with this track, foiled only by it being banned from radio play because of the reference to “doing the rancher’s daughter”!

The title track is a wonderful power ballad on which Byron interprets Hensley’s sensitive lyrics in a very emotive and effective way. I remember a reviewer at the time described the track as “swimming in organ”. It was intended as a criticism, but while quite correct, is in fact a strong recommendation.

“If I had the time” sees Hensley still in power ballad writing mode, this time using the synthesiser to create the depth of sound. It’s interesting to compare the demo version of this track which first appeared on Hensley’s “From time to time” album with the finished article here. It demonstrates clearly how, while Hensley was the main songwriter, the band as a whole created the finished articles.

“Pilgrim” closes the album in more progressive mode. The track has two distinct sections, separated by a screaming guitar solo from Box. Byron exercises the full range of his vocal capabilities during the track, cumulating in a screamed finale. While the track is truly excellent, it could have been even better. This may be due in part to the fade out ending which seems to imply that the band couldn’t come up with a satisfactory conclusion.

In all, another fine, polished product from the band, which generally finds them moving further away from their “’eavy” beginnings.

Track List :
01. Dreamer (3:41)
02. Stealin' (4:49)
03. One Day (2:47)
04. Sweet Freedom (6:37)
05. If I Had The Time (5:43)
06. Seven Stars (3:52)
07. Circus (2:44)
08. Pilgrim (7:10)

Line-up :
- David Byron / vocals
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, guitars and vocals
- Mick Box / guitars
- Lee Kerslake / drums, percussion, vocals
- Gary Thain / bass guitar

Uriah Heep - (1973) Live

2008-08-18T23:14:00.003+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1973) Live

Live, released in 1973

Track Listings

Record One, Side A
1. Sunrise (3:50)
2. Sweet Lorraine (4:27)
3. Traveller In Time (3:20)
4. Easy Livin' (2:43)
Record One, Side B
1. July Morning (11:23)
2. Tears In My Eyes (4:34)

Record Two, Side A
1. Gypsy (13:32)
2. Circle Of Hands (8:47)
Record Two, Side B
1. Look At Yourself (5:57)
2. The Magician's Birthday (1:15)
3. Love Mchine (3:07)
4. Rock 'N' Roll Medley (8:17)

Total Time: 71:12
BONUS TRACKS ON 2003 EXPANDED DE-LUXE CD:
The Radio Show:
1. Something Or Nothing
2. I Won't Mind
3. Look At Yourself
4. Gypsy
The Film Mixes:
5. Easy Livin'
6. So Tired
7. I Won't Mind
8. Something Or Nothing
9. The Easy Road
10. Stealin'
11. Love Machine
12. Rock and Roll Medley

Line-up/Musicians
- David Byron / vocals
- Mick Box / guitar, vocals
- Gary Thain / bass, vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, vocals
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, vocals

Uriah Heep - (1972) The Magician's Birthday

2008-08-18T23:10:00.003+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1972) THE MAGICIAN´S BIRTHDAY

Studio Album, released in 1972

The Magician's Birthday followed the enormously successful Demons And Wizards album. No doubt it was an overwhelming task to come up with a record that maintained that immense flow and energy. Uriah Heep was up for the challenge and responded with another metal-prog classic, and to boot they pulled it off in the same year.

The very first song, "Sunrise," is another Ken Hensley driving rocker with Mick Box providing the stinging guitar leads, David Byron the operatic shrieks, and Hensley the whirling dervish keyboard playing. "Spider Woman" was always one of my favorites; it's a straight ahead rocker that has a catchy riff by Box running through the entire song. "Rain" is a standout track that was typical of the Heep gothic metal sound complete with a great vocal treatment by Byron. The curtain falls on the title track "The Magician's Birthday." For over 10 minutes they show why they were one of the very best prog-rock bands in the world by changing gears several times without a hitch and offering the listener every facet of their complex makeup in one song. It's the kind of dark and mystical song that you never forget, it stays with you for a long time and when you listen to it again you hear what you missed the first time around.

What UH did in 1972 is quite incredible. To release one great album is a major feat, but two in one year? It's something very few bands have ever done. This was the final stamp of approval on their career; they had carved out a place in prog-rock history that would cement their legacy. In 2002, now more than ever, the relevance of what they did is more evident and valid when you listen to what they were creating over 30 years ago. It comes as no surprise that people want to hear all of that material as much today as they did back then. Its great music, so if you haven't found it yet its time to seek it out.

Track Listings

Side A
1. Sunrise (4:04)
2. Spider Woman (2:25)
3. Blind Eye (3:33)
4. Echoes In The Dark (4:48)
5. Rain (3:59)

Side B
1. Sweet Lorraine (4:13)
2. Tales (4:09)
3. The Magician's Birthday (10:23)

Total Time: 39:46
BONUS TRACKS ON 1996 REMASTERED CD:
1. Silver White Man (3:43) out-take, previously unreleased
2. Crystal Ball (4:08) out-take, previously unreleased

BONUS TRACKS ON 2003 EXPANDED DE-LUXE CD:
1. Gary's Song - Crystal Ball alternate version, previously unreleased
2. Silver White Man - vocal version, previously unreleased
3. Proud Words - alternate version, previously unreleased
4. Echoes In The Dark - edit, previously unreleased
5. Rain - edit, previously unreleased
6. Happy Birthday - out-take, previously unreleased
7. Sunrise - single edit
9. Crystal Ball - out-take
8. Silver White Man - out-take, instrumental version
Line-up/Musicians

- Gary Thain / bass guitar
- Lee Kerslake / drums and percussion
- Mick Box / guitars
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, guitars, Moog synthesizer
- David Byron / vocals

Uriah Heep - (1972) Demons and Wizards

2008-08-18T20:39:00.005+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1972) DEMONS AND WIZARDS

Studio Album, released in 1972

Quite a landmark album, and very important for prog music (radical progheads will cringe at this). The fantasy themes are here for the first time and UH was the first major band to use this kind of subject that I can remember. It´d influence many other artists in the future, both in prog and heavy metal. And, as a band, they reached their peak here and on The Magician´s Birthday.

With the addition of Gary Thain on bass and Lee Kerslake on drums, the group finally found the right line up and the perfect overall sound. What was promising in the past was now fully delivered. The chemistry was perfect and I must say that Thain is one of the most underrated bassist is rock history. The guy was simply amazing, with a style that reminds of Paul McCartney (fluid, melodic, filling all the gaps, amazing!). Ken Hensley has always pointed how important he was to form the classic UH sound and often cited him as the best musician the band ever had. Too bad th guy wa also very shy and addicted to heroin. But that´s another story.

Teh music is also amazing and influential over the years. There are no weak tunes and the sound is quite unique. Personally I found Circle Of hands, Easy Livin´and the Wizard the most remarkable songs, but everything fits very well, with the fantastic Roger Dean cover to wrap up the perfect album.

Like Bob wrote, it´s not easy to write about this album without passion. It was one of the most important rock albums in history and if the band never really got the recognition they deserve it was not their fault. This is a truly prog album, in the deep (and subtle) meaning of the concept. And although I still think The magician´s Birthday is better, this is a classic, a masterpiece. And a must have in any prog music collection. Five stars.

Track Listings

Side A
1. The Wizard (2:59)
2. Traveller In Time (3:26)
3. Easy Livin' (2:36)
4. Poet's Justice (4:14)
5. Circle Of Hands (6:34)

Side B
1. Rainbow demon (4:30)
2. All My Life (2:46)
3. Paradise (5:15)
4. The Spell (7:26)

Total Time: 39:46
BONUS TRACKS ON 1996 REMASTERED CD:
1. Why (4:53) edited version released as single b-side
2. Why (7:39) original unedited version, previously unreleased
3. Home Again To You (5:20) out-take, previously unreleased

BONUS TRACKS ON 2003 EXPANDED DE-LUXE CD:
1. Why - extended mix, previously unreleased version
2. Rainbow Demon - edit, previously unreleased version
3. Proud Words - out-take
4. Home Again To You - out-take, previously unreleased version
5. Green Eye - out-take, previously unreleased song

Line-up/Musicians

- Gary Thain / bass guitar (except Mark Clarke on 'The Wizard' and remastered version bonus track 'Why')
- Lee Kerslake / drums and percussion
- Mick Box / guitars
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, guitars, percussion
- David Byron / vocals

Uriah Heep - (1971) Salisbury

2008-08-18T20:33:00.003+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1971) Salisbury

Salisbury is the second album released by British rock band Uriah Heep.

More squarely in the progressive rock genre than their debut album from the previous year, it featured their first foray into large–scale composition, with the 16–minute title track featuring a 24–piece orchestra. It also includes the largely acoustic ballad "Lady In Black", a perennial fan favorite, played in concert by the band to this day.

The album was originally released on the Vertigo label, as had been the band's debut Very 'eavy... Very 'umble, but both were soon re-released when the band signed to Bronze for their third album.

The connection of the artwork to the title is readily explained. Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, is an Army training-area. On the front of the album sleeve is a British Chieftain tank. The original LP release was a gatefold-sleeve, with a b/w picture inside of a British tank of the First World War, over which were printed Hensley's comments on each track. Later reissues would be in a single sleeve.

TrackList:
01. "Bird of Prey" (Box/Byron/Newton) – 4:13
02. "The Park" (Hensley) – 5:41
03. "Time to Live" (Box/Byron/Hensley) – 4:01
04. "Lady in Black" (Hensley) – 4:44
05. "High Priestess" (Hensley) – 3:42
06. "Salisbury" (Byron/Hensley/Box) – 16:20
07. "Simon the Bullet Freak" (Hensley) – 3:27
08. "Here Am I" (Previously Unreleased Version) – 7:50
09. "Lady In Black" (Previously Unreleased Version) – 3:33
10. "High Priestess" (Single Edit) – 3:38
11. "Salisbury" (Previously Unreleased Single Edit) – 4:21
12. "The Park" (Previously Unreleased Mix) – 5:18
13. "Time To Live" (Previously Unreleased Mix) – 4:14

Line-up/Musicians

- David Byron / lead vocals
- Ken Hensley / organ, piano, slide & acoustic guitars, harpshicord, vibes and vocals
- Mick Box / lead guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Paul Newton / bass guitar, vocals
- Keith Baker / drums
- John Fiddy / brass and woodmind on "Salisbury"

Uriah Heep - (1971) LOOK AT YOURSELF

2008-08-18T15:36:00.005+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1971) LOOK AT YOURSELF

Studio Album, released in 1971

The development from the potent Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble to this album is obvious, but nonetheless astonishing. It is one of my most-listened albums, as it has no obvious points where it's unpleasant to listen to. Most of the issues from the debut are fixed, and replaced by a masterful use of David Byron's exceptional voice. Even the harmonies are very much in place. The band has clearly taken a more oddball and artistic (or even, you could say, progressive) direction, with the inclusion of excellent drumming from members of Osibisa on one track, as well as Manfred Mann's moog on a couple of others. Still, despite these eclectic touches, it is definitely a rock album, and a damn fine rock album at that. For anyone who's looking for sophisticated, well-played hard rock with a hammond organ or a really strong vocalist, this is essential listening.

Look At Yourself kicks off the album with a stunning rocker, combining an insistent and deliberate rhythm section with a powerful lead Hammond organ. David Byron's vocals are sublime and lively, and the harmonies do seem to be directed and timed properly. Mick Box's guitarwork is very well-incorporated, jumping into focus with verve and speed. On the concluding section, dominated by the rhythm part, additional percussionists provide an interesting addition to the Hammond's inexorable drive to a conclusion. Seriously wow music.

I Wanna Be Free follows this quite strongly, with a lead harmony, tapping percussion and careful organ leading to a hard-rocking guitar riff. Mick Box takes an interesting solo (maybe a duo). The song does take off amazing with Byron's wailing 'I wanna be free', Paul Newton's blipping bass (I can't find a better way to describe it) and the guitar breaking out in full force. Overall, a very nice song.

July Morning is an example of the band moving between softer and harder sections, and fully exhibits David Byron's status as a rock vocalist. He handles the softer bands with emotion, and the harder parts with determination. His handling of the non-lyrical sections, twisting off on various 'la's into a completely different style is completely impressive. The harmonies and romantic vocals fit in perfectly. The music is equally amazing, with Ken Hensley's organ moving between soft and potent without pause or issue. His backing piano is subtly and well handled. The acoustic guitars and heavy guitars are switched without an inch of awkwardness. Newton's bass provides a connection between all the various elements, and Ian Clarke on drums manages a number of different moods unflinchingly, whether martial or mollified. Last, but certainly not least, Manfred Mann provides a moog solo par excellence, spinning, slipping, sliding, whirling with a whinnying sound. Astounding, and a nice break from the weight of the first two.

Tears In My Eyes is initially a bit of a listening effort relaxation, being heavily riff based, heavy and with a repeated chorus, as well as rather more generic lyrics. It does, however, include an excellent instrumental break, with acoustics dropped in, a sort of throbbing force underneath the soft harmony and the slightly more punchy acoustic bursts are neatly handled, a guitar duo is neatly handled, and the moog makes another appearance. David Byron's vocals are, as always, to die for. Essentially, a great, fun rock song.

Shadows Of Grief is probably the heaviest and darkest section of the album with a swelling organ complimented by Ian Clarke's percussion moving onto a killer organ riff, which is taken up by the guitar and extended bass notes. David Byron provides a frantic vocal. Ascending rock guitar and whirly Hensley organ bursts out throughout the piece, and Ian Clarke really does let loose on the percussion. A dark, reverent break with a low aa-ah aa-ah harmony, full percussion ideas, and a steady bass features, leading us up to a smashing return of the verses. A second intensely dark section includes what must be one of the weirdest guitar parts ever, and leads up to a cathartic release of the tension and force.

What Should Be Done is a fairly nice piece, with the band taking a break from all the weight of the previous pieces. David Byron's softer side again comes into play, accompanied by good, if fairly simple, piano-and-organ work. On the entrance of the second verse, the harmony vocals, odd guitar and percussion come in. An interesting example of structuring a song around one riff part, and pulling it off perfectly.

The jumpy rocker Love Machine rounds off the album, with an uplifting force, typical Byron vocals-of-sheer-jaw-dropping-greatness, heavy guitars, twinning Box's soloing with Hensley's rhythm hard rock stuff. As is always the case on this album, the rhythm section is superb, especially Newton, who manages to drop in some bursts of bass into the lead area without a hitch. Ken Hensley throws in organ soloing for fun value. The piece is ended with a winding-down effect.

Naturally this combination of consistently excellent tracks, superb playing and nice, artsy touches merits at least a four star rating, and the variety of the album matches its sheer force. The weird choices compliment the hard rock sections perfectly, and the group is able to find variety and innovative and interesting options within a distinctly rock sound, without resorting to bringing in dozens of extra musicians. Essential listening, to say the least. Not exactly a masterpiece for me, since I tend to get my biggest kicks out of more spacious, atmospheric and lyrically driven music, but I can't make a single criticism, and it is one of my most-listened albums. Not to be missed. Those who call it a masterpiece are objectively spot on.

Track Listings

Side A
1. Look At Yourself (5:07)
2. I Wanna Be Free (3:59)
3. July Morning (10:36)

Side B
1. Tears In My Eyes (5:02)
2. Shadows Of Grief (8:40)
3. What Should Be Done (4:13)
4. Love Machine (3:37)

Total Time: 41:14
BONUS TRACKS ON 1996 REMASTERED CD:
1. Look At Yourself (3:07) edited version released as a single
2. What's Within My Heart (5:23) out-take, released for the first time on 'The Lansdowne Tapes' (1993)

BONUS TRACKS ON 2003 EXPANDED DE-LUXE CD:
1. What's Within My Heart - out-take
2. Why - (11:18 min. version)
3. Look At Yourself - alternate single version
4. Tears In My Eyes - extended mix, previously unreleased
5. What Should Be Done - alternate version
6. Look At Yourself - BBC live version, previously unreleased
7. What Should Be Done - BBC live version, previously unreleased
Line-up/Musicians

- Ken Hensley / organ, piano, guitar, acoustic guitar & vocal
- Mick Box / lead guitar & acoustic guitar
- David Byron / lead vocal
- Paul Newton / bass guitar
- Ian Clarke / drums

Guest musicians:
- Teddy Osei, Mack Tontoh & Loughty Amao from "Osibisa" - percussion on "Look At Yourself"
- Manfred Mann / Moog on "July Morning"

Uriah Heep - (1970) Very 'Eavy...Very 'Umble

2008-08-18T14:14:00.005+07:00

Uriah Heep - (1970) Very 'Eavy...Very 'Umble

Studio Album, released in 1970

Very 'eavy... Very 'umble is the debut album of British hard rock band Uriah Heep. It was released in the United States as Uriah Heep with alternate sleeve artwork, and with "Bird of Prey" in place of "Lucy Blues."

The album was generally panned by the mainstream critical press upon its release, although it has since been acknowledged as an early classic of the heavy metal genre. The most famous criticism came from Rolling Stone magazine reviewer Melissa Mills, who began her review, "If this group makes it I'll have to commit suicide. From the first note you know you don't want to hear any more."

The original vinyl release was a gatefold-sleeve, featuring David Byron on the front sleeve, almost unrecognisable beneath the cobwebs.

The album was first released on the Vertigo label in the UK, as was the follow-up Salisbury (album), but both were quickly reissued by Bronze when the band signed to that label. [wikipedia]

Right off the bat, when the needle digs into the first track ever by Uriah Heep, you know you're in for a wild ride. Suddenly, "Gypsy" stops dead in the middle, then continues its swirling cacophony of organ and guitar fisticuffs while lead singer David Byron belts out verbose bombast about a vagabond queen whose dad needs to be taken down a notch. (Rick Nielsen shoplifted the main riff for Cheap Trick's "Ballad of TV Violence.") And even that mega-opus opening can't topple the taloned "Bird of Prey," by far one of the zaniest pomp/metal/choral chemical explosions in history.

The inclusion of "Birds" on this American pressing makes the slab superior to the homeland edition, Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble, which substitutes the comparatively lucid ballad "Lucy Blues." If you need more, "Real Turned On" and "Walking in Your Shadow" set prescient standards in the undefined genre that transmogrified into metal, while "Dreammare" serves up a steaming broth of psycho goth and roll.

Brooding psychedelic breaks and progressive runs are snapped back into place through sheer sonic thrust, and the recording range has even kept these medieval shenanigans up to snuff, lo, these many years since the somber Uriah Heep first descended from its deadly castle. Somewhere between the powerhouse operatics of Deep Purple and the sonorous sorcery of Black Sabbath lurks this vital component in the alchemy of heavy metal. Incidentally, the band name is derived from a character in David Copperfield. [AMG]

Track Listings

Side A
1. Gypsy (6:37)
2. Walking In Your Shadow (4:31)
3. Come Away Melinda (3:46)
4. Lucy Blues (5:09)

Side B
1. Dreammare (4:39)
2. Real Turned On (3:37)
3. I’ll Keep On trying (5:24)
4. Wake Up (Set Your Sights) (6:22)

Total Time: 40:05
BONUS TRACKS ON 1996 REMASTERED CD:
1. Gypsy (2:57) edited and remixed version, released on several singles and compilations
2. Come Away Melinda (3:42) alternate version, previously unreleased
3. Born In A Trunk (3:45) out-take, previously unreleased alternate version of a song released for the first time on 'The Lansdowne Tapes' (1993)

BONUS TRACKS ON 2003 EXPANDED DE-LUXE CD:
1. Bird Of Prey - original single b-side version (=US album version)
2. Born In A Trunk - alternate version, previously unreleased
3. Come Away Melinda - alternate version, previously unreleased
4. Gypsy - extended mix, previously unreleased version
5. Wake Up (Set Your Sights) - alternate version, previously unreleased
6. Born In A Trunk - instrumental version, previously unreleased
7. Dreammare - BBC live version, previously unreleased
8. Gypsy - BBC live version, previously unreleased

Line-up/Musicians

- David Byron / lead vocals
- Ken Hensley / organ, slide guitar, Mellotron, piano and vocals
- Mick Box / lead guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Paul Newton / bass guitar, vocals
- Ollie Olsson / drums, percussion

Our Thanks To:
- Alex Napier / drums on all tracks excepting 'Dreammare' & 'Lucy Blues'
- Colin Wood / keyboard on 'Melinda' & 'Wake Up'

TOE FAT - (1970 - 1971) TOE FAT and TOE FAT

2008-08-18T14:04:00.005+07:00

Toe Fat - (1970) 1st & 2nd Album

Toe Fat were formed in June 1969 by ex-Rebel Rousers vocalist Cliff Bennett following the dissolution of his Cliff Bennett Band which had briefly included ex-Gods guitarist Ken Hensley. With his newly-grown beard and long hair, Bennett together with Hensley formed the heavy progressive outfit Toe Fat with other ex-Gods members Lee Kerslake (drums), and John Konas (Bass). Armed with a batch of Hensley-penned songs the band secured an American deal with Rare Earth Records, Tamla Motown's 'progressive' label, and recorded their self-titled debut LP (Rare Earth RS511) in 1970. In the UK, the album was released by Parlophone (PCS 7097) who also released the single 'Working Nights'/'Bad Side Of The Moon' (R 5829), the B-side being an early Elton John composition. However, despite two American tours, one supporting Derek and The Dominos, shortly after the LP's release both Hensley and Kerslake left, Hensley going on to form Uriah Heep and Kerslake joining the National Head Band before himself joining Uriah Heep.

Another ex-Gods member John Glasscock had already by this time replaced Konas (who now runs a music shop in Ontario) and another ex-Gods member Brian Glasscok was drafted in to replace Kerslake (who ironically had replaced him in The Gods!) and guitarist Alan Kendall came in to replace Hensley. This revamped Toe Fat line up cut "Toe Fat 2" (Rare Earth RS 525/Regal Zonophone SLRZ 1015) the LP being produced by DJ John Peel (Toe Fat having recorded BBC sessions for the likes of Dave Cash, Mike Harding and Terry Wogan!). They also released the single 'Brand New Band'/'Can't Live Without You' (Chapter One CH 175) but following another, more financially successful, U.S. tour the band broke up when their management and record company said they could no longer fund the group.

Cliff Bennett then formed Rebellion, releasing one self-titled LP on CBS, before joining Mick Green in Shanghai in 1974 and then retiring from the music industry before returning for Sixties revival shows with the Rebel Rousers. John Glasscock joined Carmen in 1976 as well as working with the likes of Maddy Prior and Richard Digence whilst Brian Glasscock worked with the Bee Gees (along with Kendall) before becoming a founder member of The Motels.

At the end of 1969, Cliff Bennett had seemingly run out his string as a British Invasion-era star. Seeking a new sound and image, he hooked up with keyboard player/singer Ken Hensley, bassist John Glascock, and drummer Lee Kerslake, all of whom had previously played with a group called the Gods (who later became known for having Greg Lake, in his pre-King Crimson days, as a member). For unknown reasons, they christened themselves Toe Fat and managed to get signed to Parlophone and then to Regal Zonophone in England, with their albums appearing in America on the Rare Earth label.

Their mix of blues and progressive rock wasn't the most commercial of sounds in any case, and the grotesque cover art on the group's two LPs seemed to repel potential purchasers. By 1970, Hensley had left to hook up with David Byron and Mick Box in what would become Uriah Heep, and Kerslake followed his lead out of Toe Fat. Brian Glascock came in on drums and Alan Kendall joined on guitar for one U.S. tour, but the group finally split up in 1972. Kerslake subsequently re-teamed with Hensley and joined Uriah Heep, while John Glascock later joined Jethro Tull and Alan Kendall joined the Bee Gees, initially as a session guitarist and later as a permanent bandmember, where he remained until the early '80s. This set contains both early 70s gems from this legendary band.

Disc: 1 (1st Album 1970)

1. That's My Love for You
2. Bad Side of the Moon
3. Nobody
4. Wherefores and the Whys
5. But I'm Wrong
6. Just Like Me
7. Just Like All the Rest
8. I Can't Believe
9. Working Nights
10. You Tried to Take It All

Disc: 2 (2nd Album 1970)

1. Stick Heat
2. Indian Summer
3. Idol
4. There'll Be Changes
5. New Way
6. Since You've Been Gone
7. Three Time Loser
8. Midnight Sun

GODS – (1968) GENESIS

2008-08-18T13:52:00.005+07:00

GODS – GENESIS – 1968 (UK)

"The Gods" were an English group founded in 1965. The bandmembers included Mick Taylor (later with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and the Rolling Stones), Brian Glascock and John Glascock (later of Jethro Tull). They were schoolmates from Hatfield and had been playing together as The Juniors (or The Strangers), a band they formed in 1962. Also part of this band were Malcolm Collins and Alan Shacklock. They had a record deal with Columbia. Their first 7" single (Columbia DB7339) appeared in 1964 (There's a pretty girl/Pocket Size). In 1965 the line-up was changed. Mick Taylor continued to play guitar and teamed up with Ken Hensley (organ/vocals) (later guitarist with Uriah Heep). They also added Joe Konas (guitar/vocals) and changed their name to "The Gods". In 1966 The Gods opened for Cream at the Starlite Ballroom in Wembley, London. A single (Come On Down To My Boat Baby/Garage Man) was recorded in early 1967. At this point the line-up included Mick Taylor, Ken Hensley, John Glascock, Brian Glascock and Lee Kerslake.

In May 1967 Mick Taylor got a call from John Mayall who was looking for a new guitarist. When Taylor joined the Bluesbreakers, he left behind a faltering bluesband. The band sought to revive their fortunes on the club/college circuit. They relocated to London and secured a residency at The Marquee. John Glascock (bass) was replaced by Greg Lake in June 1967. The problem was that Greg Lake was too talented for the background role the rest of the band had in mind for him and in the Summer of 1968 he split to join King Crimson. The band had to re-group again and John Glascock was asked to return.

With John Glascock back in the fold they recorded a couple of interesting progressive rock albums and a few 45s. Of their 45s, "Hey! Bulldog", the Beatles track, is their best known, and both sides have been included on compilation CD "The Great British Psychedelic Trip Vol. 3". The band played an imaginative amalgam of psychedelia and progressivism. Tracks like "Towards The Skies" and "Time And Eternity" from their 1968 album Genesis are full of heavy ploughing Hammond organ and distorted guitar riffs and Ken Hensley's unique and rather dramatic vocals add a further dimension.

Most of The Gods' material is pretty typical late sixties pop/rock, epitomised by songs like "Radio Show" and "Yes I Cry". The compilation album The Best Of The Gods offers a good way to get to know the band's music. There are shades of Vanilla Fudge on their cover of West Side Story extract "Maria". On a few tracks like "Candlelight" and "Real Love Guaranteed" there is an inkling of the heavier sound Hensley and Kerslake would propagate in their next venture, Uriah Heep.

The Gods were the successors of the Rolling Stones at the famous Marquee Club in London. After recording two albums, Genesis (1968) and To Samuel a Son (1969), they signed with a new record company, recruited Rebel Rousers singer Cliff Bennett and changed their name to Toe Fat which also lasted two years and two albums.

When it came out in 1968, the LP consisted of 10 tracks. The 1994 CD version has an additional four songs. It features both sides of the band's extremely rare 45's singles "Baby's Rich" and "Hey Bulldog".

The cover of the CD shows the original sleeve artwork which was designed by Hipgnosis. "Hipgnosis" was a British art design group that specialized in creating cover art for the albums of rock musicians and bands, most notably Pink Floyd, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Def Leppard, Yes, Styx, Scorpions, and Black Sabbath. Hipgnosis consisted primarily of Storm Thorgerson, Aubrey Powell and, later, Peter Christopherson. The group dissolved in 1983, but Thorgerson still works on album designs. In 1968 Thorgerson and Powell were asked by their friends in Pink Floyd if they were interested in designing the cover for their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets. They did, and did additional work for EMI, including photos and album covers for Free, Toe Fat and The Gods. Being film and art school students, they were able to use the darkroom at the Royal College of Art, but when they completed school, they had to set up their own facilities. They built a small darkroom in Powell's bathroom, but shortly thereafter, in early 1970, rented space and built a studio.

When first starting out, Powell and Thorgerson adopted their name from graffiti they found on the door to their apartment. They liked the word, not only for sounding like "hypnosis," but for combining two somewhat contradictory terms, "hip", or new and cool, with "gnosis," relating to ancient learning.

The Gods' debut album was the sound of a band capturing the transition of British psychedelia into more ostentatious progressive hard rock. Ken Hensley's heavy Hammond organ was the center of their sound, and both that and the sometimes overbearing vibrato vocals pointed toward the less psychedelic sounds he and drummer Lee Kerslake would pursue in Uriah Heep. Genesis is undoubtedly lighter than Uriah Heep, though, often employing characteristically late-'60s British vocal harmonies. Some tunes, like "Candles Getting Shorter" and "Radio Show," even skirt a pop-soul sensibility. But the songs weren't terribly memorable, though they were segued together by brief odd'n'goofy instrumental bits at the end of tracks in keeping with the modus operandi of the psychedelic era. The Mellotron in "I Never Know" does rather remind one of the way the instrument was used on King Crimson's first album, though King Crimson inserted it into much better material. The CD reissue on Repertoire adds both sides of their first two singles (from 1968 and 1969) as bonus tracks; these are slightly more pop in feel than their album, including one of the most obscure '60s covers of an obscure Beatles song, "Hey Bulldog."

TrackList:
01. Towards The Skies
02. Candles Getting Shorter
03. You're My Life
04. Looking Glass
05. Misleading Colours
06. Radio Show
07. Plastic Horizon
08. Farthing Man
09. I Never Know
10. Time And Eternity
11. Baby's Rich [Bonus - Single]
12. Somewhere In The Street [Bonus - Single]
13. Hey Bulldog [Bonus - Single]
14. Real Love Guaranteed [Bonus - Single]

LineUp:
* John Glascock (bass) (later with Toe Fat, Chicken Shack, Carmen, Jethro Tull)
* Brian Glascock (drums) (later with The Motels and with the Bee Gees)
* Mick Taylor (guitar) (later with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and the Rolling Stones)
* Ken Hensley (organ and vocals, occasional guitar) (later with Uriah Heep)
* Joe Konas (guitar/vocals)
* Lee Kerslake (drums) (later with Uriah Heep)
* Paul Newton (bass) (later with Uriah Heep)
* Greg Lake (bass) (later with King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer)
* Cliff Bennett (vocals)

Ariesta Birawa Group - (1973) Volumen 1 (Psychedelic)

2008-08-17T17:29:00.001+07:00

Ariesta Birawa Group - (1973) Volumen 1 (Psychedelic)

1.-Si Ompong
2.-Masa Depanmu
3.-Minggu Pagi
4.-Senyumlah Sayang
5.-Untukmu Pujaanku
6.-Qill Never Die
7.-Pergi Pacaran
8.-Persembahanku
9.-Kr. Bunga Nusa Indah
10.-Terimalah Cintaku
11.-Gadis Ayu
12.-Didunia Yang Lain

Ariesta Birawa Group - Volumen 1 (1973)

Deep Purple - (1975) Jakarta On My Mind

2008-08-01T21:13:00.008+07:00

Deep Purple - (1975) Jakarta On My Mind

Live At The Senayan Sports Stadium.
Jakarta, Indonesia, 12/04/75
Audience Recording.
Digitally Remaster Edition

By the time Deep Purple released Burn and Stormbringer (both 1974), Ian Gillan and Roger Glover had already left the band but some fans still considered Burn to be a worthy successor to the earlier albums. But in April 1975, Richie Blackmore too decided to move, leaving Jon Lord (organ, piano) and Ian Paice (drums) from the classic line up. If Blackmore wanted out, vocalist David Coverdale managed to get guitarist Tommy Bolin into the group and Come Taste The Band was released in November 1975.Deep Purple played two dates in Jakarta in December 1975 promoting Come Taste The Band. For the Mat Rockers there, it probably did not matter who was in the line up, it's Deep Purple all the same. But the Indonesian trip was marred by tragedy, as reported in the article, Indonesian Nightmare Strikes Deep Purple, by Peter Crescenti for Rolling Stone magazine (January 29, 1976), Crescenti wrote: "Tragedy and mayhem struck the Deep Purple tour December 4 in Jakarta, Indonesia, when one of the group's road crew, Patsy Collins, a well-loved celebrity of the British rock scene and guitarest Tommy Bolin's bodyguard, was killed in a six-story fall down a service elevator shaft at the band hotel. Then at a Deep Purple concert the following night, Indonesian police armed with machine guns, truncheons and a pack of Doberman pinschers waded into the audience, seriously injuring over 200 people. "Deep Purple played to an estimated 150,000 Indonesians in two shows at the outdoor Senyan Sports Staduim as part of their first tour since adding Bolin to the band. The first concert, which saw about 20,000 people break down fences to join 35,000 ticket holders, was relatively free of police reaction. 'They let everybody be,' keyboard player Jon Lord said. 'There were machine-gun guards all over the place and they were pushing kids around, but there seemed
to be no organized police thing.' "Back at the group’s hotel after the opening concert, Collins got into an argument with two other member of the road crew and left their room to go upstairs to his own. The elevators in the hotel were operating slowly, so the impatient Collins decided to walk up the fire escape stairs to the next floor, only to find the door on the next landing locked. Then, inside the stairwell on the sixth floor he found an unmarked, unlocked door. He opened it and hastily stepped in, plunging three-floors down the service elevator shaft, crashing through some hot water pipes? Hospitalized, he died early the next morning from internal injuries and burns. "Surprisingly, the Jakarta police arrested the two crew members Collins had argued with and, later, the band’s manager, Rob Cooksey. The three were held on suspicion of murder and isolated from the jails other prisoners for two days, said Cooksey, 'with a kind of threat hangin' over us. All the time we were under suspicion of murder, they were making us sign autographs and things. You just wouldn’t believe the mentality.' "The night following the accident, with three of their entourage in jail, Deep Purple played their second show. About 6,000 armed and helmeted policemen, backed by dogs, circulated throughout the stadium. Before the concert began, an announcement warned any Europeans in the audience to congregate near the side of the auditorium. "No sooner did the music begin, getting the rock-starved Indonesians to their feet dancing, then police waded into the crowd, savagely butting, clubbing, punching and kicking the boogieing audience. Then the Dobermans were let loose, joining the attack. Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord later said, 'Every time an effort to get up and boogie was made by any section, it was immediately pounded on.' He also recalled seeing one mammoth dog dragging a kid across the floor by his arm, its teeth sinking into the boys flesh. "The band played only half a set and left the stage frightened and sickened. 'They went crazy,' said Cooksey of the Indonesian police. 'It was like maneuvers for them. Just a nightmare'. To be honest, this mono audience recording from
the first night is rather raw. Some might even call it muddy and it sounds as if the taper is standing somewhere towards the back. While the vocals, guitars and organ are fairly prominent, the drums are buried in the back and, overall, it's closer to a wall of sound with no distinctive soundstage. The band cannot be said to be at its best (there is a workmanlike feel to the performance until the end when the members let loose a little) though the band did try to be friendly by sprinkling in a couple of "Apa khabar?" (How are you?) and "Terima kasih" (thank you). Only Jon Lord, with his extended solos, seemed to be having fun. The set is built around the key songs from Come Taste The Band and if an old chestnut such as Georgia On My Mind is a throwback to the band's blues roots, fans would have preferred the more recognisable hits. Guess Smoke On The Water must have been hard (for this line up) to live up to and Soldier Of Fortune, Lazy and Burn are poor consolations, to say the least. But given the events that would happen later that night and the next day, this recording becomes a historical document to an unhappy and tragic tour that not many younger fans of the and know about. Thanks to zazafromjohor. (Review from retrovinyl)

TracKlist:
01. Tune Up
02. Burn
03. Lady Luck
04. Love Child
05. Gettin' Tighter
06. Georgia On My Mind
07. I Need Love
08. Soldier of Fortune
09. Keyboard Solo
10. Lazy
11. Drum Solo
12. Lazy (reprise)

LineUp:
- Tommy Bolin
- David Coverdale
- Glen Hudges
- Jon Lord
- Ian Piece

Genesis - (1974-12-16) Toronto

2008-08-01T20:16:00.002+07:00

Genesis - (1974-12-16) Toronto

At the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. This recording is one

of numerous Farm-sourced recordings from this tour to surface

in 2007. Whereas most of the Lamb shows taped by the road

crew seem to have been made with a backstage microphone, this

is one of a few that is a real soundboard. The sound quality

is therefore quite nice, though I heard the occasional buzz

and perhaps a few pops, probably from the original tapes.

Unfortunately the show is chopped up. As usual the cuts begin

a little past halfway in the performance: we get only the

beginning minute of "Anyway" before it abruptly cuts off and

we jump to the ending verse of "Lamia." Though in Paul

Russell's book he notes a complete "Silent Sorrow," this

version (which matches the one listed by Simon on The

Movement) only has the first minute of the song before the

recording once again cuts off, ending the first disc.

The rest of the Lamb performance continues without a cut.

Peter omits a few lines from "In the Rapids," as he often did

on this tour, especially in the early days. Unfortunately we

are left with only the ending minute of "Box," but we do get

the complete second encore, "Watcher."

TrackList:
CD1:
01 - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 05:07
02 - Fly On A Windshield 02:28
03 - Broadway Melody Of 1974 02:12
04 - Cuckoo Cocoon 02:20
05 - In The Cage 08:03
06 - The Grand Parade Of Lifeless Packaging 02:56
07 - Story Of Rael Part 1 01:29
08 - Back In N.Y.C - 06:16
09 - Hairless Heart 02:43
10 - Counting Out Time 03:34
11 - Carpet Crawlers 05:42
12 - The Chamber Of 32 Doors 05:57
13 - Story Of Rael Part 2 02:31
14 - Lilywhite Lilith 02:56
15 - The Waiting Room 05:39
16 - Anyway (cut) 00:56
17 - The Lamia 03:35
18 - Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats 00:52

CD2:
01 - The Colony Of The Slippermen 08:41
02 - Ravine 01:36
03 - The Light Dies Down On Broadway 03:45
04 - Riding The Scree 04:26
05 - In The Rapids 02:13
06 - It 04:16
07 - The Musical Box (Ending Section) 00:54
08 - Watcher Of The Skies 07:55

Type/Quality: Soundboard/Very Good

David Bowie - (1980) Scary Monsters

2008-08-01T19:50:00.002+07:00

David Bowie (1980) "Scary Monsters"

Studio Album, released in 1980

SHINBUN WA KAKI TATERU

During almost two years, Bowie took a break (at least in terms of a true solo album). But he will be active in the theater business. In December 79, he will attend a representation of “The Elephant Man” in New York. The producer, Jack Hofsiss will ask David if he would like to act as the main character. And he accepted.

It was apparently a true tour de force. No make-up was used (on the contrary of the movie). It was true his miming skills that David had to suggest the monstrous deformity of the (elephant) man. The play will be a great success. Both commercially and artistically.

David will be unanimously acclaimed for his brilliant acting. Of course, his previous miming experiences were of great assistance. But apart from that, Bowie is very discreet. Almost anonymous. We are far from Ziggy’s fame and glitters.

For this album, Fripp is back on the guitar and one can immediately feel his phenomenal influence on the opening track. The hard “It’s No Game, Part 1”. Partially sung by a female Japanese, it combines English lyrics as well. The finale is brilliantly Crimsonesque. The guitar making some jolly good and disjointed noises. So strong that David can only stop it by shouting: “Shut Up” at the end of this great opener.

And even if “Up The Hill Backwards” is somewhat lighter, it also ends up in a kind of Fripp frenzy. Distorted and raw guitar sounds. Still, I consider it as one of the two weakest song from this superb album. Because David is extremely performing here. Lyrically and musically.

The tile track is another brilliant song. IMHHO, it is fully dedicated to “The Elephant Man” but I couldn’t find any confirmation of this. So, it’s only my interpretation. The lyrics anyway don’t mention this at all. The song is again on the hard side and Fripp does have a lot of pleasure, apparently. Throughout the album its cold and metallic guitar sound will definitely mark this album. A highlight.

Would you believe? Major Tom is back after having wandering into space for over eleven years! Ground control has finally got the contact. “Do you remember a guy that's been in such an early song, I heard a rumour from ground control Oh no, don't say it's true; they got a message from the action man”.

In the meantime our dear old Major Tom has been through several experiences and is pretty much a bad guy. “You’d better not mess with Major Tom”. A funny wink and a great video clip, Bowie himself wrote the script and at the end one can see his mother while the lyrics say: “My mama said to get things done, you’d better not to mess with Major Tom”. It will be number one in the UK. Another highlight.

Side one ends up on “Fashion”. My least favourite of the whole album. Too funky. Too “Young Americans” oriented.

B-side opens on the fantastic “Teenage Wildlife”. So reminiscent of “Heroes”. A catchy melody, great backing vocals, complex guitar of course and powerful lyrics. David being some sort of a godfather giving advices to a young man: “You'll take me aside, and say Well, David, what shall I do? They wait for me in the hallway I'll say Don't ask me, I don't know any hallways.

Seven minutes of pure happiness. Another highlight of course.

The next song “Scream Like A Baby” is not a new one. David had already written parts of it as soon as …1973 and will finalize the project now. Great vocal effects, fine synth. Do I need to talk about the guitar parts?

The next song is somewhat weaker and more straight forward. “Kingdom Comes” is the only song from the album not written by David. It was composed by Tom Verlaine. The leader of the great “Television” (whom I saw in 78 at the Brussels University. A great souvenir).

A very special guest is playing the guitar on the next song: Pete Townsend himself! The beat is again wild, the bass play very effective. It appears to be a song written to the attention of Zowie (David’s son who had just celebrated his tenth birthday).

And we close as we opened. “It’s No Game, Part 2”. Much softer than part one, the lyrics are all in English this time; actually the English section of Part one (only the last phrase is new). The loop has been looped.

“Scary Monsters” is a fantastic rock album. IMHHO it is David’s last masterpiece.

The remastered CD edition (1992) features several bonus tracks of which a stripped down version of “Space Oditty” without the great Wakeman keys. It might give an another angle to it, but it is not coming close of the fantastic original. The speeded up version of “Panic In Detroit” is also somewhat weird. As if David was in hurry. Again, the original sounds miles better.

The next one is an instrumental track. “Crystal Japan” had been recorded as a single in 1980 but only as a Japanese imported stuff. It was backed up with “Alabama Song”. It should have closed the album but was pushed out by “It’s No Game, Part two”.

It is a wonderful and ambient song which reminds instantly the great atmosphere of “Low” (“Warszawa”, “Subterraneans”). Since the fans had to pay lots of money to get this, David insisted to have it on this new CD version).

The last number is a strange piece of “music”. Original composed by Bertold Brecht and was already covered by “The Doors” under the name of “Alabama Song” (on their debut album). It is frankly pretty much uninteresting.

I’ve said masterpiece already. Five stars.

What a great album! What a fabulous emotion while I discovered it! Thanks David.

Track Listings

1. It's No Game (No. 1) – 4:15
2. Up the Hill Backwards – 3:13
3. Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) – 5:10
4. Ashes to Ashes – 4:23
5. Fashion – 4:46
6. Teenage Wildlife – 6:51
7. Scream Like a Baby – 3:35
8. Kingdom Come (Tom Verlaine) – 3:42
9. Because You're Young – 4:51
10. It's No Game (No. 2) – 4:22

Line-up/Musicians

* Chuck Hammer – guitar/synthesizer on Ashes to Ashes and Teenage Wildlife
* Robert Fripp – guitar on Fashion, It's No Game, Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), Kingdom Come, Up the Hill Backwards and Teenage Wildlife
* Roy Bittan – piano on Teenage Wildlife, Ashes to Ashes and Up the Hill Backwards
* Andy Clark – synthesizer on Fashion, Scream Like a Baby, Ashes to Ashes and Because You're Young
* Pete Townshend – guitar on Because You're Young
* Tony Visconti – acoustic guitar on Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) and Up the Hill Backwards, backing vocals
* Lynn Maitland – backing vocals
* Chris Porter – backing vocals
* Michi Hirota – voice on It's No Game (No. 1)

STEVE AND JOHN HACKETT - (2000) SKETCHES OF SATIE

2008-07-30T01:47:00.003+07:00

STEVE AND JOHN HACKETT - (2000) SKETCHES OF SATIE

Studio Album, released in 2000

Another excellent offering, this time from the Hackett brothers. Their interpretations of classical composer Erik Satie are subtle, atmospheric and interesting. Twenty tracks here, but none are very long, and I won't go into individual pieces, as they all blend and meld together exquisitely to make one satisfying whole. It is John who takes the lead on most of the pieces, his flute work delicate and considered. Steve backs him wonderfully, remaining in the background for the most part, his guitar providing the soundscapes and counterpoints to the flighty, almost fairy-like flute parts. This record is just another example of Steve's and John's diversity and wonderful ability to make superb music, whether it be original compositions or distinctive interpretations of some of their major influences. A must have for fans of both Hacketts. This album is especially effective when listened to in the dark, or semi-dark on winter nights. Beautiful. Four stars, even though the music isn't mainstream.

Track Listings

01. Gnossienne No. 3 (2:24)
02. Gnossienne No. 2 (1:56)
03. Gnossienne No. 1 (3:18)
04. Gymnopédie No. 3 (2:36)
05. Gymnopédie No. 2 (2:52)
06. Gymnopédie No. 1 (3:55)
07. Pièces Froides No. 1 Airs À Faire Fuir I (2:46)
08. Pièces Froides No. 1 Airs À Faire Fuir II (1:36)
09. Pièces Froides No. 2 (2:05)
10. Avant Dernières Pensées Idylle ÀDebussy (0:57)
11. Avant Dernières Pensées Aubade À Paul Dukas (1:11)
12. Avant Dernières Pensées Méditation À Albert Roussel (0:54)
13. Gnossienne No. 4 (2:41)
14. Gnossienne No. 5 (3:20)
15. Gnossienne No. 6 (1:41)
16. Nocturnes No. 1 (3:31)
17. Nocturnes No. 2 (2:14)
18. Nocturnes No. 3 (3:36)
19. Nocturnes No. 4 (2:49)
20. Nocturnes No. 5 (2:27)

Total Time: 46:49
Line-up/Musicians

- Steve Hackett / guitar
- John Hackett / flute

Steve Hackett - (2006) Wild Orchids

2008-07-30T01:42:00.004+07:00

Steve Hackett - (2006) Wild Orchids

Studio Album, released in 2006

Track Listings

Standard Edition (CAMCD38):
1. A Dark Night In Toytown (3:42)
2. Waters Of The Wild (5.35)
3. Set Your Compass (3:38)
4. Down Street (7:34)
5. A Girl Called Linda (4:44)
6. To A Close (4:49)
7. Ego & Id (4:08)
8. Man In The Long Black Coat (5:07)
9. Wolfwork (4:49)
10. Why (0:47)
11. She Moves In Memories (5:00)
12. The Fundamentals Of Brainwashing (3:01)
13. Howl (4:31)

Total Time: 57:25

Special Edition (CAMCD38SE):
1. Transylvanian Express (3:44)
2. Waters Of The Wild (5:35)
3. Set Your Compass (3:38)
4. Down Street (7:34)
5. A Girl Called Linda (4:44)
6. Blue Child (4:25)
7. To A Close (4:49)
8. Ego & Id (4:08)
9. Man In The Long Black Coat (5:07)
10. Cedars Of Lebanon (4:02)
11. Wolfwork (4:49)
12. Why (0:47)
13. She Moves In Memories (5:00)
14. The Fundamentals Of Brainwashing (3:01)
15. Howl (4:31)
16. A Dark Night In Toytown (3:42)
17. Until The Last Butterfly (2:29)

Total Time: 72:05
Line-up/Musicians

- Steven Hackett / guitars, electric sitar, harmonica, psaltery, optigan & voices
- Roger King / keyboards & programming, rhythm guitar
- John Hackett / principal flute & riff guitar
- Rob Townsend / saxes, principal flute, Alto flute, tin whistle & bass clarinet
- Nick Magnus / keyboards

The Underworld Orchestra:
- Christine Townsend / principal violin, viola
- Richard Stewart / cello
- Dick Driver / double bass
- Colin Clague / trumpet
- Chris Redgate / oboe, cor Anglais

Steve Hackett - (2003) To Watch the Storms

2008-07-30T01:38:00.004+07:00

Steve Hackett - (2003) To Watch the Storms

Studio Album, released in 2003

Track Listings

1. Strutton Ground (3:03)
2. Circus Of Becoming (3:47)
3. The Devil Is An Englishman (4:26)
4. Frozen Statues (2:57)
5. Mechanical Bride (6:38)
6. Wind, Sand And Stars (5:06)
7. Brand New (4:39)
8. This World (5:17)
9. Rebecca (4:18)
10. The Silk Road (5:23)
11. Come Away (0:57)
12. The Moon Under Water (5:22)
13. Serpentine Song (5:48)

Bonus tracks on Special Edition:
14. Pollution B (3:11)
15. Fire Island (2:12)
16. Marijuana, Assassin Of Youth (6:50)
17. If You Only Knew (6:25)

Total Time: 74:18
Line-up/Musicians

- Steve Hackett / vocals, guitar
- Roger King / keyboards
- Rob Townsend / brass, woodwind
- Terry Gregory / basses, vocals
- Gary O’Toole / drums, vocals
- John Hackett / flute (13)
- Ian McDonald / saxophone (7)

Guests:
- Jeanne Downs / backing vocals
- Sarah Wilson / cello
- Howard Gott / violin

Steve Hackett - (2002) The Genesis Files

2008-07-30T01:31:00.005+07:00

Steve Hackett - (2002) The Genesis Files

Boxset/Compilation, released in 2002

2CD Genesis Files = Genesis Revisited + tracks from other Hackett albums, as stated in the track list. There is nothing older than two pieces from '83 acoustic guitar album Bay of Kings (except 'Horizons' from it appeared originally in Foxtrot, and 'Steppes' from Tokyo Tapes live album in Defector '80). Each song is served with liner notes and thus clearing the 'Genesis' concept also in tracks that at first seem to have nothing to do with it. To be honest, some don't. Two instrumental tracks from '99 Darktown? As well or better could have been some (new versions perhaps) from earliest solo albums that are closer in style to Genesis. But this kind of limited compiling principle suits well. The sense of compilation is almost absent if you haven't heard all the source albums. It's principally just an extended version of "Watcher of the Skies - Genesis Revisited" (96) and it works as that. ...Sorry such lecturing: call it The Premiere Review Syndrome.

Genesis revisitations were made with a large amount of guests. John Wetton in 'Firth of Fifth' and 'Watcher of the Skies', wow! Colin Bluntstone's tender 'For Absent Friends' accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic is dangerously close to oversweetness. 'Your Own Special Way' as a Rutherford tune has Paul Carrack from Mike+Mechanics, and I must say the nature of the song fits better to that polished style than to Wind & Wuthering. 'Fountain of Salmacis' sung by Steve is a good example how he manages to add new excitement even to such dramatic classics. It's almost TOO full. 'Waiting Room Only' is an atonal curiosity based on the Lamb track. The Tokyo concert with a superb all-stars lineup seems really great.

Here and there this music feels a bit overproduced & highly strung, and makes me miss the more peaceful side of Hackett's music. But worth getting if you missed Genesis Revisited.

Track Listings

Disc 1
1. Firth Of Fith (Genesis Revisited)
2. Watcher Of The Skies (Genesis Revisited)
3. Riding The Colossus (Genesis Revisited (Jap. Ed.))
4. Rise Again (Darktown)
5. Valley Of Kings (Genesis Revisited)
6. Time Lapse At Milton Keynes (Bay Of Kings)
7. Your Own Special Way (Genesis Revisited)
8. The Fountain Of Salmacis (Genesis Revisited)
9. For Absent Friends (Genesis Revisited)
10. Twice Around The Sun (Darktown)

Disc 2:
1. Horizons (Bay Of Kings)
2. Prizefighters (Feedback '86)
3. Camino Royale (The Tokyo Tapes)
4. I Know What I Like (Genesis Revisited)
5. Deja Vu (Genesis Revisited)
6. Waiting Room Only (Genesis Revisited)
7. Dance On A Volcano (Genesis Revisited)
8. The Steppes (The Tokyo Tapes)
9. In That Quiet Earth (The Tokyo Tapes)
10. Los Endos (The Tokyo Tapes)

Line-up/Musicians:

- John Wetton / bass, vocals
- Bill Bruford / drums
- Ben Fenner / keyboards, programming
- Tony Levin / bass
- Julian Colbeck / keyboards
- Hugo Degenhardt / drums
- Doug Sinclair / bass
- Roger King / programming, keyboards, virtual drums
- Aron Friedman / keyboards, piano
- Billy Budis / bass
- Nick Magnus / keyboards, programming
- Jerry Peal / keyboards, programming
- Paul Carrack / vocals
- Chester Thompson / drums
- Alphonso Johnson / bass
- John Hackett / flute
- Colin Blunstone / vocals
- Bonnie Tyler / vocals
- Chris Thompson / vocals
- Terry Pack / bass
- Ian McDonald / flute, keyboards
- Pino Palladino / bass
- Will Bates / saxophone
- The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Steve Hackett - (2000) FEEDBACK 86

2008-07-30T01:26:00.005+07:00

STEVE HACKETT - (2000) FEEDBACK 86

Studio Album, released in 2000

Without a question the music of Steve HACKETT has been a personal love of mine for many years now and although much less "Progressive" than other works still carries some wonderful instrumentation and HACKETT'esque moments. "Feedback '86" is a long lost album recorded back in '86 during the GTR era which never saw the light of day. "Feddback 86" carries some real nifty content like the tune "Cassandra" which features Ian Mosely and Pete Trewavas (MARILLION), "Prizefighters" - a slower version than played live druing the GTR tour (written by Steve HOWE and Steve HACKETT) which is sung by Bonnie Tyler. Throughout lead vocals are handled by Chris Thompson (MANFRED MANN) and of course Mr HACKETT. Brian May (QUEEN) also stops by for an electric duo with Steve in a strange little tune called "Slot Machine". Overall this a quirky album with some marvellous instrumentation granted more in the straight forward rock vein, but I really like it...

Track Listings

1. Cassandra (4:07)
2. Prizefighters (5:13)
3. Slot Machine (4:23)
4. Stadiums of the Damned (4:42)
5. Don't Fall (4:25)
6. Oh How I Love You (3:58)
7. Notre Dame des Fleurs (3:11)
8. The Gulf (7:21)

Total Time: 37:20

Line-up/Musicians

- Steve Hackett / guitar, vocals, harmonica
- Chris Thomson / lead vocals on 1,2,3,5 and 6
- Brian May / guitar on 1 and 3
- Pete Trewavas / bass on 1
- Ian Mosely / drums on 1
- Nick Magnus / keyboard, virtual drums, piano
- Bonnie Tyler / lead vocals on 2
- Terry Pack / bass on 2

Steve Hackett - (1998 UK) The Tokyo Tapes

2008-07-30T01:18:00.005+07:00

Steve Hackett - (1998 UK) The Tokyo Tapes

Hackett, Genesis and Crimson in ASIA sound

Having conducted a progressive rock workshop An Appreciation for GENESIS last week down here at Jakarta, Indonesia – I don’t know for some reason my attention then went on to Steve Hackett. For me personally, Hackett is a brilliant musician and composer, who was a very key member of Genesis. During the workshop, I played “Please Don’t Touch” tune just to indicate to the prog audience who participated actively at Mario’s Place (the workshop venue) that this tune has a strong historic value for Hackett, I believe. It’s because this song was originally approved by the band during the recording of “Wind and Wuthering” album but … at the later stage it was dropped by Phil Collins. So then … we all knew that Hackett left the band right after the release of Wind Wuthering and completing the tour which was recorded under “Seconds Out” live double album.

Hackett’s composition is for me so unique and he has explored his musical talent not limited to just rock but he also adventured into a blues, jazz and a bit of avant-garde music. Have you listened to “Mechanical Bride” (To Watch The Storm) or “Dark Town” (album title track)? You will find his interpretation of avant-garde music in these tracks.

This live album “Tokyo Tapes” has been with me since it was released and by then when I got it, I was not so impressed with this record. The main reason was being the fact that the sound is not like typical nuance of Hackett album. It’s totally different with “Voyage of The Acolyte” or “Spectral Mornings” or “Defector”. Something strange for me and I did not pay further attention with this record until recently. I try to spin many more times and forget about the Hackett nuance at all. It helps a lot because by doing so I do not need to expect anything on the sounds of this music at all. What I got was a totally different experience: the overall live album sounds like an ASIA album. It’s probably on John Wetton’s singing style which reminds me to his tenure with ASIA and not with King Crimson at all. So I call that this is like the music of Steve Hackett, King Crimson, and Genesis are being played with ASIA nuance. That’s what I feel.

Why liking this album?

Different Sound. Oh yes, this was actually the thing that turned me down to further explored this album – because the sound was not exactly what I expected with Steve Hackett. I thought that this album should not be titled under Steve Hackett solo album because I did not find the “soul” of Hackett music in here. Time went by and by the time I switch my mind by releasing any expectation at all from Steve Hackett, I then can easily enjoy the music this album offers. Even from the start of the album with “Watcher Of The Skies” (8:59) I can sense how this legendary track by Genesis is being played with modern keyboard sound of Julian Colbeck. Even when “Riding The Colossus” (3:32) is being played I can sense different sound than the “Genesis Revisited” album. This also happens beautifully with “Shadow of the Hierophant” (7:14) which offers different nuance under this version.

Music Experimentation. This thing happens wonderfully – to my ears – for tracks with great insertion of avant-garde style. This happens, for example – with “Firth Of Fifth” (9:32) . In a nutshell I don’t like this version until I find its beauty during interlude where this collaboration of genius musicians produce avant-garde style. I think Ian McDonald’s role in this nuance is very critical. This also happens with “Los Endos” where so far I has considered that the version of “Genesis Revisited” album is the best one but now I think this live version is also great. I especially like when Ian McDonald plays his inventive sax work. It’s great!

Collaborative Effort of Great Musicians. This is a live performance of great musicians from legendary bands like Genesis, Asia, King Crimson, Asia and even Frank Zappa. You can find ASIA track “Heat of The Moment” as well as King Crimson “The Court of The Crimson King” and “I Talk To The Wind”. All of them are performed combining the strengths of each individual musician from other bands. It’s very enjoyable to listen to Hackett’s guitar interpretation of Robert Fripp’s (King Crimson) unique guitar playing. Chester Thompson is Genesis’ drum player during tour, so he should be familiar with some Genesis tracks. For my taste, I do not actually enjoy his style of playing at this album. John Wetton plays like how he played with Asia and not in such a way represents his style with King Crimson (at all!). “Battlelines” (6:43) is the best example of Asia sound.

Why (you are) NOT liking this album?

Newbie. If you are newbie to prog or to any of Hackett, Genesis, King Crimson, or Asia music, I do not recommend you to have this album directly. It’s too risky for you if you have not listened to the studio albums before. But of course this is not a 100% guarantee because actually you might still have some holes on how to best enjoy this album. For newbie in prog, you should listen to the studio albums of Steve Hackett, Genesis and King Crimson prior to listening to this album.

Don’t want improvisation. well, I understand that some people are so peculiar on maintaining the originality of composition and don’t want to listen to any improvisation from its original version. If you are this kind of people, it’s gonna be very hard for you to enjoy this album.

Conclusion

I consider this album, overall, is an excellent addition to any prog music collection. I experience it myself that since couple of days ago I keep listening to this album many spins already. On other thing, I also like the insertion of some Genesis parts like “Cuckoo Caccoon” or “Blood on Rooftops” guitar shots in “Black Light”. This also happens with some improvisation on “Los Endos”. All of this sum up into one excellent album that any prog head should have. Keep on proggin’ ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild – GW

CD 1:
1. Watcher Of The Skies
2. Riding The Colossus
3. Firth Of Fifth
4. Battlelines
5. Camino Royale
6. The Court Of The Crimson King
7. Horizons
8. Walking Away From Rainbows
9. Heat Of The Moment

CD 2:
1. In that quiet earth
2. Vampyre with a healty appetite
3. I talk to the wind
4. Shadow of the hierophant
5. Los Endos
6. Black Light
7. The Steppes
8. I know what I like
9. Firewall (studio track)
10. The Dealer (studio rack)

Line-up/Musicians

- Steve Hackett / guitar, harmonica, vocals
- John Wetton / bass, guitar, vocals
- Ian McDonald / flute, sax, guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Chester Thompson /drums
- Julian Colbeck / keyboards, vocals

Firewall / The Dealer:
- Steve Hackett / guitar, percussion
- Iron Friedman / keyboards, programming

Steve Hackett - (1994) BLUES WITH A FEELING

2008-07-30T01:15:00.004+07:00

STEVE HACKETT - (1994) BLUES WITH A FEELING

Studio Album, released in 1994

This is another good example of Steve's wonderful diversity. Of course, he started out as a blues harmonica player, and he proves he knows his roots here. No, this isn't the deep down and dirty blues of the American south, nor is it the English blues of the sixties. It is modern day Hackett blues, and excellent stuff at that. 'Born In Chicago' is a cover song, and quite a fast paced one. The trademark Hackett guitar sound is present here, as on all tracks, so you can still tell it's Steve, yet this time in a blues setting. 'The Stumble' is an instrumental, and a fastish one at that. 'Love Of Another Kind' is a typical Hackett track, with good harmonies. 'Way Down South' is a gentle, subtle song, with again nice harmonies on the chorus. 'A Blue Part Of Town' is truly wonderful. Soulful harmonica playing over Colbeck's restrained keyboards, it is a bitter-sweet instrumental, slow and melodic. One of the highlights. 'Footloose' raises the tempo again, another good instrumental. 'Tombstone Roller' is mid paced, and has a sharp guitar led ending, with good drumming here and some high pitched notes from Steve. 'Blues With A Feeling' is a calm, mid paced song, with understated guitar playing, the most verse led song on here. 'Big Dallas Sky', as others have commented, is almost a blues epic! Another highlight, it has lovely keyboard soundscapes, overlaid with classic Hackett guitar notes, seemingly picked out of thin air. 'The 13th Floor' is another instrumental, again set at a mid to fastish pace. 'So Many Roads' has good vocals from Steve, with more atmospheric guitar in the background. A very strong song. Finally, 'Solid Ground' is a mid pace track with aggressive vocals and a strong fading ending. The harmonica is present on a few tracks here, and is well played. I would like to hear, one day, an album of harmonica playing from Steve. It would be different, and would showcase another of his talents. A strong album, recommended for Hackett fans, modern blues fans, harmonica fans, and, of course, guitar fans in general. Another four star effort.

Track Listings

1. Born In Chicago (3:57)
2. The Stumble (2:55)
3. Love Of Another Kind (3:59)
4. Way Down South (4:28)
5. A Blue Part Of Town (3:03)
6. Footloose (2:30)
7. Tombstone Roller (5:17)
8. Blues With A Feeling (4:22)
9. Big Dallas Sky (4:47)
10. The 13th Floor (3:29)
11. So Many Roads (3:15)
12. Solid Ground (4:27)

Total Time: 46:30

Line-up/Musicians

- Steve Hackett / vocal, guitar & harmonica
- Julian Colbeck / keyboards
- Doug Sinclair / bass guitar
- Hugo Degenhardt / drums

Guests:
- Dave "Taif" Ball / bass guitar on "Way Down South" & "Love of Another Kind"
- Jerry Peal / organ on "Love of Another Kind"
- The Kew Horns "Footloose", "Tombstone Roller" & "Blues With A Feeling"
- Matt Dunkley / trumpet
- John Lee / trumpet
- Pete Long / Tenor sax
- John Chapman / Baritone sax

Steve Hackett - (1992) UNAUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY

2008-07-30T01:12:00.003+07:00

STEVE HACKETT - (1992) UNAUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY

Boxset/Compilation, released in 1992

This compilation wraps up some of Hacketts most well known peices including his dangerously fast fret work on Slogans and the wonderfully eerie The Steppes.However as with many collections the tracks just don't gel together.I also find that many of the songs here are just not to my liking.I would much prefer a 100% instrumental compilation album from this great guitarist.

Track Listings

01. Narnia
02. Hackett To Pieces
03. Don't Fall Away From Me
04. Spectral Mornings
05. The Steppes
06. The Virgin & The Gipsy
07. The Air-Conditioned Nightmare
08. Cell 151 Slogans
09. Icarus Ascending
10. Prayers And Dreams
12. Star Of Sirius
13. Hammer In The Sand
14. Ace Of Wands
15. Hoping Love Will Last

Line-up/Musicians:
- Steve Hackett / acoustic guitar, keyboard strings
- Various other musicians
- Brian May / guitar and backing vocals on "Don't Fall Away From Me"

Steve Hackett - (1984) Till We Have Faces

2008-07-30T01:09:00.002+07:00

Steve Hackett - (1984) Till We Have Faces

Studio Album, released in 1984

As I've lately refreshed my relationship with Hackett's music with many surprisingly fine albums, it is strange to think he has done an album of this low quality. Hackett is not at home at all in this commercial effort. Guests include a group of Brazilian musicians and Ian Mosley (who joined Marillion that year). I had this LP some 17 years ago and the only song that I liked was 'Taking the Easy Way Out'; it's the only one with a glimpse of that certain Hackett beauty, even if it's a bit too sweet ballad. 'Let Me Count the Ways' tries to be a nice blues ballad but sounds too lifeless to be that. Most songs are horribly bad. I dare say (after hearing most of his albums) that this is definitely his worst ever. I give this only one star, but all in all I rate Hackett VERY high as a guitarist and a composer. Everybody fails sometimes.

Track Listings:
1. Duel (4:50)
2. Matilda Smith-Williams Home For The Aged (8:04)
3. Let Me Count The Ways (6:06)
4. A Doll That's Made In Japan (3:57)
5. Myopia (2:56)
6. What's My Name (7:05)
7. The Rio Connection (3:24)
8. Taking The Easy Way Out (3:49)
9. When You Wish Upon A Star (0:51)

Total time: 41:02

Tracklist of Inside Out CD re-issue (2002):

1. What's My Name (7:04)
2. The Rio Connection (3:19)
3. Matilda Smith-Williams Home For The Aged (8:04)
4. Let Me Count The Ways (6:05)
5. A Doll That's Made In Japan (3:56)
6. Duel (4:48)
7. Myopia (2:54)
8. Taking The Easy Way Out (3:48)
9. The Gulf (6:30)
10. Stadiums Of The Damned (4:37)
11. When You Wish Upon A Star (0:48)

Total Time: 52:00
Line-up/Musicians

- Steve Hackett / guitar, guitar synthesizers, Koto, Rainstick, Etruscam guitar, marimba, percussion, harmonica, vocals
- Nick Magnus / keyboards, percussion, Yamaha DX7, Jupiter 6, Juno 60, Moog source, Jupiter 8, Memory Moog, Emulator, Vocoder and Linndrum
- Rui Motta / drums, Simmons drums
- Serginho (Roupa Nova) / drums
- Ian Mosley / drums, percussion
- Waldermar Falcao / flute, percussion
- Fernando Moura / Rhodes
- Ronaldo Diamante / bass
- Clive Stevens / Wind synthetizer
- Kim Poor / Japanese voice on "Doll"
- The Brazilians Percussionist: Sidinho Moreira, Junior, Jaburu, Peninha, Zizinho, Baca

Steve Hackett - (1982) HIGHLY STRUNG

2008-07-30T01:04:00.004+07:00

STEVE HACKETT - (1982) HIGHLY STRUNG

Studio Album, released in 1982

After the severe disappointment that was Cured, Steve Hackett went back to the drawing board and came back with this vast improvement. Although it doesn't compare to the efforts before Cured, it certainly has its own strengths and weaknesses. Now there are a few differences in the lineup of this album from the lineup of the last album is this: Ian Mosley (of future Marillion fame) plays drums, unlike the sequenced and programmed drums of the last album and John Hackett is absent. Other than that, the core lineup of Hackett and Magnus remains. What you'll find on this album is a mixture of arena rock with some more experimental overtones, some great instrumental bits, and some great guitar stylings (as usual with Hackett).

The album opens with the rollicking Camino Royale, which from the opening seconds you can already hear the improvement over Cured. The drumming on this track is quick, complex, and intricate, with expansive and high energy guitar and some nicely paced keyboards. The entire song itself is better than essentially anything on Cured. Cell 151 is nothing but arena rock, complete with cheesy overblown vocals and a main beat that doesn't really go anywhere and doesn't really evolve. There's some good soloing, though, and a snippet reprisal of the main motif to Camino Royale. Always Somewhere Else is an instrumental piece that makes good use of the 7/8 time signature. Ian Mosley is incredible on this track, with fast paced and incredibly intricate drumming. Hackett is also incredible on this track with a breathtaking solo. Walking Through Walls is another extremely arena rock rooted song, with generic drumming and some dated keyboards, as well as some over the top vocals from Hackett (who has improved immensely since Cured).

Give it Away continues the arena rock feel, but I quite like the rhythm and the vocals on this track. It's very upbeat, and Hackett's guitar is great. Weightless yet again continues the same trend as the rest of the album, sounding similar to Walking Through Walls, although the drumming is more dynamic on this track. Group Therapy has some great bass and drum interplay as well as some intuitive Hackett soloing. Nick Magnus and Hackett also have a great keyboard/guitar duel in the middle, with some great soloing from Magnus. Some creative alternating 12/8 then 11/8 riffing comes in towards the end and really gives the song a great final kick. India Rubber Man is a gentle piano led piece that has some nice mutli layered Hackett vocals and some very somber orchestrations in the background. Hackett to Pieces has become a synonymous instrumental piece with Steve Hackett (which would often find a place in his medley). It begins with a reprisal of the Camino Royale main riff, but then becomes a wailing guitar piece that really ends the album on a high note (literally).

Track Listings

Side 1
1. Camino royale (5:25)
2. Cell 151 (3:30)
3. Always Somewhere Else (3:57)
4. Walking Through Walls (3:45)

Side 2
5. Give it away (4:05)
6. Weightless (3:25)
7. Group Therapy (5:40)
8. India Rubber Man (2:30)
9. Hackett To Pieces (2:35)

Total Time: 34:52

Song 2 recorded Feb 1982, songs 1, 3-4 recorded May 1982, song 7 recorded august 1982 and songs 5-6, 8-9 recorded Oct/Nov 1982.
Line-up/Musicians

- Steve Hackett / guitar, vocals
- Nick Magnus / keyboards & devices
- Ian Mosley / drums
- Nigel Warren-Green / cello
- Chris Lawrence / contrabass

Steve Hackett - (1981) Time Laps Live

2008-07-30T01:00:00.003+07:00

Steve Hackett - (1981) Time Laps Live

Time Lapse is the tenth solo album by guitarist Steve Hackett, and his first live album. The album is drawn from live performances at the Savoy Theater in New York City (during the Cured tour) and at Central TV Studios in Nottingham.
Tracks 1-5, 13 & 14 recorded at Central TV Studios, Nottingham, October 1990.
Tracks 6-12 recorded at the Savoy Theater, New York, November 1981.
Produced by Steve Hackett and Billy Budis.

It opens with the classic 'Camino Royale', played here flawlessy and at a superb tempo. Its complicated structure holds no fear for the band or its leader, and this epitomises the entire album. The musicians, as always with Hackett, are all top notch, and it's especially nice to see two excellent drummers, Fudge Smith and Ian Moseley, from Pendragon and Marillion respectively, providing the backbone and rhythm to some excellent playing. 'Please Don't Touch' is another wonderful live piece, and this is followed by one of Hackett's best songs, the brilliant 'Everyday', 'In That Quiet Earth' is another seemingly effortless brilliancy, bringing back to the listener all those wonderful Genesis-inspired days of the seventies, whilst 'Depth-Charge' is, yet again, memorable; a wonderful mid- paced instrumental. Two favourites from the Defector album follow, the upbeat and sunny sounding 'Jacuzzi' and the sombre and majestic 'The Steppes', each of them powerfully played and well recorded. John's flute always adds something special to both his brother's and his own work. 'Ace Of Wands' is another live gem, and this is followed by 'Hope I Don't Wake'. 'The Red Flower Of Tachai' is just as atmospheric live as it is on record. Only the first part of 'Tigermoth' is played here. 'A Tower Struck Down' has all the drama and dynamics of the original, being one of Steve's heavier pieces. 'Spectral Mornings' is as wonderful as it always has been, with superlative playing from Steve and the band. Finally, 'Clocks' ends the record in fine style. He is one of the few musicians who can cut the mustard both in the studio and live. For those wishing to explore his material, this would serve as a good introduction to his earlier work.

Track Listings

01. Camino Royale (Highly Strong) (8:42)
02. Please Don't Touch (Please...) (4:38)
03. Everyday (Spectral Mornings) (7:00)
04. In That Quiet Earth (3:50)
05. Depth Charge (3:22)
06. Jacuzzi (Defector) (4:28)
07. The Steppes (Defector) (5:57)
08. Ace Of Wands (Voyage..) (7:34)
09. Hope I Don't Wake (Cured) (4:14)
10. The Red Flower Of Tachai Blooms Everywhere (Spectral Mornings) (2:43)
11. Tigermoth (Spectral Mornings) (3:22)
12. A Tower Struck Down (Voyage...) (2:58)
13. Spectral Mornings (Spectral Mornings) (5:19)
14. Clocks-The Angel of Mons (Spectral Mornings)(4:55)

Total Time: 67:29

Line-up/Musicians

- Steve Hackett / guitar, vocals
- John Hackett / flute, guitar, bass, pedals

In Nottingham, with:
- Ian Ellis / bass, vocals
- Julian Colbeck / keyboard, vocals
- Fudge Smith / drums
In New-York, with:
- Chas Cronk / bass, vocals
- Nick Magnus / keyboards
- Ian Mosley / drums

*Includes full cover and booklet scan*

Steve Hackett - (1980) DEFECTOR

2008-07-30T00:57:00.004+07:00

STEVE HACKETT - (1980) DEFECTOR

Studio Album, released in 1980

It is always illadvised to think the loss of an individual isn't felt in a band, or that the deficit will be easily filled and unnoticed in the material. The reverse is also true; to assume a single musician's own work, reaching out with a more internal vision, will be less accomplished is frequently proven wrong. Often liberating, these solo projects can be a much more personal and intimate expression of an artist and for 'Defector', Steve Hackett demonstrates this with the same quiet expertise he brought to Genesis. The album suffers at times from an early 80s techno-box quality that cheapens the sound (including a few flirtations with outright disco), but mostly this is one of Hackett's better albums and it fixes a hole where the rain gets in.

Steve Hackett had been making solo records since 1975, so regardless of his tenure with his 'other' band, it was nothing new. And though both 'Voyage of the Acolyte' and 'Spectral Mornings' are first-rate sessions, 'Defector' is a touch more clear-headed and concise in its vision, and no less ambitious. 'The Steppes' opens on a soothing flute, rumbling awake with Dik Cadbury's bass and a most pleasing melody of layered guitars from our host, expanding over a grand landscape. 'Time to Get Out' tastes of later Genesis with springy arpeggios, bright pop appeal and a countrified solo, abruptly pushed aside by the militant 'Slogans' which features a hornet's nest of guitar pyrotechnics and Hackett's sense of restraint and musicality. Highly prog and full of movement, it seamlessly transitions to the sweet-sounding 'Leaving', a reflective vocal harmonic. The master's nylon-strings are showcased in the delicate 'Two Vamps as Guests', and 'Jacuzzi' is prime Hackett, handling the synths as well as guitars for some great symphonic rock that could easily be mistaken for Genesis circa 1973. 'Hammer in the Sand' is a tearful lament on piano, 'The Toast' is slow, drunken sentiment which becomes a salute to Erik Satie and refreshes the soul with its simple beauty. 'The Show' curbs this even flow with a cold dance beat and funky bass sounding like a play for radio appeal, and the hilarious 'Sentimental Institution' creaks with 1930s Americana, Victrola atmosphere and early jazz crooning.

Though bumpy at times and giving a sense of a work unfinished , 'Defector' was one of the best prog offerings of 1980 and proves why Hackett's absence in his former band was deeply felt. Very nice.

Track Listings

Side 1
1. The Steppes (6:04)
2. Time to get Out (4:11)
3. Slogans (3:42)
4. Leaving (3:18)
5. Two Vamps As guests (1:58)
Side 2
6. Jacuzzi (4:35)
7. Hammer in The Sand (3:09)
8. The Toast (3:41)
9. The Show (3:40)
10. Sentimental Institution (2:32)

Total Time: 36:50
Line-up/Musicians

- Steve Hackett / guitar, vocal, Optigan, Roland GR 500
- Nick Magnus / keyboards
- John Hackett / concert and Alto flute
- Pete Hicks / vocal
- John Shearer / drums & percussion
- Dik Cadbury / bass, vocal

Steve Hackett - (1979) SPECTRAL MORNING

2008-07-30T00:52:00.003+07:00

STEVE HACKETT - (1979) SPECTRAL MORNING

Studio Album, released in 1979

By this time, our guitar master has confirmed his strong standing as solo musician. His departure from Genesis two years before had really paid-off especially after the success of second album “Please Don’t Touch!”. In one year time, he released “Spectral Morning” which I consider as masterpiece. It offers different style of music and combines in its best possible sounds that he even would not make it possible if he was still with Genesis. A good example is track 5 “The Ballad Of The Decomposing Man (Featuring - The Office Party)” that I don’t think would fit into Genesis format (at that time). And I think this album is much better than Genesis’ “..And Then There Were Three”. From this perspective, it can be concluded easily that Steve Hackett is better as solo musician than being a member of Genesis. And now you can compare: he himself can overrule the sum of three gentlemen from Genesis! So, who actually ruled Genesis??? It’s a fallacy if people compare the music of Genesis between Gabriel and Collins era. The right question is: with or without Hackett? Because without Gabriel but still with Hackett Genesis released two excellent albums “Wind and Wuthering” and “A Trick of The Tail”.

Also, the music of “Spectral Morning” is much more mature compared to its two predecessor albums. It progressed in a very positive direction. Bravo, Mr. Hackett! My best memorable track that has become an all-time favorite is the album opener “Everyday”. At first spin, I was disappointed where it had a poppy and straight forward beats. But when Hackett finishes with all lyrical verses and the music brings me to instrumental part at the long ending part, it BLEW me away! I love the solo guitaring – so marvelous! When I could not afford to buy a CD, I had only a cassette version and I kept rewinding this long ending many times without any feeling of getting bored at all. Even, when I watched the live version in laser disc format under “Time Lapse” album this track was the only one that I repeated viewing. Top notch! The album continues with acoustic-guitar-based song “The Virgin and the Gypsy” – very interesting track.

The classic and legendary “The Red Flower of Tachai Blooms Everywhere” is another song worthy for enjoyment. It’s something that Steve would not possible composing it under Genesis umbrella, I think. It’s a traditional-based music with eastern / chinese influence. It’s really a great track to enjoy. This track cannot be separated with the next one “Clocks (The Angel Of Mons)”. It’s a hard driving track with Genesis music style. “Lost Time In Cordoba” is a song with a heavy influence of classical music, exploring acoustic guitar and flute. This track has inspired, in certain way, Arena’ “Cry for Help” series in Songs from Lions Cage album. The album is concluded with two wonderfully crafted tracks: “Tigermoth” and “Spectral Mornings”.

In summary, I can tolerate you for missing the first two albums from Steve Hackett. But for this third one? Oh no …, you MUST have it! It’s terrific. Keep on proggin’ …! JRENG!

Progressively yours, GW

”Can you light a fire in Winter’s face? Or say why a life has gone to waste? Pleasure Island was on overcrowded place.” - “Everyday” by Steve Hackett.

Track Listings

1. Every Day (6:14)
2. The Virgin and the Gypsy (4:28)
3. The Red Flower of Tachai Blooms Everywhere (2:05)
4. Clocks (The Angel Of Mons) (4:16)
5. The Ballad Of The Decomposing Man (Featuring - The Office Party) (3:48)
6. Lost Time In Cordoba (4:03)
7. Tigermoth (7:35)
8. Spectral Mornings (6:32)

Total Time: 39:01
Line-up/Musicians

- Steve Hackett / vocal, guitars, Roland guitar synth, koto, harmonica
- Dik Cadbury / bass, vocal, bass pedals, violin
- John Hackett / flutes, bass pedals
- Pete Hicks / vocal
- Nick Magnus / keyboards, Vox string thing, Novotron, harpsichord, clavinet, RMI, Fender Rhodes, mini moog, Roland string synth, SH 2000
- John Shearer / drums, percussion

Steve Hackett - (1978) VOYAGE OF THE ACOLYTE

2008-07-30T00:47:00.005+07:00

STEVE HACKETT - (1978) VOYAGE OF THE ACOLYTE

Studio Album, released in 1975

No real point in annointing this immense talent and huge guitar innovator any further , I still remember rewiring my jaw (after picking it up off the concert floor) subsequent to Genesis' show in Montreal in 1974. "A flower?" blooming amazing guitar display that was. This debut album is still justly viewed as a glowing icon of melancholia-infused progressive rock. With most of his Genesis bandmates on board, Hackett is in obviously comfortable surroundings and hence, positively shines throughout the tracks , effusively flowing guitar forays searching for new tonal horizons , dazzling atmospheres wonderfully coloured by the ubiquitous mellotron cascades, rivers of liquid flute runs and an occasional stream of vibrant cello. The supporting cast does well to further enhance the fragile delicacy of the arrangements , namely the pulsating Rutherford Rickenbaker combining deftly with the marvelous Collins drumming (they were a very underrated rythm section ), a burping Percy Jones fretless bass cameo and the glimmering voice courtesy of Sally Oldfiled . The tracks have been already dissected by my esteemed colleagues, so I will reserve my comments to the closer, where the disc spirals effortlessly into the upper reaches of nirvana (no, not the band) , an unmitigated classic that easily rivals or even surpasses any prime Genesis tune, proving conclusively that Steve's departure was the final progressive moment in Genesis' existence. The next chapters of their history has only further confirmed the obvious. Tied with Spectral Mornings but a slightly more precious overall package (Beautiful cover to boot). 5 stars, with "no reply at all".

Track Listings

1. Ace Of Wands (5:23)
2. Hands of the Priestess Part I (3:28)
3. A Tower Struck Down (4:53)
4. Hands of the Priestess Part II (1:31)
5. The Hermit (4:49)
6. Star of Sirius (7:08)
7. The Lovers (1:50)
8. Shadow of the Hierophant (11:44)

Total Time: 40:52

Line-up/Musicians

- Steve Hackett / electric & acoustic guitar, Mellotron, harmonium, bells, autoharp, vocal, effects
- John Hackett / flute, Arp synthetizer, bells
- Mike Rutherford / bass guitar, bass pedals, Fuzz 12-String
- Phil Collins / drums, vibes, percussion, vocals
- John Acock / Elka, Rhapsody, Mellotron, harmonium, piano
- Sally Oldfield / vocal
- Robin Miller / oboe, cor Anglais
- Nigel Warren-Green / solo cello
- Percy Jones / extra bass on "Tower"
- Johnny Gustafson / bass on "Star"
- Steve Tobin / parrot and cough

Steve Hackett - (1978) PLEASE DON`T TOUCH

2008-07-30T00:42:00.005+07:00

STEVE HACKETT - (1978) PLEASE DON`T TOUCH

Studio Album, released in 1978

#78: 1978. The first Hackett album I heard - perhaps in '87 - and definitely among the favourites. The other song sung by Steve Walsh (Kansas), 'Racing in A', is the only track I don't like, but 'Narnia' is a great opener full of energy and fairytale delight, and probably helped me to find Kansas too. Some say that Richie Havens and Randy Crawford are out of place guesting on a prog album - NOT AT ALL! Mrs Crawford's emotional 'Hoping Love Will Last' is a wonderful example how entertainment vocal music and prog can be brought together. Very beautiful. Havens' bluesy voice fits surprisingly well into Hackett's sound. More guest singers that fine and various on your later albums too, please!

Like most Hacketts, a good deal is instrumentals, but as always, full of drama and colour. 'The Voice of Necam' refers to a computer, and also some sounds of entertainment park's machines and crowd are heard. This must be the most dramatic and exciting of his albums; it rushes into very many directions but does not quite yet suffer from it. 'Carry On Up The Vicarage' is a hilarious tribute to Agatha Christie detective stories, and the treated vocals (by Steve) add nicely to the peculiar feel. 'Kim' is a serene Satie-like piece with flute and guitar. Even with a short length (38:38) and one unpleasant song I can reward this with 5*.

Track Listings

1. Narnia (4:06)
2. Carry On Up the Vicarage (3:11)
3. Racing In A (5:07)
4. Kim (2:14)
5. How Can I? (4:40)
6. Hoping Love Will Last (4:09)
7. Land of a Thousand Autumns (1:57)
8. Please Don't Touch (3:39)
9. The Voice of Necam (3:11)
10. Icarus Ascending (6:21)

Total Time: 38:38
Line-up/Musicians

- Steve Hackett / guitars, vocals, keyboards, percussion

WITH:
- John Hackett / flutes, piccolos, bass pedals, keyboards
- Steve Walsh / vocals
- Richie Havens / vocals, percussion
- Randy Crawford / vocals
- Dave LeBolt / keyboards
- John Acock / keyboards
- Tom Fowler / bass
- Chester Thompson / drums, percussion
- Phil Ehart / drums, percussion
- James Bradley / percussion
- Graham Smith / violin
- Hugh Malloy / cello

Tony Banks - (1992) STILL

2008-07-29T22:22:00.005+07:00

TONY BANKS - (1992) STILL

Studio Album, released in 1992

This is really no further along the curve than "Bankstatement". As for the positive praise that well-meaning souls have laid at the foot of "Still", they’ve simply set the bar too low. True, it’s a professional affair, engaging the services of FISH, Nik Kershaw, Andy Taylor and a returning Jayney Klimek on vocals, but I don’t hear where this edges out something like Phil Manzanera’s Southern Cross on the road to respectability.

If you’re looking for BANKS to write pop songs with a certain amount of emotional soul wringing akin to the late ‘80s, then here you go. Not that the GENESIS keyboardist doesn’t have the right to solicit the same audience as Mike + The Mechanics, but he can do so much more. The second half of “Another Murder of a Day” or even the classy ballad “Still It Takes Me By Surprise” are the sort of payoffs I expected, not FISH lamely stating “You’re just a devil with a pretty angel face” (from “Angel Face”). The vocalists are all good (even BANKS acquits himself on “Hero For An Hour”), but like Steve HACKETT’s "Please Don’t Touch" the rotating cast breeds an air of arbitrariness. There are no instrumentals, which is sort of a shame, and no new ground is broken.

The inclusion of FISH will no doubt intrigue many, but honestly they only click at the end of “Another Murder of a Day” (easily the album’s highlight). The rest of the material is merely competent pop music with hints of GENESIS’ grandiloquence (a scent of “The Cinema Show” wafts through “Still It Takes Me By Surprise”) and nods to BANKS’ earlier work (“Hero For An Hour” does recall “And The Wheels Keep Turning”). Maybe I’m foolish to expect Tony BANKS to return to prog’s green pastures, since his solo work has never leaned to the left side of GENESIS. If I view "Still" as a further straying into commercial blandness, blame it on my intractable allegiance to earlier ideals that were left by the wayside with the ‘80s.

Track Listings

1. Red Day On Blue Street (5:48)
2. Angel Face (5:16)
3. The Gift (3:56)
4. Still It Takes Me By Surprise (6:25)
5. Hero For An Hour (4:52)
6. I Wanna Change The Score (4:31)
7. Water Out Of Wine (4:37)
8. Another Murder Of A Day (9:02)
9. Back To Back (4:30)
10. The Final Curtain (4:55)

Total Time: 54:06

Line-up/Musicians

- Tony Banks / keyboards (all), bass synthesizer (1,3,5,9,10), drums programming (2,3,7), vocals (5)
- Nick Kershaw / vocals (1,6,10)
- Daryl Stuermer / guitars
- Vinnie Colaiuta / drums (1,5,8,9,10), Hi-Hat (3), cymbals (3)
- Luis Jardim / percussion (1,5,6,7,8)
- Martin Robertson / saxophones (1,5)
- Fish / vocals (2,8)
- Jayney Klimek / backing vocals (2), vocal (7,9)
- Pino Palladino / bass (2,4,7,8,10)
- Andy Taylor / vocal (3,4)
- James Heller / bass (6)
- Graham Broad / drums (6)
- Nick Davis / drum programming (7)

Tony Banks - (1979) A Curious Feeling

2008-07-29T22:17:00.003+07:00

Studio Album, released in 1979

Track Listings

1. From The Undertow (2:46)
2. Lucky Me (4:26)
3. The Lie (4:58)
4. After The Lie (4:49)
5. A Curious Feeling (3:58)
6. Forever Morning (6:02)
7. You (6:28)
8. Somebody Else's Dream (7:50)
9. The Waters Of Lethe (6:31)
10. For A While (3:38)
11. In The Dark (2:58)

Total Time: 54:24
Line-up/Musicians

- Kim Beacon / vocals
- Chester Thompson / drums, percussion
- Tony Banks / keyboards, guitars, basses, percussion

Phil Collins - Live & Loose In Paris

2008-07-29T22:13:00.002+07:00

Phil Collins - Live & Loose In Paris

1. Hand in Hand
2. Hang in Long Enough
3. Don't Lose My Number
4. Another Day in Paradise
5. Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)
6. Lorenzo, Separate Lives
7.Seperate Lives
8. Long Long Way to Go
9. In the Air Tonight
10. Timbantiocha
11. Easy Lover
12. Dance into the Light
13. Wear My Hat
14. Something Happened on the Way to Heaven
15. Sussudio
16. End

Phil Collins - (1989) But Seriously

2008-07-29T22:11:00.002+07:00

Phil Collins - (1989) "But Seriously"

Tracklist:
01. Hang In Long Enough
02. That's Just The Way It Is
03. Do You Remember
04. Something Happened On The Way To Heaven
05. Colours
06. I Wish It Would Rain Down
07. Another Day In Paradise
08. Heat On The Street
09. All Of My Life
10. Saturday Night And Sunday Morning
11. Father To Son
12. Find A Way To My Heart

Phil Collins - (1982) Hello, I Must Be Going!

2008-07-29T21:20:00.004+07:00

By	Daniel J. Hamlow (Chikusei City, Japan) - See all my reviews

Another Genesis album, Abacab, was followed a year later by another Phil Collins solo album. Hello, I Must Be Going was a clear indication of the Earth, Wind, & Fire type soul-pop that would yield the Grammy-winning No Jacket Required. For the most part, gone were the "weird" songs like "In The Air Tonight" or the cover of "Tomorrow Never Knows." His note-for-note cover of the Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love," which went to #10, is ample evidence of the pop/soul direction that would hit pay dirt later on. It's still infectious and has its place in the 80's, a decade and a half before the original hit #1. The closest thing to "In The Air Tonight," with the airy synths, is "Thru These Walls," of how loneliness feeds upon the need to listen with a glass to the wall or stare out at the window at goings on, where a genuine need to touch someone isn't an option in the cold world. Next up is the disgust and apathy of being ridiculed and having one's name dragged in the dirt of "I Don't Care Anymore," which made it to #39. However, there was none of the haunting eeriness which made "Air" a hit. The slow "Do You Know Do You Care" has a droning synth and guitars, with Collins' vocals overlaid on that airy soundscape. It sounds more like later day Genesis, come to think of it. The third single, the upbeat "I Cannot Believe It's True," only made it to #79 despite the snazzy horns. This is puzzling given how similar-sounding singles by him shot to the Top Ten in later years. The Phenix Horns, his brass band, gives this song, and others like "It Don't Matter To Me" quite the kick. Two piano ballads are "Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away," which gains a bit of momentum with his steady drumming, the strings matching the pounded piano chords, and the sad but tender "Why Can't It Wait Till Morning," which is Phil on piano, the strings, and nothing else. Another singleworthy song and one of my favourites here. Collins was also at the producer's helm this time, with assistance from Hugh Padgham, the brains behind Face Value and the Police's Synchronicity, and would continue with him in his Grammy-winning triumph. And Daryl Steurmer, whose snarling guitar would be most noticeable in "Don't Lose My Number," has guitar chores here. Whereas Face Value showed many sides of Collins, this is basically a prelude to the hit that No Jacket Required would become. Maybe call this No Vest Required? Yet one can't help but think that Collins' solo success also fed upon the success of his group. Following this, Genesis would gain their first Top Ten hit with "That's All," and during that time, Collins would pave the way to superstardom with a few non-album hits and some big events. So, goodbye, I must be going.

Tracklist:
01. I Don't Care Anymore
02. I Cannot Believe It's True
03. Like China
04. Do You Know, Do You Care?
05. You Can't Hurry Love
06. It Don't Matter To Me
07. Thru These Walls
08. Don't Let Him Steel Your Heart Away
09. The West Side
10. Why Can't It Wait 'Til Morning

Brand X - (1996) Live At The Roxy L.A

2008-07-29T21:17:00.002+07:00

Brand X - (1996) Live At The Roxy L.A.

Live, released in 1996

Track Listings

1. Disco Suicide -> Algon (14:14)
2. Dance of the Illegal Aliens (11:56)
3. Don't Make Waves (6:16)
4. Malaga Virgen (13:34)
5. ...And So to F... (12:24)
6. Nuclear Burn (12:02)

Total Time: 73:26
Line-up/Musicians

- Phil Collins / drums, percussions, vocals
- John Goodsall / guitars
- Percy Jones / bass
- Robin Lumley / keyboards, vocals
- Peter Robinson / keyboards

Mike Rutherford - (1982) Acting Very Strange

2008-07-29T21:12:00.001+07:00

Mike Rutherford - (1982) Acting Very Strange

Studio Album, released in 1982

Track Listings

1. Acting very strange (4:52)
2. A Day to Remember (5:04)
3. Maxine (4:30)
4. Halfway there (4:30)
5. Who's fooling Who (4:45)
6. Couldn't Get Arrested (4:09)
7. I don't Wanna Know (4:36)
8. Hideaway (5:57)

Total Time: 38:23

Line-up/Musicians

- Mike Rutherford / vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, bass, keyboards
+ John Alexander / guitars
- Gary Barnacle / saxophone
- Stuart Copeland / drums
- Paul Fishman / keyboards
- Peter Phipps / Linn electronic drums
- Peter Robinson / keyboards
- Daryl Stuermer / guitars
- Luke Tunney / trumpet

Mike Rutherford - (1980) Smallcreep's Day

2008-07-29T21:08:00.004+07:00

Mike Rutherford - (1980) Smallcreep's Day

Studio Album, released in 1980

Before venturing off into Popland , leading his way too clean Mechanics and the once great Genesis to dizzying commercial success, Rutherford used his Rickenbakers wisely on the Anthony Phillips debut "The Geese and the Ghost" and on this, his first solo album. Thankfully, we have these testaments to treasure , this one in particular is a fine collection especially at a time (1980) when Prog was being brutally assassinated by the Lester Bangs and assorted British punk-journalists (none of whom had talent musically or in penmanship!) of the world, imposing their rather poor taste in music and forcing Prog's extended but temporary hibernation (Video killed the radio star but punk didn't kill the Progster!).While no record executive was looking, Rutherford was free to delve into the musical adaptation of a book by Currell Brown , enlisting his good friend (and ours too) Anthony Phillips to chair the keys , as well as another famed Phillips :drummer extraordinaire Simon (no relation to the Ant), as well as one of the best movers and shakers in percussionist Morris Pert . The vocals are well piped by former String Driven Thing Noel McCalla and guitars and basses handled by the leader. The main treasure here is the long suite dedicated to the routine gloom of the hopeless blue collar worker , a stellar brew of sweeping symphonics straight out of the "Winds and Wuthering" song book , ending conclusivey on the painfully majestic"End of the Day" , owner of a melodic hook that would startle the daylights out of Peter Pan! Don't be fooled by Rutherford's future quest for stardom, this is prime prog that deserves eternal recognition.While perhaps not a monument, the context makes this an essential document. 4.5 meek inheritors

Track Listings

1. Moonshine (6:23)
2. Time and time again (4:52)
3. Romani (5:25)
4. Every road (4:13)
5. Overnight job (5:43)
6. Smallcreep's day (24:38)
... I) Between the tick and the tock 3:59
... II) Working in line 3:06
... III) After hours 1:46
... IV) Cats and rats (in this neighbourhood) 4:49
... V) Smallcreep alone 1:33
... VI) Out into the daylight 3:49
... VII) At the end of the day 5:36

Total Time: 51:14
Line-up/Musicians

- Mike Rutherford / guitars & basses

With:
- Noel McCalla / lead vocals
- Morris Pert / percussion
- Ant Phillips / keyboards
- Simon Phillips / drums

Mike & The Mechanics - (1988) The Living Years

2008-07-29T21:05:00.002+07:00

Mike & The Mechanics - (1988) "The Living Years"

Tracklist:
01. Nobody's Perfect
02. The Living Years
03. Seeing is Believing
04. Nobody Knows
05. Poor Boy Down
06. Blame
07. Don't
08. Black & Blue
09. Beautiful Day
10. Why Me?

Mike & The Mechanics - (1985) Mike+The Mechanics

2008-07-29T21:00:00.003+07:00

Mike & The Mechanics - (1985) Mike & The Mechanics

01 - Silent Running [06:15]
02 - All I Need is a Miracle [04:11]
03 - Par Avion [03:36]
04 - Hanging by a Thread [04:42]
05 - I Get The Feeling [04:31]
06 - Take The Reins [04:18]
07 - You Are The One [03:46]
08 - A Call to Arms [04:42]
09 - Taken In [04:18]

ANTHONY PHILLIPS & HARRY WILLIAMSON - (1995) Gypsy Suite

2008-07-29T20:56:00.002+07:00

ANTHONY PHILLIPS & HARRY WILLIAMSON - (1995) Gypsy Suite

"Very good album, if you like his earlier work, you will love this. written in the 70`s, recorded in the 70/80/90`s .....acoustic and very gentle! Harry Williamson is present on this one (the guy who worked with Daevid Allen and Gilly Smith ,and Mother Gong).This is it! prime Anthony Phillips. Buy it now, or die!
review by tomerikloe - www.progarchives.com"

Track Listings:
Gypsy Suite (recorded March 1978):
1. Movement I: First Light (7:58)
2. Movement II: Siesta (5:08)
3. Movement III: Evening Circle (5:41)
4. Movement IV: The Crystal Ball (9:59)
Tarka (Movement I recorded May 1975, Movement II recorded April 1976):
5. Movement I: The Early Years (8:41)
6. Movement II: (a) Streams River And Salmon Hunting (6:38)
7. Movement II: (b) Dunes & Estuary (6:34)
8. Movement II: (c) Moonfield - Postscript (1:10)
All tracks composed by Anthony Phillips and Harry Williamson
Total Time: 51:49

Line-up/Musicians:
- Anthony Phillips / 6 & 12 string guitars, organ, piano, synths, percussion
- Harry Williamson / 6 string guitar, bass, echoes, piano, percussion, autoharp, glissando

site oficial: http://www.anthonyphillips.co.uk/

ANTHONY PHILLIPS - (1990) Slow Dance

2008-07-29T20:51:00.004+07:00

ANTHONY PHILLIPS - (1990) Slow Dance

"Anthony PHILLIPS was one of the original founding members of GENESIS featuring Peter GABRIEL, Tony BANKS, and Michael RUTHERFORD. Following "Trespass", GENESIS' second album, PHILLIPS left (purportedly due to stage fright) and was replaced by Steve HACKETT. Nothing was heard again from Anthony until 1977, when he favored us with his first solo, "The Geese and the Ghost", although PHILLIPS wasn't the first member of the band to release a solo album (that honor goes to Steve HACKETT, by releasing "Voyage of the Acolyte", in 1975). A more commercial audience was courted on "Wise After The Event" and "Sides", to no avail, and PHILLIPS spent much of his time releasing instrumental pieces (both old and new) under the "Private Parts & Pieces" series. Steeped in classical, pre-Baroque, and folk influences, he was able to record entire albums featuring only his acoustic instrument. He is one of the world's masters on the twelve string guitar and piano compositions that hark back to GENESIS' original lost innocence. His studio recordings reveal a distinctive character to his compositions on those instruments as well.Some of his albums are more "progessive" than others, especially "Sides" (INTERESTING CD), "Private Parts and Pieces II" (A MUST! for fans of early GENESIS), "PP&P IX", and "Wise After the Event" (A MASTERPIECE); others are more "classical" in style like "PP&P III", "PP&P V", "PP&P VI" or "poppy" like "Invisible Men" and a few tracks on "Sides". Anthony PHILLIPS' 1977 debut album is one of the best works, but all of them are excellent. This album (1977) by Ant is my second favorite PHILLIPS album after "Wise After the Event". Even more its a jewel for every Rock collection, but in its own particular genre (a mix of those quiet moments of "Trespass" of GENESIS+the medieval folkprog style by GRYPHON). As you well have gathered, "Anthology" (1995) is an album that has a compilation of tracks from his solo career. This album is the perfect introduction to the world of Anthony PHILLIPS.
review by Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website"

BELÍSSIMO!
Track Listings:
1. Slow dance (part 1) (24:01)
2. Slow dance (part 2) (26:27)
Total Time: 50:28

Line-up/Musicians:
- Anthony Phillips / synthesizers, acoustic, classic & electric guitars, fretless bass, drum machine, sequencer
+ Julie Allis / harp
- Michael Cox / flute, piccolo
- Ian Hardwick / oboe
- Tjborn Holtmark / trumpet
- Frank Ricotti / percussion, off spin
Strings conducted by John Owen-Edwards, leader / Gavin Wright Speachi quartet on the "Harp" section conducted by Sir Ralph Bernascone - Martin Robertson / clarinet - Ian Thomas / drums

Anthony Phillips - (1988) Tarka

2008-07-29T20:47:00.005+07:00

Anthony Phillips - (1988) Tarka

Studio Album, released in 1988

Track Listings

1. Movement 1 (11:24)
2. Movement 2 (15:43)*
3. Movement 3 (15:23)
4. The anthem (6:24)

Total Time: 48:54

* On the Blueprint release, there is an additional track on movement 2 entitled "The Rising Spring" making the time of the song (16:20) and the cd (49:31).
Line-up/Musicians

- Anthony Phillips / acoustic guitars, keyboards
+ Harry Williamson / acoustic guitars, keyboards
- Julie Allis / harp
- Andrew Anscombe / French horn
- Lindsay Cooper / bassoon
- Nick Cox / clarinet, bass clarinet
- Janet Crouch / cello
- Guy Evans / percussion
- Anne Glover / oboe
- Ian Hardwick / oboe
- Didier Malherbe / flute, piccolo, soprano sax
- Ann Morfee / violin
- Krysia Osostowicz / violin
- Dave Sawyer / percussion

The National Philharmonic Orch. conducted by Jeremy Gilbert.

Anthony Phillips - (1977) The Geese And The Ghost

2008-07-29T20:42:00.004+07:00

Anthony Phillips - (1977) The Geese And The Ghost

Studio Album, released in 1977

ANTHONY PHILLIPS was little more than a footnote to the great career of GENESIS; that is until he released "The Geese & The Ghost" in 1977. Blending orchestral and acoustic instruments, PHILLIPS' debut album had a grace and grandeur unseen since the days of "Trespass" and "Nursery Cryme". Featuring the participation of MIKE RUTHERFORD, PHIL COLLINS (on vocals), JOHN HACKETT, JACK LANCASTER and others, it was ANTHONY's money shot, and he made it pay off in a big way by delivering the best music of his life. In a sense, ANTHONY has become a victim of his own success, since subsequent albums have fallen invariably short of "Geese"'s goals, but that's a discussion for another day. If you enjoyed the pastoral prog rock of early GENESIS, more wonders await you. There is, for example, the story of "Henry: Portraits of Tudor Times", in which the players from the Age of Chivalry walk again. There are songs featuring PHIL COLLINS ("Which Way The Wind Blows", "God If I Saw Her Now") that match "More Fool Me" for beauty. There is the stirring title track, "The Geese And The Ghost", with its gentle agility sure to delight GENESIS fans who thought the realms of magic lost to the late '70s. To put this into perspective, there are only a handful of albums to my mind that will delight core followers the way "The Geese & The Ghost" does. For GENESIS followers, Voyage of the Acolyte becomes the reference point (though that was a deliberately darker work). For YES fans, JON ANDERSON's Olias of Sunhillow or RICK WAKEMAN's "Six Wives of Henry VIII" yield as much pleasure. Some of "Geese"'s credit must go to MIKE RUTHERFORD as well, who appears alongside PHILLIPS throughout and shares his affection for acoustic adornment. In a sense, "Geese" also stands as RUTHERFORD's best solo album outside of GENESIS. Listening to this album in "Spring or Summer", when the scent of a world in bloom wafts gently through the window screens, is to be in concert with life itself. If you don't own this yet and have played "Foxtrot" down to nubby grooves, do yourself a favor and grab this golden goose.

Track Listings

1. Wind-tales (1:02)
2. Which way the wind blows (5:51)
3. Henry; portraits from Tudor times: (12:11)
i) Fanfare 0:56
ii) Lute's chorus 2:00
iii) Misty battlements 1:15
iv) Henry goes to war 3:36
v) Death of a knight 2:33
vi) Triumphant return 1:46
4. God if I saw her now (4:09)
5. Chinese mushroom cloud (0:46)
6. The geese and the ghost: (15:40)
Part one 8:01 - Part two 7:39
7. Collections (3:07)
8. Sleepfall: the geese fly West (4:33)

Bonus track on Virgin release:
9. Master of time (7:37)

Total Time: 54:56

Line-up/Musicians

- Anthony Phillips / acoustic, classic & electric guitars, basses, dulcimer guitar, bouzouki, piano, organ, synthesizers, Mellotron, harmonium, celeste, pin piano, drums, glockenspiel, bells & chimes, timbales, gong, vocals (7)

+ Phil Collins / vocals (2-4)
- Ronnie Gunn / harmonium (9)
- John Hackett / flutes
- Nick Hayley & Friend / violins
- Jack Lancaster / flutes, Lyricon
- Charlie Martin / cello
- Viv McAuliffe / vocals (4)
- Lazo Momulovich / oboes, Cor Anglais
- Tom Newman / hecklephone, bulk eraser
- Rob Phillips / oboes
- Michael Rutheford / acoustic, classic & electric guitars, basses, organ, drums, timbales, bells, glockenspiel, cymbals
- Wil Sleath / flutes, recorders, piccolo
- David Thomsa / classical guitar (9)
- Kirk Trevor / cello
- Martin Westlake / tympani

Send Barns Orchestra conducted by Jeremy Gilbert.
- Ralph Bernascone / soloist

Genesis & Peter Hammill

2008-07-29T20:40:00.000+07:00

Genesis & Peter Hammill

TrackList:

1. Interview #1
2. Twilght Alehouse
3. Interview #2
4. Peter Hammill Introduction
5. Solitude (Peter Hammill)
6. Time For a Change (Peter Hammill)
7. The Birds (Peter Hammill)
8. Out of My Book (Peter Hammill)
9. Slender Threads (Peter Hammill)
10. German Overals (Peter Hammill)
11. Watcher of the Skies
12. Dancing With the Moonlit Knight
13. The Cinema Show
14. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardobe)
15. Firth of Fifth
16. The Musical Box
17. Horizons
18. The Battle of Epping Forest
19. Supper's Ready
20. Radio Announcer

Genesis - Rare tapes cd 5

2008-07-29T20:35:00.004+07:00

Genesis - Rare tapes cd 5

1. In The Cage-In That Quiet Earth-Supper's Ready (1986-10-15)
2. Mama (1992-05-09)
3. Carpet Crawlers (1992-10-23)
4. Nowhere Else To Turn (unreleased b-side) 1997
5. Small Talk (1997-12-13)
6. That's All (1998-01-23)
7. Hold On My Heart (1998-01-29)

Genesis - Rare tapes cd 4

2008-07-29T20:28:00.002+07:00

Genesis - rare tapes cd 4

1. Back In N.Y.C. (1980-06-29)
2. Me And Virgil (1981-09-27)
3. Like It Or Not (1981-11-30)
4. The Knife (1981-12-23)
5. No Reply At All (Phenix Horns) (1982-08-22)
6. Paperlate (Phenix Horns) (1982-08-22)
7. Eleventh Earl Of Mar-Squonk-Firth Of Fifth (1983-11-10)
8. Eleventh Earl Of Mar-Behind The Lines-Firth Of Fifth-Musical Box (1984-01-17)

Genesis - Rare tapes cd 3

2008-07-29T20:24:00.004+07:00

Genesis - Rare tapes cd 3

1. Lillywhite Lilith-The Waiting Room-Wot Gorilla (1977-01-01)
2. All In A Mouse's Night (1977-01-02)
3. Inside And Out (1977-06-24)
4. Down And Out (1978-06-07)
5. Supper's Ready (from Apocalypse in 9/8) (1978-06-14)
6. Ballad Of Big (1978-07-29)
7. I Know What I Like (1978-07-29)
8. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight-Musical Box (closing section) (1978-10-13)

Genesis - Rare tapes cd 2

2008-07-29T20:20:00.003+07:00

Genesis - Rare tapes cd 2

1. Supper's Ready (1972-11-18)
2. Harold The Barrel (1974-01-20)
3. Horizons (1974-05-04)
4. Watcher Of The Skies (1975-01-24)
5. It (1975-01-24)
6. The Musical Box (1975-01-24)
7. The Waiting Room (1975-05-02)

Genesis - Rare tapes cd 1

2008-07-29T19:48:00.003+07:00

Genesis - Rare tapes cd 1

1. Looking For Someone (1970-02-22)
2. The Light (1971-03-07)
3. Twilight Alehouse (1972-02-26)
4. Harlequin (1972-03-04)
5. Bye Bye Johnny (1972-04-14)
6. Happy The Man (1972-04-18)
7. Going Out To Get You (1972-04-18)
8. One-Handed Drum Solo (1972-06-28)
9. Can-Utility And The Coastliners (1972-08-20)
10. Seven Stones (1972-08-22)

Genesis - In the beginning (Demos, outtakes and unique stuff)

2008-07-29T19:44:00.004+07:00

Genesis - In the beginning (Demos, outtakes and unique stuff)

1 - in the rapids (mix 1)
2 - dancing with the moonlit knight part 2 (mix 1)
3 - more fool me (studio demo - phil on vocals)
4 - unreleased instrum.(studio take)
5 - silver song (studio take - vox phil) [3.51]
6 - only your love (unreleased - phil on vocals)
7 - master of time (unreleased - antHony phillips)1[7.48]
8 - child song (unreleased - anthony phillips) [3.34]
9 - reaper (anthony phillips) [7.42]
10 - happy the man (demo version)
11 - i know what i like - intro [2.46]
12 - the cinema show (studio take 1)
13 - the waiting room - sound effects [5.05]
14 - the supernatural anaesthetist (vox phil) [2.44]
15 - silver song - demo w phil vox [4.10]
16 - studio improvisation - instrumental take 2 [0.21]
17 - the cinema show (fast instrumental take)
18 - the cinema show (instrumental studio session)
19 - you really got me (kinks cover)
20 - studio improvisation - take 3 [0.31]
21 - the last time (jagger & richards) [1.01]
22 - you really got me (davies) [0.47]

Genesis - (1977) SPOT THE PIGEON

2008-07-29T19:40:00.004+07:00

Links

Genesis - (1975) Lamb Stew (Live Bootleg)

2008-07-29T19:37:00.002+07:00

LinKs

Genesis - (1975) Swelled and Spent (Live Bootleg)

2008-07-29T19:33:00.004+07:00

Links

Genesis - (1972) Hogweed Reading Festival (Live Bootleg )

2008-07-29T19:24:00.005+07:00

Links, Links

Genesis - (1972) VIOLENT DREAMS (BOOT)

2008-07-29T19:22:00.003+07:00

Links

Genesis - (Live Bootleg - Roma 19.01.73) Charisma Festival

2008-07-28T23:00:00.002+07:00

Genesis - [Live Bootleg - Roma 19.01.73] Charisma

Festival

01-Watcher Of The Skies
02-Musical Box
03-Fountain Of Salmacis
04-Supper's Ready
05-The Return Of The Giant Hogweed
06-The Knife07-Get'em Out By Friday

Line-up/Musicians

- Tony Banks / organ, mellotron, piano, electric
piano, acoustic 12 string guitar, backing vocals
- Phil Collins / drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Peter Gabriel / lead vocals, flute, tambourine,
bass drum, oboe
- Steve Hackett / electric guitar,
acoustic 12 string guitar, acoustic 6 string guitar
- Mike Rutherford / bass guitar, bass pedals,
acoustic 12 string guitar, cello, backing vocals

Genesis - (2007) Live Over Europe

2008-07-28T22:53:00.004+07:00

Genesis - (2007) Live Over Europe 2 CD

Live, released in 2007

In a world where grand pop, rock or metal stars' tours and concerts (full of a banal but foreseeable feedback and excitement) are counter-balanced by old rock troops which play it big to stiff up a lip and other artists who keep playing for close fans - not to mention artists that make out of their concerts their desired mainstream, progressive, avant-garde, underground (etc.) expression (with the reception varying in the same way) - Genesis tried, of course, nothing but an original, impulsive, personal ('up-close') and open act, once the rumble and the rumors stopped and the old-standing trio announced they're touring a comeback and that 2007 will be their year for a change. The consistent Live Over Europe stands as a short snapshot out of what was, almost certainly, a comeback adventure of immense size - without necessarily a complex essence as well.

For a fact, if pop fans have absolutely no problem welcoming Genesis's return on stage (and especially the way in which to return) - the huge crowds at all these concerts were, after all, happy people, no? - prog rock fans (the classic ones for sure) are natural born skeptics since Genesis was bared down to three artists (all three not truly brightest in the genre) and the 80s were a golden decade of pure pop. Where stands Live Over Europe (and the huge comeback tour itself) in regards to the (more than enough times) extreme-sided opinions over Genesis's new rise and new music logic (a surprise and something worth the shot for one side, respectively a ridiculous, over-rated and pointless thing to dream of, attend as a spectacle or go for, on the other side)? Quite nowhere, in frankly my opinion, even if the way Genesis have planned this event and perfected on their chosen style is nowhere near neutral or ready to satisfy both parties - meaning that the trio clearly chose their pop-rock bounces, while the reasons for including some oldies were rather misty, and, even worse, their concerts came with pesky commercial, financial and managerial demands, regardless of anything. Live Over Europe is, still, comfortably nowhere inside the conflict over pop and prog, because it's just a live album, with qualities and downbreaks, with effect on you (as a listener) and a certain worth of a result.

The 2h and 20m total of recordings draws from concerts in Manchester, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Hannover, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Prague, Rome, Paris, Munich & Twichenham. Quite a good tour map, though of course the full concerts rarely suffered changes or different measures as music. A clever mix to the album's recording is how the pieces don't have sharp cuts in the flow, even if they come from different concerts.

Besides the central icon that is the trio (sure, Phil Collins has a comeback himself, but without him the reunion wouldn't have made sense at all, "calling" Ray Wilson back in 1997 having meant disaster), Chester Thompson and Daryl Stuermer are also back playing percussion and bass, so moments like the drums duo are in this way a buzzing and usual entry. The concerts certainly must have had their explosive nature or their show-glow, but a bit less is heard through the CD music (a DVD is, therefore, in order).

About the Genesis pieces, precisely those pop music ones, the feeling between hearing the original, hearing other live albums and this particular one isn't very different, except when the new sound and interpretation is concretely either somewhat fresh or somehow weaker than before - or - when the artists themselves wanna spice up the show and the pieces: Collins sings good, the only breaks happening when he's using on a more romantic, mellow or bored tone. Rutherford and Banks don't do the best performance of their lives, which is why their weakest moments are the false improvisations one. As pop artists, they actually don't know, nor want, to truly improvise, so the songs weaken to some strange sounds, extra frustrating melodies or bad quickly-tuned effects.

About the Genesis music, the main interest would understandably be over the prog/oldie small share - and since some people said Genesis performed well on rehashing 70s music, the interest for the album can rise even more to someone who's ready to check it out. To a certain point, the prog part is the biggest disappointment over Live Over Europe: playing Ripples,Firth Of Filth or Carpet Crawlers is nothing special whatsoever, moreover okay, cool, expressive and into the spirit; nothing more. I Know What I Like or Los Endos, usually annoyingly poppy in the prog original albums, aren't even shaky anymore; they're nice as well. One objection to this entire idea however: In The Cage is miserable! This being said, Live Over Europe's cream of the crop is, in the end, the pop recital, full of the dynamics, beats and high pop that the 80s' dream offered. Progger or not, if you don't like to hear Pop Genesis is one thing, if you can't stand Pop Genesis is another thing, but if you can't recognize that Genesis played best Pop in this concert/live album (and throughout the 2007 tour), it's already pointless.

Finishing with the recommendation, I can only do a sterile one, since I don't find it interesting thinking about what's worthier in Genesis's music (even if the answer is obvious: prog) when listening to Live In Europe. The music of this concert is good, the package and the recording has the same nice qualities, it's a light adventure ... and so. True though, money back not guaranteed.

Track Listings

DISC ONE
1. Duke's Intro (3:49)
2. Turn It On Again (4:26)
3. No Son Of Mine (6:57)
4. Land Of Confusion (5:11)
5. In The Cage (13:30)
6. Afterglow (4:28)
7. Hold On My Heart (5:58)
8. Home By The Sea (11:59)
9. Follow You, Follow Me (4:19)
10. Firth Of Fifth (Excerpt) (4:40)
11. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) (6:45)

Total Time 71:58

DISC TWO
1. Mama (6:57)
2. Ripples (7:58)
3. Throwing It All Away (6:01)
4. Domino (11:34)
5. Conversation With Two Sticks (6:49)
6. Los Endos (6:25)
7. Tonight Tonight Tonight (Excerpt) (3:49)
8. Invisible Touch (5:35)
9. I Can't Dance (6:12)
10. Carpet Crawlers (6:00)

Total Time 67:16
Line-up/Musicians

- Tony Banks / keyboards
- Phil Collins / vocals, drums
- Mike Rutherford / guitars, bass
- Daryl Stuermer / guitars, bass
- Chester Thompson / drums

Genesis - (2000) Archive Volume 2 (1976 - 1992)

2008-07-28T22:48:00.002+07:00

Genesis - (2000) Archive Volume 2 (1976-1992)

Boxset/Compilation, released in 2000

Track Listings

CD ONE: 63:43
1. On The Shoreline (4:49)
2. Hearts On Fire (5:14)
3. You Might Recall (5:31)
4. Paperlate (3:21)
5. Evidence Of Autumn (4:58)
6. Do The Neurotic (7:08)
7. I'd Rather Be You (3:58)
8. Naminanu (3:54)
9. Inside And Out (6:43)
10. Feeding The Fire (5:51)
11. I Can't Dance 12" (7:02)
12. Submarine (5:13)

CD TWO: 72:42
1. Illegal Alien (5:31)
2. Dreaming While You Sleep (7:48)
3. It's Gonna Get Better (7:32)
4. Deep In The Motherlode (5:54)
5. Ripples (9:53)
6. The Brazilian (5:17)
7. Your Own Special Way (6:51)
8. Burning Rope (7:28)
9. Entangled (6:57)
10. Duke's Travels / Duke's End (9:31)

CD THREE: 69:37
1. Invisible Touch 12" (5:58)
2. Land Of Confusion 12" (6:59)
3. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight 12" (11:46)
4. No Reply At All (4:56)
5. Man On The Corner (4:04)
6. The Lady Lies (6:08)
7. Open Door (4:08)
8. The Day The Light Went Out (3:14)
9. Vancouver (3:03)
10. Pigeons (3:13)
11. It's Yourself (5:25)
12. Mama (work in progress) (10:43)

Total Time: 206:02
Line-up/Musicians

- Tony Banks / keyboards, 12-string guitar, backing vocals
- Phil Collins / drums, percussion, backing vocals / lead vocals
- Steve Hackett / lead guitar, 12-string guitar
- Mike Rutherford / bass guitar, lead guitar, 12-string guitar, backing vocals
- Daryl Stuermer / bass guitar, lead guitar, backing vocals
- Chester Thompson / drums, percussion

Genesis - (1998) Archive Volume 1 (1969 - 1975)

2008-07-28T22:42:00.006+07:00

GENESIS - (1998) ARCHIVE 1969 - 1975

Boxset/Compilation, released in 1998

For many years the fans of Genesis with Peter Gabriel (like me) had to listen to vinyl bootlegs, some of good quality ("In Concert 1973", from the "Selling England..." tour), some of awful quality ("Swelled and Spent", from the "Lamb" tour) to have an idea of how good were the years of Genesis with Gabriel in concert. At last, in 1998 the band released live recordings from those tours. Also, the band released other songs which were also released on bootlegs (like the BBC recordings), the "lost" b-side "Twilight Alehouse", the single "Happy the Man", and the different short lenght version of "Watcher of the Skies", plus Demos from their very early days as a band (1967-69). So, this is a very interesting Box Set,despite the overdubs to some of the live recordings.

CDs 1 and 2: The complete "Lamb" album played in concert during the 1974-75 tour.

"Swelled and Spent" was one of the few bootlegs which I listened which had a complete "Lamb" show (somewhat edited), but the recording is awful. I have listened to two Radio Shows from that tour: one very edited from the same show included in this Box Set (Los Angeles), and another recorded in Wembley, with more songs. In the Radio Show recorded in Los Angeles, the voice of Gabriel sounds good, and it has "it" recorded in concert. Tony Banks justified the inclusion of a "new studio version" of "it" in this Box Set (the same old studio version, remixed but with new vocals by Gabriel) saying that "the recording engineer forgot to change tapes, he was asleep at the job, so we lost "it""). It seems that the same source for the Radio Show were the tapes that Genesis recorded from this show. So, apart form a "mistake" from Collins, who lost the beat slighty because it seems that he threw a dum stick, the live version of "it" is still very good. In comparison, in the Wembley concert, which was recorded almost at the end of the tour, Gabriel`s vocals sound tired. "Swelled and Spent", which was recorded in May, also shows that Gabriel`s voice was tired of many dates on tour singing the complete "Lamb" album (plus one encore, and sometimes two encores). So, I think that in the case of the Los Angeles show there wasn`t, IMO, a very strong reason to overdub new Gabriel`s vocals. The band had their reasons to do it, and I respect their reasons. But...it could have been better to have the "whole real show". I think that Gabriel re-recorded most of his vocals. I think that old fans should have "forgiven" his original vocals even if they weren`t very good in some parts. The L.A concert was in January, and I think that his voice was still good enogh to leave it intact in the Box Set. It is also known that Hackett re-recorded some of his guitar parts, this is clear in "Hairless Heart" (he recorded an acoustic guitar part similar to the studio version; in the Wembley show he played this part in his electric guitar) and in "The Lamia" (he re-recorded the lead guitar). Despite this "studio tricks", the recording and mixing of the concert is very good. Unfortunately the band didn`t film a "Lamb" show during that tour which could have been a very good companion to this Box Set.

CD 3:

Recordings from the "Selling England by the Pound" tour, Rainbow Theatre, Oct. 1973: I listened to this recordings without ovedubs in the "In Concert 1973" bootleg which also includes "Cinema Show", "Watcher of the Skies" and "The Battle of Epping Forest", but not "More Fool Me". For this Box Set Gabriel also re-recorded some of his vocals, and again I think that it wasn`t really necessary, apart from the occasional out of tune vocals, Gabriel sings very well in the original live recordings (which I think that they were also broadcasted in the Radio in England in the same year). Hackett re-recorded his lead guitar part in "Firth of Fifth" (there even was a short video of Hackett filmed while re-recording this part in the official website dedicated to this Box Set). In the original live version, it seems that he lost some concentration and he played the part like he forgotten it a bit. In this case, again, I don`t think that it was really necessary to re-record it (a bit of variety in playing the songs is also interesting, IMO). I think that Gabriel and Hackett also re-recorded some of their parts in "Supper`s Ready". Again, these live recordings and mixings (of all the live songs in this CD) are very good. "Stagnation" is a BBC recording from 1971, with Collins and Hackett in the band, in a very good version of this song. "Twilight Alehouse": a B- side from 1973, a very good song from the band, one of their best. I also have listened to live versions of this song which also sound very good. "Happy the Man": a single from 1972, not very interesting for me. "Watcher of the Skies": a different version of the song, shorter in duration, which it seems it was previously available in France in a compilation called "Genesis Rock Theatre". I prefer the original version.

CD 4:

Demos from 1967 to 1969: very interesting for the old fans, and particularly for the fans of their first album. They also included some songs from that album in rough mixes without the orchestral arrangements. In this case I think that the orchestral arrangements helped the songs to sound better. The band sounds still very "inmature", but with some good quality. Some songs are naive, really, but still good. The BBC recordings from 1970: some of them are very good, like "Sheperd" (with Banks sharing lead vocals with Gabriel; Banks sang very well) and "Pacidy".

In conclusion, this is a very good Box Set.

Track Listings

DISC 1: 50:39
1. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (6:28)
2. Fly On A Windshield (4:38)
3. Broadway Melody of 1974 (0:34)
4. Cuckoo Cocoon (2:17)
5. In The Cage (7:56)
6. The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging (4:25)
7. Back In N.Y.C. (6:19)
8. Hairless Heart (2:22)
9. Counting Out Time (3:59)
10. The Carpet Crawlers (3:59)
11. The Chamber Of 32 Doors (5:52)

DISC 2: 52:31
1. Lillywhite Lilith (3:04)
2. The Waiting Room (6:15)
3. Anyway (3:29)
4. The Supernatural Anesthetist (3:57)
5. The Lamia (7:12)
6. Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats (3:15)
7. The Colony Of Slippermen (8:46)
8. Ravine (1:39)
9. The Light Lies Down On Broadway (3:37)
10. Riding The Scree (4:30)
11. In The Rapids (2:25)
12. IT (4:20)

DISC 3: 73:03
1. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight (7:05)
2. Firth Of Fifth (8:29)
3. More Fool Me (4:02)
4. Suppers Ready (26:31)
5. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) (5:36)
6. Stagnation (8:54)
7. Twilight Alehouse (7:48)
8. Happy The Man (2:54)
9. Watcher Of The Skies (3:42)

DISC 4: 72:38
1. In The Wilderness (3:00)
2. Shepherd (4:00)
3. Pacidy (5:42)
4. Let Us Now Make Love (6:14)
5. Going Out To Get You (4:54)
6. Dusk (6:14)
7. Build Me A Mountain (4:12)
8. Image Blown Out (2:12)
9. One Day (3:08)
10. Where The Sour Turns To Sweet (3:15)
11. In The Beginning (3:31)
12. The Magic Of Time (2:01)
13. Hey! (2:28)
14. Hidden In The World Of Dawn (3:10)
15. Sea Bee (3:05)
16. The Mystery Of The Flannan Isle Lighthouse (2:36)
17. Hair On The Arms And Legs (2:41)
18. She Is Beautiful (3:47)
19. Try A Little Sadness (3:21)
20. Particia (3:05)

Total Time: 248:51

Line-up/Musicians:
- Tony Banks / keyboards, 12-string guitar, backing vocals
- Phil Collins / drums, percussion, backing vocals, lead vocals
- Peter Gabriel / lead vocals, percussion, flute, bass drum
- Steve Hackett / lead guitar, 12-string guitar
- John Mayhew / drums, percussion
- Anthony Phillips / lead guitar, 12-string guitar, backing vocals
- Mike Rutherford / bass guitar, lead guitar, 12-string guitar, backing vocals
- John Silver / drums, percussion
- Chris Stewart / drums, percussion

Genesis - (1997) Calling All Stations

2008-07-28T22:36:00.006+07:00

Genesis - (1997) Calling All Stations

Studio Album, released in 1997

Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford decided to continue the Genesis name without Phil Collins. They brought into the fold a new singer named Ray Wilson who has a smooth, almost husky sounding voice. His voice is nice, but very different for Genesis-style music. The result of all this was the 1997 release of Calling All Stations.

Banks and Rutherford didn't return Genesis to their progressive rock roots (as was rumored at the time), nor did they continue in the exact same direction Collins had taken the group. They sort of took a new angle to pop rock with ever-so-slight prog tendencies. Unfortunately, the result did not fare well among pop rock fans, prog rock fans, or any fans in general. For me, Genesis now sounded like it had more in common with Alan Parsons (without the Project) in musical style. Basically pop rock songs (that sometimes went on longer than they should), with uninspired keyboard atmospherics (rather than the melodic playing we all loved from Banks), and uninspired drumming (I know some reviewers will disagree with that, but it really is uninspired). Why they didn't take advantage of the skills of Nick D'Virgilio (Spock's Beard) is beyond me. I'm sure Nick enjoyed playing with Tony and Mike, but I have to wonder if he ever thought in the back of his mind that this was some really boring stuff. At least it was good for his resumé (I think?).

For all practical purposes, this shouldn't even be considered a Genesis album. It has the feel of a collaborative project that Banks and Rutherford were a part of and lacks the cohesiveness of prior Genesis albums, even the bad ones. I've had this album for 10 years now and still wonder why I have it. Every time I try to give it another chance, I find myself skipping midway through every song. That has its advantages of course. I can listen to the whole album now in 15 minutes or less depending on how much brain degradation I'm willing to put up with. One star.

Track Listings

1. Calling All Stations (5:43)
2. Congo (4:50)
3. Shipwrecked (4:22)
4. Alien Afternoon (7:50)
5. Not About Us (4:37)
6. If That's What You Need (5:12)
7. The Dividing Line (7:44)
8. Uncertain Weather (5:28)
9. Small Talk (5:01)
10. There Must Some Other Way (7:53)
11. One Man's Fool (8:45)

Total Time: 67:25
Line-up/Musicians

- Tony Banks / keyboards
- Nick D'Virgilio / drums and percussion - tracks 4 (first half), 6, 8, 9; B-sides 6
- Mike Rutherford / lead guitar, bass guitar
- Ray Wilson / lead vocals, backing vocals
- Nir Zidkyahu / drums and percussion

Genesis - (1991) We Can't Dance

2008-07-28T22:31:00.003+07:00

Genesis - (1991) We Can't Dance

Studio Album, released in 1991

The final Genesis album with Phil Collins at the helm vocally and on the drum kit and also the last true Genesis album to go along with it, We Can't Dance was released 5 years after Invisible Touch was released and in 1991 their brand of pop rock with progressive tendencies was becoming a dying breed of music. At this point in their careers you can see a band tired and running thin on ideas, but they gave it their best and for the most part came out with a pretty solid album that yielded some great progressive pieces as well as a mixed bag of pop songs that range from melodic and full of melancholy to upbeat fast tempo pieces that are rockers at their core. If you're expecting a resurgence in the classic sound of Genesis you'll be sorely disappointed with this effort, but if you more or less like the 80s works from the groups you should like this album as it has all the flare that those albums had but kicks it up a notch.

The album opens with the harrowing mid-length piece No Son of Mine, dealing with child abuse and being disowned. Collins' passionate and heartfelt vocal would make you think that he's disowned by his own father/mother. Solid musicianship also helps this song get the point across with Rutherford taking making more use of the guitar (as he would do more often since the self-titled album). Jesus He Knows Me is a rocking number that in the end is a bit too silly and contrived for my liking. It's an okay track at best, and along with the opener and I Can't Dance was a hit off of the album. Driving the Last Spike is the first song on the album to go over 10 minutes and it's one of the more progressive pieces on the album. The lengthy middle section has some great work from Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford as well as some superb drumming from Collins. It's not the best song on the album but it is a strong piece in the end. I Can't Dance is one of the more blatantly commercial pieces on the album. Rutherford's jagged guitar performance and Collins' emotional vocals come off effectively despite it being a pretty derivative piece overall and offering nothing truly exciting to the table (despite Rutherford's great guitar performance). Never a Time is an AOR drenched pop tune that isn't particularly strong and doesn't really have a biting edge, and it's terribly formulaic at that.

Dreaming While You Sleep is a mid-length piece, reaching a tad over 7 minutes, with Collins electronic percussion swirling with the anxious synthesizers and subtle organ of Banks and the underlying lead guitar of Mike Rutherford. Although the track has no real evolution to it, it's a tasteful rocker that hints at some progressive rock at its core, but it really isn't progressive on the whole. Tell Me Why has some nice guitar work from Rutherford but is rather simplistic in terms of musicianship and predictability. Not a fantastic track, but not too bad overall. That seems to be the trend with the rest of the album until the stellar 10 minute outro Fading Lights, actually. Although it's refreshing to hear a more guitar oriented mix, it's all a bit too by the numbers if you ask me and there's nothing that is really out of the ordinary. Living Forever does feature a pretty nice Banks keyboard solo towards the end, though. Hold on My Heart, though, is probably the worst song on this album with a completely overblown soft rock feel that sounds like something Celine Dion would do (although this album was released before Celine Dion was making music if I'm not mistaken). Expect nothing really interesting or really awful at the same time until you reach the climax and the best piece of the album in Fading Lights. Beginning with percussion remnicent to that of Peter Gabriel's Biko and an atmospheric synthesizer intro, Collins' emotive and convincing vocal performance breaks into a rocking section where Banks gives one of his best keyboard solos in recent memory, matching that of some of the pieces off of And Then There Were Three... Mike Rutherford rounds it all off with an emotive guitar solo that really hits some spots Hackett would have. In the end, it's a perfect epitaph for the last song Collins would sing on the last record he would work with Genesis on (besides the subsquent tour).

In the end, We Can't Dance is a nice blend of Genesis hitting their roots (or at least trying to and coming up close in certain instances) and them trying to emulate the sound that made them superstars. For the most part, the final Phil Collins studio album with Genesis is arguably the best one (post Duke that is). It has flare, it has taste, it has style, it has probably the best post Duke Genesis song available in Fading Lights (although there are 4 or 5 songs that give it a run for its money). I don't think that most people who like the Peter Gabriel Genesis will like this album if they're hoping for something in that vein, as this is completely different from that (although Peter Gabriel wasn't straying too far from the sound this album had in his solo career). I'm in the middle on this album, as there are some great songs mixed in with some truly mediocre pieces, but I think it's an enjoyable listen for the most part. It's good in my opinion, but not essential to an early Genesis fan's collection. 3/5.

Track Listings

1. No Son Of Mine (6:38)
2. Jesus He Knows Me (4:16)
3. Driving The Last Spike (10:08)
4. I Can't Dance (4:01)
5. Never A Time (3:50)
6. Dreaming While You Sleep (7:15)
7. Tell Me Why (4:58)
8. Living Forever (5:41)
9. Hold On My Heart (4:37)
10. Way Of The World (5:38)
11. Since I Lost You (4:09)
12. Fading Lights (10:16)

Total Time: 71:26
Line-up/Musicians

- Tony Banks / keyboards, backing vocals
- Phil Collins / drums, percussion, lead vocals
- Mike Rutherford / lead guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals

Genesis - (1986) Land Of Confusion (CDS)

2008-07-28T22:27:00.002+07:00

Genesis - (1986) "Land Of Confusion (CDS)"

Tracklist:
01. Land Of Confusion
02. Land Of Confusion (Extended Version)
03. Feeding The Fire
04. Do The Neurotic

Line-up/Musicians

- Tony Banks / keyboards, synth bass, backing vocals
- Phil Collins / drums, percussion, lead vocals, backing vocals
- Mike Rutherford / lead guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals