Tryin’ to make some changes:
Steve Jansen & Richard Barbieri ‘Stone To Flesh’ - well good album from 1995 with some stellar guest axeing from Steven Wilson. Plenty of PT and Japan-like vibes throughout, unlike
The Dolphin Brothers ‘Catch The Fall’ - Jansen & Barbieri’s second post-Japan collaboration was a much poppier affair, with plenty of focus on Jansen’s pleasing (if no match for his brother’s) vocals;
Southern Empire S/T - quality prog metal from the other side of the world. Nothing earth-shatteringly original, but diehard prog heads will dig their three albums to date. One track lasts thirty minutes. Well, if you’re gonna nail your colours to the prog mast, don’t hold back!
UFO ‘Force It’ - there’s a common misconception that rock in the pre-1976 years was guilty of being over-elaborate and boring. This album is a rare case for the defence. Quality hard rock like this defies age and genre boundaries;
Uriah Heep ‘Chaos & Colour’ - Heep’s 2023 sound has much of the same organ and guitar dominance that defined them, though only Mick Box remains from their halcyon days. Can’t help but enjoy this, however predictable it sounds most of the time;
Neil Young ‘Harvest’ - ‘Alabama’ aside, for some reason this didn’t connect with me this week. Can’t explain why;
Iggy and the Stooges ‘Raw Power’ (Bowie mix) - fifty goddamn years old, and still miles ahead of everything else. If you’re alone and you got the shakes;
Peter Hammill ‘The Future Now’ - Hammill in stripped down, post-band mode, on a record I’ve loved since my teen years. Who else would rhyme “lemmings’ with “Hemmings”?
Slade ‘Nobody’s Fools’ - between their glam heyday and their metal resurgence, Slade’s songwriting was at its bravest - but few cared. This 1976 album is far more varied and interesting than you’d expect. I feel an Unsung review in my water;
Richard Thompson: Tyne Theatre, Newcastle 19/6/23 - Richard caught acoustically earlier this year, quietly blowing up a storm as only he can;
Vince Guaraldi Trio ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ - the only popular Xmas music that I can tolerate. Hell, that's putting it mildly: I absolutely LOVE this;
Bobby Naughton ‘The Haunt’ - free improvisations on vibes, trumpet and reeds that are far more engrossing than you’d imagine;
Anthony Hammond ‘Une Nuit de Noel’ - lovely album of seasonal Parisian music played on the organ of Cirencester Parish Church. Highlight is Marcel Dupre’s stellar ‘Variations sur un Noel’, Op.20 which really shakes the rafters. Far more festive than Noddy or Shaky;
Thomas Laing-Reilly ‘Adeste Fideles - Organ Music for Christmas’ - more of the above, this time from the organ of St Cuthbert’s Church in Edinburgh. This one’s highlight is Cochereau’s ‘Variations on Adeste Fideles’. Burst your woofers with that mother, oh ye faithful;
Bach: Motets (Bach-Collegium Stuttgart/Helmut Rilling) - sublime choral music that doesn’t require religious faith to be moved by. Nor does
Brahms: Marienlieder, Op.22 & Mathias: Ave Rex, Op.45 (BBC Singers/Simon Joly) - proper seasonal music devoid of whams, mariahs, shakeys and bandaids;
Franck: Violin Sonata (Tasmin Little & Piers Lane) - a performance so good you wish that Tasmin hadn’t retired so early. The music is sublime, too.
Honey, we’re goin’ down in history.
If it means anything to you, have a happy thingmy.
Dave x
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