Review – Everything But The Girl – Fuse – by Dr. Rob Fisher

“Do you sing to heal the broken hearted?” wonders Tracey Thorn with a tone of whimsical curiosity, “Or do you sing to get the party started?” Emerging from the darkness, approaching the microphone, she confesses “I like the mic, and I like the dark, I like the mood, and it lights a spark.” (Karaoke, Track 10).

It has been 24 years since Everything But The Girl were last in the spotlight. An unexpected low-key announcement on Twitter in November 2022 lit a spark with news that work on an eleventh studio album was complete and ready to be released in April of this year. The result? Fuse. A remarkable album, infused with a staggering emotional depth and poignancy that resonates with the turbulent moods and experiences of the last few years. The deft lyrical incisiveness combined with crisp, laconic sketches of modern life bestows a haunting empathy and heartfelt compassion which is profoundly moving and, at times, overwhelming.

An almost painful rawness and vulnerability form a pervading presence across all the songs on this album. The heavy dubstep beat, the tremolo bass and the lyrical references of opening track Nothing Left to Lose (Track 1) provide a seamless connection with the spirit of previous albums. Yet the despondency and resignation of the space filled by Thorn’s vocal is unmistakable: “I need a thicker skin / This pain keeps getting in.” There is also abandonment and isolation: “Tell me what to do / ‘Cause nothing works without you.” The pressing need is to forget the hollowness and lose yourself, just for a while, in the warmth of the moment: “Kiss me while the world decays / Kiss me while the music plays.”

The fear of being alone and feelings of emptiness continue with Run The Red Light (Track 2). Our hopes, our dreams of ‘making it big’ are a show bravado to cover our vulnerability. The refrain points to the (false) comfort of losing ourselves and escaping in the moment: “Run a red light / Forget the morning / This is tonight.” The chorus is recycled with both Thorn and Watt singing, the latter’s voice Auto Tuned to add a robotoic texture. The theme continues in No One Knows We’re Dancing (Track 6), a hot, noisy afternoon underground nightclub, sweat dripping from the ceiling, while ‘normal’ life continues above. Amid the isolation, we crave company, companionship, just some sense of connection with others.

The noise, the desperation, the seeming heartless indifference of the things that happen to us, threaten to consume us. Emerging from the experience of lockdown, Lost (Track 7) is a recurring arpeggio accompanying a mundane litany of losing your place, your bags, your client, your job, and your friends until, at the lowest point of all, we encounter the three times repeated “I lost my mother / I lost my mother / I lost my mother’. Loss: the feeling of being lost, is consuming. At the very place, deep down, where things matter most. Where everything is supposed to make sense.

Don’t be fooled, however. This album, the music, the songs, are most certainly not an ode to depression or a wallowing in self-pity. Far from it. Inner Space (Track 9) filters and masters Thorn’s voice to sound like the inside of her head. We are lost even to ourselves, we do not know ourselves, we do not understand who we are. “The dark is an alien place / Interior space”. But there is also defiance. In what appears to be a swipe at the menopause, she sings “And no, I don’t bleed / And yes, I am freed / But what is that worth? / Are we all about birth?”

Despite everything, the album calls on us not to give in, not to give up, not to beat ourselves up for the mistakes we make. Lost itself is a call to carry on, to keep going, to not succumb to calling yourself a loser: “I just lost it / (Call yourself a loser and they will too) / (Don’t go down that road, don’t go down that road).” When You Mess Up (Track 4) is about all the uncertainties of being ourselves as we grow older and not punishing ourselves for the mistakes we’ve made. “In a world of micro-aggressions / Little human transgressions / Forgive yourself”. Do more than that: “Have a drink, talk too loud / Be a fool in the crowd / But forgive yourself / Forgive yourself.”

Forever (Track 8) brings this home, using a ‘four-on-the-floor beat’ to punch home the message. “Do away with cruelty / Do away with pain / Do away with playing games / For short term gain.” We need to work out what is important, what matters and whom we value most. “No more games / Start thinking what you’d save from the flames / What you’ll desire / When everything’s on fire / And who’ll be around / When everything’s burned down?”

These are the things that matter. The song fades away to “Give me something I can hold on to forever.” And that, in a nutshell, is the sheer majestic strength and triumph of this album. It finds us where we are. It befriends us. It resonates with our fears, our anxieties, our troubles. It puts an arm around us and says don’t worry, life is difficult, we all struggle, and that’s ok. Everyone is going through it. You’re not the only one. Don’t be too hard on yourself; stop beating yourself up. Keep going. Focus on what matters. Oh, and don’t forget – have fun!

Musically, the crystal-clear sound stage creates cavernous spaces within which Thorn’s voice can tell the stories which brought them back to the recording studio. In the time they’ve been away, Thorn and Watt have had two children, followed solo careers, experienced lockdown all the while struggling with the passing of the years. Thorn’s voice remains incomparable, breathtaking, even better than it was. Watts’ arrangements perfectly accompany, cradle and showcase not just the inherent beauty of her voice but an instinctive feel for how less is more and how space itself is all you need for the musical magic to emerge.

Let’s finish where we started. Emerging from the darkness, approaching the microphone, Thorn asks: “Do you sing to heal the broken hearted?” A firm answer comes back: “Oh, you know I do”. She asks again: “Or do you sing to get the party started?” The definitive response comes back: “And you know I love that too.” It’s never either/or. Music can and must be both/and. Fuse is precisely how music enables both/and to become possible. It is the perfect finish to what will be, without a doubt, my album of 2023.

Video for Website
Run a Red Light: https://youtu.be/lo9b4buZCNo?list=OLAK5uy_lXCPymBj-PEvp0U2gMDWH2IBjKBbbr54g
Lost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4w4UPKzVuM&list=OLAK5uy_lXCPymBj-PEvp0U2gMDWH2IBjKBbbr54g&index=7
Karaoke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg11sPix3Z8&list=OLAK5uy_lXCPymBj-PEvp0U2gMDWH2IBjKBbbr54g&index=10

TRACK LISTING
1. Nothing Left To Lose 3:46
2. Run A Red Light 3:39
3. Caution To The Wind 4:07
4. When You Mess Up 3:48
5. Time And Time Again 2:52
6. No One Knows We’re Dancing 4:09
7. Lost 3:25
8. Forever 3:41
9. Interior Space 2:24
10. Karaoke 3:54

MUSICIANS
Tracey Thorn – Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
Ben Watt – Drum Programming, Programmed By [Sound Programming], Piano, Synthesizer, Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals, Recorded By [Additional iPhone Recordings]

ADDITIONAL INFO
Artwork – Iwantdesign.co.uk, John Gilsenan
Mastered By – Miles Showell
Producer, Arranged By – Everything But The Girl
Recorded By, Mixed By – Bruno Ellingham

Label: Buzzin Fly Records
Format: CD, Vinyl, Digital
21st April 2023

LINKS

Website: https://ebtg.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/ebtgofficial
Facebook: https://facebook.com/everythingbutthegirlofficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ebtg
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1sl8idUn1CQmPt54xaZIRA

Steve Hackett – Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo

Legendary guitarist Steve Hackett announces the dates for his 2024 UK tour: Steve Hackett – Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo.  The tour takes in 15 dates across the UK culminating with a visit to London’s Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday 23rd October. To mark the 50th anniversary of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, Hackett is including a selection of highlights from this iconic Genesis album. Tickets go on sale on Friday 29th September at 10am https://myticket.co.uk/artists/steve-hackett   

Steve Hackett’s timeless guitar-work was woven throughout Genesis’ classic 70’s catalogue of albums. In recent years he and his outstanding touring line-up of Roger King (keyboards), Nad Sylvan (vocals), Jonas Reingold (bass, backing vocals), Rob Townsend (saxophone, flutes, additional keyboards) and Craig Blundell (drums) have brought many of these albums back to the concert hall to great acclaim. Special guest, Amanda Lehmann will be joining the whole of the UK tour on guitar and vocals.  Many fans have also been asking for more tracks from The Lamb to be included. What better way to celebrate half-a-century of this remarkable album than to include a selection of Lamb Highlights alongside some of Hackett’s finest solo work and unmissable Genesis Greats.

“I’m hugely looking forward to the 2024 UK tour,” says Steve Hackett, “including ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’ favourites as well as other iconic Genesis numbers along with solo gems. It’ll also be exciting to return to the wonderful Royal Albert Hall!”

Steve Hackett – Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo tour dates 2024:

Wed 2nd October                  Aylesbury      Friars Waterside         

Thurs 3rd October                 Portsmouth   Guildhall 

Sat 5th October                     Bristol             Beacon 

Sun 6th October                    Cambridge    Corn Exchange 

Mon 7th October                   Birmingham   Symphony Hall

Wed 9th October                   Liverpool        Philharmonic

Thurs 10th October             Cardiff            St David’s Hall

Sat 12th October                   Guildford        G Live

Sun 13th October                  Stoke              Victoria Hall

Tue 15th October                  York                Barbican 

Wed 16th October               Nottingham   Royal Concert Hall 

Fri 18th October                    Glasgow        Royal Concert Hall 

Sat 19th October                  Gateshead    Glasshouse

Sun 20th October                  Manchester   Bridgewater Hall

Tue 22nd October                 Reading         Hexagon

Wed 23rd October               London          Royal Albert Hall 

Tickets go on sale on Friday 29th September at 10am.  https://myticket.co.uk/artists/steve-hackett

About Steve Hackett

Steve Hackett joined Genesis at the beginning of 1971 and gained an international reputation as the guitarist in the band’s classic line-up alongside Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins. Hackett’s intricate guitar work was a key element of Genesis’ albums from Nursery Cryme (1971) to Wind And Wuthering (1977) including the iconic Selling England By The Pound.

After leaving Genesis at the end of 1977, Hackett’s solo career, which now spans more than 30 albums, has demonstrated his extraordinary versatility with both electric and acoustic guitar. Hackett is renowned as both an immensely talented and innovative rock musician and a virtuoso classical guitarist and composer and this was recognised in 2010 when he was inducted into the Rock And Rock Hall Of Fame. He has also worked alongside Steve Howe of YES in the supergroup GTR.

Hackett’s compositions take influences from many genres, including jazz, classical and blues. For his studio works The Night Siren (2017) and At The Edge Of Light (2019) Hackett has also explored the influences of world music. Recent tours have seen Hackett celebrate his time with Genesis including a spectacular 2018 tour in which he realised a long-held ambition to perform the works of Genesis live with his band and an orchestra. 

The lockdown enforced by the 2020 global pandemic has proven to be a particularly creative period for Hackett. He began by releasing Selling England by the Pound & Spectral Mornings: Live at Hammersmith, a live recording of 2019’s hugely successful tour celebrating that Genesis classic together with the 40th anniversary of one of his most-loved solo albums. Lockdown also gave Hackett the opportunity to write and record two new studio albums in 2021: the UK Classical Chart hit Under A Mediterranean Sky and the hit rock album Surrender of Silence.

Hackett and his band enjoyed a return to touring with Genesis Revisited – Seconds Out + More! (2021) and Genesis Revisited – Foxtrot At Fifty (2022). Subsequently, the live album Genesis Revisited – Seconds Out + More!, released in 2022, became Hackett’s most successful-ever live album reaching number 28 in the UK Album Chart and achieving highest-ever chart positions in several European countries.  He recently released the live album from the 2022 tour – Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights – Live in Brighton.   Hackett takes the Foxtrot at Fifty Tour to the USA from 3rd October through to 18th November.

STEVE HACKETT Online:

www.hackettsongs.com

 www.facebook.com/pages/Steve-Hackett/123101228589

 www.twitter.com/HackettOfficial

http://hackettsongs.com/tour.html

Review – Built For The Future – 2084 Heretic

Built For The Future have been around since 2015, releasing two very well received, Sc-Fi themed, progressive albums, ‘Chasing Light’ (2015) and ‘Brave New World’ (2021). The albums are produced and performed by Patric Farrell, with vocals by Kenny Bissett.

Their new album, ‘2084: Heretic’, is a take on George Orwell’s 1984 dystopian future, as it parallels to our current times. 2084 is our future. As told through Orwell’s views and language. The album is said to be darker and heavier than anything the band have done before.

With Patric writing all of the music and Kenny providing vocals and melodies, the duo decided to return to the shorter song format and focusing on a more direct delivery and a heavier, alternative, sound.

What is immediately obvious is a very strong 90’s influence on the sound, Patric’s Fender Jazz bass really brings to mind that exciting Manchester vibe of the Happy Mondays and the like, add in Kenny’s Sci-fi intoned vocal delivery and the dominance of the Mellotron and you really get something unique and rather brilliant.

The urgent, driving nature of opener Memory Machines with Kenny’s at times strident and, at others, elegant guitar playing and the bang on tempo drumming and you could literally be in a world of machines. The bass and guitar riff at the start of The Thought Police has a real Inspiral Carpets note to it and the whole song has a cool, laid back vibe to it, I must admit I am really digging the drums on this album and the bass is ever so cool. Argot opens a little harder with an early Rush vibe to the riffing and some delicious, effects laden, guitar. Central to the concept of an Orwellian-like future that the band are trying to portray is Kenny’s unique vocal delivery. For some types of music, his voice wouldn’t really work but here he has found his home and that voice is perfect for the music.

The excellent songwriting continues with Proletariat, a dream like, thoughtful track that seems to mesmerise and mystify at the same time. Almost brooding in tone but with a chink of light just out of reach to signify hope, it’s a powerful piece of music. Supernatural has a edgy, risky feel to it from the get go, your joining something that doesn’t tow the line, you’re a rebel and you will fight for your freedom. Powerful guitars, moody keyboards and a dynamic rhythm section all combine on this musical thrill ride. That edgy feeling returns with Diaspora, a deliciously dark and heavy intro that brings to mind a dystopian underworld leads into Kenny’s powerful vocal and continues in the background. Then, from out of nowhere, comes a superb chorus that wouldn’t be amiss on a Tears For Fears album. It’s a track with a Jekyll and Hyde nature and one that makes an impressive statement.

Zeit sees Patric’s bass go all Peter Hook, it’s a modern day New Order song that just sounds so good. The way that Patric and Kenny get this brilliant sound with influences from all around and different decades is just incredible. The ebb and flow on this track lends it a feel of nostalgia and wistfulness and makes it one of the stand outs on the album. That nostalgia and longing continues into the mellotron heavy wonder of The Collective where Kenny’s voice is seeking solace and has a touch of remorse. A meaningful, profound song that leaves its mark. Title track Heretic is another driving piece of music that has the 90’s written all over it and I think it work so well with this concept, the guitar and bass are superb and exude energy and intensity. Things come to a close with the epic 101, based on Room 101 from the original Orwell novel. Ten minutes of profound wonder that hypnotises and draws you in to its embrace to leave a mantra running through your mind as the song comes to a close and the last note plays out. Like the best longer tracks, it always holds your attention. The lengthy, subdued and elegant, guitar section and the fractious, staccato piece play off each other perfectly to deliver a clever and inventive piece of music.

Built For The Future have returned with a highly accomplished piece of musical theatre, a concept album that promises a lot and delivers in every way. ‘2084: Heretic’ brings the band to another level entirely, their musicianship and songwriting is sublime and I am sure will just continue to get better and better. A highlight of the year for me!

Released 17th August, 2023

Buy from bandcamp here:

2084:Heretic | Built for the Future (bandcamp.com)

Nick Fletcher Interview with John Wenlock-Smith

I took the opportunity to talk with the ever affable, Huddersfield based, guitarist about his forthcoming new album release ‘Quadrivium’.

JWS: Good afternoon Nick, how are you doing?

NF: I’m doing very well thank you!

JWS: So let’s talk ‘Quadrivium’, What’s it all about Nick?

NF: Well the album which is fully instrumental with no vocals this time (due in part to be unable to locate vocalists who could sound right for the albums themes), it’s based upon Plato’s four noble arts, Mathematics, Astronomy, Geometry and Music. This album, ‘Quadrivium’, links three of those; Astronomy, Mathematics and Geometry, under the overall one of music, as the whole album is, in effect, music. It may be a lofty concept yet I feel it is a valid one.

JWS: It is definitely an interesting one and I found it interesting that drummer Anika Nilles hardly appears on the opening track and then her presence is strongly felt thereafter.

NF: Yes, that was a deliberate decision to ease her in gently, I think it works?

JWS: Yes, I agree, how did that tie up come about?

NF: It’s a long story so I’ll give you a shortened version of it, I was going the see Jeff Beck but the tour got cancelled because of the pandemic. It was rescheduled, which also got subsequently cancelled as well. When it was rescheduled once again, I couldn’t get a ticket, however, a friend of mine told me I’ve got tickets but we can’t go, do you want them for half price?

Well, I almost bit his hand off to get them, this was in May 2022 and when the band came onstage I was surprised to see that Vinnie Colaiuta was not amongst them, instead this young girl was on drums. I thought, what!? As I really like Vinnie as a drummer but, with the first songs, I could see why see was there (those first songs were Rumble and Isolation, the latter with Johnny Depp on guitar).

After the concert I looked her up online and got in touch to see if she would play on my next album. I heard nothing for a while and I thought she’s probably busy or not interested, so forgot about it. Then, out of the blue, I got an email saying “Hi Nick, sorry for the delay in replying but I was checking you out and, yes I would love to play on your album.”

I was gobsmacked I can say, so we talked and shared the music and Anika did her parts in Germany where she is based (in Berlin) and the results can be heard on the album. Anika has all the skills I was after, she can go from a whisper to a scream within the same track, she is a percussive powerhouse. I am very proud of the parts she played for this album, she is a phenomenal talent and I am proud to introduce her to the world on this album.

JWS: She is joined by some familiar names like Dave Bainbridge and Tim Harries, Along with your regular collaborator Caroline Bonnett who, along with being the producer, also provides keyboards.

NF: Yes, I’ve known Dave since we were both 19 and Caroline from my earlier career as a session musician for mainly Christian music artists like Dave Bilbrough and Martin Joseph, amongst others.

That Jeff Beck concert was fantastic, Jeff was a totally unique player with his own identifiable sound and style, he was a master of his art and it almost made me want to give up playing as he was so good!

JWS: I saw Jeff in Birmingham in 1982, his concert was like a guitar masterclass really, totally remarkable. He’s start a solo and something new would come out of it or that’s how it seemed to me. So, on to the new album then…

NF: Yes, well it begins with a track that is referenced in the last track of my previous album, ‘The Cloud Of Unknowing’ and the latter part of that album’s last track The Paradox Part 2, which is reprised on this album in the opening track, A Wave On The Ocean Of Eternity. In addition, The Fifth Parallel uses repeated harmonics within the track.

The album takes you on a journey through life to death, from the earth to the outskirts if the solar system. It is a journey best undertaken in a single setting so that various soundscapes can be fully heard and appreciated fully. You will find all of the styles I employ, fast, emotive, soft and heavy, although you won’t hear any whammy bar effects as I don’t use those, nor do I use any tapping techniques. I feel that this lick is a trademark of mine, it hopefully marks me as being different and yet still, hopefully, I remain interesting to listen to.

The album changes moods often within the same track and my collaborators have made this album a worthwhile listening experience.

JWS: I’d have to agree, it’s a wonderful release and one of the albums of the year, many thanks for talking to me and all the best.

NF: Thank you John, I much appreciate the comments, look after yourself.

‘Quadrivium’ was release don 15/9/23 and you can order direct from Nick’s website here:

ONLINE STORE | Nick Fletcher Guitar (nickfletcherguitarmusic.com)

Review – Nick Fletcher – Quadrivium – by John Wenlock-Smith

‘Quadrivium’ is the latest solo release from Sheffield based, highly acclaimed guitarist, Nick Fletcher who, as anyone who has seen him can testify, is a very accomplished player who can not only shred with the best of them but is also a player of taste and style. So, it is with little wonder that even Steve Hackett regards him very highly, possibly sensing a kindred spirit and, finding in Nick, a musician who strives to be the best he can be, whatever the situation in which he is found.

Well this album is particularly fine, it is entirely instrumental and it is very fusion focused. Within its tracks you can find many references and nods to those gods of fusion, from Al Di Meola, Alan Holdsworth, Pat Metheny and, of course, Jeff Beck, to point out the obvious ones. There are also a whole slew of others that Nick has drawn upon in his style and playing and this is all put together perfectly into a melting pot with this album emerging as the result. This release is a musical journey that demands listening to as a whole, you need to clear fifty-five minutes in your schedule and settle down to enjoy this masterful slice of fusion pie. It is also an album that uses lots of atmosphere and nuances to punctuate is dreamy sound, in between the bluster there are gentle moments of almost serenity occurring, this gives the album an even pace and allows individual contribution to shine, like the excellent bass work of Tim Harries who is there at every turn, propelling or  pushing the bear along as needed. His sympathetic playing adds greatly to the overall dynamics and sound, he also provides a solid platform for Nick’s fiery guitar flights of expression and frees him to really soar,

This is fusion for today with nods to the past but generally forging ahead in new directions and pathways, it is extremely musically strong and focused. I doubt if you will hear another fusion album that burns this hot, it is almost incendiary such is the firepower contained within its grooves, this is blistering in its intensity and depth of vision. Now, if fusion doesn’t usually grab you then, don’t worry as this is more than just fusion, it has great rock sections as well and some truly jaw dropping guitar playing, enough to make you sit up and even to put away your own guitar in envy. The album has eleven tracks ranging from the very brief Ziggurat Of Dreams Parts One & Two to the longer tracks like Aphelion and The Journey To Varanasi, the songs changing in style, often within the same track.

Nick is aided by several of his good friends like Dave Bainbridge and the aforementioned Tim Harries, who provide excellent keyboard and bass support. On the drums Nick has enlisted Anika Nilles (who was previously in Jeff Beck’s last band and is also a drum teacher and has her own band as well). She is very much an up and coming fusion star in the making and adds strong syncopation and delicacy along with the powerhouse drive as required. Anika is like a young Billy Cobham in style at times, in short, she is a truly exceptional talent and really makes her mark here.

The album has a theme as Nick is very interested in philosophy and especially the works of the Greek masters, Plato, Aristotle and the like. This record is based on Plato’s four noble arts, these being mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy.  Well, the music relates to either mathematics, geometry or astronomy and the whole album is music, the fun is spotting which track relates to which! There  is a lot of fun to be had by doing that, so I won’t actually tell you and leave you to find out for yourself but look at the track titles for clues. The use of Google might be of use in this task, at least you will learn something new in the process.

I always feel that, for me personally, knowing and understanding the background to a music piece aids my enjoyment and enriches it significantly. Not for nothing is the maxim that knowledge is power quoted. However, don’t let the concepts behind the music stop you from listening to this extremely masterfully delivered release, instead let knowledge lead you onwards in your journey from the inner soul to the edges of the universe, life and beyond, onwards into eternity. A very entertaining and illuminating concept for certain but also a very worthy one for our modern age.

There are so many highlights on this album from the gentle introduction of A Wave On The Ocean Of Eternity that had me in mind of Beck’s The Final Peace, with its emotive guitar lines. The Indian styled The Journey To Varanasi has some very heavy guitar parts featured prominently, in all it is a very rewarding listen and does bear repeated listening thereafter as it has many depths to be uncovered as you absorb the music fully. I also appreciate that this album ends as it begins, delicately as the circle is completed.

This album is really rather a revelation in sound as it sounds absolutely gorgeous and is extremely well recorded and produced, with a full and clear production that allows room for everything to be clearly heard. There is excellent definition with good separation between the instruments, alongside which you have really great sympathetic and skilled performances from everyone that all combines to make this an astonishing musical accomplishment. Kudos must also be given to Nicks co-producer Caroline Bonnett who aids him in this crafting so diligently and adds some fine keyboard work too.

‘Quadrivium’ is an absolute stormer of an album, most impressive and very highly recommended and is my fusion album of the year so far. There is so much to discover, to embrace and to enjoy in this mighty fine stew.

Released 15th September, 2023.

Order the album from the artist’s website here:

ONLINE STORE | Nick Fletcher Guitar (nickfletcherguitarmusic.com)

John Wenlock-Smith Interviews Steve Hackett

JWS: Good morning Steve, how are you?

SH: Morning John, yes I am good, thank you.

JWS: You’ve just come back from South America haven’t you?

SH: Yes, we’ve done three weeks over there and spent the last week back here recording. In fact, I’m putting the finishing touches to a new album this very day.

JWS: What is that going to be?

SH: It is a new rock album.

JWS: So any nice long tracks for me to enjoy on this?

SH: Well I am trying to link it all together so it’s a continuous journey. I was actually talking to Jo about that earlier, about how much space do we leave between things. There a short guitar instrumental that I think my mother will like, it’s only short but it has the trill of the guitar that makes it exciting, There was a guy I was playing with in South America called Luis Fernandes and his band Genetics, I’d call him a jazz rocker really, we were trading solos, it was a lot of fun.

I was playing with my Fernandes (guitar), I have two of them, one was Gary Moore’s but I think mine is actually sounding better than his at the moment. These things change as guitars sound different every day. It’s very strange how it changes from day to day and, you know, I can tell the difference. Others say it sounds like it normally does but I can tell when it’s responding differently, some times its the electricity but other times it something else but I can tell.

I’ve just had to get my Iron Man pedal refined, it had stopped working, so I’ve had it rebuilt. It’s actually more of a treble booster that gives you a bit of an edge to your sound and it’s all good now after failing in South America.

JWS: So I’ve heard the new ‘Foxtrot at 50’ live album, I have to say it sounds really good, very clear sounding with good clarity to the vocals too.

SH: Well that’s because we had it mixed by Chris ‘Lord-Alge’ to get that clarity of sound. I’ve not heard the Blu-Ray of the concert yet though, I’ve seen it but not heard it properly. That’s all up in Norfolk at the moment but I’m expecting it to sound equally as good though.

JWS: We saw that tour in Buxton at the Opera House and we thoroughly enjoyed it, especially as it is such a great little venue, very old and very intimate.

SH: Yes that is a great venue, as is Holmfirth in Yorkshire, where they filmed ‘Last Of The  Summer Wine’. That is similar to Buxton, plus Buxton is easy for my brother John to join us as he lives in Sheffield.

JWS: I think John was with you when we saw you.

SH: Possibly, I am very pleased for how things are working out so well for him at the moment, his band, The John Hackett Band, are getting more recognition and getting good reviews, he deserves it and they are an excellent band musically too.

JWS: Actually my wife and I got married in part because of you.

SH: Really, why’s that?

JWS: When we first met we were talking and she asked what I did in my free time and I said I write music reviews and do interviews. Then I told her that I had spoken to you and she said the exact words my brother had said, “Steve Hackett from Genesis rang you!”

Then, when you did the first Genesis Revisited 2 shows in Manchester, we came along and she was overwhelmed by it all. She was very emotional, especially for Firth of Fifth, and the guitar solo reduced her to tears of happiness and joy, it was such an emotional time for her, she really enjoyed it so much.

SH: See, my mother says that I think the guitar solo does that to her, it seems to get to people, it’s a lovely melody to play as it sounds a little bit like Erik Satie. Of course, Tony Banks wrote it on piano and it has a kind of eastern melody a million miles away from what it sounds like on the guitar. It’s almost like an adagio where the guitar functions like a voice, it takes me back to my Quiet World days.

That solo seems to do things to people so a german, two French people an English guitarist and an English man came up with the whole thing. When I play that solo I feel quite secure in knowing that it’s a really good piece of music. With a nod to Bach and Erik Satie and even Ravel in the piano solo!

JWS: Anyway Steve, I think my time has gone so I’ll say thank you for your time, we’ll speak again soon I hope, keep well.

SH: Yes thanks John, you too, au-revoir for now.

Review – Steve Hackett Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton

2022 Saw Steve Hackett fully re-emerging from the spectre of frustration over a few difficult years thanks to the pesky worldwide pandemic that affected much of the wield and disrupted how we lived and interacted with each other. It was, indeed, a turbulent, nay difficult, time for many, which saw lots of planned activities being thwarted.

So what did Steve do? he decided to mark the 50th anniversary of this ground-breaking album by touring it with his band, first playing a set of his solo material and then, in the second half, playing ‘Foxtrot’ in full and in sequence, along with a few other select tracks to round it out to a full two hour show. I have to say this set certainly makes an impression, you may ask why do we need another meander through the Genesis archives or do we actually want or need one? Well, on the evidence of this fine live document the answer is a resounding yes! We do both want and need this documented in such style.

On this album you will find Steve and his band are on top form and really making their mark with the sublime music and enthralling the added demographic audience of Brighton in the process. Okay, there is nothing new here, recent but not actually new, but still this is so beautifully recorded and wonderful sounding that it brings fresh insight and the realisation of the sheer quality of the material being performed. Steve especially is on very fine form here making his guitar sound sumptuous and masterful at the same time. His tone on Spectral Mornings alone puts many other players to shame, such is the clarity of the album. It is truly exceptional in sound, crystal clear with great separation between the instruments and clear vocals and harmonies bring heard, it’s almost like the band are in your front room, so good is the sound.

Standouts of the first set for me are The Devil’s Cathedral with it’s dark tones, hint of menace and some suitably gothic touches in the tale of an ambitious theatrical understudy who takes thing into his own hands to achieve success, a lively spirited take on Spectral Mornings and an urgent Every Day. Along with this are an effect laden A Tower Struck Down with all sorts of creaking noises occurring This has a swagger and muscular thrust to it missing from other live versions, it really crackles with energy and menace and it really sounds excellent and extremely well performed. There is also, of all things, a bass solo, thankfully this doesn’t overstay its welcome unduly and, in addition, it does reveal Jonas Reingold to be an inventive player, his addition of a well known riff will make you smile.

Camino Royal comes over very well, this song with it roots in New Orleans music and benefits greatly from the jazzy interludes of Rob Townsend’s woodwinds before a blistering guitar solo from Steve takes the track forward, a wonderful piece that most definitely impresses greatly. Then we have the final part of the short set of Steve’s own material with a shortened section of Shadow Of The Hierophant that features Amanda Lehmann on vocals. This is only a truncated version though, not the  full length one. However, even so, it is still great to hear this in any form as it is such a graceful number. The clever use of dynamics really makes this a memorable version of this slow burn of a song, it builds in its intensity very well indeed, all reaching towards its heady conclusion. Then oddly, on the CD, we have the evening’s final two songs Firth of Fifth and Los Endos.

Firth of Fifth needs little introduction really but here we receive another fine rendering of this all time classic song. Once again, the vocals are clearer than on many other versions, all of which lends a fresh appreciation for this majestic track and, as always, the manner in which it builds up to that guitar solo, possibly the most famous one in the whole Genesis canon, when it arrives you are rewarded not only by the solo but also the busy bass that underpins it so eloquently and adds to it impressiveness. This in itself is a new revelation to the jaded listener, another impressive take on a classic song, utterly sublime. We have the short but very impressive drum solo from Craig Blundell that leads into Los Endos which is faithfully reproduced here, with lots of input from Rob Townsend.

The second disc contains the rest of the ‘Foxtrot’ album in sequence and begins with the excellent and stylish power of Watcher Of The Skies with it’s menacing mellotrons that create an atmosphere of impending doom most convincingly and more than adequately. Nad Sylvan has been on top form throughout these sets and he really comes to prominence here delivering a near perfect vocal performance. At times a lesser known and certainly less celebrated track but here it is well covered and the eloquent bass from Jonas Reingold raises its profile dramatically in a really delicate and moving rendition. Next we have the ever relevant political comment of Get ‘Em out by Friday, about unscrupulous landlords evictions of undesirables (in this instance, refugees). Well, fifty years after it was written, nothing has changed, landlords are still doing the same things to gentrify and basically make even more money.

Can Utility and the Coatliners follows and this almost pantomime track is lively enough but I don’t really get it, somehow its meaning is hidden from me. The brief solo classical guitar piece Horizons is the forerunner to the album epic, and much loved, Supper’s Ready, which here receives a very warm welcome and we are treated to a wonderful version of this astonishing track with all its parts performed to the always high standards that Steve expects. This is a masterfully delivered take on the classic and brings this album and concert to a close.

The Blu-Ray is equally as fine and has a 30 behind the scenes sections which are well worth seeing. Overall this set is excellent and the Blu-Ray makes it even more worth the money. It is another fine milestone in Steve’s career and, with new music well underway, watch this space.

Released 15th September, 2023.

Order direct from the artist here:

Steve Hackett | Steve Hackett (hackettsongs.com)

Mariusz Duda Unveils New Album ‘AFR AI D’, Out November 17th Via Kscope

Riverside mastermind Mariusz Duda returns with fourth solo album ‘AFR AI D’ out November 17th via Kscope. 

Mariusz Duda has always been fascinated by the telling of a story, idea or concept.

Whereas on previous album ‘Lockdown Trilogy’, Mariusz Duda wanted to capture a snapshot of life during the pandemic the renown progressive mastermind, this time explores the concept of AI as disruptor. His new solo record looks at the growing commodification of AI and specifically with artificial intelligence entering the mainstream.

Using the notion of ChatGPT and Midjourney and the increasing use of deep fakes as a springboard, ‘AFR AI D’ explores these interesting and forward thinking theories musically just as much as it does conceptually.

Unveiling ‘AFR AI D’ first single ‘Embracing The Unknown’ the track is the longest composition on the album and a fitting representative. The changing musical moods and rhythm are characteristic not only of the new album but of all Mariusz Duda music released under his own name.

“I’m happy I can continue this instrumental electronic music journey,” says Duda.

“I love these evocative sounds. Contrary to what the title of the album suggests, I am not afraid of new technologies. I think AI is just another tool which, over time, we will learn to use in a better way, and which will speed up work in many areas. In spite of a slight subconscious fear of the unknown, I am ready to embrace the future :)”

He’s also shared a video for first single  ‘Embracing The Unknown’ which you can view now: 

The album opens with the ominous sounds of the aptly titled ‘Taming Nightmares’ acting as a musical signpost to this new dawn of machine learning. It’s followed by Interstellar nod of ‘Fake Me Deep, Murf’ and later by the TRON like ‘Mid Journey To Freedom’.

Off the back of ‘Bots’ Party’ we move into the emotive arpeggios of ‘I Love To Chat With You’ that whisks you straight into the mind of Theodore Twombly falling for an operating system. The album later ends on the cold and unfeeling introspection of ‘Embracing The Unknown’.

In a world where truth is often camouflaged by deception the electronic heartbeat of ‘AFR AI D’ can never lie. Or can it?

AFR AI D’ Track listing:  

1. Taming Nightmares [07:20] 

 2. Good Morning Fearmongering [05:14]  

3. Fake Me Deep, Murf [04:48] 

4. Bots’ Party [05:00]  

5. I Love To Chat With You [03:43] 

6. Why So Serious, Cassandra? [04:56] 

7. Mid Journey To Freedom [03:08]  

8. Embracing The Unknown [08:00] 

German artist and illustrator Hajo Müller (Steven Wilson) appears once again carrying on the legacy of Mariusz Duda’s artwork as the two have collaborated throughout Mariusz’s solo album career. Mariusz also performs all instruments throughout the album except for guitar solos performed by Mateusz Owczarek 

‘AFR AI D’ was recorded throughout May and June 2023 at Serakos Studio in Warszawa, with engineering by Magda and Robert Srzedniccy and mastered by Robert Szydło.

The album is available in a variety of formats that include LP, Magenta LP, CD and Digital. 

Pre-order HERE (https://MariuszDudaKscope.lnk.to/AFR_AI_D)

About Mariusz Duda:

Mariusz Duda is a Polish musician, songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. The leader of the progressive rock band Riverside, and the founder of the solo project Lunatic Soul. His musical interests span from rock and metal, through pop and folk, to electronic and ambient music.

Review – Tiger Moth Tales – The Turning Of The World – by John Wenlock-Smith

This October sees the release of this latest album from Tiger Moth Tales which is, of course, the moniker under which multi-instrumentalist Peter Jones operates and releases his own music. Peter is a highly respected and regarded musician who also fronts Red Bazar as keyboardist and vocalist while also doing the same for Cyan and, more recently, Camel. He is also a member of Francis Dunnery’s It Bites and, in addition, Peter also has a dedicated following and has performed several Mothster parties as warm ups to Big Big Train shows (usually in London at venues near to where the BBT shows are taking place.)

All this is pretty remarkable, especially when you consider that Peter is totally blind and yet still strives to create new music, usually labouring by multi-tracking and mixing using an old 8-track recorder. His music really is a labour of love for him, it must take him a long time to get the sounds he envisages in his mind on tape when recording, but this he does and then shares these fruits of his labours with the world.

‘The Turning Of The World’ follows a different tack to earlier Tiger Moth Tales‘ albums in that it was composed mostly on acoustic guitar and, whilst this lends a softer tone to proceedings, it is abundantly clear who it is performing this music such is the uniqueness of Peter’s voice and the sound is easily recognisable as  a Tiger Moth Tales release.  

For this album Peter is in a fairly upbeat mood and it is clear that Peter, once again, is in a happy place and this comes across in the more personal, and even intimate, songs about friendships, family, love and life, several of which are autobiographical in their lyrics.

Proceedings commences with a short scene-setting instrumental, The Getaway, that  represents the madness, discord and overall business of the modern world in which we live in a post-covid age. The album’s first proper song, per se, is The Turning Of The World which concerns itself with Peter’s fear that, with the world being in the state it is, revolution is on the cards, although whether Peter’s fears are justified or merely baseless is as yet unknown. Peter is concerned about how a victory would look and how its winners would behave, this song makes good use of a melodica to make the song sound plaintive. This is in complete contrast, in terms of emotions, to So Wonderful To Be Alive, which is a composite of childhood memories that Peter holds dear. This song name-checks his grandparents fondly and the adventures they shared together, it also talks of Peter’s teenage years. The track is hinged on a fine acoustic riff, played with the style and progresses onto Peter’s memories of a very happy wedding day with his wife, Kimberly. He sings with real love, gratitude and fondness for her presence in his life. This is followed by the albums longest track, The Snail, The Horse And The River, which concerns itself with using nature to look at how you are feeling. This is possibly mindfulness in practice as Peter says it represents three instances where looking at nature really helped his mood. The first was as a child when a beloved pet had died and Peter felt a Snail moving beneath his fingers helped him to be able to move onward. The second was an interaction with a horse. Peter has a timbre that has tones of Peter Gabriel, his voice is rich, warm, gentle and mellow, it is quite remarkable in fact, there is also good use of a zither alongside the melodica.

Try is about perseverance, resilience or, as we used to call it, gumption! The ability to keep trying and carry carrying on with something, this is a clarion call to keep trying and is a lesson we can all learn from, I think! We’ll Remember is a song that is written about the unexpected and sudden death of David Longdon of Big Big Train with whom Peter recorded a version of Spectral Morning that was recorded in 2015 in aid of The Parkinson’s Society. When the sad news of David’s death was announced, Peter wrote this song in response and, to help him work out his emotions, he bought in Rob Reed and Christina Booth of Magenta to assist him in this touching tribute. Pass It On has another taste of the smooth sound and is again based of his memories of people who have passed on. This song mentions some of those folk, and how we should pass on the kindnesses we have received to others. The Good People Of Munchwald recalls the positive memories that Peter has of a house concert that he was invited to play at in Muchwald in Germany and the friends he made and excellent hospitality that he and his wife received whilst there.

You reached for My Hand is a very personal song, one that details the time that Peter’s father was in hospital and held his hand for support. Thankfully his father made a full recovery but this tender song recounts that time. The Lock Keeper is  ostentatiously about a lock keeper but, in actuality, it is about The March Of Progress and how, in that quest, skills are being lost, never to be replaced and how this, in effect, can make the world a poorer place as a result. It’s very interesting and realistic song that really makes good use of that softer toned. The track has a lively sax and melodica section to it but, for me the song doesn’t really go anywhere special. This is definitely not the case with the last song of the album, All I Need Today, which begins with open guitar chords and sounds not unlike Genesis’ more acoustic moments. The track has underlying keyboards and what sounds like a clarinet but is actually the returning melodica playing and makes for a very full sound. It is a warm song and Peter expresses how his wife and marriage help him to realise the good things he has in his life, in part because of her presence. It is a positive and touching note on which the album concludes.

This is a very different type of Tiger Moth Tales‘ album but its deep subject matter and its thoughtful words and sentiments are actually very worthy and act as a good counterpoint to the downbeat ‘Whispering Of The Wind’ of 2020. Whilst this album has some darker songs there is a prevailing sense of gratitude and warmth within and around these songs, which are a bit more direct emotionally.

It is good to hear Peter singing these songs as, from the heart, this emotionally direct approach pays rich dividends here indeed. I’m pretty sure that Peter’s next album will see him return to the style we have come to know and love but for now he asks us to embrace this different and yet deeply compelling album. Different? Yes, Enjoyable still? Definitely! Embrace it now, I think you will enjoy it if you do.

Released 6th October, 2023.

Pre-order the album from White Knight Records here:

Tiger Moth Tales (whiteknightshop2.co.uk)

Review – Psychoyogi – Brand New Face – by John Wenlock-Smith

Psychoyogi are a band who hail from London and who describe themselves as ‘left field, punk jazz’ and their music as being a diverse mixture of instrumental colours, melodies and words. Their songs offer current social and political critique alongside personal moments, which is a way of saying that they are a little different and, possibly, an acquired taste for many. I personally like them a lot but I can understand why some would struggle to get the drift.

In Chris Ramsing they have a talented and imaginative guitarist and vocalist who has a different view of the modern world and feels strongly that persons who upset the apple cart should be held accountable. One thing that will definitely assist in getting to the heart of this album are the very clever and intelligent lyrics for the songs which can be found on the band’s website:

PsychoYogi Leftfield punk jazz

So, what this latest album all about? First, the details, ten tracks in total and an approximate forty-two minute duration. The five band members are Chris Ramsing (Guitar and Vocal), Izzy Stylish (Bass), Justin Casey (Drums) , Toby Nowell (Sax and Trumpet), Ben Woodbine- Craft (Violin) and there is a guest, Tim Smart from The Specials who provides trombone, all of which makes for a great sounding album.

The album opens with Destitution, which is about the gulf between the have and the have not’s, i.e. the rich and the poor. In the lyrics there is the call for a redress of the balance, which isn’t on the cards for the foreseeable future but at least the opinion is clearly stated here. Musically this song fuses Zappa-ish guitar along with trumpet and violin to create a pleasing soundscape. In fact, the interaction between the brass and the strings is very fine indeed, a different but pleasing sound that lends itself well to the music being played. I am reminded of 80’s jazz outfit Working Week who took a similar musical approach. Arts and Farces is about creating art and the issues that raises in being true to yourself. Again the brass is sympathetic and supportive and makes for a lovely track. The Process opens with a languid and sneaking guitar line, which is supplemented by that excellent brass section once again. Even I can find the music of Psychoyogi challenging at times but I am also very aware of its ability to stay in your mind for days, usually it’s a little melody of line that achieves this effect. The track itself is about the relentless onslaught of change that is all around us. Whether we like it or not, we are all caught up in the endless march onward, all in the name of progress There is a great section where the use of percussion interludes marry up with the guitar to create some moments of almost peace and serenity before everything gallops forwards once more, a most interesting song indeed.

A Happier Song actually isn’t that happy at all, rather it, once again, points out the disparity in today’s society. It’s a common theme for Psychoyogi and makes their music that rare beast, intelligent but also unafraid to challenge and question, which I feel adds to its validity. Hence the left field punk tag, as wasn’t that what the punks were trying to do in the late 70’s? We then have The Chase, nothing to do with the quiz show but rather more of an instrumental that allows the violin to perform a longer part and take centre stage There are parts that almost sound like a Celtic jig with brass interjections playing in harmony. The drums are mostly using deft touches and brushes rather than powering ahead, this is a very welcome change and allows the musicians to really showcase their imagination imagination and skills. All this make this the album’s standout track thus far for me as it is very musical with great performances from all parties. The album’s title track, Brand New Face, has interesting and questioning lyrics, there is a lovely trumpet part that leads to a brief flurry of Chris’ guitar, a real flight of fancy. There is also a brilliant recurring guitar motif the underpins the track and makes it yet another impressive song that definitely gets the thumbs up from me.

We are then on the final stretch home for the album with Opportunity, Everything Before and Open Season. These three songs continue the questioning and challenging nature of the band again to good effect, showing that Psychoyogi’s music is never less than interesting, difficult, uneasy listening for sure, but still wholly worthwhile. The final track, Find Peace Within, is superb, again brass heavy but not overpowered. It has a slinkiness to it that greatly appeals. This song is about coping with modern life and urges us to find peace within when all around us is tumultuous, again worthy sentiments for sure but, possibly not always within our grasp!

My verdict on this very clever release is, if you like quirky, intelligent and questioning music then this new Psychoyogi album might just be your thing. I liked it for sure, especially the fabulous interaction between the guitar, violin, trombone and trumpet that all meld into a truly glorious sound.

Released September 29, 2023.

Order from bandcamp here:

Brand New Face | PsychoYogi (bandcamp.com)