Tag: John Wenlock-Smith

Review – Pattern Seeking Animals – Friend Of All Creatures – by John Wenlock-Smith

Pattern Seeking Animals have recently released ‘Friend of All Creatures’, their fifth album in five years. They have also changed the label from InsideOut to G.E.P but, otherwise, it’s pretty much the same as earlier releases, i.e. this is a band that, in tandem with excellent writer John Boegehold, take the core of Spock’s Beard to create new music that is not suitable for the Beard and release it under the PSA banner. As a result, John has an alternative outlet for his newly written music, making it a win-win situation for all parties.

With Spock’s Beard being largely inactive in recent years, largely involved in other things but still a going concern as such, it is into this vacuum PSA have stepped to fill the gap. They operate in a similar vein, offering longer progressively inclined songs with meaning, and with no lack of skill, to craft strong, modern sounding music that will appeal to progressive music followers.

This new album continues in that same style, by offering a further seven tracks of carefully curated prog rock. As is usually the way with Pattern Seeking Animals, you need to hear the album a few times for the songs to “drop” as it were. Certainly familiarity with the music will definitely be to your benefit. Again, I can hear Elements and traces of bands like Kansas and Styx in how the songs are built in layers and with hooks everywhere to grab your attention.

The album starts with Future Perfect World, which is one of the four longer tracks. It starts with a simple riff and lots of keyboards gently playing away, there is also some Hammond organ at points, creating a very good wall of sound. The vocals from Ted Leonard are pitched perfectly, as one would expect. The group is a four piece with guitar and vocals from Ted, drums from Jimmy Keegan, bass from Dave Meros and keyboards, programming, mellotron, guitar and ronrocco (mandolin like stringed instrument from the Andean regions) from John Boegehold. John also provides some vocals and production, in Reality he is the driving force of the band, although more than ably assisted by the others. The song has a strong chorus and is very much an ear worm of a track, barely a moment being wasted as each minute adds new textures and complexities. Another Holy Grail is the album’s longest track and is a very complex creation with lots happening at various points. The song seems to be about searching for a way to move forward in an ever changing world. There are sections of orchestrations in this track which split the track into sections really, making for a long track but a very briskly moving one that is always changing in a new direction and this keeps the interest throughout. I really like that the song evolves over its twelve minute length. Down The Darkest Road has a haunting, mournful beauty to it with a moving viola line and part from Eliza James which adds beauty to the song. It also has a strong chorus calling us to follow down the darkest road, a very captivating track indeed. In My Dying Days is equipped with a Duane Eddy type guitar type riff and also has a great brief solo from Ted, who continues to grow in confidence in his playing on every album.

The Seventh Sleeper begins with a sequencer playing a repeated motif before a synth lazily winds its way across the track. This is aided by fine rhythmic support from Jimmy and Dave and underpinned by some rhythm guitar lines from Ted, who sounds very much like Steve Walsh of Kansas here, no bad thing for me at all The track is laid back in tone with an almost piano bar part in it, all very languid really despite a sinewy guitar line playing. I do like this song as its somewhat different to what PSA normally deliver and it certainly stays with you. The brief Days We’ll Remember has a laid back feel, along with a strong chorus that swells in sound. The song is about memories that stay with you for a long time and is a very upbeat song and, lyrically, extremely strong, another great track. The album finishes with Words Of Love Evermore, another longer track with strong synths in the opening section and great guitar from Ted. To me, the song’s meaning is a little obscure but a lively guitar solo towards the end grabs the attention significantly. It’s a very interesting track and one that concludes another fine set from the band. 

Pattern Seeking Animals continue their ongoing progression as they develop and improve album by album. ‘Friend of All Creatures’ is another highly recommended album from a group who continue to grow in stature and this album shows that very clearly.

Released February 14th, 2025.

Order digital from bandcamp here:

https://pattern-seekinganimals.bandcamp.com/album/friend-of-all-creatures

Order the CD from GEP here:

Pattern-Seeking Animals – Friend of All Creatures

Review – Random Option – One – by John Wenlock-Smith

David Jones (bassist for both The Swan Chorus and Mama) is a very productive man indeed. This new release following on from his own solo album of 2022, he excellent, almost art rock influenced, prog album which saw him join forces once again with Brian Hulse and Peter Goddard, who were both involved with an earlier album that Tim Bowness was involved with called ‘Moonshot’. An album which was part of the inspiration for Tim’s own album of 2017, ‘Lost In The Ghost Light’, which chronicled the fading years of a fictitious classic rock musician. This concept was explored more fully on the ‘Moonshot’, and all of these had David’s involvement to some degree.

This latest release from David is both a departure from, and also a reinvention of the styles he has used in these other projects, not forgetting the 2023 release of The Mousetrap Factory, which featured older material being reappraised and approached with fresh ears and better technology, alongside more experience. Much as Robert Reed has done with his Cyan albums and to a similar good effect.

The album has eight tracks of differing lengths and moods, the first of these, Tomorrow, has an instrumental opening section of acoustic guitar before the drums of James Cooper come powerfully into the sound. Next comes the guitar of Brian Hulse and then David’s meaty bass and the organ of Anthony Wretham complete the mix. After all this excitement there are the excellent vocals of David’s Swan Chorus bandmate, John Wilkinson, who is proving himself to be a big asset to anything he is involved with, like the excellent Ellesmere album of last year and his own solo album, ‘Imposter Syndrome,’ which was my favourite vocal album of last year. Well, here again he is in very fine voice and with material that is interesting enough to give him a platform on which to shine once more. As Blue As The Sky has an almost ambient sounding opening and bears a strong resemblance to the great music that Swan Chorus make. There’s great piano from Anthony Wretham again and another strong vocal that, along with a graceful guitar line from Brian, make this another winning song for me, it has a real majesty to it. Redemption again opens with ambient sounds and a gentle piano motif. There are also some soaring vocalisations from Sian Doyle which greatly impress, as does her harmony vocals in the main body of the song It is a bit of slow burner of a track, very atmospheric in tone but very impressive all the same. A heavier, more typically prog, section follows with great organ from Anthony and an almost spiralling synth line being played. This is another longer yet very strong track. Autumn Song is next and this is a lot lighter in tone and has a definite bounce to it. I really like this one, it has some great effects in it and a fine melody as well.

The album’s Title song One has more ambient background sounds in its opening part before a strong and harder riff is introduced along with powerful bass and some great guitar lines from Brian The track then returns to bass for a more delicate part with tinkling piano and Hammond organ before another fine line from Brian is added. The drums and bass re-emerge once again before John’s vocal commences. After the first verse the song changes tack and becomes more of a gentle canter, all very effective, before the heavier, powerful part from before begins once again, giving great dynamics to the track. We then move into a gentle and more dreamlike section with simple drums and more evocative guitar. This is another fine track enlivened by fabulous performances from all parties as the song gently fades away. Along Similar Lines sees vocalist Peter Goddard of The Mousetrap Factory deliver the vocals. A long-time collaborator of David Jones, he basically speaks the words over the music, which has a distinctly 80’s sound to it, possibly to recreate the style The Mousetrap Factory used to operate within. Sail Towards The Sun is the albums penultimate song and begins with delicate acoustic guitar melodies and expansive keyboards. It’s all very gentle and captivating before a strident synth line begins and John starts singing once again. The final track, World Is Changing, expands in sound with a strong chorus and more synths, the song has impassioned vocals and a delicate beauty to it and is a fitting conclusion to what has been a very worthwhile album of great material from David and his colleagues.

Also worthy of mention is the very atmospheric artworks from Anthony Wretham who work adorns the cover and inside sleeve of the digipak cd version

I really enjoyed this album, I feel it has a lot to commend it and, whilst we all wait for the next Swan Chorus album to emerge (sadly without John Wilkinson’s vocal), this fine album will fill the gap in the interim.

Released 1st march, 2025.

Order from bandcamp here:

https://randomoption.bandcamp.com/album/one

Review – The Far Cry – Once There Was – by John Wenlock-Smith

I came across ‘Once There Was’ via a post from Don Skazin on the Prog Explorations Plus Facebook page and was suitably intrigued enough to reach out the band offering to review the album for Progradar, proof indeed that social media can make a difference. I contacted Jeff Brewer, The Far Cry’s vocalist and bassist who very kindly sent me a CD of the album to get to grips with.

The album has four songs, ranging in length from the short (by their standards at least) The Following through the longer tracks, Unholy Waters and Crossing Pangea, to the truly epic 12-part title track Once There Was. Alongside Jeff are Robert Hutchinson on drums, percussion and spoken word, Chris Dabbo on keyboards and vocals and finally Brendan Kinchla on guitars. The album is encased in a neat digipak sleeve with a booklet with full credits and lyrics.

To my ears, Unholy Waters bears a strong resemblance in sound to the legendary band U.K. Especially in both the keyboards and vocals. This is not a criticism, merely a comment that do find this track similar in style. Mind you, I like U.K. a lot, so this works for me too. Many a band wear their influences on the sleeves clearly but, when the music is as good as this, it doesn’t really matter or devalue it at all, especially as U.K. are no longer in existence as such. The song concerns itself with mysterious places like the Bermuda Triangle and the like and the lyrics reflect this very convincingly. I especially like the strong bass work from Jeff and the Holdsworth-esque guitar line from Brendan, which adds great dynamics to the very impressive sound of the album.

Crossing Pangea is an instrumental with a suitably journeying sound to it, giving the impression of movement or travelling. There are lovely fluid guitar lines running through it and the urgent rhythm section powers the track along very happily and impressively. I really do like this track as its moods are very strong and different showing that these musicians are very talented and highly competent in their playing abilities. There are some great piano and synths on this track and it rattles along through its twelve and half minute run time in some style. There’s a great bass part from Jeff on this track, really strong and when overlayed with the keyboards of Chris, it sounds really splendid. This piece is an evolutionary stroll of a track, very impressive stuff really, especially in the closing part of the song. Next is the shorter The Following which commences with a rippling piano line. The song addresses the futility of war as told in the story of blind allegiance and following such leadership. It questions why we follow such dangerous leadership into destruction and pain and it makes a strong and valid point.

The final track is the album’s multi-part title track Once There Was. This consists of twelve parts of which five are instrumental in nature.This is a very interesting song with lots happening in its various sections. The song addresses the demise of a town as it gets left behind as life changes, often in unexpected ways. There is a long keyboard based solo on The Agitation section of the track, all very ELP like in nature. The Far Cry are certainly unafraid to show their influences in such a manner. In fact, I find their approach very refreshing and I like how they pay honour to the past greats by using their sounds as a template for creating something that is their own. This is far better than the plagiarism that can be a component in many modern prog bands rather than treading the delicate balance between homage and the forging of a new path. This song was the first written for this album apparently, with parts from various members being worked on together to make this epic piece of music.

On ‘Once There Was’, I find that The Far Cry have found a balance that works in their favour, and that’s no mean feat. This is to the commendation of the band and bodes well for future releases they may make. I really think this album will appeal to many prog Fans as a band like The Far Cry are truly making new wine from old skins, as they say. So, if Neo-Prog is your bag then you must check these guys out for yourself.

Released 1st March, 2025.

Order from bandcamp here:

https://thefarcry1.bandcamp.com/album/once-there-was

GENTLE GIANT

‘Playing The Fool: The Complete Live Experience’ 2CD, 2CD+BluRay, Triple Vinyl To Be Released on 2nd May 2025

The brand new reimagined, remastered and remixed version of Gentle Giant`s classic 1977 live album ‘Playing The Fool: The Complete Live Experience’ is set to be released.

‘Playing The Fool: The Complete Live Experience’, will be released across several formats including double CD, triple vinyl, Blu-Ray and digital download. The album has been remastered and painstakingly remixed from the original source tapes by Dan Bornemark with the Blu Ray containing a stereo 96/24 bit mix, 5.1 surround sound and Dolby Atmos mixes. You can purchase the album here: 

https://gentlegiantuk.lnk.to/PTF

Containing new sleeve notes by Alan Kinsman together with a plethora of photographs along with a track list that reflects the original running order of the setlist played on the tour including three previously unreleased songs and the between song banter from Derek Shulman, this represents the most accurate account of Gentle Giant live at the very peak of their powers.

Check out trailer for the album here:

Derek Shulman: “Effectively what you’re hearing on this album is the whole show with all the bells and whistles included with me speaking to the audience and to the band just like it was on the night.”

‘Playing The Fool: The Complete Live Experience’

1.     Intro [1:24]

2.     Just the Same / Proclamation [10:40]

3.     On Reflection [7:31]

4.     Interview [7:06]

5.     The Runaway / Experience [9:54]

6.     Sweet Georgia Brown (Breakdown in Brussels) [1:54]

7.     So Sincere [10:42]

8.     Excerpts from Octopus [15:58]

9.     Band Introduction [1:23]

10.  Funny Ways [8:58]

11.  Timing / Violin Solo [11:40]

12.  Free Hand [8:20]

13.  Peel The Paint / I Lost My Head [8:01]

Derek Shulman: “This is a warts and all recording. It’s important to have a live album, which is live. There were no overdubs afterwards in the studio. So what you saw and heard is what you have on the album.”

ABOUT GENTLE GIANT

Gentle Giant was a British progressive rock band formed in 1970 in London by three brothers Derek, Ray and Phil Shulman along with Gary Green, Kerry Minnear and drummer Martin Smith who was latterly replaced by John “Pugwash” Weathers in 1972. 

The group was renowned for its complex and eclectic musical style, blending elements of rock, jazz, classical, folk and medieval music.  The band played a diverse array of instruments between them and their intricate arrangements and exquisite vocal harmonies gave them their own unique, instantly identifiable sound.

Gentle Giant released a series of highly regarded albums including ‘Acquiring the Taste’ (1971), ‘In a Glass House’ (1973), and ‘The Power and the Glory’ (1974) across which they pushed their musical boundaries to the limit. Their live album ‘Playing The Fool’ (1977) remains a testament to their stunning live shows.

In 1980 Gentle Giant called it a day and have refused numerous calls to reform since then, perhaps this is why their reputation remains intact to this day.  Widescale chart success may have eluded them but their fiercely loyal fanbase followed them right through their career and beyond. Their legacy has remained undiminished within the Progressive Rock world being major influences on Porcupine Tree`s Steven Wilson, Neal Morse of Spock`s Beard, Michael Sadler of Saga and Opeth`s Mikael Akerfeldt, who cites ‘Acquiring The Taste’ as one of his favourite albums.

Derek Shulman: “We were a rock and roll band that played interesting music and we wanted to have fun for ourselves and have the audience go out with a smile on their faces.”

Review – Nicholas de Renty – Retour Au Bercail – by John Wenlock-Smith

Progressive music certainly has the ability to throw you some strange or odd musical curves, take this album from French solo musician Nicholas de Renty entitled ‘Retour Au Bercail’ which translates as meaning ‘Return to The Fold’ .

Nicholas performs the majority of the instruments apart from on the track Traquenard where he is joined by Anthony Malaussena who adds guitar and bass to the track, Nicholas playing drums, piano and the vocals, which are all sung in French. A lot of the other instruments are delivered via the computer, the brass and woodwind elements for example that enliven proceedings. This release is best heard in one setting, i feel, as you can then appreciate the intricacies that are built into the music especially in the title track Retour Au Bercail which has excellent brass and woodwind sections.

The album is basically the story of Nicholas’ return to the faith he grew up in but deserted in his youth. He now feels the need to address the spiritual emptiness he has been experiencing and sees a return as being in his best interests. This is bold for such a step to be considered and then taken and ultimately to be chronicled in the music he has made.

I had a translation of the lyrics so I could follow his journey, there is an understated beauty to this musician in his openness to embracing faith once again, which is to be applauded. This album will probably be passed over by many which is a shame as it is really rather good and interesting musically. I would say the singing is a little different and unusual but it is not unpleasant being strongly choral in style. I understand this might be off putting for many but I would urge you to persevere with it as it does become rather calming with a distinct spiritual tone and flavour to it.

I especially liked the opening track Luerre éternel (eternal war) which has a drum solo at both the opening section and at the 5.55 mark where Nicholas vocalises over the beat before a rippling piano and subdued brass are heard. Nicholas then really pounds the skins a for few minutes, oddly enough the dynamics of this work exceptionally well, giving the track a  really strong dynamism and emphasis. The lyrics are actually more prose, being almost poetic in nature and tone, the choir like chanting is a good fit for the track which is about how we are all in a spiritual war with the forces of evil (Satan and his demonic hordes).

As I say it is an intriguing and deep concept. One with it’s spiritual overtones and concept could, I accept, be problematic for some listeners and the album is maybe not an easy listen per se. However, many a great album is equally as challenging yet critically applauded like ‘Red’ by King Crimson, which is an equally dark and intense piece of work.

I have to say that the more I listen to this album the more I have come to appreciate it’s difference, which I feel is rare in a genre where little has changed since the founding fathers’ original masterpieces were released. This album at least dares to be different in many ways and that alone is worthy of recognition. As such, I would recommend that folks with an open mind would have a listen at least as there is some great music on display here,

Definitely one for the more adventurous listener to at least have a go with, although I would say it would be more appealing if the booklet had the words translated into English so then non-French speakers couldn’t least be more understanding of the contents of the words.

This has not been an easy review as it has required the input of Anne-Claire from Bad Dog Promotions to help with the translation, which then allowed insight into the themes behind the tracks, for which I must recognise her invaluable assistance. aAs it is but I urge perseverance with this most interesting release which I actually really enjoyed, hopefully others will too.

Released 27th August, 2024.

Order from bandcamp here:

https://nicolasderenty.bandcamp.com/album/retour-au-bercail

Review – Sharks: Car Crash Supergroup – The Island Years 1973-1974, 3CD Box Set – by John Wenlock-Smith

It almost seems that in the 1970’s you couldn’t move for supergroups, that strange scenario where bands split, only to re-emerge in a new combination of musicians. Some of these were very successful, like Emerson, Lake & Palmer, others less so, where the combination was just to volatile to exist peacefully enough to make their mark, like Beck, Bogart & Appice or Rough Diamond, for example. Punk might have brought the demise of many such groups but it didn’t kill them off completely, as bands like Asia can attest.

Sharks were one of those groups that should have been far bigger than they were, somehow they never quite made the grade despite having a very strong line up of Steve ‘Snips’ Parsons on vocals, Andy Fraser of Free on bass and Chris Spedding on guitar, along with Marty Simon on drums. Their debut album ‘First Water’ was released in 1973 on the Island label to much hype that unfortunately did not translate into many real sales.For the second album, ‘Jab It In Yore Eye’, Andy Fraser was replaced with Buster Cherry Jones. It was released in 1974 to a world that wasn’t very bothered. The band toured the USA to good audiences but, again, without more sales. Upon their return, they recorded a third album, ‘Car Crash Tapes’, produced by John Entwistle of the Who, but Island weren’t satisfied with the results and opted not to release it, this caused the band to split up and go their own ways. Spedding did some solo and Guitar Graffiti albums and he was also one of The Wombles, the one with the flying V guitar. Snip joined the Baker Gurvitz Army and Buster Cherry Jones returned to the US and started a new band with Donald and Ralph Kinsey called White Lightning, who released an album for Island records in 1975.

This set comprises of the first two releases, along with that third, unreleased, album ‘Car Crash Tapes’. It also includes live tracks recorded in Providence, Rhode Island in 1974, one of which features Leslie West of Mountain on Guitar. So that’s the back story but what’s the music like? Well, if like me, you were too young to remember them (I was 14 at the time), let’s have a listen through and I’ll tell you what I think.

The debut ‘Fresh Water’ emerged in 1973 after Fraser had left Free after their ‘Free At Last’ album of 1972, wasting little time in joining forces with Chris Spedding to form Sharks, who were signed to Island Records, with whom Fraser’s previous band Free had resided. Steve ‘Snips’ Parsons was spotted by Chris Blackwell and, after a successful audition, was offered the role of singer in Sharks, who Blackwell was managing at the time, having cut his teeth in the North East around the Hull and Humberside area.

The band travelled around in a customised PontiacLle Mans that they affectionately called The Shark Mobile, due to a fin on the roof and teeth on the grill which made an impact. A lot of their interesting history is detailed and recounted in the album booklet along with some great historical photographs of the band. They crashed the car into a tree in the north of England whilst on tour, with Andy Fraser injuring his arm. After this he though heavily about his options and decided to leave whilst he had the chance as he saw the crash as being a bad omen.

‘First Water’ is not a bad album in many respects, with a mixture of classic sounding rock and some sweet guitar work from Spedding. A lot of the tracks are slow burners, meaning that it takes time to really get into them fully, Follow Me being a prime example of this, with a strident piano from Fraser holding the song together and an ascending riff from Spedding that is fairly dramatic. I really like this track, it’s somewhat understated but could have been great live with its decent guitar break and fill section. Ol’ Jelly Roll has more piano and a initially delicate vocal from Snips which channels his inner Joe Cocker in the gritty vocals. This one has a touch of Free about it, especially in how it builds in intensity. Brown Eyed Boy is a Rolling Stones like romp with great dynamics to its swagger and Snakes And Swallowtails is another slow builder with Fraser’s bass at the forefront to good effect. I like this track with its understated playing that suggests the song is going to explode into something special, and it finally does, sounding tremendous, if not a bit short, when it could have been allowed to run on a lot more.

Drivin’ Sideways is more standard rock fare that doesn’t really go anywhere, despite good performances from Snips and Fraser and some almost countrified guitar fills from Spedding. But, despite its initial opening, I actually do like this track and it definitely grows on you. Steal Away sounds like a more mellow Free song, very subdued but actually rather good. Doctor Love is certainly of its time, especially in the lyrics. The track has a sinewy guitar line running through that sounds not unlike Paul Kossoff, which is a nice touch. The final song of the debut is Broke A Feeling, which is a fairly muscular sounding track with some good guitar fills which, along with the bass and the piano of Nick Judd, make a good sound. It’s all a little loose and all the better for that really. The mid section where Spedding lets rip is especially strong making for a strong finish to an album that had much promise that somehow the band were unable to capitalise on fully.

Sophomore album ‘Jab It In Yore Eye’ continues in a similar style and tone to the debut, although it seems a bit more focused somehow. The playing is more concise and impactful, it would seem that the departure of Fraser and the addition of Buster Cherry Jones was good for the band, allowing Snips’ songwriting abilities to be more widely seen, he writes or co writes seven of the album’s ten tracks. Baby Shine A Light is a great song with some excellent guitar work from Spedding, whose playing is subtle and yet exciting on this track. Sun Beat Down has a muscular sound to it, being quite a strident song yet somewhat understated and never actually exploding into life. It’s a bit of promise unfulfilled here despite some good guitar fills. Rain Or Shine is an acoustic song that lacks something, whereas Kung Fu is far better with its chopsticks type piano and some sweet guitar lines from Spedding which enliven proceedings. The Japanese words don’t really add much but Speeding’s playing in the mix does add some excitement to this track. Sophistication is next, a track in which The Clash were instrumental with their Should I Stay Or Should I Go track, you can see that in its stop start riff. Cocaine Blues follows and is a more restrained track. Revolution Of The Heart opens gently with acoustic guitar and then settles into  a more rock like groove. This is another slow burning track that gradually increases in its intensity to become something really fine over its six minute duration. With Chris Speeding’s understated guitar lines really hitting the mark, this track never explodes as such but the intensity and build both make a real impact.

The third album, ‘Car Crash Tapes’, is not as good as the first two and you can see why Island rejected it. The live tracks are taken from a  bootleg recording that have been cleaned up for this set. Again, these are of their time but are a nice addition to what is another fine set from the ever-reliable Cherry Red /Esoteric label and the booklet is of the usual very high standard.

In conclusion, this won’t be to everyone’s taste but it shows that some quality music was being made in the days before punk. How this band failed to achieve major success is one of Rock’s more tragic tales.

Released 24th January, 2025.

Order from Cherry Red here:

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/sharks-car-crash-supergroup-the-island-years-1973-1974-3cd-box-set

Review – Infringement – Black Science and White Lies – by John Wenlock-Smith

‘Black Science and White Lies’ is the third album from Infringement after ‘Alienism’ (2019) and ‘Transition’ (2017) The album follows a man’s journey through faith, his identity and, eventually, his redemption.

Infringement are Stig André Clason (guitar), Kristoffer Utby (drums), and Hans Andreas Brandal (vocals). Keyboardist Bård Thorstensen joined the band for their live performances and soon became a permanent member. Their latest addition, to complete the permanent line-up, is Emil Olsen on bass. Brandal has a somewhat theatrical style of singing that works well on this fine two track (in multiple parts) album of two pieces, White Lies and Black Science.

Together these two tracks comprise the entire 43-minute duration of the album, an unusual and somewhat intense sounding album that mixes narrative and some fiercely strident and hard-hitting music. I recommend that you have the CD booklet at hand so you can follow the narrative more easily, as it is can be a bit obscure otherwise. Even so, it’s not easy to follow what’s going on. I found it better to just go with the flow and listen to it as a complete piece of a journey. On White Lies, the acoustic guitar, keyboards and piano work very well ,acting as a counterpoint to the despair of the vocals, as does the guitar break at the end of the track that gives such great dynamics to the piece.

I actually find strong connections in this piece to the parable of the prodigal son, where a son leaves home and eventually realises he was better off at home. This theme is especially apparent White Lies pt. 3 – Apostasy which is backed with a very muscular beat and a thrust of energy and power. There is great use of the Hammond organ throughout this section with some sinewy snaking guitar lines and power chords giving the track its impetus and drive. The following section sees the return to the fold as it were as he seeks reconnection to his family. Again this is all very much theatrical in tone and actually works well like that.

After this we move to the second, five piece, suite of Black Science, which is slightly longer in length. This piece opens with good interplay between the organ and the rhythm section with powerful drums from Kristoffer Utby and strong parts from bassist Emil Olsen alongside Stig André Clason‘s subtle guitar playing. The sound is complex and constantly changing in both style and tempo, there is more than a whiff of both Gentle Giant and King Crimson in this track as it evolves steadily, the piano from Bård Thorstensen is really fine and offers a good balance to the intensity of the other sections of the track.

I will admit to not having a clue as to what this track is about, although it seems to be about a state of evolution. The organ is very prevalent during the Crimson Skies segment of the track as are the epic tones of Redemption, along with more fine guitar work from Stig André Clason, whose playing is never less than stellar, his last solo concluding the track and album in style.

‘Black Science and White Lies’ is a very interesting and somewhat intense listen, as it will demand much concentration in order to fully grasp the concepts it contains. It is worth the effort though as Infringement reward you with some excellent musical passages and performances with some great sections and playing. I really wouldn’t mind delving further into previous albums from the band to get a grip of what they are  all about.

The booklet for the album gives a lot more information and is a recommended aid to getting the best from the music of the album.

Released 19th September, 2024.

Order from bandcamp here:

https://infringement.bandcamp.com/album/black-science-and-white-lies

Review – Stackridge – Lost And Found – The Reunion Years 1999-2015 – by John Wenlock-Smith

I can’t believe that in all my years, although being aware of them, I had never actually listened to any music from Stackridge, the Bristol based unit whose merging together of folk, prog, music hall and vaudeville stylings had somehow completely passed me by. Unbelievable and definitely my loss. So. now I find myself rapidly playing catch up, trying to rectify that oversight, which is rewarding, if not a little futile, as Stackridge have ceased to be, well for the moment at least.

Stackridge’s history is well documented online and in the rather marvellous ‘On Track’ book by Alan Draper, which details that history album by album. It’s possibly a book that many would enjoy reading, digesting and learning all about this seldom mentioned and largely overlooked band.

This fine 4 CD set comprises the reunion albums, ‘Something For The Weekend’, the ‘Lemon’ mini album and the 2008 release ‘A Victory For Common Sense’. The set is completed by a reissue of ‘The Final Bow’, a double album recording of their final show from their home city of Bristol recorded in 2015. It also features additional bonus tracks such as the 2006 re-recording of Purple Spaceships Over Yatton, Seek and You Will Find and both songs from the rare ‘Dummies’ CD single.

Stackridge have a near 50-year history, although it is a broken, disjointed timeline with periods of several years’ inactivity between the late 1970’s and the 1990’s, after which they returned to an increased level of activity once again. This means that ‘The Final Bow’ element of this release is able to draw material from their earliest and also their latter day releases and this makes the set different to the earlier live set of ‘The Forbidden City’ from 2007, with which it shares at least 10 tracks. The addition of track from 2008’s ‘A Victory For Common Sense’ helps as several of those tracks really make an impression here. As do long term fan favourites like Syracuse the Elephant and Slark, along with Purple Spaceships Over Yatton and Do the Stanley Stanley Aviator Brass, that draws the show to a fitting, if not a little understated, finale.

What I do like, and I think will appeal to Big Big Train Passengers, is the presence of Claire Lindley who adds her violin, guitar, ukulele and voice to these recordings. They all sound wonderful and pastoral even, at various points within the albums, especially on the live tracks where her presence is keenly felt. I also like that they delve back deep into their history for versions of The Road To Venezuela and God Speed The Plough. Something About the Beatles really appeals, with its somewhat whimsical lyrics. It does remind me at times of a less manic incarnation of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band without the whirlwind of mischief that was Vivian Stanshall, Stackridge seem to share a similar musical DNA, which makes their eccentricity all the more rewarding. I really am enjoying discovering all this wonderful music many years later on.

Whilst casual listeners may not find this the best introduction to Stackridge, it does have the advantage of offering a handy bite-size introduction to the band through its latter-day recordings and the great ‘The Final Bow’ set. This is all encased in a great clamshell box with individual sleeves for the albums, although ‘A Victory For Common Sense’ gets a gatefold sleeve and ‘The Final Bow’ gets a different picture for each disc, along with picture labels of each cover. The booklet is perfunctory and actually is a little light on details, giving more of an overview of the band’s history, the pictures are good though, it must be said, I certainly found it to be a fine set one that I will definitely return to again I’m sure.

I recommend it highly and I can only comment on how much I’ve missed out on over the years of this band’s existence. Don’t be like me, investigate Stackridge for yourself, you may be as pleasantly surprised as I have been with their excellent musicianship and witty and interesting songs.

Released 27th September, 2024.

Order from Cherry Red here:

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/stackridge-lost-and-found-the-reunion-years-1999-2015-4cd-box-set

Review – The Round Window – Fram – by John Wenlock-Smith

One of the best things about last year for me was getting out to go to more gigs than usual, several of these being in quite distant places for me. These included a couple of Sunday afternoon shows in Camden, another was in Reading and yet another was in Colchester, where I was fortunate enough to witness the first ever live performance from Essex based The Round Window, who were supporting the ever impressive EBB in a show at the Three Wise Monkeys public house.

This was a very interesting trip for me as Colchester is nearly 200 miles and several trains from Cheshire! Nonetheless, it was a trip I felt compelled to make as I had been utterly smitten by their second album ‘Everywhere And Nowhere’ which editor Martin Hutchinson had reviewed and raved about on this very site.

Which bring us in a very meandering manner to this latest release from The Round Window, the EP ‘Fram’, which is not long enough for an album but certainly strong enough to be a stand alone release. It contains a mere three tracks, however, when the tracks are as imaginative and varied as these then you are getting some real quality music that works well as both an introduction to the band and also marks a moment in their development as the band move forward to being more active and present in the current progressive rock scene.

The three songs, The Silence, Fram and the epic sounding Hourglass are performed by the three Lock’s, Richard on vocals, Thomas on Keyboards and Jack on drums. They are very ably assisted by Robin Armstrong of Cosmagraf who adds some impressive guitar to Fram and bass on The Silence, along with Gareth Cole who adds his multi-faceted guitar tones to Hourglass. In Addition, Per Malmberg adds his guitar to The Silence. The EP is also produced by Robin Armstrong via his Gravity Dreams label.

This EP works extremely well in offering a concise snapshot of a band who have upped their game significantly with new material that draws on what they have done previously and yet have somehow managed to move several steps further on in terms of their overall confidence and also in their visibility in the current scene. What has helped in this is their constant self-examination of who they are and this EP distils their hopes and dreams into just three songs that offer another side to the band with thoughtful and intelligent themes delivered with style and grace.

First (and longest track) The Silence is a song written from the viewpoint of a soldier in the First World War who is remembering past seasonal festivities at home with his family, something he is hoping can happen once more when the madness is over. The song begins with a somewhat sombre and atmospheric soundscape  which is very cinematic in tone before a beat is picked up with bass and drums. A strong vocal from Richard commences with the soldier’s memories and his strong wish to be home. The song paints a wonderful picture of family life that has been interrupted by events, at which point the song changes into a darker mood. A guitar break follows before more sombre words are voiced and we can tell that things have altered somewhat for the soldier as he tells his sister that all is not as he had previously communicated. He did it to keep his hopes alive but now they have been dashed. The song ends with sounds of a family gathering and it is a very moving track all told.

Fram tells the story of Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian Explorer who sailed in the ship Fram on an unsuccessful expedition to the North Pole in 1894. Despite his failure, he was hailed as a hero on his return. The song explores his thoughts and feelings on his failure and the subsequent success of Roald Amundsen in 1911 in the very same vessel, Fram. This track is very introspective and resigned in tone, not victorious in any way and has some great and very fluid guitar lines woven throughout.

Hourglass is another somewhat introspective and inward-looking piece, although it concerns itself with looking into the future at the end of another year and hoping it will be a better one that lies ahead. It is a reflection on the passage of time as well and is another superbly composed and delivered piece of cinematic progressive music.

This is a very satisfying, impressive release from The Round Window and bodes well for their next album. I consider myself lucky enough to have caught their first show and hope to see them again soon.

Released 29th November, 2024.

Order from bandcamp here:

https://theroundwindow.bandcamp.com/album/fram

Review – Kite Parade – Disparity – by John Wenlock-Smith

I’ve had ‘Disparity’ for a while now and have only just begun to fully appreciate its subtle elegance and beauty. Andy Foster and Kite Parade have created a very modern progressive rock album of strong songs and observations of modern life.

The album begins with the track Fraternal Angels, which is very upbeat, starting out with synth soundscapes and piano before the vocals kick in with a surging drive. The song is very wide open in sound and is an excellent opener to all that is to follow afterwards. The mid section of the track is very interesting as it details the state of the world and it’s inequalities, 20% of the world having 80% of its wealth and resources. The brief Open Your Heart calls for a fair redistribution of the world’s food supplies and wealth and to be fairer to everyone. Is This All There Is ? features Christina Booth of Magenta who challenges us to do and to be more as there is more to life than what we see and experienceT he delivery of this great song is excellent. The World Is Mine is from the view of one who is in the top tier of wealth and is still not satisfied with everything,

Lynsey Ward of Exploring Birdsong is the vocalist for Broken, which has a delicate piano and some great synth sounds among its shuffling melody. The introduction of Andy Foster’s excellent saxophone solo really adds to the dynamics along with some great slide type guitar sounds towards the end. There are great dynamics between the rhythm section of Jimmy Pellagrosi (drums) and Marcin Palider (bass) with Andy laying down a great guitar line on top. This segues into Forgotten Youth, which has a chunky riff and sound to it. This is another up-tempo song with very interesting lyrics. Also worth mentioning is the terrific sound that the album possesses and that comes courtesy of Rob Aubrey, the sound being excellent and clear with great dynamics. It sounds really good to these ears, modern with a great drive and urgency when required. I also like how the songs flow into each other, creating a continuous sound cycle which captures the attention. The song has an excellent outro that is very impressive and imaginative. The use of textures and colouring make this song very grand sounding and my favourite thus far on what is a very majestic album.

Is There Hope? is a prelude to the epic Make It Beautiful which begins with thunderous bass from Marcin which sets a strident tone for the song. The track has a great refrain that is very memorable indeed. This is a great piece of music, very hopeful and optimistic in nature, which is no bad thing! It is a plea to restore beauty to an increasingly ugly world. Yes, it might be a bit hippyish and unrealistic but one can hope that beautiful actions can happen and bring the beauty back for everyone to appreciate. All this leads into the final track, Listen To The Angels, another optimistic and hopeful song. Andy Foster might be a dreamer but he wants a better world and hopes that it will happen and, in these troubled times in which we currently live, surely that’s not a bad way to be. I for one applaud his efforts and share his hopes for a fairer future.

‘Disparity’ is a really strong album with much to commend and has some brilliant performances. It bodes very well for the future of Kite Parade, let’s us hope that it’s not too long before we see them in action once again, as they are at the vanguard of a growing wave of melodic and worthy progressive rock music.

I highly recommend this tremendous album to you all. As for me, I am going back to check out their earlier albums, ‘The Way Home’ and ‘Retro’ as they passed me by, so the time is right for me to get acquainted with them.

Released 4th October, 2024.

Order from bandcamp here:

https://kiteparade.bandcamp.com/album/disparity