Tag: John Wenlock-Smith

Review – John Wilkinson – Imposter Syndrome – by John Wenlock-Smith

John Wilkinson is the singer in the Genesis tribute group Mama that celebrates the Phil Collins era of that particular band and John has a voice very similar to Phil, as any who have seen Mama can attest. John is also the singer for Liverpool based The Swan Chorus and their last album ‘Achilles and the Difference Engine’ was my favourite vocal album of 2023. Whilst work on the next Swan Chorus album continues, John has found time, with assistance from fellow Swan Chorus member Colin McKay, to craft an album full of great songs and music that allows the majestic voice that John possesses free reign to weave his own magic.

‘Imposter Syndrome’ is a great album and I was fortunate enough to be given an exclusive preview of an unmixed version of the track Stranded many months ago so I was delighted to acquire the full album in due course. It is a collection of songs that I heartily recommend as it is very memorable and bears repeated listens. In addition, the cover art is excellent with an almost winteresque style. The album contains eight tracks and a bonus acoustic version of Ghost Dancers. So let’s dive in and see what it’s all about, shall we?

T3he album opens with Pulling Threads which wouldn’t have sounded out of place on that wonderful Swan Chorus album, such is it’s strength and catchy chorus. The track is hinged on a strong keyboard motif and guitar line from Colin McKay. Ghost Dancers is a stately track with another fabulously memorable chorus that unaware or misinformed folks would easily mistake for Phil Collins himself, it is astonishingly good, excellent stuff indeed. The flute style keyboards in the mid section are also superb, as is the fluent guitar solo, making it another very good song indeed. On King Of Yesterday the Collins influence is undeniable and, if Mr Collins  had done this song, it would have been on radio worldwide. It is another very catchy track with an earworm chorus. This is followed by a truly heart-warming song called I’ll be There, which would be a great song for a wedding or for anyone who needs a little support, as it is all about being there in times of need or difficulties. This is a very warm and positive track and I really like it’s sentiments. I know John means every word of the song as he has a family situation that requires his constant support. It is a humble tender song with great words, I like it a lot.

The Sci-fi inspired track Exodus deals with how we are destroying our world and the need to escape and make a fresh start elsewhere, acting as a wake up call to rectify things whilst we still have chance. It has another upbeat keyboard part and strong guitar melodies at play, this is also the longest track of the album with great keyboard parts. There is a lot going on lyrically and the song has suitably strong vocally,  the mid section is good too with its chiming keyboards and descending sounds. You can definitely get the The Swan Chorus style that this track offers, it is another very strong piece of music indeed. The Big Conspiracy has a strong beat and some powerful drum patterns. It is a song is about conspiracy theories and their prevalence today and how some people believe all sorts of lies and half truths that are offered these days. Title track Imposter Syndrome deals with John’s feelings of self worth and how he feels a fraud at what he does. It’s a pity as he certainly is no imposter to these ears! Okay, he sings in a tribute band but his own unique work with The Swan Chorus and Ellsmere surely bear testimony to talent, they certainly do to me anyway. The album concludes with Stranded, a song with a strong nautical feel in both the sounds and it’s lyrics. This wouldn’t have been out of place on Nick Magnus’ ‘Strange Inheritance’ album from earlier this year, it’s an excellent story telling song, an epic track with strong melodies and instrumentation. I really like this song as its one I heard many months ago and it still impresses now.

Not only will ‘Imposter Syndrome’ appeal to fans of The Swan Chorus but also to anyone who likes great songwriting with fantastic melodies and fine vocals, it is a very strong album of great songs and performances by John and Colin.

Released 2nd October, 2024.

Order from bandcamp here:

https://johnwilkinson1.bandcamp.com/album/imposter-syndrome

Review – Forgotten Gods – Memories – by John Wenlock-Smith

Well this one came completely out of the left field, as it were, proving itself to be a most worthwhile release. What a treasure it is too, a remarkably assured and intelligently written album of insightful songs that hold great meaning too. ‘Memories’ is, above all, an emotionally laden release that has significant memories for vocalist Mark Cunningham as these songs unveil their tales. It really is a very warm album when you consider the trauma Mark has experienced in his lifetime, making it not bitter but full of fondness and love even.

The album begins with Alive which is pretty much a testament to Neal Peart of Rush with whom Mark feels a connection through their shared love of motorcycles and the open road. This track is a commentary on a trip Mark made to Italy through Switzerland and the alpine pass at Monte San Giorgio that leads over the mountains on into Milan, Italy.  According to the pictures I found on the Internet, it looks to be a very beautiful area and a challenging Ride, albeit one with impressive scenery and views. You can feel the acceleration and the wind in your hair almost as you hurtle along, it’s a great opening track. The epic The Pillars of Petra concerns itself with the actions of certain world leaders after World War Two where they divided up the Ottoman empire and in so doing created the state of Israel, misplaced Palestine completely and set in motion an effect that continues to this day of a middle east crisis. Unsurprisingly, all in the search for profits for their own nations and desires. The song has some wonderful Arabesque sounds in its backing, Mark showing strong sympathy with the people of Palestine and their ongoing struggles for recognition and right to a homeland. This is a very impressive track indeed and has a lot going on both vocally and in the assured music that it being played by Mark’s fellow band members. Keyboard player and producer Dave Boland, guitarist Steve Harris, bass player Michael Kentish and drummer David Hallett all deserve special mention for the magic their individual contributions add to the whole album and the overall positive impact of this fine release.

It has some gorgeous piano lines and some very sympathetic free flowing basslines in support. The subtle drums and percussion accompany this mood beautifully and it is a joy to hear such fabulously imaginative music as this which helps escalate this album greatly into a thing of real beauty. I think it is fair to say that this is a pretty outstanding track all told however, the best is yet to come with an extended instrumental section preceded by a news bulletin that is an exercise in propaganda to justify the actions. The music takes on both an urgency along with a harder tone and the return of an earlier guitar motif from Steve Harris that really delights the ears before it becomes more stately in tone. It is a simply mesmerising track, truly excellent and an epic in every sense of the word.

Everybody’s Hero is Mark’s tribute to his Neal Peart who died of brain cancer aged 67. Peart was a big influence on Mark and, after his death, Mark established the annual festival Prog For Peart which donates its proceeds to charity in remembering Neal Peart. The song celebrates Neal’s life and successes and also comments on how he overcame his own personal tragedies (Neal’s wife and twenty three year old daughter died within 6 months of each other). Neal semi retired to rebuild his life and went travelling extensively by motorcycle through Canada and North and South America in the process,  where he found his peace and got remarried again before returning to make further music with Rush. It is a very heartfelt song and one that expresses his admiration without being cloying in any way, it even uses some Rush type sounds in the guitar and bass motifs. Vigil is a glorious and heartfelt tribute to Mark’s mother who died whilst he was a teenager and he has a storehouse of great memories of her and her kindness and consideration to others, especially the downtrodden and neglected in society. Such was her impact on Mark’s young life that he became a youth and social worker in the north east for a while which inspired the song Alone. But back to Vigil which opens with Peter Jones playing the whistle incorporating an improvisation of Amazing Grace, which adds to the beauty of the track immensely as does the opening guitar motif leading into a very emotional vocal from Mark as he watches his mother die while knowing that her presence remains within his heart and her impact on his life is clear. This song is not morbid, it is more a celebration of who she was to him and is full of deep love and sentiments. Mark himself admits that he lost himself for a few years before coming to his senses again. Grief will do that to you if you let it, thankfully Mark came back a different man and a better man at that.

Alone is, as briefly mentioned, about an experience Mark had as a youth worker where he encountered a teenage girl who felt that at 16 years of age, she had little future ahead of her and so opted for a life of lesser choices even to the stage of contemplating becoming pregnant as a means of escape from home to her own council property. The song is very sad in the sense of opportunities lost and unspent chances. Rose & Pink is the album’s final track and opens with a chugging Hammond organ and strong guitar flourishes from Steve. This is a very upbeat and positive song with a uptempo backbeat, not quite disco but definitely in Scissor Sisters territory!

So there you have it, ‘Memories’ is fifty five minutes of unexpected brilliance from Mark Cunningham and his highly impressive fellow musicians in Forgotten Gods and a debut album that stands proudly amongst this year’s finest releases. It is truly fabulous, you really need to hear this fantastic album soon!

Released 7th October, 2024.

Order the CD direct from the band here:

https://www.forgottengods.co.uk/store/p5/Memories_CD.html#

Review – Neal Morse & The Resonance – No Hill For A Climber – by John Wenlock-Smith

Neal Morse is something of a workaholic it would seem, A man with fingers in many pies as it were. Alternatively he could be called a man who dabbles in many interests, ‘No Hill For A Climber’ is definitely a little different, let me clarify that a little for you.

Neal has had to overhaul his band with the return of Mike Portnoy to Dream Theater in 2023, which effectively ended their long association through Transatlantic, Flying Colors and The Neal Morse Band. Neal decided to totally review his band and has chosen to work with a more local set of musicians, all of whom Neal knew through his own activities in the Nashville area. Many of them were with his church, City On A Hill, and his Morsefest shows but, whilst the members may have changed, the themes remain. Maybe not quite the same but still prevalent, if not so much to the forefront. This is possibly a good decision as his music’s often overt Christian message can be an obstacle to some folks. Personally it’s not a problem for me, however I’m fully aware that other folks do not appreciate it in the same way.

This album has a mere five tracks. Oaky, two are of epic length but the other three show a different side to Neal and are also very worthy, so let’s dig in and explore…

The album starts with the twenty minute plus brilliance of Eternity In Your Eyes. The track has an almost symphonic opening section with lots of layered keyboards amidst percussion embellishments before it kicks off properly. A chugging rhythm part kicks in, again with lots of keyboards and some guitar lines playing in unison before breaking down into a funky keyboard section with a glorious sounding organ. The vocals kick in about three minutes and, as an opening statement of intent, this is highly effective and very impressive. The sound is not wildly different to his earlier albums but it is a bit fresher as he is using a much younger set of musicians this time around. However, a lot of the elements and sounds will be familiar to those who know Neal’s previous work. What is different though is that Neal is sharing a lot of the vocals with Johnny Bisaha, who sings most of the upper register parts which gives a distinctively different flavour to the material, almost taking it in a Yes type direction at times but still maintaining the symphonic progressive style. The track is formed of seven different sections one of which, Part IV, is an instrumental piece. Very good it is too! The track is inspired in part from a line in a book by Barbara Kingsolver entitled Demon Copperhead, which is a retelling of Dickens’s David Copperfield, set in Appalachia and one that explores contemporary issues.

Thief is all together different in that it is shorter and has a much looser structure with elements of ‘Discipline’ era King Crimson influencing the music at times. The song also employs brass sounds effectively which, with the lumbering sound, has a great impact. I love the looseness of the sound, it has strong dynamics and is both funky and loose at the same time. The guitar works is very effective as well, kudos to Chris Riley who plays this so well. It’s all captivating stuff and a strong statement of intent. All The Rage again features some great guitar lines, the song is about the emptiness of fame and how hollow that can be. Neal finds his own answer in his faith and offers that this may be the solution that many are seeking but avoid by taking different choices and directions, usually to their own detriment to. Ever Interceding is about being in the middle of a situation and seeking God’s help by interceding. It is a difficult concept for many to understand possibly, but still a great set of lyrics, even if they may be a little to oblique for some.

The final, and longest, piece is the album’s title track, No Hill For A Climber. Lasting just shy of twenty nine minutes in length, this one has more than a touch of the overblown brilliance and melodramatic edge of Transatlantic stamped all over it, guitarist Chris Riley channel his own inner Roine Stolt at times. The song has vocals from both Morse and Bisaha, with the latter covering the higher register parts once more and most effectively too. It’s great to hear how Neal has embraced this next chapter of his career. The song again has multiple parts to it, five in all, and is about overcoming adversity in life and how the acceptance of faith can help with this. The track is suitably triumphant at times, all wrapped in fantastic symphonic prog rock melodies and soundscapes. It also has eastern sounding melodies and textures in the third section, Burn It Down, which is about the fight for control of the ego, again this impresses greatly. The whole song is a very satisfying journey into triumph. Okay, it is very faith focused by why shouldn’t it be? Neal makes no secret of his own faith and how he has been impacted and changed for the better by it and he shares that clearly in this epic song which has enough twists and turns and excellent musicianship to give it full on prog credentials!

This beautifully crafted album opens a new chapter for Neal, although as to where it leads him to next is very much a blank canvas. One thing is certain though, it will definitely be interesting and rooted in his own progressive history. ‘No Hill For A Climber’ is another excellent addition to Neal’s musical canon and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Released 8th November, 2024.

Order the album here:

https://nealmorse.lnk.to/NoHillForAClimber

Review – Stuckfish – ‘IV’ – by John Wenlock-Smith

I raved about Stuckfish’s last album ‘Days Of Innocence’ in my review in 2022 so I am very glad to report that this album continues in the same manner and vein. Although a few things have changed for the band, namely they are now part of the growing White Knight label run by Rob Reed and David Mackie. Also, they have a new keyboard player in Paul McNally who replaces Gary Holland (who left very amicably because of being unable to fully commit to the bands increased level of activity).

This new album has nine tracks, in all of varying lengths and all have a very different fell to them with differing moods. You do notice the quality oozing through the songs though as they are all very impressive sounding. The album begins with an acapella style opening on Shadows & Moonbeams, a song about Sarah Bernhardt, the French actress who had a very busy romantic life in that lots of men fell in love with her, thinking they were ‘The One’ who could win her heart completely. However, they never succeeded and she left a trail of broken hearts in her wake. It is a piece with a great chorus that will stay with you for ages and is one of the best opening tracks of the year with its chugging bass lines, sympathetic keyboards and a strong haunting guitar line from Ade Fisher. Silently Waiting is quite a fierce number with more solid keyboards and great acoustic guitar in the mix. This has a great vocal from Phil Stuckey who sounds a little Styx-like in his delivery, as he does on a few songs here. The song is about wanting to rebuild a relationship, here he is Silently Waiting for a positive outcome. The mid-section has an exciting and dramatic interplay between the musicians that impresses greatly and the whole band are on fine form here. The return of the acoustic guitar is a plus, as is the lyrical guitar solo that plays towards the tracks conclusion, another excellent track from the band.

Lifeline opens with strong chord work and, again, the Styx comparison holds true. Another strong vocal from Phil makes this a standout track for me, again the chorus is a distinct ear worm and will pop up unannounced in your thoughts during coming days. The song is about being free to be yourself and it is a fantastic song that calls out for a live performance, especially the great keyboards that close out the track. Liberty takes us to the poetry and musing of 13th century Persian poet and philosopher Rumi, who wrote about how love completes us. Again, the chorus is very memorable and strong and is repeated several times to great effect, Fragile is a short song, the shortest in Stuckfish’s canon of works and it benefits from a chugging bassline and atmospheric keyboards along with a very solid back beat from drummer Adam Sayers, whose meticulous timekeeping powers the track along. The song relates to how we are all fragile as individuals with our own life stories to live, experience and enjoy and how we can also make a new start when life fails us. A very short, concise and powerful track. The Time Of Your Life talks about how choices made early in life upon the expectations of other can be a burden that many are unprepared and unable to reach or cope with. The spoken word section is very memorable and works very well in the song, as does the excellent guitar solo from Adrian that crowns the song in style as he channels his inner Rothery in a very lyrical solo. This is another triumphant song, utterly magnificent!

JFKX rocks with style as more chugging bass and great keyboard textures and synths abound before a very meaty guitar riff is introduced by Adrian. The mid -ection has a keyboard solo from Phil McNally. Originally this song was written for Marc Storace of Krokus fame who rejected it, his loss being our gain. Fly (On Feathers Of Hope) begins with a very Yes like sound of keyboards and great guitar. The song is about love as a spiritual experience and expression so that it can be almost dreamlike. Which is an interesting construct as opposed to the traditional long slog of love that most folks experience. I guess it is all in how you approach it and also how much you value and appreciate your loved one. It is a journey that you take together and that is reflected in how you experience and express it for yourself. The album closes with the epic Skies Fall which is about near death experiences. This song is a slow burner with its strong use of bass, drums and keyboard interjections along with some harder metal edged guitar power chords. It slips into an almost eastern sounding mid section with more great guitar lines and that solid rhythm section holding everything together. There are great lyrics to this song too and, as the song builds in power, a great guitar break draws the song to its conclusion in style, including an effects pedal that changes pitch in a most dynamic way to fine effect.

So that’s it, a highly impressive sounding album full of memorable songs, strong choruses and excellent musicianship. If you get the chance to hear this album then you really must take it as it is certainly one of the years strongest releases and the band are more active touring wise these days too. So watch out for them as live this material will be fantastic!

Very Highly recommended indeed.

Released 13th October, 2024.

Order the album here:

https://stuckfish.bandcamp.com/album/stuckfish-iv-with-12-page-lyric-book

Watch the video for Shadows & Moonbeams here:

https://stuckfish.bandcamp.com/track/shadows-moonbeams

Review – Ruby Dawn – Blood on Water – by John Wenlock-Smith

Back in 2022 I wrote an extensive review of the debut album from Ruby Dawn as I was very much taken by it, hailing it to be one of my albums of the year and recommending it very highly. Well, it’s now two years later and a lot has happened since that first review. Ruby Dawn have a new album emerging onto the prog world stage in this month and it promises to be equal, if not superior, to that stunning debut album.

So let’s dig in, as they say, and see if that album was a fluke or whether this album can create something equally as captivating as the debut proved itself to be.

Initial impressions certainly bode well as the album has a very striking cover, very Hypgnosis in style and could easily be a Pink Floyd sleeve, such it is simple elegance and it is one that definitely catches the eyes. Comprising of eleven tracks ranging from the shorter Maker of Me to the lengthier epics Chronicles of a Celestial Soul and Juliet, both over seven minutes in duration. This is an album of feelings, of impressions and one that is firmly rooted in real life experiences. Experiences that have been faced and dealt with in the past few years by Carola Baer and her supportive crew of musicians, and also her own family members.

Whilst I know some of the background to this album, I don’t feel it is for me to lay wide open the headaches behind the music, except to say that Ruby Dawn have risen above the challenges to make an album of real strength, beauty, integrity and resilience, superbly deep recording. Opening with a steady drum beat before Carola’s suitably breathy vocals arrive, Juliet kicks off the album off in style. This track has a very meaty sound to it with solid and fluid guitar work from Dave Salsbury, whose playing is on fire here. This is an exciting and satisfying opener and proves how well the band gel. It also shows just how much the band have grown and have developed their own musical style in the two years since the debut album.

It also proves that the first album was no fluke and that this album will not suffer the Second album syndrome that has affected and derailed many a group over the years. Arms Of Love is a song about realising how together we are strong, being able to cope with whatever curve balls life may throw at us and also how it is better to be loved than left out in the cold, alone. With Alice Come Home we again have a very dense sounding track with great musical support, strong bass playing from Ian Turner and more fine guitar tones and soloing from Dave Salsbury, whose fretboard must have the grooves burnt into it from it from the ferocity of his playing across the whole album!

Title track Blood on Water is a slow, brooding song with an increasing level of intensity mixed in amongst its strong power chords. I really like this track, it’s honesty and integrity shine strongly here as Carola seeks to makes sense of her world as it now is, different. This has to both be realised as such and responded to in a totally new manner. Social Disaster follows with another excellent guitar part from Dave and strong supportive bass from Ian, along with the suitably robust drumming of Adam Perry, whose sterling backbeat holds everything tightly together in a most marvellous manner. Easy Feels is a highly atmospheric track and one that would appear to deal with the difficult area of loss of control and how that affects a family unit. This has a very Dave Gilmour style guitar break at it’s heart and it certainly impresses greatly.

This is an album that was borne out of painful, heartbreaking challenges and situations encountered and having to be dealt with. This theme of overcoming adversity is woven throughout all of the songs. Yet, despite its darkness there is also a ray of hope and light that still shines through. This alone gives the album much of it’s emotional depth and rawness, along with its honesty. For that boldness alone,  I applaud this deeply rewarding and emotionally haunting album.

The centrepiece of the album for me is the sprawling epic that is Chronicles of a Celestial Soul, which elaborates on the issue of suffering and the uncertainty that goes along with it. Again, we encounter Resilience and bravery as the situation is stared down and faced and confronted with courage and commitment.

The album is a triumphant statement of intent and a testimony to not giving in, instead choosing to face things head on with a confidence that may not actually be felt, yet somehow arises to battle the situation and fight until it ends. This album is actually life affirming and is a declaration of the power and value of love, teamwork and steadfastness in the midst of adversity and the promise of hope and also the recognition that better times lie ahead. Such is the beauty of hope that a new and different dawn will rise and life will continue.

Released November 1st, 2024.

Order from bandcamp here:

https://rubydawnband.bandcamp.com/album/blood-on-water

Review – Tiger Moth Tales – Inside The Cocoon – by John Wenlock-Smith

This Review is for a CD/dDVD set that delves deep into the highly successful and highly acclaimed ‘Cocoon’ album by Tiger Moth Tales (TMT) and comprises of a seventy-four minute audio document containing a mixture of conversations with Peter Jones, five live tracks from either the first TMT concerts and more recent ones from The Boerderij in Holland from earlier this year.

The accompanying DDV features a live solo performance by Peter Jones, mainly on guitar, again hailing from 2024, an interview along with the promotional video for the extra track on the ‘Cocoon’ 10 year anniversary edition, called Return To Chigwick in which Peter comments in song on the extraordinary journey he has been on since the release of the original album. This extraordinary, prolific, musician has released eight albums over the same ten year period along with appearances with Camel, It Bites and Cyan (among others). He has also performed session work for The Barock Project, four John Holden albums and also four Red Bazar albums and numerous shows. It’s been a very fruitful ten years for Peter and this CD tells you far more about the making of, and also the inspiration behind, the music.

In all honesty this is possibly an album you will listen to infrequently, although the DVD may receive more attention, featuring his interpretations of five Genesis songs, as the band were always a major influence on Peter’s intention to make a progressive music career for himself. The DVD is very illuminating, as Peter doesn’t tend to do many solo guitar shows so, to have one recorded for posterity is wonderful in itself, as are his Genesis covers, on which he does incredibly well in converting his admiration for the band.

This release definitely has its place in Peter’s recorded output and shows his versatility off to fine effect. As a Fan who has been on the whole journey with Peter, this is a most welcome release and highly enjoyable indeed. The live tracks on the CD include Overture from 2016, recorded at one of the earliest Tiger Moth Tales shows in Nottingham,  a version of The Merry Vicar and also A Visit To Chigwick, both from the same Nottingham show in 2016. There is also a live version of Feels Alright from a 2024 show in Holland.

It is a very interesting and informative release and you cannot help be amazed at both how productive, creative and determined Peter is who, despite being blind, does not allow his disabilities severely impact his ability to create some seriously impressive music. You will discover who the original ‘Vicar’ was and why Peter felt compelled to write about this man in particular. The interviews are informative and illuminating about both the detail and the vision behind the ‘Cocoon’ album. For me, it is the snippets of information that Peter reveals that help you appreciate that he does not allow his disabilities to affect his creativity and he shows incredible aptitude and resilience. It also makes abundantly clear the sheer creativity and attention to detail that Peter has applied to the project, as a companion album to the original release this is very welcome.

I really enjoyed this extra album and DVD but understand that it will not appeal to everyone, however, those that do partake will find much here to enjoy and appreciate, especially the demo and live tracks, which show the evolution of the album. It also gives much detail about how the album emerged and became a testament to both Peter’s talent and resilience, making it a story of successful endeavours and genuine imagination. ‘Cocoon’ remains a landmark album for Peter and this accompanying release really sheds light on what helped make the album such a refreshing and rewarding experience.

Personally, for me, I really enjoyed this and my admiration for Peter has increased even more as a result. It’s an interesting listen and the music tracks add even more to this fabulous little package, which I suggest will become increasingly more valuable as times goes by. So, if this is up your street then I strongly suggest that you search it out whilst you can as it may not be around for that long.

A real hats off to Peter for delving into his own archives to compile this fascinating release about his stunning debut album ‘Cocoon’ as he celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Released 6th September, 2024.

Order the album here:

https://www.whiteknightshop2.co.uk/home/Tiger-Moth-Tales-Inside-The-Cocoon-CD-DVD-p687857062

Review – Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks – True – by John Wenlock-Smith

2024 has been a most interesting and agreeable year musically with some real top draw releases. This has been further accentuated by this spectacular release which arrived somewhat from left field. ‘True’ sees the triumphant return of icon and legendary original Yes singer Jon Anderson who, at 79 years of age, is proving there is definitely still life in this old dog yet!

After the years of exclusion from the group that he was one of the original founders of and, in the wake of vocal issues that led to his ultimate departure and subsequent meandering around the outskirts of music, it must offer a real sense of immense pride and satisfaction that this new album from Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks has received such a positive reception, with many hailing it as the album that Yes should be making. Whilst Yes are maintaining their own particular version of the music, albeit to seemingly diminishing returns and in a way that possibly dilutes their legacy, on this album Jon And The Band Geeks craft something that captures much of the original magic that Yes enjoyed with Anderson and offer some real quality material and sound textures that evoke the spirit of prime Yes music in both a modern and yet nostalgic manner. All this whilst managing to avoid sounding like a tribute act.

Apart from the questionable cover image, this album ticks all the boxes, certainly for me at least. However, that aside, this album is actually a complete shock in just how consistent it is, with a slew of excellent songs and sterling performances throughout. With more than echoes of the glory days of the classic Yes era and while embracing the Trevor Rabin, ‘True’ also capitalises on the promise that Anderson, Rabin, Wakeman and Howe had offered. That is all history now as this album really delivers what most people expect of a Jon Anderson project. In short, this is a most excellent new album, I approached it with few expectations and found myself completely convinced by it’s tunes and musicianship. I can see what all the fuss is about, this album runs just shy of an hour in duration and within its grooves we find a distillation of all that is Jon Anderson.

Jon is in extremely fine voice and The Band Geeks are certainly more than proficient enough to pull this off in style. The excellent guitar work of Andy Graziano, who plays classical guitar lines like Steve Howe most convincingly, is really on point. Chris Clark provides the keyboards while Ritchie Castellano covers bass, Robert Kipp provides secondary guitar parts and Andy Ascolese covers the drums. The Band Geeks actually came together to cover Yes songs which they posted to YouTube and, in the process of doing so, they attracted the attention of Jon who reached out to them. Eventually they agreed to work together on this album and various tour dates.

The album has nine tracks with seven shorter pieces and two lengthier epics, namely Counties And Countries and the truly epic song Once Upon A Dream. These longer tracks are certainly complex in content but are also extremely well executed, the former piece is a distinct nod to the former glories of Yes but not being carbon copies in any way. These songs have life, vigour and vim in spades and we see a completely re-energised Anderson thoroughly enjoying himself and offering some superb music as a result. It’s so good to hear this reinvention again and this album deserves all the plaudits it gets as it is a truly excellent and convincing release.

Once Upon A Dream also really captivates with a vocal opening that evokes the opening bars of ‘Tales from Topographic Oceans’ in its chant. After this the music really begins properly with some strong guitar lines and choppy rhythms and some great guitar runs and a bass that Chris Squire himself would definitely approve of. This song really shines and sparkles showing just how great a band this unit truly is and, it’s a revelation really.

This absolutely wonderful release shoots itself in the top ten of 2024 and I’m sure it will feature prominently in many end of year lists. Intentional or not, Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks have produced the best Yes album of the last twenty years…

Released 23rd August, 2024.

Order the album here:

https://ffm.to/jonandersontrue

Review – Nick Fletcher – A Longing For Home – by John Wenlock-Smith

In 1975, which was a momentous year for music, The late John Miles wrote, “Music was my first love and it will be my last, music of the future and music of the past”. Later on John lamented that in this world of troubles my music pulls me through. These are sentiments that I guess many heartily agree with, I certainly do, and I would imagine that Nick Fletcher would too, especially based on conversations that I’ve had with him. Whilst he might not live for music, being the family man that he is, there is little doubt that music through creating, producing and performing, plays a major part in his own life.

Of course, if we’re were talking about him in the 1970’s, Nick would be heralded as a major guitar hero and would invariably be highly rated amongst his peers. Sadly those days for guitarists are possibly over now.  The irony is that, in Nick, you have a consummate talent who really deserves a bigger platform and reach that an independent release fails to offer him. Certainly, talent like Nick’s is rare and should be valued and recognised far more.

His new album, ‘A Longing For Home’, is a prime case of this. His last album, ‘Quadrivium’, was spectacular enough but this one takes the bar and lifts it up even higher, making this an album that will be the envy of many guitarists around the world. With its staggering displays of virtuosity, speed runs and flights of finger work, Nick most definitely makes that fretboard scorch and burn, as he does here amongst this albums ten tracks.

The album is the last part of a trilogy of albums made up of ‘The Cloud Of Unknowing’, ‘Quadrivium’ and now ‘A Longing For Home’, which concludes the trilogy through the genre of  progressive jazz/rock fusion. On this release Nick explores the connections between science, religion and spirituality and how that relates to each of us as individuals.

The album begins with the excellent Satori which has a busy rhythm section plowing a mighty furrow and giving Nick a platform on which to solo furiously, an opportunity he makes the most of! The backing is spot on and you can sense that this is a field in which Nick excels and feels very comfortable indeed. The subtle keyboard work of Caroline Bonnett underpins everything with grace and aplomb and the groove reminds me of Spyrogyra at times, except Nick’s take on fusion is more fiery and less jazz-lite than Spyrogya’s ever was. The Secret Of The Ascent introduces Norwegian Jan Gunnar Hoff to proceedings and he is phenomenal here, helping create a background wash of keyboards that helps move the track along briskly and yet retaining its musical charm and integrity. Joy Turning Into Sorrow is a delicate classical guitar piece (Nick also has a fine pedigree in this realm having written and performed many solo classical guitar performances over the past 25 years or so). The Final keyboard notes of this piece lead us into the wonderfully evocative track Sitting In The Sunboat, which is a longer track in which Nick solos extensively and with style. Whilst his soloing is fiery, it is never at the expense of either melody of emotion, being both stylish and  warm. The piano solo in the middle of the song also impresses greatly,

Even more impressive (if that’s possible) is the simply gorgeous Her Eyes Of Azure Blue, which Nick says called for a different approach from him. It has a very lyrical style and a features a fretless bass solo from Jonathon Ihlenfeld Cuniado which fits extremely well with the overall sound that the track conveys. Nick is most definitely a team player here, graciously sharing the platform with his fellow musicians and this helps and actually enhances the music that he makes. This shows that music is a collaborative effort and has a very symbiotic quality in which every one’s effort are rewarding to the listener. This track and its predecessor are the highlights of the album for me as together they convey the skill and vision employed here by all the participants. Whilst Nick’s name adorns the cover, it would not have the same depth of emotion without the help of Anika Nilles, Jonathan, Caroline and Jan’s presence and significant musical input. Anika’s drumming shows why Jeff Beck wanted her in his last band, her performances here are thundering, powerful but ultimately tasteful.

The next piece, A Pathway To The Hermitage, has a light, almost joyful, tone and title track A Longing For Home follows with a suitably cosmic and atmospheric sound which evokes the vastness of space, just how small and alone we are as a planet and how we are almost insignificant in the greater cosmos and universe. Nick’s guitar is laden with reverb and echo to help convey this vastness. With shades of David Gilmour on display here, this track is another winner! As is The Sage, The Monk and The Scholar, which is, to be truthful, a storming rocker of a track with a powerful riff and afiery guitar throughout. An epic guitar solo and a superb organ section help maintain the intensity of the track, one which rocks ferociously and is, unsurprisingly, another winner.

The penultimate piece is Crossing The Sacred Threshold which sees the return of the melody from The Secret Of The Ascent. This is a lovely touch and brings a sense of unity to proceedings in that we are reaching towards a conclusion of sorts. The album closes with the only vocalised track on the album, To Hear The Angels Sing. It has beautiful wordless vocalisations from Olga Karpova (Dikajee) whose presence brings a classy end to proceedings. Olga is a classically trained Opera singer and it shows here as she vocalises over a shimmering wash of sounds and textures from Nick’s elegant guitar. There are no keyboards or other instruments on show here and this is a peaceful final conclusion to the album and is very ethereal sounding indeed.

This album is without a doubt one of the first instrumental albums of the year with hints of some of the jazz fusion greats, Al Di Moela, Alan Holdsworth, Pat Metheny, John Mclaughlin and many others. Please don’t let this wonderful and terrific album slip by you otherwise you will definitely regret it!

Released 21st October, 2024.

Order direct from Nick’s website here:

https://www.nickfletcherguitarmusic.com/product-page/nick-fletcher-a-longing-for-home-cd

Interview With Nick Fletcher – John Wenlock-Smith

John Wenlock-Smith: This latest album. ‘A Longing For Home’, completes a trilogy of albums, explain the themes behind these for me again please, if you will.

Nick Fletcher: The three albums are kind of all linked together thematically, all to do with the connection I can see between Science,Religion & Spirituality. I just think all these things, rather than being in opposition to each other, are in fact closely interwoven and the albums explore that connection and how they relate to that in our own lives and experiences. The albums explore that theme and how that relates to us each as an individual.

JWS: this album is fully instrumental, apart from the last track, why is that?

NF: I came to a point whilst making the last album where I realised that my strengths do not lie in songwriting, they lie in composing music. I’m not good at writing lyrics to express what I am feeling. The songwriting format is not one I’m comfortable with and the melodies I write are quite difficult for a singer to get to grips with and for them to do the songs justice.

On this latest recording, the last track has what appears to be a simple melody but it isn’t really, it has a big range and called for a specific type of singer, so it needed a specific voice who could bring the melody alive.

So, to that end, I sought assistance from a good friend of mine; Dikajee (her real name is Olga Karpova) who, as well a being a great prog singer, also is a trained opera singer. I think it felt that she was able to bring to life fully what I had envisaged.

JWS: Tell me about you writing process please Nick?

NF: It’s interesting that you say that! I guess that, compared to how many folks write these days, my way of writing could be deemed ‘Old School’, in that I hear the music in my head, develop it on my guitar (unplugged) and then I score it out. However, I don’t make any demo’s at all. So, when it  comes to making the album, it means it can be difficult to convey what I hear to the musicians who I am working with.

Often Caroline Bonnet (my co- producer) looks at me oddly when i’m trying to explain things to her. It calls for an element of trust as she is used to hearing a demo version and working upwards from that. Whereas I hear it all in my head, so she has to trust my vision really. It’s one that requires zero technology, I never plug the guitar in a, if it works unplugged, I know it will work when it’s recorded. I try to avoid searching for the sound, I see sounds as colours and I don’t want that interrupted or overshadowed by sound.

I’m also a classical musician and that approach is tied in with that as well.

JWS: The artwork for the album is also very interesting!

NF: Yes, if you look at the cover and the inside CD tray, you will find there is a message hidden within and that connects the whole album together. It’s possibly a little cryptic but it is there if you look for it.

JWS: I’ve heard the album but the download I received wasn’t in the correct sequence so, whilst listening the other day, I had to keep flipping back to the track listing and then play the next track which meant the album didn’t flow continuously and in sequence meaning it was hard to fully grasp. When I get the album for myself then I can listen fully and without interruption and thus get the full picture clearly.

JWS: Do you hope to be able to play the album live at all?

NF: I would love to, it’s a dream that I’d love to be able to bring to reality. However, it’s not easily achievable due to finance and also logistical issues,plus most of the band on this album are based in Europe, which further complicates matters. So do schedules and timing, if it becomes feasible or possible then I’ll try to make the dream come true for certain.

One of the reasons for using a different band for this album was to reinforce the concept of music as being universal and a force to bring us closer together. There is more that unites us as opposed to separates us and I see music as a critical part of that path. It’s an important statement really.

JWS: So what’s happening with regard to the John Hackett Band?

NF: Well, next year marks the 50th anniversary of Steve Hackett’s ‘Voyage Of The Acolyte’, an album which John played a major part in both the writing and the recording of. So, next year, we are doing a number of songs from that album along with new songs from the forthcoming John Hackett Band album, which is nearly completed and will be entitled ‘Red Institution’. Although no release date has been set as yet but hopefully it’s not to far off now.

I’m also going to continue with some classical guitar shows again, along with continuing to write music for another album which will be a standalone album. However it will be another one with a conceptual narrative as I like having a concept to work with.

JWS: Do you have a favourite track from the three albums ?

NF: That’s a question I’ve never been asked before! Obviously I like them all but, possibly, the track Her Eyes Of Azure Blue from the new album ‘A Longing For Home’, as it calls for me to play in a different style, whereas normally I’m flying around the fretboard, doing pyrotechnics. Here it’s needs me to play in a more structured manner, which is different for me, I guess how I feel will change from day to day but today it’s that one.

I hope that helps!

JWS: Yes it certainly does. Well, Nick, that’s my questions, thank you for your time and the informative answers, I really appreciate it. I look forward to seeing you in November in Reading.

‘A Longing For Home’ is out now, order direct from Nick here:

https://www.nickfletcherguitarmusic.com/product-page/nick-fletcher-a-longing-for-home-cd

Review – Frant1c – A Brand New World – by John Wenlock-Smith

This new album is a little unusual, it’s history is a complex one but it is ultimately something of a triumph. Coming, as it does, following a set of significant lifestyle changes for one of its key architects, Anne-Claire Rallo. In the wake of her partner Eric Bouillette’s sad death from Pancreatic Cancer in 2022, Anne-Claire has forged a new life in musical PR with Bad Dog Promotions, who are going from strength to strength.

Eric actually contributed to this release and it is his final appearance on any album and here he offers guitar, keyboards piano and also aided in the arrangements. The album also includes contributions from Alexandre Lamia (Nine Skies), Martin Wilson (The Room), Johnny Marter (nine skies) and Helen Tiron (Sun Q). This album also benefits from the mixing and mastering skills of John Mitchell.

The album is most definitely a labour of love for Anne-Claire and is possibly cathartic for the tough time she has been through in the aftermath of Eric’s death. The record is concerned with the tale of Charlie and Hope, who have spent their lives together until a day when Charlie wakes up alone in a world that has changed completely. Charlie goes in search of Hope and this journey takes him to new discoveries and encounters whilst he searches for his love.

The album is truly symphonic in nature and I have to say it sounds really great too. It begins with Prologue (The Awakening), a brief spoken introduction and shimmering sound effects before a piano is heard playing a somewhat plaintive melody which is joined with a moving violin part. As an opener it sets the scene wonderfully for what is to follow. Come Back To Earth features the excellent, clear and strong vocals of Martin Wilson, who is on excellent form here. His voice is powerful and emotionally charged, he sounds like a Marillion era Fish on this track. People In Their Cages features clips of old radio shows and talks of our reliance on the media to both inform and also to entertain us, as we are unable to think for ourselves, referring to us to being a zombie nation. Where Have You Been? is a wistful song of loss and longing. It has some great guitar lines that works really well and the vocals are again excellent.

The album’s longest track, The Ballad Of Peggy Pratt, is a song about a lost person, this time a woman, who lives in her past looking back to her better days. The track opens with a piano setting a downbeat tone before it builds with very evocative vocals from Martin that really sets the scene of faded glory and to present disillusionment. The song has several sections to it, including a stellar instrumental section with lots of riffing guitar tracks. This fades to moody piano motifs before an epic guitar solo really adds elegance to the proceedings. Sweet Confusion is a duet between the characters of Charlie (Martin) and Hope (Helen) in which they speak of the confusion that sounds and separates them emotionally. It also shows the longing for reconciliation and healing between them emerging. On The Run opens with keyboards and synth effects and concerns a world of crazy people running around. The song has a good melody and features Martin’s The Room colleague Steve Anderson on guitar who adds real flamboyance and flair to this excellent track. It is one of the album’s finest to these ears and shows great performances from all parties involved. Take A Little Time (The Encounter) addresses the gulf between the friends and their desire to draw closer once again, in spite of the obstacles that lie in their paths. A New Path is the album’s penultimate track and offers a glimpse of a way forward and back to normalcy. This has a heavier tone that works well for it, the song also has more atmospheric sounds and great guitar flourishes adorn the track. Epilogue (A Brand New World) concludes the album with delicate piano lines and a spoken vocal from Anne-Claire adds to the excitement of the track, there isn’t a vocal per-se as the spoken world tells the tale. There is also the return of the spoken voice part from the opening track, again this works well in telling us to Wake Up several times before the album ends.

‘A Brand New World’ is an interesting tale but you will need to listen carefully to really understand it. What is without question is that this is a most ambitious album and one that really works on the whole. It is definitely worth listening to and deciding for yourself, musically it is excellent as are the vocalists who really shine on these wonderful songs.

Released 27th September, 2024.

Order from bandcamp here:

https://frant1c.bandcamp.com/album/a-brand-new-world