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#