|
|
||
 |
Reviews
Weekly Reviews For August 21, 2005 I am also Assistant Editor & reviewer
at MetalUK. I also contribute reviews to getreadytorock You will also find some reviews at spacerock.co.uk
|
 |
New Reviews
He's soon to be releasing another proper album, but 'Postcards' is an early collection of new tracks and odds and sods which never made the last or next albums. Which goes to show that the chaff of Mr Wylie is something remarkable to behold. Straight from the off when the glory that is Wishbone Ash is resurrected with a dance beat, it's clear that you're in the presence of something special. 'Time Was' is the opening track, and it's absolutely fabulous. To be fair, so was the original, but a 21st century sprinkling of fairy dust has done it no harm at all. In fact, the entire album is a splendid mix of old and new with glistening West Coast harmonies set to modern, melodic masterpieces. It's all too easy to file this away with all the other Glaswegian wannabees who've floated along in the wake of Teenage Fanclub, but don't let this one slip under the radar. Whether it's the Dan Hartman sounding 'I'm Hanging Around' or the power pop perfection of 'We Can get It Right', this sleek 10 song collection ( a perfect length at 35 minutes), is so much better than most proper albums it beggars belief. Don't be fooled into thinking it's just another jingly jangly sub Byrds experience. What you're getting is a mixture of Buffalo Springfield, the Raspberries and Cheap Trick, all done up in a sunny, paisley patterned Enuff Z'Nuff coating. One of the best albums of the year by far, this has ruined the last week, as nothing else has got near the hi-fi. Go git some, now.
Lead track 'Hard To Beat' passes by pleasantly enough in a dubby, quasi Killers kind of way, but with better vocals and stronger melodies. I was expecting more rage from the armpit of England, but I suspect underneath it all there's a classic rock band waiting to get out, more Elton John than Eminem. A theory borne out by the acoustic second track, 'Tied Up Too Tight', which has enough plaintive appeal to get the lighters aloft, despite the lapses into patoi. Potentially very good, but not the 2nd coming.
Shrinking Violet - Past The Point
Of Panic Hailing from the darklands of Lanarkshire, you wouldn't expect the glistening melodic sheen that is Shrinking Violet. But lead off track 'Past The Point Of Panic' is exactly that. As is often the case with West Coast (of Scotland) bands, they look further West for their inspirations, beyond Ireland to the promised land of America. Look back over the last 30 years of Scots rock and you'll find many who have heard the call, but where are Slide, King L and countless others now? I don't know if Shrinking Violet will be the ones to buck the trend, but if they can harness some of the raw emotion and ragged vocals on flip side, 'All Worked Out', they might be in with a fighting chance. Both songs are very radio friendly, but it's the edge to the second track that guides your finger to the replay button. I've got a good feeling about this, and if they're willing to do the legwork, they could go places. But I suspect their market will lead them far from the wastelands of home.
Dice - Time In Eleven Pictures I've always said that Dice are a prog lovers wet dream, and the latest album is no exception. I wasn't taken with their last album, 'If The Beatles Were From Another Galaxy', but then I have a long standing antipathy towards anything Lennon . McCartney related . But I am delighted to say that Dice are firmly back on form, mixing up their reflective and melodic progressive rock, bringing to mind a heady mix of mid period Pink Floyd and Camel. With a fabulous production, superb musicianship and some outstanding music, with 'The Gates Of Heaven' a most definite highlight, this is the best Dice album since the heady days of 'Dreamland'. I'm always amazed at the prodigious output and consistently high quality of the music produced by Dice, and this a worthy addition to their impressive canon of work.
Various - Sounds From A Big Town Well you have to give them full points for ambition. A three CD (count 'em) compilation of acts from Huddersfield. Yes, you read that right, Huddersfield. The idea for a compilation CD arose out of the Timeless Music Festival held in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Developed by local independent record label Chocolate Fireguard in partnership with Huddersfield Pride and DRAM, young regional talent was showcased on two stages alongside national and international artists in the grounds of Ravensknowle Park, Huddersfield. Divided into Dance / Guitars / Urban Hip Hop Chill this adds up to 41 tracks. Which is a lot of music. And a lot of it is rubbish, especially on the Guitars CD. Although the likes of Dwell and Riverside Happy show enough promise to stand out from the whiny indie rock so beloved of MTV2, the NME and absolutely no-one else. The Dance CD holds together very well across eight extended tracks with 'Need Your Love' by Martyn Henderson being the standout. Surprisingly, for a guitar oriented metalhead like me, it's the Urban-Hip Hop-Chill-doesn'tfitanywhereelse CD that holds the most delight. There are some real treats here with Kava Kava and the Celt Islam Sound System producing some truly excellent and innovative sounds. Granted, with this kind of project, there's always going to be a lot of guff to plough through, but if you're interested in finding that diamond in the rough, there are enough here to keep you going.
Ian Parker - Whilst the Wind Live Recorded in Hanover on 4 December, 2004, 'Whilst the Wind' features four songs from Ian's 2003 album 'Inside', four new songs and four cover versions, the first a very moving version of Ben Harper's 'Power of the Gospel', the last a medley of David Crosby's 'Almost Cut My Hair' and Peter Green's 'Green Manalishi' to both of which Ian brings his unique interpretation. In between there's his rendition of McKinley Morganfield's 'She's All Right'. It was Ian's own compositions that impressed me most though with the insightful 'The Love I Have', the infectious 'Misfits and Fools' sitting alongside political statements like 'The Moral Men' and 'The Truth Within' in which Ian expresses his disillusionment with the direction some of humanity has taken in recent times. In the sleeve notes he thanks Walter Trout for getting him started in music and he is certainly fit to rub shoulders in such company as his stunning guitar work lifts every single song on the album (apart from the opener!) I enjoyed this album immensely and I suggest that if you love the blues played on the rocky side that you check out Ian's studio albums and try to catch him live, a very different experience as he explains in his liner notes. (Reviewed by Phil Jackson for Zeitgeist)
|
 |
|
|
