Zeitgeist Reviews

Pineapple Thief

Pineapple Thief

Motorhead

Motorhead

When's the Future

When's the Future

Addison Project

Addison Project

PINEAPPLE THIEF - Variations On A Dream

Hmm. Not sure whether I should like this or not. All my mates at the Heavy Metal Home for Retired Headbangers will doubtless vote me out sharpish should I say anything positive. But I'm going to anyway. Twas probably time for a haircut and a shave, and I'm told laser tattoo removal surgery isn't as painful as it used to be.

Imagine, if you will, a world where Coldplay, Elbow and Starsailor actually had some talent and the ability to write a memorable song. Nah, me neither. But Pineapple Thief are working in an idiom that would be recognisable to fans of what is laughingly called alternative rock by the MTV2s of this world. However, factor in a dose of modern day Anathema and you'd probably be closer to the mark. With a soupcom of latter day Pink Floyd.

Strange then that they find themselves on prog label Cyclops? For this is very song based in the same way that Porcupine Tree have moved into the traditional market. Soothing yet challenging, never losing sight of the 'popular' format, some songs here will live with you for a long time. "This Will Remain Unspoken" is a prime example, awash with acoustic guitars, yet drenched in Floydian synths. Lovely. "The Bitter Pill" takes it even further down, with only a piano for company, but it seems so much more. "Part Zero" gets a tad more irate, but still keeps it melodic. Only when we get to showstopper "Remember Us" do things get seriously progtastic as Pineapple Thief power through a histrionic 16 minute mini concerto. But in a good way.

Some have claimed that it veers too close to the likes of Radiohead for comfort, but that is a cruel and heartless to say. I do favour the rockier numbers ala "Sooner Or Later" and "Run Me Through", which gives Muse a run for their money, and overall this is a truly excellent release.

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MOTORHEAD - Live At The Brixton Academy

Can you say "rip-off"? I know I can. "Rip-off". There I said it. This 2 CD set contains Motorhead`s complete 25th Anniversary concert from October 22, 2000. I know cos I was there. However, if you bought the twin pack of the DVD "Boneshaker", then you have most of it already as that came with a bonus audio CD of most of the concert. Even better, that DVD live sound hasn't even been tweaked for audio. So it sounds incredibly lo-fi on a hi-fi. But, it does come in a pointless cardboard slip case, so that's OK. And it's not as if there aren't any other (better) live releases out there from Motorhead. After all the good work Motorhead have done over the last few years reestablishing themselves as lords of rock, it even comes as an unpleasant surprise.

Bearing in mind that the box set hasn't been out long, I'm not sure who they think is going to buy this apart from crazed completists like me. But if you really want to know what you're getting for your money, there's the piece of cardboard, some photographs on the skimpy booklet (which comes sans sleevenotes) and the following tracks which were missing on the earlier releases. I`m So Bad (Baby I Don`t Care), Civil War, Overnight Sensation,
You Better Run, Orgasmatron and Iron Fist. That's right. Six tracks. Sigh:-(

Now, as someone who was there, I had to buy it. The same way I bought "Stone Deaf Forever!", the box set, and the same way I'll buy the next rip-off. However, the next time Lemmy whinges about old labels ripping off the fans with repackages of old material, it could be the end of a 25 year old friendship.

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WHEN’S THE FUTURE - “Then”

‘Now’ was a tantalising taster for ‘Then’ whose review has already appeared on Zeitgeist. I explained ‘then’ that When’s The Future is a close relation of Kromlek consisting of guitarist Dave Musgrove, bassist Bazz with the addition ‘now’ of Shaun Barrie, Michael Tonks and Rachel Minto whose singing graces the splendid opener ‘Land of Milk and Money’. Two atmospheric instrumental tracks follow and are typical of the inventive and very rhythmic (tribal) approach throughout this album. I also said in my original review that ‘Slow Motion’ (now reincarnated as ‘Slow Potion’) with its appropriately persistent groove and scintillating interplay between guitar and synth was one I kept returning to. Well, a few more listens have, if anything, increased my sense of enjoyment of this hypnotic song. The aptly named ‘Tribal Pot’ is another memorable instrumental on which Shaun unleashes his famous ‘bogeridoo’. I loved the old upright piano on ‘My Coat’, fast becoming my favourite track- and there are quite a lot to choose from! Two more instrumentals follow, ‘Dream Cracker’ in particular having a very contemporary feel i.e. It might actually appeal to a ‘young’ person! Those familiar with the psychedelic/spacerock Hawkwind/ Gong/ Ozrics influenced Kromlek will now have waited a while for a guitar/ synth freak out but won’t be disappointed by the 7:45 of ‘Psllocybe Astral Glide’. The bit at the end is a bit other side of the moonlike! (See later) ‘Cop Out Dood’ with its ‘straight from the hip’ sardonic message- ‘You’re getting there- getting where now?’ features some fantastic flute and percussion and an unforgettable chorus ‘I’m out of my brain again’ (Really?) ‘Consett Jig’ and ‘Go East ‘N’ Feast’ are enigmatic and self explanatory titles respectively- \I wouldn’t like to try to dance to the former while the latter is a close relative to Terri~B’s ‘essential incense music’. Try listening to this without your legs folded! The beginning of ‘It All Goes Back to the Sea’ is the nearest the band come to ‘ska’ (another characteristic of Kromlek’s music for the acquainted) but it seems to me that ‘Kromlek’ has taken a big step forward here as the style rapidly undergoes a metamorphosis into a kind of ambient experimentalism. What I particularly like about ‘Then’ is the way the disparate styles are blended as one track flows seamlessly into another to produce a unique ‘sound’. For me ‘Then’ even surpasses my previous favourite Kromlek album ‘Collective Conscious’ and that is, in my book, a compliment of the highest order. Don’t miss out on this one- definitely one of the best albums to penetrate my grey matter this year. When is the future by the way?
Buy online at;

Contact: www.aural-innovations.com/stonepremonitions/
(Stone Premonitions SPCD040)

(Reviewed by Phil Jackson for Zeitgeist)

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ADDISON PROJECT – Mood Swings

Richard Addison used to be bass player with the renowned band, Mystery, but this is his first solo release under the monicker Addison Project. This CD takes a slightly sideways step from the more traditional based Mystery into the realms of progressive fusion. And with two drummers, three guitarists, two sax players, one violin player and two piano and synth players, anything is posssible.

If you're looking for progressive jazz tunes or if you're looking for sculptured soundscapes (“Controlled Freedom”), then there's something here for you. The fusion numbers are firmly based in eighties mode, which is fine by me, but have an up to date crispness that elevates them way beyond some of the pretenders to the Mahavishnu throne. There are hints of Mr Addisons progressive past (if that makes any sense), although it's more jazz than rock, with hints of The Flock, but never losing sight of the melody makes for a powerful, confident and recommended release.