Reviews

Weekly Reviews For July 10, 2005

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I am also Assistant Editor & reviewer at MetalUK.

I also contribute reviews to getreadytorock

You will also find some reviews at spacerock.co.uk

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Presto Ballet – Peace Among The Ruins

Now I did not see that coming. This promo was stickered “the new band from Metal Church guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof”. So I was all ready for some old school metal. I was not expecting the classiest piece of traditional progressive rock I have heard in quite some time.

Kurdt has reached way back into the seventies, dragged up some Hammond organ and mellotrons, dipped into his Kansas collection, and put together an outstanding set of material.

According to Mr Vanderhoof; “Digital recording techniques are annoying! For rock music it’s absolutely fatal when you always rely on samples, sequencers and drum machines. It destroys the live feel of the music. With Presto Ballet, it was our aim to return to a more natural feel while keeping as melodic and musical as possible.”

And a bang up job he has done. Assisted by singer Scott Albright (who sang on Kurdts 1st solo album), fellow Vanderhoof alumni Brian Cokeley on keyboards, one time Metal Church bass player, Brian Lake and drummer Jeff Wade, Presto Ballet take us back to a time when music was smooth and melodic, while remaining adventurous and stimulating.

There are musical nods to the aforementioned Kansas, bits of early Styx and some late Steve Hackett era Genesis. You’re getting the picture, right? Nip off to the website and download some MP3s, then buy the album and bask in the majesty of “Find The Time”, one of the finest prog tracks you’ll hear this year.

A surprising and delightful release.

General Kustard - msred


My apologies to Tim and Terri at Stone Premonitions who sent me General Kustard’s eponymous CD that I had set aside and quite forgotten about until ‘msred’ arrived. Listening to this aroused my curiosity and I finally got around to listening to both albums.

Well, what can I say? If you’re looking for something a bit different in the ambient and electronic genre then look no further. Always interesting, always evocative and all done with a sense of humour (The band do apologise for the Scooby Doo and ‘Son of Your Father’ references on ‘msred’ but they’ve really no need to!)

The soundscapes they create never become in the least soporific largely due to a dynamic rhythmic backbone and a varied range of track lengths from just over 1 to 7 or 8 minutes, the musical landscape constantly shifting. Unfortunately, I don’t know a lot about General Kustard except that they’re on Flying A Records, perennial champions of the musical underdogs. There’s not a lot about them on the web which is a pity. Can anyone enlighten me?

(Reviewed by Phil Jackson for Zeitgeist)

Various Artists: Gospel for J.F.P. III- Tribute to Jaco Pastorius

I must confess to not having heard much, if any, Pastorius original music. However, listening to the 9 minute interpretation of ‘Three Views of a Secret’ with its choral introduction by Contrafarsa sounding like the wonderful form of world music created by the likes of Karl Jenkins Adiemus project, I was intrigued. Even more so because what immediately follows is a duet between Hiram Bullock on electric and Bireli Lagrene on acoustic guitar that has at first a nursery rhyme infectiousness before the players’ virtuosity takes the music into a different dimension- superb! This is one of many tracks that have been done specifically for the compilation, a true labour of love. Others are from existing albums like two contributions from ‘This is Michael Gerber’, the first ‘Las Olas’ a swinging Brazilian- flavoured piece distinguished by fine solos by Gerber and Toninho Horta on guitar, the second a gorgeous piano based piece originally on Jaco’s first album, ‘Continuum’, ironically performed by a 5 piece band with no bass! Another irony is the appearance of a non Jaco composition, the funky ‘I Can Dig It Baby’ featuring Jaco’s son Felix Pastorius and an army of percussionists as the rhythm section. Its inclusion is, of course, justified as this number was Jaco’s first recording as a session man.

Steel pans player Othello Molineaux’s version of the Weather Report number ‘Havona’ is more jazz rock fusion. The bass player must have an unenviable job on these sessions but Pete Sebastian does a sterling job (including a solo) while Abel Pabon’s fluent piano runs and Bob Mintzer’s explosive tenor sax solo also contribute greatly to the piece.

There are lots of surprises to come including a 7 minute version of Weather Report’s ‘Punk Jazz’ played solo by Gil Goldstein, the keyboard player with Michael Gerber on accordions. Gil contributes piano also to ‘Good Morning Anya’, only previously available in unfinished version, this track has a terrific sax solo by Jorge Pardo and fretless bass solo by Carles Benavent. The drummer Alex Acuna used to be in Weather Report.

Some readers may remember Kenwood Dennard from Brand X’s ‘Livestock’ album, whose band appear here with ‘Teen Town’ from Weather Report’s ‘Heavy Weather’ LP, a furious jazz rock fusion replete with solos.

I could write an essay on this album- the breadth of styles, the multiplexity of instruments, the breathtaking musicianship but suffice to say that everything about this CD smacks of quality, a fitting tribute indeed to a prodigious talent.

Essential for lovers of Jaco’s music and all serious jazz and rock heads everywhere!

(Reviewed by Phil Jackson for Zeitgeist)

Demeter – Pleasure Island

It’s ‘Open Your Eyes’ by the Lords Of The New Church. No, really. But as I always say, if you’re to rip a song, rip a classic. Couple that with a chorus of “the girls are easy and the drugs are free”, and that’s mainstream airplay out of the window.

But it’s a cracking track, even if second hand, and livelier than most of the rubbish that gets passed my way. The other tracks aren’t as good although ‘London Skies’ is very Patti Smith like, and to be commended as such.

You also get a very disquieting video, with what appeared to be far too much clown licking going on for my liking, so that was a quick exit.

Interesting and enjoyable, if not essential.

Eric Anders - More Regrets

I was greatly impressed by Eric’s 2003 CD ‘Not At One’ and had a feeling I wouldn’t be disappointed with his next one. Well, I was right! The edgy songs, mostly written by Anders with Mark O’Bitz and guitarist Randy Mitchell. have a strangely melancholic yet exuberating quality and a unique gravitas. Eric sounds every bit as anguished as Nock Drake on ‘Icarus’ and his sweet voice is an ideal partner for the beautiful ballad ‘Settlin’ Comes’.

Mitchell produces the album and seldom ventures into a guitar break except on the glorious end to ‘Practised Isolation’, a song about bittersweet relationships, a recurring theme on the album. This economy of guitar style empathises perfectly with the mood created.

‘You Lied’ is one of the more instantly accessible songs and includes a writing credit for Eric’s sister, Diana, and is also one of two songs featuring the graceful cello of Adrienne Woods.
‘More Regrets’ is an album to listen to repeatedly- introspective and intelligent atmospheric music which will, in part, intrigue and hypnotise you.

(Reviewed by Phil Jackson for Zeitgeist)

Cafebar 401

A rather pleasant and unusual release, Cafebar 401 actually manage to make indie / alternative rock listenable again. When you’re constantly subjected to the rubbish blasted out of MTV2 it’s always a pleasure to hear good music again.

Granted, the vocals sometimes wander dwon skinny white boy boulevard, a street I want condemned, demolished and paved over, like no other street, but the music always manages to lift the project out of any potential mire. They also sometimes seem to be heading towards Coldplay territory, but just as I’m getting the hammer out to smash the CD into a thousand pieces, a left field melodic hook drags me right back in. Elsewhere, they have a pop stoner sensibility that should make no sense, but somehow works.

Cafebar 401 mainman, Tije Oortwijn likes to make a bid for “a hipper Foo Fighters, a fun and funkier Bush”, but namechecking two of my most loathed bands makes no waves over here. But trying for “Fu Manchu-like guitar riffs and a Masters of Reality-style chorus” is an easy way to my heart! Strange then, that they really excel at the ballads with ‘I Need to Know’ a lighter in the air moment for the 21st century.