What does it sound like?:
Anthony Phillips must be one of the most prolific artists of recent years, and now we have a new five cd set. Well, new in the sense that it brings back into print the long unavailable four original Missing Links sets, now in remastered form, while in the process adding a new fifth disc of previously unreleased material. Running parallel to his career as a conventional solo artist, Phillips has been a prolific composer of mainly instrumental ‘library music’ for TV and films, which is the focus of this comprehensive set, although it does also throw in a selection of rare archive recordings from 1979 onwards. The music itself, well played as it is, doesn’t really evolve much over the decades covered by this set, as you’d expect from what is essentially intended as a background to accompany tv pictures. There’s also a lengthy extensive essay by archivist Jon Dann who helped put this box together, which sheds some light as to the original intentions for these brief guitar and piano led pieces. Pleasant enough listening, but this set is really aimed at the hardest of the hardcore fans rather than the casual listener.
What does it all *mean*?
Phillips has carved a nice little niche for himself in the music world, almost a cottage industry – Gordon Giltrap is another good example of a talented musician now ploughing his own independent furrow.
Goes well with…
Busying yourself with other tasks while this plays in the background, easy on the ear but undemanding and undistracting.
Release Date:
20 November
Might suit people who like…
Letting the music wash over you.
thecheshirecat says
So, be honest with me. I have the individual I to IV CDs, and there are precious few occasions when they are just the thing to match my mood. What’s on the fifth ‘market-gouging’ CD that could tempt me?
Bargepole says
More of the same! There’s nothing on the fifth cd that would sound out of place if it had appeared on the previous four, but there’s no earth shattering musical revelations either.
Colin H says
Can’t wait till I get my copy!