What does it sound like?:

I must admit to not having listened to this era of the Pink Floyd in 30 years. I watched the Venice gig on TV at the time, and became increasingly aghast. Basically, the more easy going members of “The Floyd” got the band together and after legal wrangles over the name, were back in business, uber-carper Roger Waters declaring “A Momentary Lack of Reason”, “a very facile but quite clever forgery”. I acquired the latter a few years later when I saw a cheapo copy, played it a few times, then passed it on to someone who’d enjoy it more. It was Pink Floyd for the MTV Generation, and you can decide if that notion fills you with horror or delight: I know which side I fall on. This gig is that, in spades. Dave Gilmour, of course, had a living to make, and like all the other remaining Floyds, had released passable solo albums to little success, whereas Roger was playing Earls Court. So you can see why the urge struck them to go back on the road and clean up, just as many other heritage rock acts would between 1987 and 1990 » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

Yes have had a hard time recently; difficulties when they wanted to tour and Jon was ill, bad feeling around the execution of the Rock n’Roll Hall of Fame entry performance, the death of Chris Squire, and the decline of Alan White, who was no longer able to keep up with the frenetic tempos and precision playing Yes’s best music requires. Steve Howe has worked hard to create a non-Fragile (hah!) version of the band which can meet their marks and give the music the seriousness and the syncopation it needs.

With Jon Davison on vocals they have a convincing new Jon without the grating “Lancastrian-Californian pixie” vibe, Billy Sherwood doing a great job on the bass; Geoff Downes getting into his role (as he should, given he has been doing this for 40 years, on and off) , and Jay Schellen doing the faster drumming work (Alan White still providing what he does), so it all sounds good. Better in fact than the last Yes live album I reviewed here (Yes 50 live, in July 2019).

I was disconcerted that there was no “FireBird Suite” to kick things off (has there » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

Frank Zappa famously liked to perform in New York over Halloween, and these late October concerts became legendary for their congenial ambience. Mad-keen fans up for a night of scintillating music encompassing long sets, new and reinterpreted songs, intricate instrumentals, inspired covers, challenging solos, irreverent stage comments to offend at least one person in the audience, and yet further madness would attend, delighting then man himself, who thrived on an audience that understood, and didn’t just want “Dynamo-Humm”. The latest release from Zappa’s archive is a 6 CD set of the three concerts performed in October 1981, two on Halloween itself (an early and late show), and one from the day after. These were the last New York Halloween shows Zappa performed. The 1981 shows were filmed and simcasted (which must have terrified TV producers fearful of too spontaneous a bit of “audience participation” or stage irreverence). Some of the footage was released on the DVD, “The Dub Room Special”. Doubtless, bits can be seen on YouTube. The CD set comes with a Count Frankula mask and cape (not available with the download).

The three concerts (some of which may have been heard » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

Well, what do you think? John Peel’s observation about The Fall – “”they are always different; they are always the same”, also works for Hawkwind, as Hawkwind’s gestalt is now set, and their themes so established, that whatever is new has a resonance with whatever has been before; a half-century musical career is like that.

Of course, this is not QUITE Hawkwind – note the Hawkwind Light Orchestra. “Carnivorous” began as a solo Dave Brock project last Winter, but Richard Chadwick (drummer), and Magnus Martin (guitarist) also added bits, presumably over the ‘Net. Dave also contributes other sounds, as he can play keyboards too; Hawkwind have been a three-piece before now. All present and correct are bikerdelic riffs, synthy washes, and shamelessly unreconstructed jams you’ll love or find go on a bit, depending on preference. There is perhaps a lighter touch to the music and a bit more space in the density of music than before, and this allows for a looseness to drift in and out of, so it does not feel as “heavy” as they can be sometimes. Though “Expedition to Planet Earth” and “Repel Attract” emphasise we are on familiar » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

This is one of those products which absolutely does what it says on the tin, and if you like this sort of thing, you’ll love it. Two classic Steve Hackett-related albums (“Spectral Mornings”, and one of the discs he did with the old group), all played beautifully, some creative spins on familiar (sometimes over-familiar) tracks, all tastefully delivered (by the standards of progressive rock), and a few surprises and must-do’s. A DVD of a concert indicates it was also a delightful show for men of a certain age and their long-suffering partners, professionally performed, played, and presented.

I was struck that there was no sense of longeurs as “new” or solo material so often invites in what would have been the first set. That said, “Spectral Mornings” was released 41 years ago, so has had time to bed in. Lots of interesting musical textures and chiaroscuro moments, e.g., “Tigermoth”, and the invariably thundering “Clocks – The Angel of Mons”. Tasteful instrumentation and the occasional world element showed how Hackett was himself moving on, and vocals are competent but not central. Rob Townsend (saxes/flutes) does a great job adding new elements to the music, » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

You know with Steve Howe the guitar tone will be exquisite, as will be be the playing. Awkward arty post-punk buggers like Keith Levene get it as much as involuntarily-celibate centre-parted Afghan-wearing (do they still exist?) teen progressive rock fans, and many men of a certain age (and their long-suffering wives). “Love Is” is Steve Howe’s latest solo album, and the initial tracks of “Fulcrum” and “See me Through” are recognisably Yes-ish (particularly as the latest vocals ringer, Jon Davison ( a more convincing Jon Anderson than their hard-working but ill-fated rebound vocalist, Benoit David) adds his lines and harmonies). Steve sings too; and he’s better than he was. Instrumentals and songs alternate, so you know you are never far from those lovely soaring and ringing lines.

It was nice to hear THOSE “harmonies”; again, and the ghost of Chris Squire is working his magic. Elsewhere, it can be a bit Mike Oldfield for me, but that will delight others. Lyrics, are not as sappy as if Jon Anderson was around, nor the music as wet as Jon’s became, but SH must keep an eye on getting too sweet a tooth in case it » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

Eight months after the release of “Hot Rats”, Frank Zappa was on tour in Europe with a new version of The Mothers (not “of Invention”). With him were Aynsley Dunbar, George Duke, and Flo and Eddie (Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, a.k.a. “The Turtles”). The music slightly less outre, the skits sometimes MC’ed by Flo and Eddie. Some of this is recorded on the eternal “Live at Filmore East” album, which acts as something of a bellwether for different types of Frank Zappa fans; it all depends on how you feel about musical parodies and reportage about the groupie scene; for some it is puerile, for others an amusingly salacious satire on the idiocies of fame. Regarding this, call me adolescent and I will say you are SO unfair and slam my bedroom door. The music comprises that time when he was working on “Chunga’s Revenge”, “200 Motels”, and is very music indicative of a transition from his 60s style to that of the 70s.

“The Mothers 1970” brings together 4 CDs worth of officially unreleased studio and live recordings. Some of this has been on the bootleg “Wino Man” (also known as “Schischgebab”) » Continue Reading.