What does it sound like?:

What do you think of when you think of Bruce Springsteen? A guy with a headband roaring “patriotic anthems” (sic)? This is or was the cliché, mostly welded into place by his enormous success in the mid 80s with the massive selling Born in the USA album. To some extent this incarnation still exists particularly on stage with the E Street Band. But take a look at the studio albums that preceded and succeeded that massive commercial breakthrough, Nebraska is probably one of the bleakest, most uncommercial albums ever released by a major artist, then Tunnel of Love was another low key mainly solo effort that partially details the story of an unhappy relationship, what he was going through at the time. So there are multiple sides to his art, and he has proved to be much more versatile throughout his career than perhaps many casual fans or non fans realise.

After Tunnel of Love and something of a tabloid scandal, he started a family with new wife Patti, and released very little in the 90s, 3 studio albums (2 with a new band and another mainly solo effort), there was also a » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

Summer 1974 and my best mate Mark is enthusing about this guy Robin Trower and his new album “Bridge of Sighs”. He saw him on “Old Grey Whistle Test” (I didn’t). Worse, he had his own record player (I didn’t) and both of his albums (I didn’t). Obviously, I taped both albums anyway. I was killing music apparently but funds were scarce but hey I was saving up for a stereo. By the time “For Earth Below” came out a year later, I decided to invest some very precious cash in a copy, now the proud owner of a second hand music center with what turned out to be one blown speaker.

I immediately decided that “For Earth Below” was superior to “Sighs”, in retrospect mostly because I’d actually bought a copy but also because it was a little harder edged. And if you look at chart success, I wasn’t alone in my evaluation. “For Earth Below” was Trower’s third album and the first to chart in the UK. To this day it remains his most successful release.

50 years on, Trower is now 80 years old, has 33 albums to his name (excluding » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

Looking back on “Harmony Row” 50+ years after its release, Bruce’s work is remembered as much for its diversity and the breadth of his musicianship as it is for his (relatively speaking) brief spell in a “supergroup”. However, first released in 1971 this was Bruce’s 3rd solo effort, markedly more adventurous and jazzy than some expected, bookended by his brief spell in Tony Williams’s Lifetime and before his return to more power trio bombast with West, Bruce and Laing.

This 4 disc set includes the now fairly predictable further remaster of the original, and a new stereo mix with 4 of the 5 extra tracks first seen with the 2003 remaster. There are also 2 Blu-ray discs which offer a surround mix and then live sets from Granada TV in 1971 and Rockpalast in 1972, where the studio band of Chris Spedding on guitar and John Marshall on drums (both recently in jazz fusion outfit Nucleus) are supplemented by old mate Graham Bond and Art Themen on sax. These weren’t provided for review but can be found on YouTube on Bruce’s own channel and WDR’s Rockpalast channel.

The album defies easy categorization, weaving together » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

Keith Jarrett is the pre-eminent solo piano performer of his generation. His Köln Concert is legendary, a remarkable improvisation, despite, or because of, a dodgy piano. It’s one of the best selling jazz albums of all time, shifting over four million copies. He has released many solo piano recordings before and since. His first was in 1972, Facing You, the product of spending a day in an Oslo studio bunking off from The Miles Davis Septet. New Vienna is his twenty-fifth, most captured live. In addition, there are another four solo multi instrument LPs. Jarrett clearly enjoyed playing alone, expressing himself through his fingers, just him and his instrument.

The Köln Concert was recorded in 1975, when his performances were characterised by emotional intensity and physical energy. Twenty years later, he contracted Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and was forced to change his style. He had to play with greater economy and focus more on the beating heart of his artistry with fewer dramatic flourishes. He resprung the keys on his piano so that they flowed more smoothly, requiring significantly less initial pressure to get through the so-called breakaway, like piercing the surface tension of water. » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

It’s 11 years since Suzanne Vega’s last album of self-penned original material (2014’s snappily titled Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles). In the meantime there have been live retrospectives and a jazz-tinged album of songs about novelist Carson McCullers written in collaboration with others. The new album is therefore both welcome and unexpected. It’s also extremely good, recognisably Suzanne Vega in style and delivery but with strongly accessible tunes and plenty of modern musical flourishes. At 37 minutes and 10 songs it’s also brief, but none the less punchy and eclectic for that. Vega manages to cram in a variety of styles from Vega-esque ‘Flying With Angels’ and ‘Last Train From Mariupol’ to soulful ‘Love Thief’ and tribute to Lucinda Williams, ‘Lucinda’. Best of the lot are the tongue in cheek Dylan tribute ‘Chambermaid’ which pretty much nicks the tune from ‘I Want You’ while professing that “I took nothing he would miss”, and the driving ‘Alley’ which positively rocks along. What all the songs have in common is a consistent pop sensibility and accessibility that previous Suzanne Vega sometimes lacked. As such it might just be the most fully realised » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

This is the first standalone release of the soundtrack to the 1972 film, available on double cd and double vinyl. Although you don’t get the excerpts from DSOTM, this being purely a document of the audienceless concert itself, you do get two extra tracks that don’t appear on the bluray or dvd versions, an alrternate take of Careful With That Axe Eugene and an unedited performance of A Saucerful of Secrets which runs for a couple of minutes longer. The show in the ancient amphitheatre was shot in October 1971, although this only produced footage of Echoes, A Saucerful of Secrets and One of These Days, the latter being shot at dusk – the lighting meant that only the footage of Nick Mason was useable, so it comes across as something of a solo performance! The remaining pieces, Careful With That Axe, Set The Controls For The Heart of The Sun and the forgettable and mercifully brief Mademoiselle Nobs, were added later in the year at an indoor location in Paris, the clue being Rick Wright’s disappearing beard. The new stereo mix created by Steven Wilson is very impressive (you’ll need the bluray if » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

This 3cd plus bluray set rounds up the music produced in the early eighties from a collaboration between Fripp and Summers. I Advance Masked was the first fruit of their labours, appearing in 1982 and comprising 13 pieces of instrumental music, here supplemented by four bonus tracks. The music ranges from being quite accessible to completely avant garde, with Fripp often setting the tone of proceedings. It reminded me somewhat of his work with Eno, particularly the Evening Star album. The duo reunited in 1984 to produce a second set, Bewitched, which I think is the more easily accessible of the two albums. This time it seems to be Summers leading the way, introducing a drum machine and more electronic music into the equation, and taking things in a more conventional rock focussed direction compared to its texture driven predecessor. The original ten pieces, again all instrumentals, are now boosted by a pair of bonus tracks. A third cd, Mother Hold The Candle steady, has been complied from previously unreleased material from the sessions which has been newly mixed for the occasion, and rounds off the set very nicely. As you’d anticipate, the bluray » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

It’s hard to explain it. I am a huge fan of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, who is a kind of conceptual artist with a landscape of 100+ albums under various guises, collaborations, self-directed movies, books of photos… and all the pieces of what he does recur throughout his career. The Mars Volta were sort of post-hardcore prog, with lyrics that defy explanation most of the time from Cedric Bixler-Zavala. The band went through tumultuous lineup changes, and imploded when Cedric got involved in Scientology. The reformation a few years ago, with yet another lineup (members of previous ones died, got involved in bad stuff, fell out, had accidents…) – that was a surprise. Also a disappointment – the self-titled album and the subsequent acoustic rework were, to be honest, a bit boring. But now I understand those ones more with this new one being made up really of all the things that weren’t there.

So it sounds like this: ethereal jazz, latin rhythms and percussion, vocals that are heavily re-sampled and made into atmospheres, hardly any guitar, some very EDM-influenced synths. The vocals are actually rather beautiful, Cedric is reining it in a bit and REALLY singing, » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

When Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe got together in the late 80’s it seemed like a Yes fans dream – a recreation of the classic line up, albeit minus the vital ingredient of Squire who was otherwise engaged in the Rabin version of the band that had huge success with the 90125 album. An album duly appeared, and this live set was recorded on the US leg of the supporting tour in 1989, although bassist supreme Tony Levin was ill and is replaced by Jeff Berlin. I always thought it an odd idea to start the show off with four solo slots, which means things take a little while to kick into gear. The studio album is of course well represented, but I think the longer pieces such as Brother of Mine and Order of the Universe work rather better than the shorter ones which for me are not the band’s forte. The playing is as good as you would anticipate, although the electronic drums Bruford was using at the time make things sound a little dated to my ears. As the title suggests, there’s a good sprinkling of classic Yes material to sweeten » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

For the uninitiated, Anthony Phillips was the original guitarist in Genesis, departing after 1970’s Trespass album having decided it wasn’t the life for him. Since then he’s been a prolific studio based artist, operating really as something of a cottage industry and releasing mostly instrumental music in various genres, rock, film/tv soundtracks, library music etc. This remastered reissue of a 1994 set was originally created as a soundtrack to tv coverage of the Whitbread Round The World Yacht Race. The original album is boosted by three bonus tracks (which appeared on the previous reissue in 2006) plus a second disc of previously unreleased music that wasn’t used at the time. The music is pleasant enough, sometimes evocative of the rolling seas or weather conditions, but overall rather drifts by like the ocean currents. I think this works best as a background while you’re busy doing something else, easy on the ear but not obtrusive or distracting.

What does it all *mean*?

One for his hardcore fans really.

Goes well with…

Getting on with your hobbies or jobs with something interesting playing in the background.

Release Date:

25 April

Might suit people who » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

Hailing from Bridgend, this is TDC’s fourth release in a career that goes all the way back to 2014. The band are already a regular fixture at UK rock and metal shows, having featured at Download and Planet Rock events as far back as 2019 and more recently getting support slots with The Hollywood Vampires and The Go Goo Dolls.

The album opens with “Dancing With The Enemy”, squalls of feedback morphing into a pumping bass drum that drives the song along. An anthemic chorus and catchy hooks are made for the festival stage, and set a high watermark for the rest of the album.

“Glass Heart” takes things a step further, mixing grungy metal with soaring harmonies that showcase vocalist Shane Greenhall’s abilities. There’s a harder edged Linkin Park vibe and crosses over into main stream rock territory . “Fake” goes darker, with a more complex structure and despite the moody piano it’s a touch too drum dominated.

Standout track is “Dreaming” which swoops back and forth, dirty riffs contrasting with the uplifting lyrics, dropping back into what’s almost a stripped down ballad, before a cheeky key change gets everything barrelling along again.

» Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

After more than forty years in the music business and fifteen studio albums, plus two as a solo artist, how does a songwriter like Mike Scott keep the creative juices flowing? Your heart might sink a little when you learn he has gone for a concept album, a chronological song cycle based on the life and times of Dennis Hopper, especially if you’ve heard the rather bland track, Dennis Hopper, from 2020’s Good Luck, Seeker. However, there is hope in that Scott has always been a decent story teller with an ear for a catchy tune, chooses his collaborators wisely and the life he describes here was certainly eventful. His mastery of a range of musical genres means he can capture the flavour of the psychedelic sixties, the cynical, narcotic seventies and the chaotic, narcissistic eighties, and throw in curveball ventures into thrash, lounge jazz, country, Hollywood strings and collage to capture the milestones in Hopper’s story. After all, The Waterboys have been through various phases themselves: “Big Music”, folk, “raggle taggle”, rock, Celtic, soul, blues, hip-hop, electronica, dance and funk. A Scott biography of Hopper is a tantalising prospect.

Dennis Hopper’s first films » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

Justin Hawkins loves rock’n’roll, but returns are diminishing. On “Walking Through Fire” he points out “we never stopped making hit albums, it’s just that no one buys them anymore” and “don’t even think my mum bought the last one”. He says he’s “under the moon”, but nonetheless this album is awash with the kind of enthusiasm few bands can muster 8 albums in.

They haven’t forsaken their hard rocking roots, but after the initial thrash of “Rock and Roll Party Cowboy” (where celebration and parody shake hands) and “I Hate Myself” (a vintage Quo LP played at 45 rpm) there’s a pop vibe that is one long curtsey to Queen whilst dressed as Angus Young’s schoolboy. The double track guitar on “The Longest Kiss” is Brian May all day, (someone Justin H has often cited as the reason he first picked up a guitar), and the band’s love of word play is unabated.

The opening track rhymes “cowboy” with “Tolstoy” (as well as “bok choy”) whilst “Hot On My Tail” seems to be a toe tapping sing-a-long that explains how a romantic anniversary was ruined by intestinal turbulence. “Cold Hearted Woman” is not just » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

Well, what do you get? Two CDs and a BluRay in a clamshell box, with a decent booklet. One CD is a remaster of the original stereo mix; the second is a new stereo remix by Stephen W Tayler, who did the remixes in the recent big Charisma Years box set. The BluRay has the content of the two CDs plus a 5.1 surround mix and the video promo for “Wondering”. For review, I was supplied with mp3 files for the two CDs plus a proof of the booklet – but nothing relating to the BluRay and obviously nothing physical, so the review relates to the mp3s. The A4 page of notes from Cherry Red/Esoteric mentions vinyl in passing, but gives no further details.

What does it sound like? I’ve been listening to this album for nearly 50 years, having bought the LP on release in October 1976. The remaster sounds fine and much as you’d expect – a bit cleaner, a bit sharper round the edges, but broadly what I’m used to hearing and nothing to scare the horses.

The remix, though…it’s a little bit odd (yes, well may you laugh) but fascinating! » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

The last time I reviewed anything for the Afterword was Wilson’s The Harmony Codex and whilst my thoughts on it were overall very positive it’s subsequently gone on to be one of my favourite Steven Wilson albums, second only to Hand. Cannot. Erase. There’s a huge variety of musical influences and landscapes on that album occasionally dipping into the more straightforward stuff from To The Bone or The Future Bites but largely it’s the more left-field music on that album which pulls me to it and it’s one that I’ve returned to regularly over the last 18 months.

The Overview has been heralded as a return to Prog roots for Wilson (or derided as being neither one thing or the other depending on what other reviews you pay attention to) but the truth is that this album, once you get past it being 2 lengthy single tracks, is much more of an evolution of THC rather than an about turn or diversion

The theme. (If it’s Prog, there has to be one!) Is the effect on individuals who go into space of seeing the earth from that perspective. Apparently, this generally hits people in » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

An 11 CD Wishbone Ash retrospective from 18 years of live performances and sessions at the BBC, you say?

Plus a DVD of OGWT footage from 1971; ’77 and ’80, including outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage?

AND a 72-page hardback book with rare photos, interviews and session documentation?

Flippin’ heck, I say; let me at it.

Those lovely people at Madfish have spent four years putting this together with help from band-members and fans alike and the first thing to say is that I can’t believe that all of this material was still available, given the Beeb’s reputation for re-using their tape stocks. Yet, here we are.

The line-up of the band obviously changed quite a bit during its first 18 years; so we go from the classic line-up of Andy Powell, Ted Turner, Steve Upton and Martin Turner in 1970 through to 1988 when the line-up is, er, exactly the same – except Martin had left for 7 years and come back; and Ted had been gone for 13 years and returned.

In those intervening years, Laurie Wisefield and Jamie Crompton had occupied Ted’s spot while John Wetton, Trevor Bolder, Mervyn » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

Oh, bloody joy! What a glorious noise.

This is a live album from 2023’s American tour with The Band Geeks, recorded in St. Charles Illinois in the August. The tour was to celebrate the upcoming release of their wonderful album, True, and was, by all accounts, a triumph. On this evidence, that is the understatement of the century.

Jon Anderson is a force of nature; he was two months short of his 79th birthday at the time of this recording; and his sheer joy at singing these songs, with these musicians, roars out of the speakers at you. So, what do get?

It’s a Yes Greatest Hits setlist, as it should be, so they crash in with Yours is No Disgrace and Perpetual Change from The Yes Album before the glory of Close to the Edge. Then comes Heart of the Sunrise, Starship Trooper, Awaken and And You And I. Next comes Your Move/I’ve Seen All Good People and Gates of Delerium before the obligatory, (but perpetually exciting,) closer, Roundabout.

The musicianship is fantastic. You get to hear 5 musicians who have been practising their whole lives to play with their hero, never thinking » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

This limited edition vinyl release is a follow up to Wakeman’s Final One Man Solo Tour of North and South America from earlier this year. It is a piece he wrote for solo piano after performing The Yes Suite for orchestra and choir at his London Palladium concert in 2023.

This work contains more than 30 musical fragments of YES music that Rick was a part of, including the much maligned, (by him, let’s be fair,) Tales From Topographic Oceans.

Picking out your favourite elements is great fun but the piece soon becomes a whole entity, as you give it time and space. I found that putting it on in the background while I was writing was a lovely thing to do as it would suddenly catch me as the beginning of South Side of the Sky or Long Distance Runaround would emerge.

The aforementioned elements of TFTO work perfectly alongside parts of Close to the Edge and nothing grates or diverts.

The second piece is a piano adaptation of the main themes and melodies from Rick’s ‘The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table’. Again, this is full » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

It’s hard to believe it’s over 50 years since this album was originally released – how the years hurry past, and how these box sets have a way of making you feel like an old man! It’s been reissued a few times already of course in various iterations with a variety of extra material, but this edition is surely the last word, with 5 cds, a bluray and a vinyl album, all accompanied by a lavish booklet. The first two cds have a remastered version of the original album, plus a super new 2025 mix by the ubiquitous Steven Wilson, which also adds instrumental versions of all 3 pieces. The third cd comprises rarities, including early run troughs of the songs. Most of these have been available before apart from 3 new edits which are interesting but fairly inessential when compared to the majesty of the full length songs. The 4th and 5th cds have a preciously unreleased live show from The Rainbow from December 1972, one of the shows used for the Yessongs film that appeared to tie in with the album of that name. If you’re familiar with that album or any » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

It’s 10 years since Chris Eckman called time on The Walkabouts’ 30-year career. During those years the band delivered a dozen albums that morphed from their initial punk sensibilities into a rich stew of string-enhanced songs that embraced a distinctly European vibe. Not surprisingly perhaps given The Walkabouts’ greater standing this side of the pond that Eckman decamped to Ljubljana once the band’s time was up. Since then he has intermittently released albums of which this is the third in an impeccable trilogy that began in 2013 with Harney County, progressed into the spare but sublime Where the Spirit Rests in 2021, and finally reached a career high point in this latest release.

Often described as evoking Jacques Brel, Eckman ploughs a similar furrow to Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave. He has worked with Willard Grant Conspiracy on two of their finer albums (Regard the End & Let it Roll), but while Robert Fisher’s musical collective latterly experimented with dissonance and minimalism, there is a strongly consistent melody and warmth underpinning Chris Eckman’s best work, exemplified in all three of these most recent albums. Harney County’s impressions of desert landscapes in Oregon are sparely » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

If you know Hawkwind, you already know what this sounds like; riffs, spacey wooshes, proto-punk/ metal/ rave riffs with space and fantasy-themed lyrics, declamatory vocals. Over the years, Hawkwind have become ever-tighter, which, like “The Fall”, is a reflection of discipline, not repetition (along with less jollop before the show, [possibly]). Wikipedia indicates this is Hawkwind’s 28th live album. A lot of them will have been much the same as my description. Whether you think this is excessive, is up to you. I couldn’t possibly comment. I certainly don’t have all of them, but there will be some proud TRUE FANS out there who do. Sir, we salute you.

I love the band, their attitude, and their fans, and their conscious and their shameless indifference to fashion or style, though, like many fans, I have a favourite era, personally missing Robert Calvert as Biggles in space. This 2023 gig was promoted as the 50th anniversary of “Space Ritual” – itself a live album, and definitive of the band. But 2023 concert here was not a full “Space Ritual” anniversary show – which occurred in 2014, and was later, yes, a live album. (Do keep » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

By 1975, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen retired from touring, kicked off their shoes, ensconced themselves in their studio and amused themselves putting crack session musicians through their paces recording their weird and peculiar songs. They’d had three Billboard top ten singles, still getting radio plays, and three well-received albums that sold well. The first, Can’t Buy A Thrill, sounded like a various artists showcase for their songwriting, with multiple lead vocalists and a bewildering range of musical styles, from Bossa Nova through Rock and Pop to Jazz and show tunes. Countdown To Ecstasy featured a tight band that really cooked with spectacular twin guitars. Pretzel Logic was polished and slick and damn near peerless.

They reinvented the notion of Rock band as a faceless entity, one without any kind of frontman. For many, the only photo of the band was in hazy black and white on the back of Countdown To Ecstasy, and that charisma-free collection of hairy herberts tells you everything. Their songs demanded an arms-length semi-detachment. They were criticised for emotional sterility but if your subject matter includes ruthless corporate greed, alienation, a sordid affair, a missing drunken father, a » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

In Richard Ashcroft’s mind, he performed stratospheric anthems to enraptured stadiums, lighters aloft, even when playing to three figure audiences in a town hall. You can’t fault his ambition, his self belief and his ego. For a brief period of time, with the release of Urban Hymns in 1997, his vision was realised. The Verve’s third album replaced Oasis’s third at number one in the UK and threatened to supplant them altogether. The comparisons were uncanny. Both bands were from greater Manchester, the friction between singer and guitarist was often unbearable, and the songs churned away at the same steady beat. In September, The Verve were the support for Oasis at Earl’s Court, but the success of Bittersweet Symphony and The Drugs Don’t Work made it into a battle of the bands event that many thought The Verve won. For the first two albums, Nick McCabe’s guitar was relied upon to light up the music. But, he left in a huff and the replacement, a much easier going gentleman called Simon Tong, was handy for keyboards as well. McCabe returned to help record Urban Hymns, by which time Ashcroft had discovered it was much » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

This is an album that looks back at the earliest years of Thin Lizzy’s career, reimagining some of their most iconic tracks from that period. While scouring the archives for bonus material for a reissue of Vagabonds of the Western World, work in progress versions of a number of songs were unearthed. It’s these pieces, featuring original vocals and instrumentation, that have now been bolstered by Eric Bell’s new acoustic guitar overdubs to form the basis of this album. At first it feels rather strange to hear the music in this format, but familiar songs such as Shades of a Blue Orphanage, A Song For While I’m Away and of course Whiskey in the Jar are given something of a new lease of life, with Phil Lynott’s vocals appearing more sensitive and intimate, a facet which was perhaps rather lost in the hard rock years that were to eventually follow. Overall, the whole project has been created very respectfully, staying true to the band’s roots and, while it’s not essential, if it brings more attention to their often overlooked early recordings and bolsters their overall legacy then that surely can only be a good » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

A bit of a Christmas curiosity, a first time vinyl release of a 2 cd set that originally appeared way back in 2002. Stevie’s run of albums in the seventies, climaxing with the mighty Songs In The Key of Life, is unparalleled really (I’m drawing a veil over his last release of that decade the frankly rather odd The Secret Life of Plants!) Although the original cd set had a generous 38 tracks, this has been pared to a mere 21 here, presumably to fit on a double album, and frustratingly a few of the pieces are edited single versions rather than the full length versions, meaning songs like Living For The City and As are somewhat lacking their full majesty. The first three sides are full of great music, but the set is somewhat let down by a rather insipid last side, which concentrates on his rather less than inspiring later work. Nevertheless, there’s plenty of super music to focus on, all of which has been remastered for the occasion, with the likes of Superstition, Higher Ground and You Haven’t Done Nuthin’, but points must be deducted for omitting Pastime Paradise, Happy Birthday » Continue Reading.