Donner’s second album, The Van Gennep Gap, is released by Apollon Records on 8 November 2024.
The Van Gennep Gap is a series of vignettes, chronicling impressions from various places and areas in the Grenland area of south-eastern Norway, the home of multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Jacob Holm-Lupo (White Willow / Solstein / The Opium Cartel).
Apart from Jacob, who handles synths, keyboards, bass, guitar, programming and percussion, the album features the following musical guests. Guitar virtuoso Stian Larsen, who also plays with Jacob in the jazz-funk group Solstein, plays lead guitar on two tracks. Trumpeter Jonas Vemork Kilmøy (Maridalen, Helene Bøksle) plays on Grey Skies Over Stridsklev, and Kristoffer Momrak (Tusmørke, Alwanzatar) plays flute on Rose Clouds of Hærøya.
The Van Gennep Gap is a wholly instrumental album that completely holds your attention. It is not an album to be used as background music, it was built to listen to with your full focus, as much as you would a vocal album.
Soliloquy is a haunting piano piece, using delay and reverb almost like another instrument, to let the riffs flow between the deep, low notes. Downtown After Dark ushers in a wider soundscape, adding percussive synth sequences, with Holm-Lupo channeling his inner Tangerine Dream. The percussion is minimal and very effective, letting the keyboards push the song to its conclusion. The track is very evocative and gives off a neon, night-time cityscape vibe.
The 7-11 Ice Cream Trek has bitcrushed drums, and an 80s videogame feeling, with frenetic synths and ice-cool rhythm and lead guitar. A real fun interlude.
Grey Skies Over Stridsklev is a loving tribute to 1980s ECM jazz, and one of the album’s highlights. The strings are aching, and Jonas Vemork Kilmøy’s trumpet sends me back in time to David Sylvian’s career best Brilliant Trees. The heart-breaking piano towards the end ramps up the emotion, with Grey Skies Over Stridsklev fast becoming one of my favourite musical moments of 2024.
I Saw Bright Lights Above the Hills is one of the album’s darkest pieces. Booming drums and a bubbling synth undercurrent pushes to the surface, offering a track that sonically suggests a Nordic landscape battered by heavy, inclement weather.
Truly! is one of the more musically uplifting songs on the album, but features a speech sample that hints at climate change / man-made destruction. A lovely, proggy synth solo adorns the songs mid-section, giving way to a scratchy lead guitar line from Jacob. Kebab Kowboys is a middle-Eastern flavoured piece, that mutates throughout the arrangement. The drum patterns are particularly interesting on Kebab Kowboys.
Image used with the permission of Jacob Holm-Lupo
I love the warning on the sleeve-notes that the recording was made with ageing electronic hardware and that noises may occur. This recording is clearly an AI free product and proud of it!
Kattøya in Rain is decorated with some lovely found sounds, although for a while I thought my roof was leaking, as it was raining whilst I wrote this review. Like a newly resurfaced soundtrack to a long-lost 80s film, Kattøya in Rain is a stunning track, with the end section seeing the rain replaced by liquid synth sounds.
Starring Wings Hauser opens with a jazzy drum lick and smooth guitar lines from Stian Larsen, giving this track a real unique identity, separate from the rest of the album. Mists of Frierfjorden is a beautiful performance, with a slow backbeat and well-mixed piano dancing alongside sumptuous warm synths. Another slowly evolving arrangement, with gentle washes of electronic colour, making this one of the most emotional pieces on the album. The Van Gennep Gap sounds so rich on headphones, with Mists of Frierfjorden sounding at its best with good quality headphones.
Rose Clouds of Hærøya features a guest appearance from Kristoffer Momrak on flute, and I love the tailed reverb and delays on Kristoffer’s playing. The electronic percussion adds a measured pace, and the keyboard backing is more restrained on this, the album’s longest track, weighing in at just under the five minute mark.
Soon a series of Holm-Lupo lead guitar lines take over from the flute, and the arrangement expands to a broader palette, before stripping back down to announce the return of the flute as the lead instrument.
The Van Gennep Gap closes as it begins, with a variation on the opening song. Soliloquy reprise still has the delicious piano line, now backed by strings and a discordant, glitchy effect acting as the beat.
The Van Gennep Gap is a rare beast, a purely instrumental album that keeps your full attention due to the wide range of sounds, songs that constantly evolve, with little repetition of motifs and as I’ve come to expect from Jacob Holm-Lupo, a warm, expertly mixed / produced musical kaleidoscope.
If you like intelligent, emotional and expertly produced music, there is plenty to enjoy on Donner’s The Van Gennep Gap.
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Soliloquy Downtown After Dark The 7-11 Ice Cream Trek Grey Skies Over Stridsklev I Saw Bright Lights Above the Hills Truly! Kebab Kowboys Kattøya in Rain Starring Wings Hauser Mists of Frierfjorden Rose Clouds of Hærøya Soliloquy reprise
Cherry Red have released Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club – The Definitive Anthology 1977-1981, a 3-CD selection. The set stretches to 69 tracks from the period 1977 to 1981 and includes 41 previously unreleased tracks taken from the bands unreleased second album plus two live concerts, along with an expanded version of the English Garden album including the original versions of the Ivor Novello Award-nominated Video Killed The Radio Star and Clean Clean, both of which Bruce Woolley co-wrote with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes and went on to become hit singles for The Buggles.
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The collection is packaged in a deluxe clamshell box with a fully illustrated 28-page booklet containing rare and previously unseen images and a brand new annotation featuring quotes from band members Bruce Woolley, Dave Birch and Thomas Dolby. The sleeve-notes are amongst the best I have seen on recent anthology releases – honest, informative and self-deprecating.
Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club were founded in 1979 with Bruce Woolley on vocals, Dave Birch on guitar, Thomas Dolby on keyboards, Matthew Seligman on bass and Rod Johnson on drums. They released their debut album English Garden in 1979 and supported its release by touring in England, USA and Canada. Unfortunately, they disbanded after two years largely spent on the road following on from CBS Records’ refusal to release their second album.
I have the original English Garden album on vinyl, but this 3 CD set offers a fuller glimpse into the bands intriguing story. Bruce Woolley will always have a special place in music history due to his contribution to Video Killed The Radio Star, but there is so much more to his story. Along with the obvious Buggles (Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes) links there is plenty for the Thomas Dolby fan to savour as well – with Thomas appearing as band member on many of the tracks, as well as contributing to some of the song writing plus the appearance of Matthew Seligman, who went on to become a key part of Dolby’s band for many years, and who backed (with Thomas) David Bowie at his legendary Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium in 1985. Matthew also contributed bass on the late period Bowie classic Absolute Beginners. Sadly Matthew died in 2020.
The first disc – English Garden expanded
Disc one is an expanded version of the English Garden album. The album is a perfect example of late 70s new wave / pop. Drawing on influences from the highly lyrical pop of Deaf School, the angular new wave artiness of Bill Nelson’s Red Noise and the occasional tip of the musical hat to David Bowie, there is a real pop sensibility to the album. The title track is a pacey, energetic opener before the first appearance on this collection of Video Killed The Radio Star. I’m obviously (who isn’t?) very familiar with the timeless Buggles version, but Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club’s take has all of the signature lines in-situ and a beefier, less synth led arrangement. It works very well and should have got more attention at the time.
Johnny is a Trevor Horn co-written song, with the “Johnny” refrain seemingly sneaking into The Buggles Johnny on the Monorail later that year. You Got Class powers along at pace, with some fine Seligman bass runs.
WW9 is a short (under one minute) Bruce Woolley/Thomas Dolby written instrumental, that hints at the future sound Mr Dolby would produce for The Flat Earth. Clean Clean will be known to many because of the Buggles version from The Age of Plastic. This edgier new wave version works particularly well, especially with the addition of Bowie V-2 Schneider referencing drums in the outro.
Get Away William was written by Bruce Woolley, guitarist Dave Birch and Thomas Dolby, and is one of my favourite tracks on the album. It has that amazing 1979 sound, where new wave aesthetics are mixing with pure pop.
Goodbye To Yesterday adds Magazine to the influence list, with its opening rhythm heavily indebted to The Light Pours Out Of Me, as the song mutates into a jazzier, Rhodes driven pop piece. Goodbye To Yesterday (reprise) is a twisted take on the preceding song.
The album proper ends with You’re The Circus (I’m The Clown), and it’s killer of a chorus.
13 extra tracks complete disc one. Highlights include US versions of Clean Clean, Video Killed the Radio Star and Goodbye To Yesterday (shorn of its Magazine influence and sounding quite Buggles like).
You’re The Circus (I’m The Clown) (B-Side) features Geoff Downes on keys and Trevor Horn on bass.
Needletime was written by Bruce Woolley, Trevor Horn and Rod Thompson, and has hints of XTC meets 10cc and a bit of City Boy slipped in for good measure. Basically lots of band’s with C in their names.
The final track is Sugar Daddy (8 Track Demo), a song Bruce Woolley recorded a few times, but subsequent recordings apparently never bettered this 8 track demo. This feels like a good ending to the revisited album, as the new wave style is washed away.
Disc two – the unreleased second album and later material
Disc two is Polaroid – Snapshots Of Sound, material that would have made the second album alongside other unreleased material. I Set Fire To You was rescued from the original 24-track, 2” analogue tapes, so unlike a lot of extra material that finds its way onto expanded album releases, these studio tracks are high quality recordings.
Ghost Train was co-written with Thomas Dolby, and is my favourite track on disc two. Featuring the return of Matthew Seligman on bass and produced by the mighty Mike Howlett, for Dolby fans, this song will be like finding gold in them there hills. Its a delightful song.
Killer On The Dancefloor (Olympic Studios) features Dave Birch on guitar, Nigel Ross-Scott on bass, Nigel Glockler on drums, and Simon House (who appeared on David Bowie’s Stage & Lodger albums) on keyboards. Simon also appears on the later track Morning Shadows, another highlight of the later period Camera Club.
Only Babies Can Fly has a gentle but highly addictive arrangement and is one of the last Camera club recordings, featuring a final appearance from Thomas Dolby on keyboards. Blue Blue (Victoria) is another Mike Howlett production. House Of Wax is a surprisingly never before released song. This track would have been perfect as a single in 1979 or 1980.
The final song is Radio Pictures (Bye Bye Love), of which I know nothing of its origins, as its not mentioned in the PDF of the sleeve-notes provided with the digital review copy, so maybe a last-minute addition? Radio Pictures (Bye Bye Love) is a bittersweet piece, reminding me a little of The Korgis, mixed with the poppier side of The Teardrop Explodes. Luscious guitar and warm harmonies hint at a further switch away from the earlier band sound. A fine farewell to the studio music of Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club.
Disc three – on the road forever!
Disc three is comprised of live recordings from 1979 and 1980. The 1979 set was provided by Steve Warren, who was XTC’s sound engineer at the time. Although recorded onto cassette, this straight from the mixing desk, very early band gig recording stands up pretty well. The live line-up includes Richard Wernham on drums (aka Ricky Slaughter from The Motors).
The 1980 set was broadcast on WLIR FM, from My Father’s Place in Roslyn, New York and is understandably a more polished recording, with a more seasoned performance from the band, who had been touring pretty much non-stop at this point. You’re The Circus (I’m The Clown) is an explosive opener, and Get Away William is another highlight. “Accept no substitute” welcomes in the final track on the disc, a live take on Video Killed The Radio Star.
Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club – The Definitive Anthology 1977-1981 is a rare beast – a collection full to the brim with alt-takes and unreleased music, but absolutely no fillers. Given the age of the material, it has remained in pretty good shape, with the risks of baking the master tapes aside!
If you are a fan of the English Garden album, you will love this collection, which also offers plenty to enjoy for fans of the era as well as Trevor Horn/ Buggles and Thomas Dolby fans.
English Garden Video Killed The Radio Star Dancing With The Sporting Boys Johnny No Surrender Flying Man You Got Class WW9 Clean Clean Get Away William Goodbye To Yesterday Goodbye To Yesterday (Reprise) You’re The Circus (I’m The Clown) News (Eden Studios)* The Killers – No Surrender The Killers – Killer On The Dancefloor Clean Clean (US Version) Video Killed the Radio Star (US Version) Goodbye to Yesterday (US Version) Bruce Woolley – Bobby Bad Bruce Woolley – You’re The Circus (I’m The Clown) (B-side) Bruce Woolley – You Got Class (Soundsuite Studios)* Bruce Woolley – Going To The City* Bruce Woolley – Needletime* Bruce Woolley – Sugar Daddy (8 Track Demo)*
* Previous Unreleased
DISC TWO Polaroid – Snapshots Of Sound
I Set Fire To You* Bruce Woolley – Ghost Train Killer On The Dancefloor (Olympic Studios)* Trouble Is Only Babies Can Fly All Real Americans* Morning Shadows* Ghost Train (Olympic Studios)* All At Once Warning Shadows* Bruce Woolley – Blue Blue Victoria Bruce Woolley – 1000 MPH Bruce Woolley – The Black Girls Understand* Bruce Woolley – Ghost Train (Club Mix) How Do You Say Goodbye?* Too Late For Tears (Demo Version)* Bruce Woolley – Blue Blue Victoria (Demo Version)* Bruce Woolley – You Got Class (Revox Demo)* News (Olympic Studios)* House Of Wax Radio Pictures (Bye Bye Love)*
* Previous Unreleased
DISC THREE In Concert – all recordings previously unreleased Live at High Wycombe Town Hall 6th May 1979
You’re The Circus (I’m The Clown) You Got Class Too Late For Tears Clean Clean The Problem Goodbye To Yesterday Johnny Video Killed The Radio Star No Surrender Dancing With The Sporting Boys News Flying Man
Live at My Father’s Place, Long Island, USA 25th March 1980
You’re The Circus (I’m The Clown) News You Got Class Trouble Is Johnny Get Away William Dancing With The Sporting Boys I Set Fire To You No Surrender English Garden Video Killed The Radio Star
Powder Dry is the eighth studio album from Tim Bowness. It signals a couple of firsts for the singer-songwriter. It’s his first album on Kscope and another first, it was entirely produced, performed and written by Bowness. A true solo album.
The 40 minute album features 16 pieces and was mixed (in stereo and surround sound) by Bowness’s partner in no-man (and The Album Years podcast), Steven Wilson, who also acted as Bowness’s sounding board during the mixing process.
Rock Hudson was the first track to be released from Powder Dry digitally, and is one of the more immediate songs, introducing one of the main tools used on the album – brevity. No tracks overstay their welcome, and perhaps as a result of current song-writing trends, intros and outros are very short – most songs have vocal lines arriving within seconds of the song beginning.
Rock Hudson has some wonderful tight synth sequences lurking behind the later verses, and a post-punk feel to the heavily percussive chorus.
Lost / Not Lost is a lighter piece, with the electronics propelling the song to a typically addictive Bowness chorus.
“Stomach twisting at the thought of you And you’re all I’m thinking of”
When Summer Comes was the second digital pre-release, and it’s easy to see why this song was chosen. It is such a good song and quite unique in Tim’s impressive catalogue. The memories of summers past drip from every sun-kissed pore of this delicious track. A lovely vocal, with hints of early 80s Ryuichi Sakamoto keyboard lines in the last section, When Summer Comes should be added to everyone’s summer playlists, from now and forever more. Sort it out now, dear listener!
Idiots at Large signals the return of the industrial power of Bleed (an early no-man track), with harsh brutality. The synths sparkle as the song takes a shocking sonic turn. Bowness never fails to surprise, and this song is no exception. Just like that…
A Stand-Up For The Dying aka the “long one” at 1 second short of 5 minutes, will be familiar if you have attended recent Bowness gigs. The electronics drop away to usher in real guitars for the first time on the album. A Stand-Up For The Dying has echoes of the spacier side of Pink Floyd, and a deeply personal and intensely moving lyric touching on the passing of a loved one. This song hit home even more on recent plays after a recent brush with cancer in my close family.
After the emotional trauma of A Stand-Up For The Dying, the songs ambient outro calms you and the following track, the incessant instrumental Old Crawler, acts as an effective palate cleanser for what follows.
Heartbreak Notes is a sparce but warm piece and offers a rare disappointment, my disappointment that the song ends too soon, just as it hits its stride. Bowser says always leave them wanting more!
Ghost Of A Kiss is another very short piece, beatless but with a no-man returning jesus like mood (I’m sure this was intentional) suggested by the bubbling, rhythmic keyboards in the background.
“The open goals you chose to miss”
Next up is the most surprising song on the album, by a country mile. Summer Turned is a Club Tropicana for the 21st Century. That’s a compliment by the way. Unlike anything Tim has released before, this song results in the seasonal feelings suggested in the earlier track When Summer Comes having the heat whacked up to 11, with Bowness coating the track with 80s nostalgia flavoured sunscreen.
The song screams “release me as a single Kscope, ya bastards”. I won’t say anymore than that as I don’t want to spoil the first listen for everyone.
From the sun-kissed 80s to a haunted 1920s ballroom with You Can Always Disappear. Like both ‘summer’ songs, You Can Always Disappear also covers new ground for Bowness. Due to the many layers and clever sound design, I cannot wait to hear this song in 5.1. Jack Torrance would surely be a fan of You Can Always Disappear.
The title track Powder Dry has a very unpredictable arrangement, with a dark underbelly that sneaks up on you. Another track built for 5.1. The song is as brutal lyrically as it is musically.
“You couldn’t keep your powder dry”
Films Of Our Youth is another well-placed instrumental palate cleanser and a very emotional piece. Resonant choral synth lines hang in the air, and the space communicates emotion as much as the actual performance. A simply beautiful piece of music.
This Way Now will fast become a favourite for fans. A piece of twisted, Pink Floyd / Memories of Machines referencing nostalgia, the arrangement is simple, uncluttered but so effective.
“Even in defeat, you’re sharpening knives again”
I Was There is the one track on Powder Dry that could have found its way onto one of Tim’s previous solo albums, and the song is given plenty of time to develop. I hope I Was There becomes a Bowness live staple, as it lends itself to a full band performance. The production on this track is first class, and the trance-like elements remind me a little of Flowermouth era no-man.
The Film Of Your Youth feels very un-filtered and natural, and might hark back “lyrically” to the main character in 2017’s Lost In The Ghost Light? The lightness of touch is in stark contrast to album closer Built To Last, which offers an uncompromising ending to Powder Dry.
Built To Last offers up a dark, windswept scene that lyrically seems to reference the world ignoring the clear and present danger of climate change and the desolation that will surely follow. Once again, the sound design on this track is well thought out and executed.
Powder Dry stands alone in Tim’s catalogue of work. At times playful, beautiful, moving and also stark and disturbing, Powder Dry feels like a new beginning, a reset of sorts and a unique artistic statement from one of my favourite artists.
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Rock Hudson Lost / Not Lost When Summer Comes Idiots At Large A Stand-Up For The Dying Old Crawler Heartbreak Notes Ghost Of A Kiss Summer Turned You Can Always Disappear Powder Dry Films Of Our Youth This Way Now I Was There The Film Of Your Youth Built To Last
Before The Future: 1984-1989 is a 4 CD box-set from Then Jerico, covering their London Records output, 1987’s First (The Sound of Music) and Big Area (Outside) from 1989, plus a selection of single/ extended cuts and eleven previously unreleased tracks, that includes seven demos recorded prior to the band’s debut album. The collection is released on 23 August 2024.
This collection is a great way to listen to the first two albums and their associated extra tracks. First (The Sound of Music) is the sound of a band finding its identity, which was a cross between rock/pop and funk elements, and contains one of their finest singles in The Motive, which has aged particularly well.
The Roxy Music Prairie Rose cover version is delivered with respect to the original, especially the extended 7″ version, which has a clearer mix to the album cut.
The second disc in this 4 CD collection contains further remixes but it is Disc 3 where my interest really kicks in, with the second Then Jerico studio album, The Big Area. The title track (my favourite Then Jerico song), plus What Does It Take? (featuring Belinda Carlisle) and the final single, Sugar Box still sound powerful all those years later.
The extended What Does It Take?, with its ambient, extended outro and Big Area (Lost Mix) make this an essential collection for fans of the band and 80s music in general.
Of the extra tracks, b-side The Happening has a refreshing pace and features soulful backing vocals from Richard Derbyshire (Living in a Box), giving out strong Michael McDonald vibes.
Disc four features further remixes as well as seven pre-debut album demos, which show that the arrangements were already fully formed prior to the first albums final recording sessions.
Let Her Fall Blessed Days Laughter Party Stable Boy The Motive Muscle Deep A Quiet Place (Apathy & Sympathy) Play Dead The Hitcher Prairie Rose
Bonus Tracks
Blessed Days (Tokyo Mix) Fault (Dub) The Big Sweep Fault (7” Version) * Muscle Deep (7” Version – Julian Mendelsohn Remix) Prairie Rose (Extended 7” Version) The Motive (7” Version)
Disc Two
Extended Mixes & B-Sides
The Big Sweep (Club Mix) The Rack * Fault (Club Mix) * Muscle Deep (Extended Version) * Clank (Countdown To Oblivion) Distant Homes Let Her Fall (The Absolute Version) * Searching Prairie Rose (12” Version) * Electric One Life The Motive (Extended Version) * The Word (Live) The Motive (Midnight Mix) The Motive (USA Mix) Let Her Fall (12” Remix) *
Disc Three
Big Area (Outside)
Big Area What Does It Take? You Ought To Know Song For The Brokenhearted Darkest Hour Reeling Where You Lie Sugar Box Helpless Under Fire
Bonus Tracks
Trampled Underfoot The Happening What Does It Take? (Extended) Jungle Big Area (Lost Mix) Sugar Box (Blue Instrumental)
Disc Four
From The Vaults
The Motive (Nightmare Mix) Prairie Rose (7” DJ Version) * What Does It Take? (Great Mix) * Let Her Fall (USA Mix) The Motive (Longer USA Mix) Let Her Fall (7” Version) * What Does It Take? (Single Version) Let Her Fall (7” Remix) * Blessed Days (12” Version) The Word (Demo) * Let Her Fall (Demo) * The Hitcher (Demo) * Quiet Place (Demo) * Play Dead (Demo) * Stable Boy (Demo) * The Motive (Demo) *
The Producers were formed in 2006. They include record producers Trevor Horn (The Buggles, Yes, ABC, Seal), Steve Lipson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Propaganda), songwriter/producer Chris Braide (Downes Braide Association) and musicians Lol Creme (10cc, Godley & Creme)) and Ash Soan (Del Amitri / Squeeze).
This new 5-CD set was compiled in conjunction with the band and includes the original album (Made in Basing Street) as well as an alternate version, re-mixes, out-takes and instrumentals all overseen by Steve Lipson.
The extensive booklet features a new interview with the band by Record Collectors Daryl Easlea who details the process of the making of the album.
The original album, released in 2012, still sounds amazing, and is included on disc three in this collection. The 2023 mix is a sympathetic re-imagining. Freeway is more than two minutes longer, with a different drum intro and a lighter mix.
Your Life is also longer in its 2023 incarnation, with a lovely, spacey intro, and a more organic arrangement that lets the song really flow.
The new versions do not detract from the songs if you are already familiar with the album. Man on the Moon has a warm new mix. Every Single Night In Jamaica is a reminder that I am desperate for a Trevor Horn album (either solo or from The Buggles) that features Horn on lead vocals throughout.
Stay Elaine has replaced Ryan Molloy’s lead vocal with a Chris Braide take, which gives the album more continuity. Barking Up The Right Tree remains a highlight of the album, featuring a wonderful contribution from the always wonderful Lol Creme.
Garden of Flowers is another longer take, and a less “bombastic” mix, closer in spirit to Trevor’s work with The Buggles. A heart-breaking lyric and vocal from Horn ensures that this became my favourite track on the album back on it’s original release, and the 2023 mix is now my favourite version of the song.
Watching You Out There is similar in arrangement to the original, whilst album closer You and I is a slightly longer version, with a brighter, more punchy mix and with further processing added to the lead vocal line.
The copious amount of extra material includes a selection of unreleased songs and some extended versions and alt-takes. Looking For Love (2023 Mix) is another fine Trevor Horn vocal, and could easily have fitted on the main album.
There’s Only So Much You Can Do is a mostly instrumental piece, apart from Braides’s vocals on the chorus. Extended versions of Freeway and Your Life are welcome additions to disc two, but the two alt-mixes of Garden Of Flowers offer the most value, with an almost Born To Run era Springsteen sounding arrangement driving the alternative edit.
The version of Two Tribes that ends disc two is a live instrumental version. Disc three contains the original album mix of Made In Basing Street from 2012.
Disc four adds further unreleased cuts from the long album sessions. Broadway is a funky little instrumental piece, with some fine interplay between Horn and Soan, and a go-go / Slave To The Rhythm like percussion track. Come In Elektra is a song about Amelia Earhart.
Give Us A Clue is a laid-back Chris Braide vocal piece, with a lazy summer groove. Home has a Beatles / John Lennon inspired arrangement, and the simplicity and space is a real change for the usual material from the band. As you would expect, the production is sumptuous.
Music From Bel Air is another Trevor Horn vocal. It is lovely to hear his vocals set against a very acoustic backing, away from his usual heavily electronic backdrop. The nostalgic lyrics are a delight.
Summer Rain is a surprising omission from the released album. Breezy guitars and a leisurely beat give the track a unique charm. The Path Of Sydney Arthur is a leftover from the original concept album idea that fed into the early sessions, and would have likely been the opening piece to this discarded alternative album sequence. This is definitely one for fans of the more electronic, synth-heavy side of Horn’s oeuvre. It’s a simple but effective piece.
Disc four has a set of fully realised and produced songs that give a tantalising glimpse into an alternative Producers album, that sadly we will never hear as this release appears to be the final word in the Producers story.
Fans of Trevor Horn / Lol Creme and Chris Braide will find plenty to love with this deep dive, expanded re-issue of Made In Basing Street.
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Freeway Waiting For The Right Time Your Life Man On The Moon Every Single Night In Jamaica Stay Elaine Barking Up The Right Tree Garden Of Flowers Watching You Out There You And I
DISC TWO
Looking For Love (2023 Mix) There’s Only So Much You Can Do (2023 Mix) Freeway (Extended) Your Life (Extended) Garden Of Flowers (Alternative Edit) Garden Of Flowers (Radio Edit With Guitars) Two Tribes
DISC THREE
MADE IN BASING STREET
Original album mix
Freeway Waiting For The Right Time Your Life Man On The Moon Every Single Night In Jamaica Stay Elaine Barking Up The Right Tree Garden Of Flowers Watching You Out There You And I
DISC FOUR
EXTRAS
Broadway Come In Elektra You And I (Dada Mix) Give Us A Clue Home Music For Bel Air Summer Rain The Path Of Sydney Arthur Your Life (End Intro Idea)
DISC FIVE
MADE IN BASING STREET
Instrumental – 2023 backing track
Freeway Waiting For The Right Time Your Life Man On The Moon Stay Elaine Barking Up The Right Tree Garden Of Flowers Watching You Out There You And I Looking For Love
Heaven Sent – The Rise Of New Pop 1979-1983 is a 4 CD compilation from Cherry Red, released on 26 July 2024. “New Pop” was a term associated with NME journalist Paul Morley, ‘New Pop’ came to describe any forward-thinking British music of the early 1980s which wasn’t ‘rockist’ or overtly punky and anti-establishment in outlook.
Opening with the “Full length disco mix” of M’s Pop Music, featuring Wally Badarou (Level 42) on keyboards, and vocals from Robin Scott, the song has aged well, and remains a staple of 70s / 80s themed radio stations. The low-fi charm of The Flying Lizards Money gives way to a pop titan as the 70s gave way to the 80s with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes Buggles and their biggest hit, Video Killed The Radio Star.
Godley And Creme’s An Englishman in New York from their 1979 album Freeze Frame, highlights the duos more experimental side, as compared to their later success with Wedding Bells and Cry.
“They boggle at menus in Olde English verse “Ode to a burger” by Keats at his worst The hissing of omelets the breaking of legs Don’t shoot till you see the whites of their eggs”
Young ‘n’ Russian from The Korgis preceded their biggest hits (If I Had You and the classic Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime), and is an often overlooked part of their legacy. Living By Numbers from Tony Mansfield’s New Musik is, like The Buggles, a sneak peak into the sound that would soon come to define the next decade. Living By Numbers has a charming naivety that holds fast, even after all these years.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s Red Frame / White Light is the Liverpool band mixing their early experimentalism with a snappy chorus. Toyah’s Bird in Flight sees the band starting to move away from their new wave roots, displayed on the excellent Sheep Farming in Barnet album, into the more electronic sound that would give them success in the early 80s with Ieya and It’s A Mystery.
One of the highlights of the collection is Dream Sequence from Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls. This classic electronic single from 1980 is a lost gem, from the timeless Pauline Murray and The Invisible Girls album, that was produced by Martin Hannett. Following the split of Pauline’s previous band, Penetration (Come Into The Open remains a favourite new wave single), Pauline and Penetration bassist Robert Blamire were joined by a cast including Vini Reilly, the Buzzcocks John Maher, Wayne Hussey and New Order’s Bernard Sumner on an album that is a must listen from the early 80s.
The Clash offer Hitsville UK from their fourth album Sandinista!, featuring vocals from Mick Jones and US singer Ellen Foley (check out her Strummer/Jones heavy Spirit of St. Louis album from 1981). The Passions I’m In Love With A German Film Star is a staple on new wave compilations, but deserves to be championed and sounds better with age.
“I’m in love with a German film star, I once saw in a bar Sitting in a corner in imperfect clothes Trying not to pose, for the cameras and the girls It’s a glamorous world”
African And White (Inevitable Version) from China Crisis is another sign that Liverpool was one of the strongest regions for late 70s and early 80s music. Is Vic There? was the only hit from Department S, and works so well due to its iconic guitar riff and propulsive beat. The Art Of Parties from Japan was an insistently catchy single highlighting all band members musical strengths. Altered Images are represented with A Day’s Wait, a Siouxsie and the Banshees influenced song, produced by the Banshees bassist Steve Severin.
The early Heaven 17 single I’m Your Money shows the influence they had on the burgeoning electronic music of the decade. Disc one ends with The Associates Q Quarters and its encouraging to hear a less obvious track from the duo. The Situation Two single from 1981 is a dark, brooding piece, with a restrained vocal from Billy Mackenzie. I still cannot believe we have lost Mackenzie and Alan Rankine, both are huge losses to music.
Disc two opens with Eurythmics and Never Gonna Cry Again, produced by Conny Plank, and from the era just before the massive success that followed from Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) onwards. Like a lot of Eurythmics material, time has been kind to Never Gonna Cry Again. Thomas Dolby’s debut single Urges is a more lo-fi release, compared to his majestic later material such as The Flat Earth, but highlights Dolby’s knack for adding layer upon layer of hooks to his songs.
The Slits Earthbeat (7” Version) (featuring future Banshees drummer Budgie) is a welcome addition as one of the post-punk highlights on this collection. Hazel O’Connor was at her best for me with the Breaking Glass album, but this is a respectful cover of the early Stranglers classic. Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call was a wonderful period in Simple Mind’s back catalogue, giving us the majestic The American and the track on this compilation, Sweat in Bullet. The band seem to be having a bit of a critical renaissance at the moment, and about time too.
Bedsitter is one of Soft Cell’s finest early singles and so another excellent addition. Chas Jankel contributes Questionnaire, and brings with him some of the pure, undistilled funk of The Blockheads, with lyrics from Ian Dury. The percussion from Charley Charles is out of this world.
Mad Eyed Screamer brings us back to Budgie and Siouxsie Sioux, and their first hit. Who needs a band when you have Budgie and Siouxsie Sioux at their creative peak (JuJu was also released in 1981). Tears for Fears debut single Suffer The Children is scheduled next to Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) from Haircut 100. Disc two shows a shift away from post-punk into a more dance / Latin infused era for pop music.
Tiny Children remains one of the highlights from the too short career of Liverpool’s Teardrop Explodes. Mari Wilson seemed to disappear from the charts almost as soon as she arrived, but the 50’s musical influenced Beat The Beat is a good, nostalgic pop single. The Day My Pad Went Mad from John Cooper Clarke is filled with JCC’s typically witty wordplay, delivered in his trademark Salford drawl.
Disc three opens with the mighty ABC, and their Trevor Horn produced single Poison Arrow. It still sounds sumptuous all those years later. The De Harriss led version of Fashiøn contribute their influential electronic single Streetplayer (Mechanik). How this Birmingham band were not global megastars is a mystery to me. If you ever come across their 1982 album Fabrique, I can heartily recommend it. All killer….
Culture Club are represented with the percussion heavy White Boy (Extended Mix), here in all its 6 minute plus glory. Scritti Politti offer the seemingly plastic soul / Young Americans Bowie influenced Faithless, a fine single, but the band really hit their peak for me with the glossy pop of Cupid & Psyche 85three years later. Swamp Children and Taste What’s Rhythm is one of the tracks I was not familiar with from Heaven Sent – The Rise Of New Pop 1979-1983, and is performed on top of a delicious percussive backing.
Iron Out The Rough Spots was one of the few singles on Paul Young’s No Parlez that did not chart. I went to a recent Dolby Atmos playback of the album, organised by Super Deluxe Edition, and the Dolby Atmos mix adds a fresh excitement to this familiar album. Any compilation that highlights the finest band to come out of Sheffield, The Comsat Angels, is an instant friend of mine. After The Rain (single remix) showcases the band as they were shifting on their axis, from heavy post-punk towards a more commercial mid-80s rock / pop sound. After The Rain is a classic single. I miss the band so much, I wish we had more material from them.
Pale Fountains and Thank You is up there with Wah’s The Story of the Blues as one of the great Liverpool singles. The Pale Fountains released two fantastic albums over the next few years, with Thank You being a radio hit, but the commercial breakthrough never materialised, but the beautiful music remains. Glasgow’s Set The Tone and Dance Sucker still sounds as funky as hell. Beat Surrender ‘b’ side Shopping is an interesting inclusion from The Jam, with Weller’s horizon widening as The Style Council loomed ever nearer.
The final disc is the most “commercial” in this compendium of musical delights, with Lets Go To Bed, one of my favourite singles from The Cure. The 12″ version (not included here) is a delight. The Stranglers and their acoustic meets electronica period from the Feline album, with lead single European Female, fits the new pop aesthetic perfectly. The barracuda bass and jagged guitar replaced by a more sophisticated 80s palette.
Tracie Young delivered some warm pop / funk, and 1983’s The House That Jack Built was a slice of breezy pop that still sounds so optimistic. Paul Weller appears again with The Style Council’s Headstart For Happiness, an acoustic and Hammond driven pop song. County Durham’s Kane Gang have their 1983 single Brother Brother included, a song I missed on its original release, but one that I would have bought if I had been aware of it. A wonderful piece of UK funk / pop with a lovely refrain towards the end of the song.
The jangly guitar pop of Friends Again and State Of Art features two artists whose later work moved me greatly, James Grant and Chris Thomson, whose band The Bathers have released album after album of high quality, orchestral soulful pop. State of Art is very much of its time, but still a quality song. The final tracks on the compilation highlight the alternative indie-pop of Furniture and the sample heavy Colourbox and the still haunting Moments in Love from Art of Noise, with the technological advances of the 80s now in full effect.
Heaven Sent – The Rise Of New Pop 1979-1983 is a fascinating snapshot of an interesting period in the UK’s musical history. Fans of the late 70s and early 80s will find plenty to love in this expertly compiled collection.
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DISC ONE M – Pop Musik (Full Length Disco Mix) The Flying Lizards – Money The Buggles – Video Killed The Radio Star Godley And Creme – An Englishman In New York (Single Version) The Korgis – Young & Russian New Musik – Living By Numbers Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Red Frame/ White Light Toyah – Bird In Flight Grace Jones – She’s Lost Control Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls – Dream Sequence (One) The Clash – Hitsville U.K. The Passions – I’m In Love With A German Film Star The Human League – Boys And Girls China Crisis – African And White (Inevitable Version) Fad Gadget – Make Room Department S – Is Vic There? Japan – The Art Of Parties Altered Images – A Day’s Wait Heaven 17 – I’m Your Money Thomas Leer – Letter From America The Associates – Q Quarters
DISC TWO
Eurythmics – Never Gonna Cry Again Thomas Dolby – Urges The Slits – Earthbeat (7” Version) Monsoon – Ever So Lonely (Indipop version) Hazel O’Connor – Hanging Around Anthony More – World Service (Single Version) A Flock Of Seagulls – Telecommunication Simple Minds – Sweat In Bullet Soft Cell – Bedsitter Chas Jankel – Questionnaire The Creatures – Mad Eyed Screamer Tears For Fears – Suffer The Children Haircut One Hundred – Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Liars A To E (Single Version) The Teardrop Explodes – Tiny Children Rip Rig And Panic – Bob Hope Takes Risks Mari Wilson – Beat The Beat TV21 With The Cannizarro Strings – All Join Hands The Undertones – Beautiful Friend Blue Rondo A La Turk – Klactoveesedstein John Cooper Clarke – The Day My Pad Went Mad
DISC THREE
ABC – Poison Arrow Fashion – Streetplayer-Mechanik The Fun Boy Three – The Telephone Always Rings Culture Club – White Boy (Extended Mix) Scritti Politti – Faithless Elvis Costello & The Attractions – You Little Fool Haysi Fantayzee – John Wayne Is Big Leggy The Apollinaires – The Feeling’s Gone Weekend – Past Meets Present King Trigger – River Swamp Children – Taste What’s Rhythm Dead Or Alive – The Stranger Paul Young – Iron Out The Rough Spots Wide Boy Awake – Chicken Outlaw Comsat Angels – After The Rain (Single Remix) The Higsons – Tear The Whole Thing Down The Pale Fountains – Thank You Set The Tone – Dance Sucker The Jam – Shopping
DISC FOUR
The Cure – Lets Go To Bed Malcolm McLaren And The World’s Famous Supreme Team – Buffalo Gals The Stranglers – European Female Madness – Tomorrow’s (Just Another Day) Tracie – The House That Jack Built Hey! Elastica – Suck A Little Honey Paul Haig – Heaven Sent Eyeless In Gaza – New Risen The Style Council – Headstart For Happiness (Single Version) JoBoxers – Johnny Friendly The Kane Gang – Brother Brother The Special AKA – Bright Lights Dislocation Dance – Show Me Friends Again – State Of Art Ian Dury – Really Glad You Came Colour Box – Shotgun Furniture – Robert Nightman’s Story Swallow Tongue – Animation The Art Of Noise – Moments in Love
The Century of the Self is the long awaited new album from Norway’s best-selling prog band, Airbag, and is released by Karisma Records on 14 June 2024.
Airbag kick off their sixth studio album with Dysphoria, with widely panned guitar and sweeping synth waves. A slow-paced piece, containing lyrics touching on the world we find ourselves in, with conspiracies, trolling and a culture of cancellation.
The instrumentation builds as the song progresses. A specific feature I have noticed on this Airtbag album is the prominence of the bass, from Kristian Hultgren and Bjørn Riis. It adds real power to the songs, and underpins the anthemic guitar lines from Riis.
Tyrants and Kings ups the tempo, and adds acoustic guitars to the mix for the first time. A mature arrangement, with simplicity and space, enabling keyboard or guitar lines to cut through with clarity. Henrik Bergan Fossum adds an at times post-punk chill to his drum patterns on this track. This is Airbag at its most refined.
Awakening strips the arrangement back to delay-treated vocals and acoustic guitar, and then the bass, drums and synths kick in like a deep punch to the gut. A slight U2 lyrical reference feels appropriate, with a song that is close to a slow-burning classic rock template, topped off with some Airbag sparkles.
The middle section of Awakening gives the musicians the chance to stretch out and shine. As always with Airbag, the performances are sympathetic and never show-boating.
Erase is a bass-driven groove, that begs to be played at volume. Psychedelic, heavily processed guitar and wild drums propel the albums heaviest track towards the 14 minute closer, Tear It Down.
Tear It Down introduces itself with a shuffling drum beat, softly twinkling Rhodes piano, and sustained guitar, leading to the angry and frustrated chorus of “Tear it down, tear it all.”
A delicious Rhodes riff then takes over at around the 7 minute / half-way mark, signalling the next section in the ever-evolving Tear It Down. Deep bass and soaring guitar lines from Kristian Hultgren and Ole Michael Bjørndal, do battle with spacey synth from guest Simen Valldal Johannessen. Fans of early Porcupine Tree are going to love this epic song. A great way to end the album, Tear It Down is the track I often find myself returning to again and again.
The Century of the Self feels like the most complete Airbag album to date, with the band spending so much time on the arrangements. It would be easy to just keep piling in with the heavy moments, but there is a real taste of light and shade on display here. Tear it down, tear it all.
Airbag are: Asle Tostrup – vocals, keyboards and programming Henrik Bergan Fossum – drums Bjørn Riis – guitars, bass, keyboards and backing vocals
Featuring: Kristian Hultgren – bass on Dysphoria & Tear it Down Ole Michael Bjørndal – guitar on Dysphoria, Tyrants and Kings & Tear it Down Simen Valldal Johannessen – keyboards on Tear it Down
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The first physical Dolby Atmos release from David Bowie has been announced by Parlophone, with a release date of 6 September 2024.
Dolby Atmos allows producers and musicians to place each sound exactly where they want it to go, for a more realistic and immersive audio experience. Atmos mixes transport you into a spatial sound experience, separating vocals and individual instruments with a greater clarity than ever before, so you hear more and feel more from the music you love.
The Blu-Ray audio disc of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars features four hi-resolution versions of this classic early Bowie album:
Also available Rock n Roll Star! (5CD & Blu-ray Book Set), which contains a deep dive that explores David Bowie’s journey from February 1971 through the creation of the Ziggy Stardust character.
Please note that the Ziggy Stardust Atmos mix is exclusive to the Dolby Atmos blu-ray and streaming services.
The Regan & Bricheno bandcamp page sets the scene for this album:
“With Julianne Regan as a green-eyed Elizabeth Taylor to Tim Bricheno’s temperant Richard Burton, All About Eve rides again – in spirit if not in name.”
This is a great scene setter, as APPARITIONS is clearly not just a continuation of the All About Eve songbook, but an expansion of Julianne and Tim’s songwriting and arrangement skills. It would have probably been very easy to rehash past glories, and tread a safe path, but any fears of this being the case are smashed to pieces within a couple of songs.
The album opens with the only “old” track, RAINDROPS, which was released on the now out-of-print 2006 Keepsakes All About Eve compilation, and at the time was one of the first tracks to feature Tim Bricheno playing on an All About Eve song since 1989.
RAINDROPS deserves to be heard again away from the compilation, and is a lovely pop song, underpinned by jagged guitar lines.
Out with the old and in with the new. PALE BLUE EARTH feels like it is referencing Bowie at several points in the lyrics, and again with the affectionate musical nod to Heroes towards the end of the track. The playful, widescreen production is what I hoped to hear, after soaking up the sneak previews we were treated to prior to the albums release on the duos social channels.
PALE BLUE EARTH is the first song on the album to draw its inspiration from the past – with late 50s / 60s space race references indicating the endless possibilities of the future. The experimentation in performance and production is a clear step-up from Julianne’s and Tim’s past collaborations.
SÉANCE widens the musical palette further, with a psychedelic, trippy soundscape, and Twin Peaks referencing keyboard lines. Before the drum machine kicks in, I get hints of early John Foxx in the use of space and minimalism.
“Is there anyone there? Silk echoes, electric, on paper thin air A soft phosphorescence, a liminal presence, The scrape of a chair”
There is a real maturity in the arrangement on SÉANCE, with the track twisting and changing pace, but it never feels forced or un-natural. Throughout the whole album, the guitar is a natural part of the equation, used sparingly so when it appears, it cuts through to maximum effect.
With LUXURY OF REFLECTION, nostalgia seeps through every single note of this beautiful track. Falling snow (referenced in several songs), wistful strings, bells and an icy, Goldfrapp Felt Mountain melody are key ingredients that will surely tug at your emotions.
The memories are warm and sepia-tinged, apart from the quite sharp line towards the end.
“Of all the songs I’ve written for you Here’s the one you’ll never hear”
RADIUM already seems to be an early fan favourite from reading the comments on social media. An unconventional love song spraying its deep longing amongst the mushroom clouds, sadly RADIUM was released a little too late to be included in the soundtrack to Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, as it would have been a perfect fit.
AMERICA is perfectly placed in the running order next to RADIUM. Both are similarly paced and are both paeans to the culture and idealism of the ghost of America. Amongst the beautiful, delicate arrangements on AMERICA comes a discordant guitar line that jars and jolts you, before quickly giving way to mellotrons and atmospheric, spacey guitars.
The love and endless exploration that has gone into the production on this song makes it a pure joy to listen to. Real hairs on the back of your neck stuff, as instruments pan back and forth across the rich soundscape.
At the time of writing, this is my personal favourite from the album.
“And I’d have liked to have found Wild blueberries after the first frost And I’d have dressed warmly Brought my camera along”
ROSES ROUND THE DOOR, with guitars set to stun, has all the ingredients of a classic All About Eve song of old. Sad songs say so much and boy, is this a sad song. A key takeaway from ROSES… is to always tell the ones you love how you feel about them. Before it’s too late…
“Won’t you promise me that you won’t make the same mistakes And that you honestly Won’t forget to tell your darling you adore them And get to smell the roses round the door”
DEAR LONELY HEART is a song that appeals to my inner goth and my dark, twisted heart, grabbing the All About Eve template to simply rip it up and start again. Featuring some of Mr Bricheno’s finest guitar lines, and a chorus to die for from Julianne, it is an instant classic.
Just as the song hits its peak, it’s over, leaving you wondering if the scars were ever healed? A heart-breaker.
“Someday a girl will come who doesn’t love guitars”
HONEY’S OCEAN is built from sparse acoustic guitar, mellotron and an 80s drumbeat that gives way to a sumptuous chorus, and Ray Bradbury referencing sci-fi lyrics.
The ghost of David Bowie haunts several tracks on APPARITIONS, and his influence on Julianne and Tim feels strong on HONEY’S OCEAN. As throughout the whole album, the production and the arrangement is as much of a star as the two artists themselves.
WHAT TO WEAR TO A FUNERAL closes APPARITIONS. Any song that mentions the sublime Wichita Lineman is instantly a friend of mine.
The reference to funeral playlists in WHAT TO WEAR TO A FUNERAL reminds me that I need to write my own funeral playlist down. I was discussing mine recently with my better half, and mentioned that Follow You, Follow Me was one of my requests for when I shuffle off my mortal coil. On discussing at a later date, I was presented with “you wanted a Genesis song, I can’t remember which one”, so I’ll probably get something horrific like Jesus He Knows Me. A haunting, I must go.
Sorry, I digress. Back to WHAT TO WEAR TO A FUNERAL, it rounds off a perfect album. So much attention has gone into the sequencing of the album, with 5 or 6 second gaps between tracks, giving you the time to recover and reflect before the journey continues.
Julianne has one of the most unique and recognisable voices in pop. Add to this her production, bass / keyboard / programming and arranging skills that work so well alongside her rekindled musical partnership with Tim, it helps the duo deliver a perfectly crafted album, that is lyrically strong and builds on their significant past history, whilst laying strong foundations for an exciting future.
APPARITIONS is available to purchase now as a download via Bandcamp, with a physical release to follow, hopefully later this year.
RAINDROPS PALE BLUE EARTH SÉANCE LUXURY OF REFLECTION RADIUM AMERICA ROSES ROUND THE DOOR DEAR LONELY HEART HONEY’S OCEAN WHAT TO WEAR TO A FUNERAL
Recorded by Tim Bricheno and Julianne Regan at Shabbey Road Studios, London, and Little Box Studios, Somerset.
Singing by Julianne Regan. Electric and acoustic guitars by Tim Bricheno. Bass guitar by Tim Bricheno & Julianne Regan. Keyboards and programming by Julianne Regan & Tim Bricheno. Co-produced by Julianne Regan & Tim Bricheno. Mixed and mastered by Tim Bricheno.
Artwork: Lana Bricheno – Cover art photo collage Julianne Regan – Design and lyric booklet artwork
Additional contributions:
Toby Bricheno: Co-mixing on Roses Round The Door and Pale Blue Earth Co-arrangement of strings on Luxury of Reflection Kevan Gallagher: Acoustic Guitar tone on Honey’s Ocean Tony Kiley: Drums on Roses Round the Door and Dear Lonely Heart
Patterns On The Window – The British Progressive Pop Sounds of 1974 is a new 3 CD set from Cherry Red, featuring big hits, intriguing misses and key album tracks from 1974 as well as a clutch of alternative versions and unissued-at-the-time gems. The set is housed in a clamshell box that includes a heavily annotated and illustrated 48-page booklet.
The collection features many songs I have not heard before, along with lesser known tracks from the more well-known artists of the era. 1974 was not a golden year by any stretch of the imagination. Along with the three day working week and power cuts in the UK, the best selling singles for the year included Mud with Tiger Feet alongside hits from Paper Lace, The Osmonds, Charles Aznavour and The Rubettes. Some classics did make their way into the top 20 best-sellers – including Terry Jacks Seasons In The Sun and The Hollies The Air That I Breathe, but luckily for us, Patterns On The Window digs a little deeper than the top 20.
Disc 1 in the 3 CD collection opens with Bryan Ferry’s The ‘In’ Crowd from May 1974, and is followed by the lyrically intriguing Hasta Mañana Monsieur from Sparks, who are still releasing fine music to this day. Cockney Rebel’s Judy Teen was a non-album 45, and remains one of the catchiest songs from the Steve Harley songbook.
David Bowie fans will enjoy hearing former Spiders From Mars bandmate Mick Ronson and the light-hearted Billy Porter. Be-bop Deluxe (featuring the mighty Bill Nelson) feature with the glam-influenced Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus from their Axe Victim album. The band really came into their own with the altered line-up that released Futurama in 1975.
Brian Protheroe’s Pinball has become a latter-day classic, due to its appearance on an 2004 Guilty Pleasures album, alongside more recent patronage from Noel Gallagher. The Poacher from Ronnie Lane is a perfect example of the progressive element that slipped into a lot of music in the mid-70s. Its a charming, warm song that sadly did not reach the Top 30. Philomena, Phil Lynott’s tribute to his mother, comes from Thin Lizzy’s Nightlife album, with their classic period arriving a couple of years later. The seeds of that future greatness are audible on this interesting arrangement.
The Spencer Davis Group track Another Day is like a time capsule from 1974, the bar-room piano, saxophone trills, accordion and rich harmonies instantly take me back to that period. I love the production on National Flag’s take on Tim Hardin’s If I Were A Carpenter, whilst UFO and Doctor, Doctor seems to have arrived fully formed from the future, with a sound that would really kick in from around 1976 with Rainbow and later period Thin Lizzy. Its a great pop / rock song.
Jona Lewie and the b-side Papa Don’t Go is a world away from the electronic driven You’ll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties and the Christmas staple Stop the Cavalry from the late 70s / early 80s, and shows Lewie’s more blues / boogie beginnings. Disc 1 ends with the West-Coast harmonies of Starry Eyes and Laughing and their late 1974 single Everybody, a track I heard (and really enjoyed) for the first time on this compilation.
An early highlight on disc 2 is a Roxy Music album track, A Really Good Time from Country Life. Ron Woods I Can Feel The Fire sees Wood sharing vocal duties with Mick Jagger.
Van der Graaf Generator leader Peter Hammill’s solo album cut Again, from In Camera, is a stark arrangement, initially recorded on basic 4 track equipment with layers added at Trident Studios. Again is a concise and moving performance.
Rough Kids from Kilburn & the High Roads, featuring a pre-Blockheads Ian Dury, is a vintage rock’n’roll / Rocky Horror sounding track, with little hints of Dury’s future direction in the new wave era. Brinsley Schwarz are represented on this compilation with The Ugly Things, a highlight of the second disc. Produced by Dave Edmunds, this Nick Lowe sung album track comes from the bands final album, The New Favourites of… Brinsley Schwarz.
My favourite track on the compilation is the Dr Feelgood classic debut single, Roxette, driven by one of Wilko Johnson’s most iconic guitar riffs.
Stackridge and the album track The Road To Venezuela, from the George Martin produced The Man in the Bowler Hat album, offers an enchanting mix of progressive and folk elements. Post-Stackridge, James Warren and Andy Cresswell-Davis from the band formed The Korgis in the late 70s, who are known for the wonderful single Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime from 1980.
Disc two ends with Prince Of Heaven from Irish band Fruupp. Some great guitar lines feature on this non-album single.
Marc Bolan & T.Rex kick off the final CD, with Venus Loon, the opening track from the 1974 album Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders Of Tomorrow. This catchy song should have been released as a single.
Unicorn deliver the country-tinged Ooh Mother from Blue Pine Trees, an album that was produced by David Gilmour, who also featured on pedal steel guitar / guitar on several of the albums tracks. The mid-70s saw The Pretty Things moving away from their psychedelic roots, with Is It Only Love from the Silk Torpedo album, featuring an early 70s staple ingredient, a brass / colliery band!
Ace are represented on this compilation with their classic How Long single. How Long is not a jilted love song, but a tale of bassist Terry Comer briefly moonlighting with rival band The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver. A wonderful vocal from Paul Carrack and some of the finest Rhodes piano committed to vinyl propelled this song to no 20 in the UK and no 3 in the US and Canadian singles charts.
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band are an often overlooked part of the 70s musical landscape. The progressive rock of Be Not Too Hard from their self produced album The Good Earth features on Patterns On The Window. Make My Bed from former Merseybeats vocalist Billy Kinsley is another song I was unaware of before hearing this compilation. Its a well-crafted and addictive piece of mid-70s pop, that hooks you by the end of the first verse. A long-lost classic that will hopefully gain some love from people who discover this compilation.
Dave Edmunds Need A Shot Of Rhythm ‘n’ Blues features in the final disc, in the form of a previously released alternative version. A more reflective than usual song from Slade, Far Far Away, was still a big hit, reaching No 2 in the UK singles chart in late 1974.
The UK band Tranquility deliver one of the most memorable but least known tracks, with Midnight Fortune, a track that boasts strong harmonies, and reminds me of the sophistication of 10cc.
Patterns On The Window – The British Progressive Pop Sounds of 1974 offers an alternative look at the music released in 1974, and whilst not every track hits the mark, it does offer an alternative to the often light pop music that made up the charts that year.
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Disc: 1 The ‘In’ Crowd – Bryan Ferry Hasta Manana Monsieur – Sparks Judy Teen – Cockney Rebel Billy Porter – Mick Ronson The Man Who Couldn’t Afford To Orgy – John Cale Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus – Be-Bop Deluxe She Was Just A Young Girl (No Way) – Simon Turner Pinball – Brian Protheroe The Poacher – Ronnie Lane Philomena – Thin Lizzy Break The Rules – Status Quo Cajun Kick – Medicine Head Another Day – Spencer Davis Group Poor Ditching Boy – Iain Matthews If I Were A Carpenter – National Flag Doctor, Doctor (Single Edit) – UFO Lock And Key – Snafu Papa Don’t Go – Jona Lewie Put A Record On (Single Version) – Tramp In My World – Chalice As Long As You Want Me To – Rescue Co. No. 1 Everybody – Starry Eyed And Laughing
Disc: 2 When I Get To The Border – Richard & Linda Thompson A Really Good Time – Roxy Music Only You – Fox Farewell – Stewart, Rod I Can Feel The Fire – Ron Wood Everlovin’ Woman – Georgie Fame Na Na Na – Cozy Powell One More Chance – Man Again – Peter Hammill River Of Sin – Kevin Coyne Rough Kids – Kilburn & The High Roads No More Whiskey – Compass The Ugly Things – Brinsley Schwarz Roxette – Dr. Feelgood Curious And Woolly – Bridget St. John I’ll Just Take My Time – Byzantium Beyond The Pale – Procol Harum The Road To Venezuela – Stackridge Gemini – Holy Mackerel Flamenco Fever – Carmen Getting Through To Me (Demo Version) – Dana Gillespie Prince Of Heaven – Fruupp
Disc: 3 Venus Loon – Marc Bolan & T. Rex Tell Him – Hello Touch Me – Fancy Ooh Mother – Unicorn Is It Only Love – Pretty Things How Long – Ace Be Not Too Hard – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band Make My Bed – Billy Kinsley Costafine Town – Splinter Avalon – Deep Feeling Bobby Dazzler – The First Class Have Love, Will Travel – Prophet Need A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues (Alternative Version) – Dave Edmunds Shanghai’d In Shanghai – Nazareth Tomahawk Kid – The Sensational Alex Harvey Band Far Far Away – Slade Midnight Fortune – Tranquility There’s A Wall Between Us – Stavely Makepeace Soho Jack – Paul Brett Lemon Pie (Home Demo) – Dave Cousins Everything Changes – Lesley Duncan Gypsy Mountain Woman – Farm Radio – The Medium Wave Band
Mr Kinski's Music Shack 