Monday 30 June 2014

Clearlight: US Review


Album Review: Clearlight — Impressionist Symphony

With precious few exceptions, attempting a classical-rock hybrid is at worst a fool’s errand, at best a thankless task. All too often, this most ambitious of goals – bringing together fans of intricate, densely layered orchestral work and searing, heavy rock – ends up pleasing no one. At its most insipid, the result is something not unlikeMannheim Steamroller: lite (as opposed to light) classical music with late-period ELO style backbeat grafted on, a sort of Stars on Classical. At its best and most challenging, it’s the work of someone like Glenn Branca, who combines the sheer monstrous power of electric guitar with the sonic complexity and bombast of 20th century classical composition (KrzysztofPenderecki, Conlon Nancarrow). 

But on the other hand, considering only those two extremes presents the listener with a false choice: commercial pap versus unlistenable (to most) clatter. In the right hands, it is quite possible to combine the two genres into something that is aesthetically and artistically rewarding while remaining tuneful and accessible. Jeff Lynne did it with the aforementioned Electric Light Orchestra, especially on the group’s second album ELO II: do yourself a favor and listen again to their long version of “Roll Over Beethoven.” And the under-appreciated, backlash-suffering Klaatucreated a lovely rock-meets-classical work on Hope, their second album: “Prelude” has the instrumentation of orchestral music plus what Spinal Tap might call the majesty of rock. 

Plenty of progressive rockers have made forays at bridging the gap: Yes and the group’s on again off again keyboard virtuosoRick Wakeman have both enjoyed some serious success in the genre. And of course The Moody Blues made a career out of the style: their first and best Days of Future Passed is a classic, even if at their worst they may well have inspired Mannheim Steamroller. 

Keen readers may note that nearly all of the artists mentioned so far in this essay did their most notable work roughly between 1967 and 1977. For the most part, the goal of hybridizing classical and rock went out of style around the time new wave presented a hybrid of its own (mainstream rock and punk). But the concept’s not dead: the new album Impressionist Symphony breathes some new life into this thought-moribund genre. 

Clearlight (no relation to the 60s group on Elektra whose bassist played on The Doors‘ albums) is the nom de musq of Cyrille Verdeaux and the assemblage of musicians who join him in this latest venture. After his music was described to him as “impressionistic,” he decided to create a work that paid homage to the work of visual artists most closely associated with the painting style. 

What this means from a programmatic, literal standpoint is that listeners will find eight tracks, each with a bad-pun title referencing one of the masters (sample titles: “Lautrec Too Loose,” “Time is Monet”). My advice, however, is to ignore the silly trappings of the concept and instead enjoy the music and its successful, wordless implementation of its goal. The instrumentation is largely built around Verdeaux’s Kurzweil 2600 keyboard (a real winner at recreating the textures and sonority of classical instruments) plus acoustic violin, joined in strategic places by rock guitar (courtesy of Steve Hillage) and flute (from Hillage’s old Gong bandmate Didier Malherbe), bass, Chapman Stick, Theremin, and assorted percussion in both rock and classical idioms. Oh: and more synthesizers, plus the occasional Bösendorfer piano. 

The result is warm and organic, avoiding the large prog/classical pothole of becoming sterile. The music evokes a wide array of emotional tones, and while it’s nice enough as background music,Impressionist Symphony is best enjoyed when given full attention.

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO:

Clearlight Visions
CD - £9.99

Les Contes Du Singe Fou
CD - £9.99

Tribal Hybrid Concept
CD - £9.99

Forever Blowing Bubbles
CD - £9.99

Impressionist Symphony
CD - £9.99

Clearlight Symphony
CD - £9.99

Best Of Clearlight
CD - £9.99

MIKE DAVIS: Love Again



It was a pretty horrid weekend, but some nice things happened ...like this

A Drum God, Juno Jammers and Superheroes: Conversations with Terry Bozzio, July Talk and Magic Man

2014-06-29-TERRYBOZZIO2014PressPhotophotobyAndrOzgamedres.jpg

Mike Ragogna: Terry, when did your devotion to percussion and drums begin and who are some of your early musical heroes?
Terry Bozzio: Surf Drum Music, Sandy Nelson etc., then The Beatles on Ed Sullivan made me beg my father for drum lessons. I'm celebrating the anniversary of 50 years since that first lesson on July 15, 2014. Then the San Francisco music scene exploded and local bands like Big Brother with Janis Joplin could be seen down the road for $2.50. Jimi Hendrix and Cream came next. Then I went to college and got into studying the great jazz drummers who played with Miles or Coltrane and classical music.
MR: What was playing with Frank Zappa like and how did he influence you? What are your favorite recordings with him?
TB: I was very much in awe of Franks's multiple talents and intellectual prowess. I learned so much from him in 3 years! It was like Marine Boot Camp for musicians.
He took me from being a naive drummer from San Francisco to being known all over the world with credibility, just because I was affiliated with him. Favorite recording would have to be "The Ocean is the Ultimate Solution" because it was an improvisation with him.
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM FRANK ZAPPA AT GONZO
The Lost Broadcasts
DVD - £9.99

Gonzo Records releases a Captain Beefheart 1980s bootleg, lets us hear him right before he got “too good” and had to quit

Gonzo Records releases a Captain Beefheart 1980s bootleg, lets us hear him right before he got "too good" and had to quitLegend has it that Don Van Vliet (a.k.a. Captain Beefheart, or the Cap if you’re into the whole brevity thing) abandoned a three-decade-long music career (to pursue painting full-time) because he had gotten “too good” at it. Not like he was into crusty skronk, but no doubt an intuitive, unpolished approach befitted his extravagant music. Anyhow, at the moment he decided to step down, his band was going through a new career peak — a momentum perhaps deflated by the lack of a landmark album like Trout Mask Replica. The infamously lost Bat Chain Puller was supposed to fill that role, but it got shelved due to contractual disputes and its songs ended up spread and reworked through the Cap’s last three albums: Shiny Beast (1978), Doc at Radar Station (1980), and Ice Cream for Crow (1982).
That’s what makes this new bootleg, Harpo’s Detroit Dec 11th 1980, interesting: it showcases Beefheart and the Magic Band right at the middle of this period, touring in support of their Doc at Radar Station LP, less than two years before retiring. Not that one could infer this from the music, with Van Vliet as fierce a vocalist as ever, and the band acing through their inimitable cubist boogie. On the contrary, the Cap and his crew seem determined to make sure everyone knows who heralded No Wave, at moments sounding like a bluesier Pere Ubu or The Contortions fronted by Howlin’ Wolf.
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO

Don Van Vliet (born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter, artist and poet known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work..


Don Van Vliet (born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter, artist and poet known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work..

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem


Rob Ayling writes: 

"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Tom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied with in seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not? why not indeed!!" (The wondrous poetpic is by Jack McCabe, who I hope forgives me for scribbling all over it with Photoshop)


IS EVERY ART EKPHRASIS?

YOU ARE THE MODEL FOR THIS
I stole your face/your dreams
spilled in to mine/and we
pour them in to paper
Mine come out in words
Yours are stretched as art 
More than 3D origami
You make an art that allows us to make more
by extending yours!Such trust in us!
That ,posthumously,you are now famous
for your uniqueness/and your "busts"
stretch across the known universe
Every Artform seeds more
Harvests are to often posthumous
Time to love our artists while they live
Ask Van Gogh-he sold one painting while he lived!



OMG! This is so Amazing! Really incredibly beautiful! Enrique is
http://www.rawforbeauty.com/

GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Steve Ignorant:Bloody Revolutions

Grammy-winning rock band YES to perform at Tioga Downs on July 5

On July 5, and just days away from the launch of their next U.S. tour, members from the iconic and Grammy-winning rock band YES will perform at Tioga Downs in Nichols, N.Y. beginning at 8 p.m. The band will take the stage with guitarist Steve Howe, singer Jon Davison, drummer Alan White, keyboardist Geoff Downes, and bassist Chris Squire and perform two of their classic albums in their entirety - 1971s "Fragile" and 1972s "Close to the Edge."

In a recent interview with keyboardist Geoff Downes, he noted that following the July 5 performance at Tioga Downs they will tour around the Northeast, and then head out West. "We will do about 30 shows," said Downes during the interview.

The Tioga Downs performance also nears the date of their newest album to be released on July 22, titled "Heaven & Earth".

Having sold nearly 40 million albums in a career that has spanned more than four decades, "Heaven & Earth", on Frontier Records, will continue the tradition of symphonic progressive rock that remains timelessly fresh and innovative. The record is available now for pre-order on Amazon, and contains eight new tracks, each of which boasts the unique musicianship and craftsmanship that have come to be known as "the YES sound."

For "Heaven & Earth," YES teamed up with legendary Grammy Award winner Roy Thomas Baker (Queen, The Cars, Guns N' Roses, Foreigner, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice Cooper, etc.), who handled the production and Billy Sherwood (Toto, Paul Rodgers, Air Supply, etc.) who mixed the album. Also onboard is long-time YES artist, the world-renowned Roger Dean, who again brings his masterful artistic creativity to the album's cover art and packaging.


CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Union (Standard DVD)
DVD - £9.99

Union (2CD)
2CD - £7.99

Rock Of The 70's
DVD - £12.99

The Lost Broadcasts
DVD - £7.99

Sunday 29 June 2014

MIKE DAVIS: Give up all that I have



Yesterday was a pretty unpleasant day, for reasons that I have no intention of going into here, but I thought you might like to see the one good thing that came out of it...

GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Shiva Puja & Chant (OM NAMAH SHIVAAYA) Extended - Krishna Das

Being Sunday I always post sacred music. The name of the deity may change, or even the deity Him/Herself but the spirit remains the same


THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem


Rob Ayling writes: 

"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Tom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied with in seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not? why not indeed!!" (The wondrous poetpic is by Jack McCabe, who I hope forgives me for scribbling all over it with Photoshop)

SOME CHILDREN MAY NEVER KNOW WHAT REAL FOOD IS
some city folk may never ride a horse
or smoke real (rolling)tobacco
or recognize a horse trough,or a saddle bar or hitching rail
some will never shoe a horse
or recognize horse droppings in their streets
after parades and circuses and Presidencies
always the shovellers/not talking heads
more day laborers.Someone has to do it-
create Potemkin Villages for Hollywood
Someone makes those illusory special effects
featuring the destruction of China
Guns and guards and continuous assessment in schools
but no real food.Ketchup is not a vegetable!
Ritalin and self-medication is not healing!
In rest homes,they bring in cats,comfort dogs
birds in cages-gentle reminders of what we are not.
Perhaps hands on a horse rather than a car body

might restore our inner wilderness/even in a locked ward.

Saturday 28 June 2014

Merrell Fankhauser & Ed Cassidy: UK review


FANKHAUSER CASSIDY BAND - ON THE BLUE ROAD
(CD from http://bit.ly/1milRus

The name of this band is likely to be cause for interest for many listeners given that it refers to Merrell Fankhauser the highly renowned guitarist, and the late Ed Cassidy of Spirit on drums. This alone tells us at that we are potentially on to something good here. We also have Merrel’s son Tim on vocals and guitar, Leroy Richards on bass, Bruce Clarke Harmonica and sax, Jim Enos on piano; alongside these legends we have a long list of greats guesting on various tracks including, among others, John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), and Pete Sears (Jefferson Starship) [interviewed in Ptolemaic Terrascope issue 19 in 1995]. 

Disc One starts with ‘Further on up the Road’ a nice rocky blues track; ‘32/20 Blues’ and ‘Bright Lights Big City’ are traditional blues tracks enhanced by some superb harmonica and piano playing; ‘Excited’ ups the tempo and pace a bit, ‘Walking the Dog’ continues the rock and roll feel without losing that blues edge; some delicious slide guitar gives ‘Louisana Blues’ a wonderful mellow feel, a real highlight of the album to my ears; ‘High Heel Sneakers’ is a light hearted piece of rock and roll; ‘Tale of Misty Mountain’ takes the tempo down and moves towards a more melancholy style with some stunning sax adding to the atmosphere; ‘Possession over Judgment Day’ and ‘On The Blue Road’ are very strong tracks with excellent musicianship from all the band; ‘Nicky’s Song’ a gentle melodic tribute to Nicky Hopkins; ‘Psychedelic Dreams’ is a light-hearted blues song about the dangers of smoking that herb. 

Disc Two starts with ‘Hot Night in Louisville’ and ‘Milk Cow Blues’ are lively up beat chunk of rocking blues; ‘Who Shout The Lightnin’ is pure rockin’ jazz blues; ‘Goin Back to Delta’ is very much traditional blues instrumental with fiddle giving it a country feel; ‘Stolen Guitar Blues’ featuring John McEuen playing some tasty mandolin, was written about the loss of Randy California’s Martin guitar; ‘Brian Berry Blues’ another full on hunk of delightful jazz blues instrumental; ‘Cosmic Lady’ is a lively rock and roll blues track; ‘Voodoo in the Jungle’ slows the tempo with a laid back mellow sound; ‘Cassidy’s Big Beat’ I have to admit I am a bit of a sucker for a good drum solo and this one goes way beyond good; ‘Long Rifle’ is more rock and roll than blues; ‘Papa Told Me’ ends the music with a good old acoustic country blues track; then to finish we have a short Ed Cassidy Interview. 

All taken together this is a superb blues focused mix with elements of rock and roll, jazz and country. An album showing off the talents of some excellent musicians and is a worthy addition to any music collection. (Steve Judd)

GONZO WEEKLY #84

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem


Rob Ayling writes: 

"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Tom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied with in seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not? why not indeed!!" (The wondrous poetpic is by Jack McCabe, who I hope forgives me for scribbling all over it with Photoshop)


 A Dog and a Dophin -- Un perro y un delfín - a Greek short film
WISHING VIOLETTE/HELLION -served Tom Cruise/TRANSFORMERS#4
Liking subtitled foreign films-served cartoon Disney Pixar
Liking truth of kitchen sink drama-served comics and soap operas
Wanting independent film production-getting fine work by Anyah Dishon/Kenneth Smeaton
Magic?Special effects?Photoshop?Ever wonder how it is done?
when even wonder wanders -about overblown Hollywood Blockbusters
when we each need to create our own life stories/
share those visions and those dreams/just in case/we get displaced

and start living someone else's scripts!

THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Bobby Womack (1944-2014)

File:Bobby Womack - Roskilde Festival 2010.jpg
Womack was an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s, when he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group the Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career spanned more than 50 years and spanned a repertoire in the styles of R&B, soul, rock and roll, doo-wop, gospel, and country.

Womack wrote and originally recorded The Rolling Stones' first UK No. 1 hit, "It's All Over Now" and New Birth's "I Can Understand It" among other songs. As a singer he is most notable for the hits "Lookin' For a Love", "That's The Way I Feel About Cha", "Woman's Gotta Have It", "Harry Hippie", "Across 110th Street" and his 1980s hit "If You Think You're Lonely Now".

In 2009, Womack was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Womack opened up about his frequent drug use in his memoirs, I'm a Midnight Mover. Womack said he began using cocaine sometime in the late 1960s. His cocaine use turned into an addiction by the late 1970s. Womack partially blamed his habit for his son Truth's death as an infant in 1976. At the end of the 1980s, Womack went into a rehab facility to get over his cocaine addiction, which he said he conquered. Womack developed diabetes in his later years.

In early 2012, Womack entered several hospitals with health problems including pneumonia, for which he was successfully treated. It was revealed in March that Womack was diagnosed with colon cancer after Bootsy Collins reported it on his Facebook page. Womack announced afterwards that he was undergoing cancer surgery. On May 24, 2012, it was announced that Womack's surgery to remove a tumor from his colon was successful and he was declared cancer free. On January 1, 2013, Womack admitted that he has struggled to remember his songs and other people's names, leading doctors to suggest that he was in early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Womack died on June 27, 2014 at age 70. He had a number of health issues including diabetes, prostate cancer, heart trouble, colon cancer and pneumonia.

SOUL SURVIVOR-
"The Bravest Man In The Universe"
BOBBY WOMACK WAS TO BE IN ANTWERP JULY 2014
Fate stole his voice June 27.His next gig is SOUL HEAVEN!
Solo ,mellow,yet associative-performing  and writing for
Mary Wells,Patti La Belle,Sam Cooke-even GORILLAZ!
From Bonaroo  to New Orleans Jazz Fest-he toured
first on 1994s RESURRECTION Cd-now as 'The Bravest Man In The Universe"
His distinctive soul stylings mixed jazz with funk,pop,rhythm and blues
You always KNEW the coaxing voice of Bobby Womack
he did not know he would be gone so fast.
If he could only return-to fill our souls with just one more encore
Once,he was known as the "Soul Survivor"-5 generations,2 centuries

Now just a retrospective GREATEST HITS CD-on repeat.Repeat.

                                        Thom the World Poet



PLAYLIST: Strange Fruit #77

08-06-14
STRANGE FRUIT 77

JD Wilkes and the Dirt Daubers: No Rest for the Wicked
Gene:   Olympian
Pocket Genius: 360 Club (Boss Tuneage)
The Ackerleys: Blue Valentine
Heidi Talbot: My Sister the Moon (demo)
The Dragons: Cosmosis/Food for my Soul
Strange Mix:  (Incl: Super Furry Animals: Alternative Route to Vulcan Street (1)/ Unitz: The Drop (2)/ Paraffin Jack Flash: I Can’t Get no Satisfaction/ Dr John: Dance Kalinda Ba Boom (2 CD 1)/ Charles Bukowski: Law (8)/ Ivor Cutler: Life in Scotch Sitting Room (19 cd 1)/ Sheila Chandra: The Enchantment (5)/ Sigur Ros: Salka/Petrol Bomb Samosa: Eshaktillak (I Missed You)/ The Monkees: Zilch)
Howie Beck: Serves you Right
Smoke Fairies:  Your Own Silent Movie
The White Stripes:  I Just Don’t Know What to do with Myself
Wooden Wand: When the Trail Goes Cold
The Ackerleys: Three Years too Late
Medicine Head: His Guiding Hand
Traffic: Coloured Rain (B-Side of “Here we go Round the Mulberry Bush)
The Dragons: Mercy Call/ Pop’s Bag/Big Mike Requiem
Red Sovine: Teddy Bear
Margaret O’ Donnell The Blind Child
Cocteau Twins: Musette and Drums
Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man: Mysteries
Dakimh:  Done


GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Bobby Womack "It's All Over Now"

Clearlight: Portuguese review (translated)

Interview: Clearlight

One of the Impressionists names of prog rockFrenchman Cyrille Verdeaux created one of the most ambitious projects within the genus: pick on French Impressionist paintings and music them. The idea is genius, was not easy to run but the end result is phenomenal. Cyrille Verdeaux explains to us how the whole process took place and shows its Magua on the state reached by the global music market.

Hello Cyrille. Thank you very much for this interview concederes.Congratulations on your excellent work. When the idea of ​​making an album based on impressionism came you?
During a music festival in June 2005, gave a piano concert at the French Embassy in Brasilia and after the concert, the ambassador came to me and said that my music was very "impressionist" I think a reference to my taste for Ravel, Debussy, Satie and Chopin that transpires in my compositions. Your observation led me to pay more attention to the French school of Impressionist painters and decided to write a song inspired by their lives and in their work and get anything.

Being French and France with a strong impressionist school either in music or painting, we can say it was an easy job or not?
It was a difficult job to transcribe music in the sense of the paintings. Of course, the fact that share the same cultural and national background makes the creative process easier to manifest. Maybe it's genetic code, who knows ...

But it must have been a long process to get all the ideas in their right place. Can you describe a bit of the whole creative process?
In fact, the most difficult task was to find the budget to hire the right musicians, finding the right place to write, the right producer to help me mix the tracks collected worldwide and the right publisher for your distribution. By a series of small miracles, I could possibly find anything and everything you wanted to accomplish the project. It only took me 8 years starting from the first note recorded (2005) to the last part mixed (2013). First, I chose my favorite painters 7: Gaughin, Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Toulouse Lautrec, Pissarro and Renoir.After I recorded a piano track for each painter. Finally I set the track to all the musicians that I wanted to hear this album.

As the musicians chosen for this job?
Because I wanted to release a new album Clearlight to celebrate the 40th anniversary of my first release, Clearlight Symphony first asked to still live musicians and who participated in this first album in 1974. Steve Hillage, Tim Blake and Didier Malherbe accepted and recorded their parts . in your own home studioOnce completed the team with some newer friends who liked to play: Americans Vincent Thomas-Penny (guitar), Craig Fry (violin), Paul Willis (drums), Linda Cushma ( low) and the French keyboardists Chris Kovax and Remy Tran. All have a studio at home and also they could send their tracks byinternet for the chief coordinator of the project, Don Falcone, also known as group leader Burning Spirit. Don collected on your computer all these dozens of bands and when already there were all I could mix them in your home from San Francisco with your system ProTool in December 2013.

It really is curious that the members of Gong are with you again 40 years after your debut. It's fantastic! It was easy to convince them to participate again?
It was just a matter of price and time ... They were all involved in their own groups, System 7 in the case of Steve, Hadouk Trio in Didier and Hawkwind to Tim, so it took some time to get everything ready, but thanks to God was all set.

Naturally, the French culture is very present here, but this is also an album that was born with other feelings , including Brazilian and American. How does the fact that you lived in these countries their cultures influenced the existence of Impressionist Symphony ?
I can not say that this particular album has been influenced by other cultures. I'm a musician composing contemporary French music on French painters who lived in the nineteenth century. And even if you live in Brasilia and has lived in the U.S. before, usually speak French with my wife and friends, as French food (I cook most of the time), so it's not hard to keep my fully operational "French touch".

Do you have any video available? Or you have something planned?
Yes, it makes sense to make a DVD on this project based on paintings. I have been trying to find an artist who can work with me to sync music and paintings, but so far I could not find a producer interested in funding a project to a DVD. And I'm still looking ... I have a friend who did a teaser , but it's all so far. You can see it onyoutube if you write "clearlight teaser 2014". I have quite a few videos available on "Clearlight 888 videos" also on youtube . And www.cdbaby.com find all my CDs, for those interested in helping. I know, is the only online site that pays meroyalties of my CD sales. No more does. Strange times, no?

Over spectacles - do you think this project to take the stage? Have there anything defined?
You know, I have no agent, no band, no instruments themselves, almost no money, so it is not possible to do what I like to do. All I have is my musical repertoire. Sometimes I feel like a Rolls Royce forced to stay in the garage because I can not put gas in the tank. Of course, if you could, would sign for atour the world with all the musicians who played on the album! But it would cost so much money just to form a band on the road that I prefer not to dream too. It has been a miracle to have managed to finish the recording project in difficult material circumstances I'm in, in 2014. With all these platforms illegal downloadof music used by the public, as the musicians can live on their CD sales? For now I have no clear answer to this question.

Well, it was a pleasure talking with you. Want to add something else to our readers or your fans?
There are so many things to say ... about music but also about the world ... To be honest, I worry about our future, especially the ecological aspect, so I wish you all good luck finding a safe place and job security in the years ahead. 

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO:

Friday 27 June 2014

What's better than a band playing King Crimson? (Via Shaun Histed-Todd)


Art Garfunkel, The Beatles and John Mayall: Steve Hackett's six best albums


 Steve Hackett was the lead guitarist of rock band Genesis [GETTY]
FOCUS: Moving Waves (Red Bullet)
A band that doesn’t get mentioned as much as they should but they made an impact on the British scene in the mid-1970s. I enjoyed the collision of styles. They were only nominally a rock band. They were as much about classical and jazz, though there was also boogie meets yodelling with heavy-metal guitar.

ART GARFUNKEL: Watermark (Import only)
A collaboration between Garfunkel and songwriter Jimmy Webb, this is immensely detailed, clever and sensitive, with heartrendingly beautiful poetic songs. One minute it’s backed by the Chieftains, the next by a string orchestra. It’s perfect for dinner parties.

JOE BONAMASSA: The Ballad Of John Henry (Provogue)
An American guitarist of distinction, whose playing is always fluent. It’s not easy to surprise people when you’re playing blues but he manages to. I get the same energy off this as I did when I was listening to early 1960s’ guitar heroes. He’s got that fire in the fingers.

Read on...

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Spectral Mornings
DVD - £5.99

Prog-Rock Icons Yes Announce Australian Tour

Prog-Rock Icons Yes Announce Australian Tour



World-renowned prog-rock luminaries Yes have revealed that they are heading Down Under this November for a four-city jaunt of the land that will see the Grammy-winning legends perform two of their classic albums back-to-back.

The touring line-up is centred on founding bassist Chris Squire and long-time guitarist Steve Howe, who joined the band in 1970, two years after Squire and co-originator Jon Anderson had conceived the band. Drummer Alan White is the next longest-serving of the current line-up, having stepped behind the kit for the group back in 1972, with keyboardist Geoff Downes having been a mainstay since 1980.

The newest member of the line-up, lead vocalist Jon Davison, joined in 2012, replacing Anderson's original fill-in, Benoît Gerard Guy David.

You’ll want to get in a good kip or something before the shows, as they will take in the British trailblazers’ watershed 1971 LP Fragile as well as 1972’s follow-upClose To The Edge – not to mention an encore all stuffed full of the band’s biggest hits from the rest of their long and storied career, as well as new material from the band’s forthcoming Heaven And Earth LP, which is due for release next month.


CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Union (Standard DVD)
DVD - £9.99

Union (2CD)
2CD - £7.99

Rock Of The 70's
DVD - £12.99

The Lost Broadcasts
DVD - £7.99

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART REVIEW


Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band: 

Live at Harpos, Detroit 1980

decorative rule

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & THE MAGIC BAND Live from Harpos 1980 (CD on Gonzo Multimedia)

This CD from 2014 features 78 minutes of classic rock music recorded live at Harpo's in Detroit on December 11, 1980 (during the "Doc at the Radar Station" tour.

The Magic Band line-up was: Don van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart) (on vocals, saxophones, and Chinese gongs), Eric Drew Feldman (on bass, synthesizer, mandolin, and mellotron), Robert Williams (on drums and percussion), Richard Snyder (on guitar), Jeff Tapir-White (on guitar), and Jeff Morris Tepper (on guitar).

The performance is lively and chocked full of twisted energy. Foot-tapping and hip swaying, the music combines boogie sentiments with progressive delivery.

Beefheart's vocals are coarse and hoarse, but still clear and articulate, as he belts out lyrics of a twisted nature, viewpoints from left-of-center of life. There's a smirking mirth imparted in the singing that is highly infectious.

The guitars are crisp and bouncy, delivering enticing riffs that boost the tuneage. With three guitars in action, you can expect the string-action to be extra busy.

The saxophones are anti-mournful, bristling with hyperactive animation.

The bass provides a rumbling undercurrent that elevates the rest of the instruments. On a few occasions, the bass delivers chugging flurries of dazzling gutsy cadence.

The percussion is steadfast and durable. Generally nothing flashy going on here, just determined rhythms that add solid propulsion to the melodies. There are instances, though, in which the beats dive into tasty tempos of a sparkling character.

The keys are often immersed in the mix. acting like a sneaky coating of honey.

These songs represent a widespread sampling of Beefheart's classic tuneage. This type of music is compelling in its fusion of raw fervor and slick delivery. If one can imagine southern-fried rock filtered through a progressive filter, then spewed out with a pre-punk degree of puissant passion.

The only down-side of this release is that it features an audience recording of the concert. At least it's decent for audience recordings.decorative rule

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO

Don Van Vliet (born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter, artist and poet known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work..


Don Van Vliet (born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter, artist and poet known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work..

GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Clearlight - Full Moon Raga



CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO

Clearlight Visions
CD - £9.99

Les Contes Du Singe Fou
CD - £9.99

Tribal Hybrid Concept
CD - £9.99

Forever Blowing Bubbles
CD - £9.99

Impressionist Symphony
CD - £9.99

Clearlight Symphony
CD - £9.99

Best Of Clearlight
CD - £9.99
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