Thursday 30 November 2017

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem

Rob Ayling, yer Gonzo Grande Fromage, 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 Thom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth and 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 within 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?

CHAPTER/ONE.
HAD TO STOP-to see the moment/stopped with me
GATHERED FLOWER YEARS /in a weed basket
BIRD!WINGS!BREATH!SINGS!
Inside each flower cathedral=Insect choirs!
Doctor Covers Wounds With Bandaged Time.
Bee Pilgrim!(Sweet honey flower addict
ALL MY LIFE!(Dreams of Past Lives!
Cicada's Hollow Cry(Unseen Needs...)
LIGHTNING .FIREFLIES.SPARK.EPIPHANIES.
BRIGHT!BRILLIANT!FIRE!FLIES!
Moths Love Fire.Light Loves Darkness.
DRIFTWOOD.Kissing Beach Lips..
MOON PAINTS PALE FACES ALE
STILLNESS.BUDDHA FLIES/INTERRUPT US
Waves Return Tides to Eternity Moon Beaches.
Cricket does not cry(Neither does tennis..
WHEN YOU LEAVE/MY MOON RETURNS..
Voices Remind Us/What Silence Loses.
SHELLS OF WINGS.BUTTERFLIES.SNAKES.CRUSTACEANS
Age is only/the dropping of rocks/into streams
My Garden.Lonely For a Gardener..
MOON FACE.POCKMARKED BY VISITORS.
Trance Formation=Birth of dewdrops!
CANDLE TIME.POOLS OF WAX(Immortality)
My Garden Celebrates ALL Seasons!
COLOR MY TREES!Each Leaf-A Masterpiece!
AROMAS ARISE!Plums!Apricots!SOLIDARITY!
Moon.Flowers.Yearning.Distance.
Even Birds Sleep.Even Death Sings!
MY SKIN!ASKS FOR MORE SPARE PARTS!
DARKNESS CALLS!-BRING YOUR LIGHT!
First Flower.Blinks,Uncertain..
Mother Moon.Father Sun.Sister Stars.I leave home.
UMBRELLA MOON.RAINCLOUD CHORUS.
I am moon.Water Mirror-smiles..


LEONARD COHEN NEWS

His song, which he wrote for the Oscar Isaac film of the same title, is competing up against late icon Leonard Cohen for "You Want It Darker." Cohen ...
The news of Leonard Cohen's death broke on the evening of Nov. 10, 2016. Within minutes, the pilgrimage began. Alone and in couples, walking ...
A group, including myself, watched as devoted fans paid homage to Leonard Cohen with his own words, in front of his home, on Nov. 7, the first ..
The albums chosen — I'm Your Man (1988), The Future (1992), New Skin for the Old Ceremony (1974), Songs From a Room (1969) and Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967) — span Cohen's career and presented challenges for the musicians, even ones like Andy who'd been playing his songs since he ...

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO

RICK WAKEMAN REVIEW

Rick Wakeman

Crimes of Passion

Review by Gary Hill
This is a new release of Rick Wakeman's 1984 soundtrack album. There are two songs here with vocals (one is a bonus track) serving as book-ends to the release. Most of this is the kind of music you'd expect from Wakeman, but there are at least a couple surprises within. I like this album a lot. I'd say that it's not one of Wakeman's best, but it's definitely in toward the upper end of the spectrum. It's also well worth having.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2017  Volume 6 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
It's a Lovely Life
The opening section here almost feels like something Black Sabbath might have done in the mid-1970s. The vocals by Melody Bell bring a soulful, bluesy power to the piece. The song still has plenty of Wakeman trademarks built into it. This is a smoking hot rocker.
Eastern Shadows
While this is distinctly a rock song, it also has a lot of classical music built into it. The instrumental is really classic Wakeman.
Joanna
A mellower piece, this seems to combine classical music stylings with folk music. It's another that's more trademark Wakeman.
The Stretch
There are some intriguing changes here. There is a bit of a "weird" quality to this piece. Still, it's instantly recognizable as Rick Wakeman. It gets a more rocking thing right at the end.
Policeman's Ball
Coming in more rocking, some saxophone really sets this cut apart. It has an almost funky vibe and is one of the most fun pieces here. This has a number of variations and really rocks.
Stax
This sounds in some ways like something that would have been released on Stax. There is a bit of a jazz vibe to it. It's retro in texture and quite interesting.
Taken in Hand
Classical music and rock seem to merge here. This is another that's a classic Wakeman instrumental. The keyboard soloing on this is particularly noteworthy.
Paradise Lost
A more sedate piece of music, this is slower and quite pretty.
The Box
Faster paced and rocking, there is a bit of a jazz angle to this cut. It's a real powerhouse. This gets into some seriously hard-edged territory.
Web of Love
Gentle and rather playful, this is pretty. It's trademark Wakeman and gets more powerful further down the road, turning out to some rocking stuff late.
Bonus Track
        
Dangerous Woman
Now, this comes in feeling very much like a jazzy kind of 1980s music piece. Maggie Bell is back for another cool vocal performance. I'm not as enthused about this song as I am the rest (it just feels very dated) but it is a bonus track after all.

CURRENTLYAVAILABLE FROM GONZO


Richard Christopher 'Rick' Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboard player and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes. He is also known for hi..


Starmus is a festival of music and astronomy on the beautiful island of Tenerife. It is the brain child of Garik Israelian (the astrophysicist who led the team which found the first observational..


On this extraordinary album, legendary keyboard player teams up with an Italian singer named Mario Fasciano. Stavros Moschopoulos  writes: 'Recorded on the Isle of Man, the CD contains 8 new..


With special guests  Various artists including: Ian Paice, Rick Parfitt, Steve Hackett, Andy Fairweather Low, John Entwistle etc..


Richard Christopher 'Rick' Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboard player and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes. He is also known f..


Musician, producer and former Yes member Billy Sherwood has put together what he’s dubbed “the biggest super group of progressive rock players ever assembled,” to form ..


26 tracks in all, of which 10 are previously unreleased (these including an epic version of Matthew the Man - live in Tokyo 2001 and Beijing - widescreen remix from Iona, and other unreleased tra..

THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Marlene Dietrich - Lili Marleen



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Strange Delight
CD - £9.99

YES feat. ARW


Scorpions and Yes featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman will headline next year's Stone Free Festival. The classic rock event will ...

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO


Richard Christopher 'Rick' Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboard player and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes. He is also known for hi..


Starmus is a festival of music and astronomy on the beautiful island of Tenerife. It is the brain child of Garik Israelian (the astrophysicist who led the team which found the first observational..


On this extraordinary album, legendary keyboard player teams up with an Italian singer named Mario Fasciano. Stavros Moschopoulos  writes: 'Recorded on the Isle of Man, the CD contains 8 new..


With special guests  Various artists including: Ian Paice, Rick Parfitt, Steve Hackett, Andy Fairweather Low, John Entwistle etc..


Richard Christopher 'Rick' Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboard player and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes. He is also known f..


Musician, producer and former Yes member Billy Sherwood has put together what he’s dubbed “the biggest super group of progressive rock players ever assembled,” to form ..


26 tracks in all, of which 10 are previously unreleased (these including an epic version of Matthew the Man - live in Tokyo 2001 and Beijing - widescreen remix from Iona, and other unreleased tra..

Wednesday 29 November 2017

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem

Rob Ayling, yer Gonzo Grande Fromage, 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 Thom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth and 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 within 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?

THANKFULNESS AS WAKEFULNESS
AND SILENCE IS A MEDICINE
To be dispensed judiciously
Drop by drop in significance
Between walls of wards and wars
Contemplation.Meditation.Affirmation
One drop for all that has happened up to now
Another for this present pleasure
Tomorrow's drop is for tomorrow-
We must first dream our star boat passage through tonight
Nothing you have known before controls you now
Everything you are learning is essential
What you may find out tomorrow is extra
It is enough to be wakeful.To be Thankful
To open doors and windows for the antiseptic sunlight

And trust all air will be of grace ,kindness and good fortune.

THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Mary Hopkin - Temma harbour (HQ)



CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Spirit
CD - £9.99

Now and Then
CD - £9.99

Recollections
CD - £9.99

Valentine
CD - £9.99

Live at the Royal Albert Hall 1972
CD - £9.99

YES NEWS


Another interesting aspect of the album is that it features veteran prog-rock musician Jay Schellen filling in for Yes drummer Alan White on most tracks, since White was sidelined for much of the trek with back issues. "[Jay's] a very good, well-respected drummer and he grew up listening to me and he ...


Rabin's lead vocals are strong and the Yes choir has never sounded better. Anderson's few vocal contributions are well placed. Additionally, keyboardist Tony Kaye is once again used effectively with just the right touch on Hammond organ. Chris Squire and Alan White can make even this conventional ...

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Union
DVD - £10.99

Union (2CD)
2CD - £7.99

FRANK ZAPPA NEWS


Your work is a through-line for some of my favorite music: Frank Zappa to David Bowie to Talking Heads to King Crimson. Apart from good taste in ..

CABA president Diane Stoddart has a faithful companion in her dog Frank Zappa. The pet's name reflects the musical love her and her husband share ...

Between August 1967 and December 1969, a mere 28 months, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Jethro Tull, Arlo Guthrie, Frank Zappa and The ...

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Frank Zappa is considered to be one of the most influential rock musicians of the late twentieth century. Between the start of his career in the late fifties and his death in 1993 he recorded and rele..


In 1965, Ray Collins asked Zappa to take over as guitarist in local R&B band the Soul Giants, following a fight between Collins and the group's original guitarist. Zappa accepted, and soon assumed..


On September 19, 1985, Frank Zappa testified before the United States Senate Commerce, Technology, and Transportation committee, attacking the Parents Music Resource Center or PMRC, a music organizati..

JON MAKES THE GUARDIAN IN AN ARTICLE ABOUT LATEST ANALYSIS OF PUTATIVE YETI HAIR...


Jonathan Downes, director of the Centre for Fortean Zoology, said that while he applauded the scientific work and agreed that many samples are obviously from bears, he believes the mystery is not yet solved.
“I think there is still a possibility that there are unknown species of higher primate which are still awaiting discovery in what used to be Soviet central Asia,” he said.

READ FULL ARTICLE...

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/nov/29/dna-sampling-exposes-nine-yeti-specimens-as-eight-bears-and-a-dog

Monday 27 November 2017

Patrick Moraz CTTE Promo Interview



CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Live In Princeton 
DVD - £10.99

THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: THE WATERBOYS - The Return of Pan (lyrics)



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Mike Scott and The Waterboys - Strange Boat
Book - £9.99

The Flying Burrito Brothers Country Cookin Interview in 1976



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The Legend & The Legacy 
CD - £9.99

CRUISE TO THE EDGE


A new progressive rock cruise has been announced. HMS Prog will take place between March 2-4, 2018, and will run from Hull to Rotterdam. Caravan, Geoff Downes, Roger Dean, Focus, Pendragon, Cairo, Martin Turner (performing both Argus AND There's The Rub) and Prog Editor Jerry Ewing are all ...

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Union
DVD - £10.99

Union (2CD)
2CD - £7.99
...BECAUSE SOME OF US THINK THAT THIS STUFF IS IMPORTANT
What happens when you mix what is - arguably - the world's most interesting record company, with an anarchist manic-depressive rock music historian polymath, and a method of dissemination which means that a daily rock-music magazine can be almost instantaneous?

Most of this blog is related in some way to the music, books and films produced by Gonzo Multimedia, but the editor has a grasshopper mind and so also writes about all sorts of cultural issues which interest him, and which he hopes will interest you as well.