MIMI PAGE WROTE TO US...

Bassnectar (Lorin Ashton) recorded a twitter fan interview last night and leaked ONE song from his upcoming album - MINE! He gave me a shoutout and posted my picture and leaked our new song "Butterfly" which drops April 10th.

According to facebook (he has close to 1 million likes) his fans say our song "took their breath away"

AWESOME!

It's super long, but if you'd like to hear him talk about me and preview the song, scroll to minute 16:08
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/21110984

YES: No tin boxes

Union Live Part Two
On the back of the cover of Mike Oldfield's seminal Tubular Bells LP (it is so nice to still be able to use the term LP - none of the youngsters who come in and out of my office know what the flip I am talking about) there is the message:

"This stereo record cannot be played on old tin boxes no matter what they are fitted with. If you are in possession of such equipment please hand it into the nearest police station."

Again this is probably lost on anyone under the age of 40, but once upon a time records used to have the following statement (or something very much like it) emblazoned on their sleeves:

"This stereo record can be played on monaural record players, but there will be a significant loss of sound"
...or something like that.

However, I have a significant warning that has to be made about the Yes DVD that I am featuring all this week. The following message was inadvertantly left off the sleeve:

"This DVD should not be played on a twenty year-old portable TV given to you by your nephew after the intern poured water into the back of the old one whilst cleaning out the bitterling tank".

Or something like that.

I don't watch television very much. It doesn't interest me in the way that music and books do, and so our only TV is a little portable (provenance noted above). The other day, I played the Union Live DVD on it, and it sounded terrible! I was feeling terribly worried about it, but then Graham plugged it into our hi-fi, and suddenly it sounded as wonderful as I had always expected that it would. maybe better.

So, before we go any further, let this be a cautionary tale. An old mono TV may be perfectly adequate to watch old films on (in my case the Prisoner box set Corinna gave me for Christmas), but it is totally inadequate to watch music DVDs.

And you need to have the optimum equipment for this DVD because it really is smashing.

I am currently working on a reissue of Dan Wooding's classic biography of Rick Wakeman. In it he quotes a Melody Maker piece from around the time that Rick joined the band:

'Part of the reason for the split was that Tony Kaye wanted to concentrate on Hammond Organ while Yes wanted to further augment their sound'.

That is as may be, but I was totally unprepared for the sound that came from the two keyboard players playing in tandem. It was rich and full, and totally surprising. Both musicians are masters of their art, but their styles are markedly different and I had always assumed that they would clash, but far from it.And the two drummers also complimented each other in a totally unexpected (well, unexpected by me) way. They are amongst my favourite drummers, but again have wildly differing styles. Alan White demonstrates why no less a personage than John Lennon had pulled him out of obscurity to join the Plastic Ono Band, and Bill Bruford just continues being the drummer of choice for all the world's leading prog bands.I had always liked the Union album, but I had expected the live stuff from the tour to be a bit of a mish mash. But I was completely wrong. It is a delight.Once again I have over-run and overshot my budgeted words. I will continue on this subject next time

WALLY REVIEWED

http://www.progrockmusictalk.com/2012/03/review-wally-montpellier.html

FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Review: Wally-Montpellier

Wally has added another great CD to the long and strong tradition of English Progressive Rock with their album Montpellier. Fans who remember the band from the early 70s will find that Wally has retained their classic feel, but with some tasty additions. The most important would be Frank Mizen on steel guitar. His prevalence in the music throughout the album lends it a slight Southern feel that makes for a really interesting sound.

“Sailor” opens the album with atmospheric synth accented by the sound of gulls. A guitar blast and crash cymbal mark the end of the introduction and the beginning of a thoughtful ballad with Beatles-esque piano and vocals. After a couple of times through the verse and chorus, the song erupts with guitar and organ sounds leading to an electric finish, tempered by the briefest denouement (the sound of gulls again). “Thrill Is Gone” has a more raw sound. The highlight of the song features the bands other new addition, guitarist Will Jackson. His solo develops from a simple riff in the lowest range of the instrument into a shrieking jam worthy of any number of great guitarists (think Duane Allman meets Eddie Van Halen). “Surfing” is a very unique offering that begins with spoken vocals and instruments that sound like the background music of a Tom Waits song, and then it turns into a straight-forward rock song on the chorus with screaming vocals. Very cool!

The album closes with the powerful anthem “Giving.” It literally gave me chills when I first listened to it. The classical-style strings (and/or synth) that begin and end the song would be beautiful all on their own, but the middle section of the song blows even those sweet moments away. The final arrival of the lead guitar solo towards the end of the tune is nothing less than triumphant. Wally is a great band still dedicated to doing their own thing. I hope that they continue to make music for another 3 or 4 decades!

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks- Sailor, Thrill Is Gone, Giving

Donny Harvey

March 15, 2012

MIMI PAGE: Opens For Jefferson Starship

Eclectic Singer/Songwriter Mimi Page Opens For Jefferson Starship
Releases Debut CD 'Breathe Me In'

3/15/2012 – Los Angeles, CA - The LA music scene is buzzing about the debut CD by eclectic singer/songwriter/producer Mimi Page, whose unique style blends ethereal dreamy soundscapes with melodic, unique vocals and has been compared to the likes of Portishead, Enya and Fiona Apple. Her full length debut album 'Breathe Me In' featuring co-producer Warren Huart (The Fray, Aerosmith) was released on February 14th on Gonzo Multimedia’s new electronica label, Hunter Records, and is distributed in the US through Entertainment One. Described as “a potent mix of sultry down tempo numbers, emotional pop-tronica, uplifting piano pop and thought provoking ballads”, 'Breathe Me In' is a rich, well-rounded album. Mimi Page’s songs have been widely received by the electronic music community and have charted #1 on Amazon.com and #11 on iTunes for her single "This Fire." Both songs “New” and “Gravity” have charted Top 10 on radio stations Sirius/XM Chill Radio and Soma FM Lush and she has 8 additional songs in airplay on over 20 different stations worldwide.

In support of Mimi's new CD she will be performing several select engagements opening for the legendary classic rock band Jefferson Starship. Her song “New” grabbed the attention of Jefferson Starship's management who heard the song on Sirius/XM Chill Radio and invited her to open for the iconic band on several dates on their 40th Anniversary Tour. “It was surreal to me to be asked to open for them,” Mimi told Westside Today. “I mean, I'm just this girl who writes songs in her apartment who just happened to get on the radio and I get this call from Jefferson Starship's manager who tells me, 'I specifically played your music for them and they want you to open for them,' and I was just honored and thrilled and taken aback.” Jefferson Starship was so impressed with the LA songstress, band leader Paul Kanter was quoted saying, “I drink Mimi Page Kool-Aid.”

Mimi Page Tour Dates:
March 15th 2012 - Ridgefield Playhouse - Ridgefield, CT (Supporting Jefferson Starship, Nona Hendryx) - 7PM
March 16th 2012 - Havana New Hope - New Hope, PA (Headlining) - 7PM
March 17th 2012 - Havana New Hope - New Hope, PA (Supporting Jefferson Starship) - 7PM
March 18th 2012 - Bearsville Theatre - Woodstock, NY (Headlining) - 8PM
March 19th 2012 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY (Supporting Choir of Young Believers) - 8PM
March 20th 2012 - The Met - Pawtucket, RI (Co-Headlining) - 8PM
March 21st 2012 - Lucille’s at BB King’s - New York, NY (FREE SHOW - Headlining) - 8PM
March 23rd 2012 - The Paramount - Huntington, NY (Supporting Jefferson Starship, Nona Hendryx) - 8PM
April 13th 2012 - Coachella (Musician’s Institute Tent) - Indio, CA (TIME TBA)
April 14th 2012 - Coachella (Musician’s Institute Tent) - Indio, CA (TIME TBA)
April 15th 2012 - House Of Blues - San Diego, CA - 6PM (Radio Sophie 103.7 Live)

To purchase Mimi Page 'Breathe Me In': http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15424/Mimi_Page-Breathe_Me_In.html

YES: Everything you know is wrong

Union Live Part One
My day job is running the Centre for Fortean Zoology, which is - amongst other things - the world's biggest cryptozoological research organisation. What is cryptozoology? It is the study of unknown animals. Creatures that mainstream science does not accept exists. And one of the biggest watchwords of cryptozoology, is that accepted paradigms can be wrong. badly so.

I am running this Gonzo bloggything not just because Rob Ayling is an old mate of mine, but because (in my own little way)I have been a rock music historian for nearly 40 yrs, and this gives me an unparalleled opportunity to wade through some of the less well-trodden byways of music history, and then wax lyrically about them to a wider audience than my long-suffering wife and stepdaughters, and Prudence the dog. And I am enjoying every minute of it.

Something that I have discovered over the years during my cryptozoological career, and not uncommonly in my music historian one is the truth of the aphorism that "everything you know is wrong". I don't know who first coined the term, but I first came across it in an LP by The Firesign Theatre, and a book by my old mate Lloyd Pye .Now I am going to use it in the context of this fine DVD from those jolly nice folk at Gonzo.

If you believe accepted wisdom, the 1991 Union album and tour were somewhat fraught. According to Wikipedia (and I am the first to admit that this fine resource is sometimes almost terminally flawed:

After Big Generator in 1987, Jon Anderson teamed up with ex-Yes men Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford. The result was Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, released in 1989 and supported by a successful tour.

Because of the separate existence of Yes (part of the band's name still being owned by Chris Squire), this alternate incarnation were forced to use their surnames as the band's name after Squire threatened legal action. Meanwhile, Yes began composing and recording material for their follow-up, while Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe did the same, beginning production at Miraval Studios in the South of France in April 1990.

Bowing to record company pressure to resurrect the Yes banner, Squire and Anderson came up with the idea of merging both projects, which resulted in the 1991 album Union. In the meantime the ABWH material had been extensively reworked under the supervision of producer Jonathan Elias, which involved replacing many of Howe's guitar parts with new ones played by sessioner Jimmy Haun. Similarly, with Wakeman unavailable because of his heavy touring schedule as a solo artist, many of the keyboard parts were redone by a variety of players in a variety of studios in Los Angeles and New York. Post-production also involved Chris Squire adding backing vocals to a couple of ABWH tracks, but this would remain the extent of the "reunion" of the 1971–72 line-up as bass parts on the tracks were performed by Tony Levin.

Hmmm. This doesn't sound like the ideal scenario for a world tour. Indeed, I had always been led to believe that relationships were pretty strained by this point. Imagine my surprise when I got hold of the Union DVD from Anne-Marie at Gonzo. It is a cracker! And furthermore, everyone involved tooks like they are enjoying themselves. Far from any animosity, members of both camps are cheerfully chatting and fooling arounbd with each other, and overall there is a spirit of bonhomie that I was totally not expecting.

Musically it works far better than I had expected, and there were other surprises as well. But, as I tend to do, I have over-run my budgeted words, and will have to stop for today. In the mean time check this out: 'Roundabout' from the Union DVD...

Thank you for your support

I have to say that I am rather enjoying my new position as Oberbloggenfuhrer for Gonzo Multimeda. And I am glad that you guys out in bloggoland seem to be doing likewise.

Initial browser figures are quite encouraging, and it looks as if we are doing something right. I had a long chat with Rob last night, and we have cooked up various things that are going to happen in the forthcoming weeks and months so, watch this space...

JUDGE SMITH: Many layers of the onion

ORFEAS, Part Three
I am still trying to get my head around this record. The more I listen to it the more complex it becomes. One of the most irritating things about much popular music is the wysiwyg sundrome - basically what you see IS what you get, and the thing about artists like Judge Smith is that it is nothing like that.

It works on all sorts of levels. On the surface it is a jolly collection of songs which tells a story with engaging characters.

But it is also a whole collection of different pieces of music in a number of different idioms. It also features Lene Lovich (who is a great and sadly underappreciated singer) and John Ellis, the guitarist from The Vibrators who was one of my inspirations back when I was a spiky haired little herbert just about to be expelled from a not-very-good public school back in the day.

It is also a remarkably complex allegory, which uses a Chorus in the fashion of Greek Classical drama. But it also has drug jokes (one at least).

I am giving it a few more days, and will be listening to it again. Judge, by the way, emailed me yesterday. He seems a jolly good fellow, and I will be interviewing him in the not too distant future, so watch this space dudes and dudettes..

MERRELL FANKHAUSER: Don't judge a book by its cover said my dear old Ma

...well actually she didn't. She made more ridiculous generalisations, and then based her actions upon them than any other human being that I have ever met. Maybe I am being unfair to her memory (she died ten years ago this week) but I remember her refusing to watch Brideshead Revisited on the grounds that there were no such things as homosexuals in the British aristocracy, and condemning various people over the years because of their footwear. She even took an instant dislike to Princess Diana because - apparently - her nostrils were too close together.

Hmmmmm.

Basically, although I loved my parents dearly I have done my best not to turn out like them, and one of the great tragedies of growing older is that every time I pass a mirror I see my father (albeit fatter and with long hair) staring balefully back at me. However, one thing I have always tried not to do is to judge the aforementioned book by its cover.

But today I did just that. I received a press release from those jolly nice people at Glass Onyon PR, dealing with a Gonzo Multimedia Artiste called Merrell Fankhauser. I always thought that I knew a lot about rock and pop music over the years, but once again my knowledge was and is lamentable. So I did what I always do. I looked him up on spotify, and pressed `play`.

I had immediately jumped to the conclusion that Mr F (or Herr F as I had imagined him) was going to be experimental and slightly spiky krautrock, something like a cross between Can and Throbbing Gristle (both bands I like by the way). I could not have been more wrong.

It turns out that he was the bloke who wrote 'Wipe Out' and is a venerable doyen of the surf-rock scene. But then he got all mystic. The best analogy I can give is Eric Burdon. You will recall that he was a rough tough bluesman from Geordieland until he discovered peace and love and made some extraordinarily eccentric records that I love to this very day. But one could always here his bluesy roots even in his most outrageously hippy songs.

It is the same with Mr Fankhauser. You can tell that he comes from the surf music community; he still has those sparkling Dick Dale chord shapes, but this sounds more like.....

....ummm

I don't really know what it sounds more like. There are hints of Neil Young, hints of Spirit (he has played with Ed Cassidy apparently) and the songs are delivered in an outrageously cool MOR voice. But to be quite honest he doesn't really sound like anyone else. He once played in the same band as Drumbo from Captain Beefheart's ensemble, and he obviously believes in the concept of the Lost Continent of Mu, made famous by Francis Churchward. The songs are melodic, nuttily new age, and really impossible to categorise.

Check them out. I already have.
Add To Cart

---

Merrell Fankhauser was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and moved to California when he was 13 years old this move was to have a life changing effect on the teenager. Merrell went on to become one of the innovators of surf music enjoying success with his band The Impacts and also a hit album entitled Wipe Out. Merrell went on later in the sixties to branch out into psychedelic folk rock.

His travels from Hollywood to his 15 year jungle experience on the island of Maui have been documented in numerous music books and magazines in the United States and Europe. Merrell has gained legendary international status throughout the field of rock music; his credits include over 250 songs published and released.

Return To Mu is a seven years in the making album featuring a cast of famous guest artists including with Jay Ferguson and Ed Cassidy of Spirit, Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean, John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Nicky Hopkins, John Cipolinna both of whom played for Quicksilver Messenger Service and many others. The album is considered a masterpiece amongst friend's critics and fans and was produced by award winning movie and record producer, William E. McEuen.

Originally released in 2003 to many good reviews this album has had limited availability until now when it is reissued.

Tracks: 1.Mystical Land , 2.Waterfall , 3.On Our Way To Hana , 4.Pictures of the Past , 5.The Unknown Writer , 6.Queen Mu , 7.Mother Sea , 8.Beckoning Maiden , 9.Polynesian Dream , 10.Time Travellers , 11.Prospectors Moon , 12.Goin' Down To Atlantis , 13.The Land of Mu , 14.Under A Maui Moon , 15.Matthew's Dream , 16.Lodru's Mu Chant , 17.The Mothership , 18.Mu Rainforest.

WAITING FOR THE RITES OF MU

To compliment my diatribe on the subject of Merrell Fankhauser and his fixation with James Churchward's lost continent of Mu, (see map) I am being mindnumbingly self-indulgent. But I am the editor and I can do so if I wish.

So check out James Churchward and also some stuff on the so-called 'Lost Continent' itself.

And whilst we are on the subject of complete self indulgence, watch this video. It is not by a Gonzo artiste, but it is not available commercially so who cares:

YES: Remembering Tales from Topographic Oceans

It was my elder brother, Ant , who introduced me to most of the music I grew to be fond of. I guess it could have gone horribly wrong, he may have been a fan of Neil Diamond, The Carpenters, Barry Manilow, Engelbert Humperdinck..... sorry to those folks who do like these guys, but ...no – just no that would have been just so wrong.

During my ‘gig’ years that spanned from around 1972 to 1978, my friend, Sioux, and I – and sometimes my brother and I – would travel to London to take advantage of its close proximity to home and plethora of venues. I used to keep as many of the ticket stubs and as much other memorabilia that I could as a reminder of these halcyon days.

It is this fact that I do not have to rely on an almost non-existent memory and can write that it was definitely during 1973 that I travelled from Uxbridge to 232 Seven Sisters Road, Finsbury Park on at least four occasions. My ticket stubs tell me that I visited on Friday, October 12th, Sunday October 21st, Tuesday, 20th November and Sunday 25th November. That was a lot of toing-and-froing in the space of a few weeks in the latter half of the year in question, not to mention those mild panics about last trains and whether Sioux and I would manage to catch them. Heavens to Betsy, I got around in those days: Brunel University; the Roundhouse; the Rainbow; Theatre Royal, Drury Lane; Empire Pool, Wembley; Wembley Arena; The Marquee, Wardour Street; and many other, more offbeat places .

But why 232 Seven Sisters Road? For those of you out there who are not familiar with that address, there was a certain building located on that spot that drew crowds of people in its heyday as a music venue; The Rainbow Theatre. On the dates mentioned above, I spent a grand total of £5.90 and saw Status Quo, Faust, Henry Cow, Uriah Heep, and Yes.

Ah, the joys of trundling along the Metropolitan line to Rayners Lane, then change for the Piccadilly line for the long journey towards Finsbury Park or Seven Sisters. Sioux would get on at Eastcote, the station before Rayners Lane, and we would travel together in all our ‘hippy’ finery, whilst spreading the gloriously delicious aroma of patchouli oil around the carriage, much – I am sure – to the consternation of most of the other travellers. It is one of those scents that – like the taste of Marmite – you either love or hate. Or so I am told. I wouldn’t know .... I have always loved the scent and – totally beside the point – I have always loved Marmite too. Perhaps the two go together in some weird way.

Anyway, I cannot remember the exact journey...well it was 39 years ago (surely not that long? Blimey that makes me feel so blinkin’ old) and there is no way I can actually be sure of whether we would have gone to Finsbury Park or Seven Sisters tube station either to be honest. But Sioux and I would have arrived at the Rainbow in the company of many others of like mind, dress and scent, plus – of course – one extra smell that always wafted on the breeze at these events. And no matter how hard you looked, you could never manage to see who was puffing on the tell-tale suspiciously-long cigarette. Or perhaps I was just too innocent about such things back then. And now even, for that matter – I wouldn’t know if someone was high on marijuana if they jumped out and waved a lighted joss-stick at me.

So we would mill around outside the main doors, waiting for them to open before running with the herd and squeezing our way in to the foyer. Always the same notion coming to mind: Have I got my ticket? Yes it is still where it was five minutes ago when I checked, just as it was ten minutes before that and so on and so forth, ad infinitum; so precious were these trips, and so precious were the experiences of seeing these bands perform live, even though nine times out of ten they were about the size of Barbie dolls from where you were sat. (OK the size of Barbie’s special friend, Ken, too)

On the night in question, Tuesday 20th November, we were off to see Yes who were on their ‘Tales from Topographic Oceans’ tour. And on a work night too - I would have to be at work the next day bright-eyed and bushy tailed, but at least the ringing in my ears from the night before would have subsided by then. But whilst one tends to worry about such things these days, back then it mattered not how late we got home.

But thanks to my brother for introducing me to such fantastic music, and thanks to Yes for the brilliant night out on 20th November 1973.

---

Gonzo are proud to announce the DVD release of Yes UNION. This concert film of the band was made on August 8th 1991 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. It was subsequently only released in Japan on video and then on the briefly new format of Laser Disc. This fantastic film however, was not widely available for a long time and has since become a much sought after artefact amongst Yes fans.
The band on this film was the legendary one off line up of Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Alan White, Bill Bruford, Steve Howe, Trevor Rabin and Tony Kaye. Featuring all the bands greatest songs including, "Owner of a Lonely Heart", "Roundabout", "Changes", Starship Trooper", "Heart of the Sunrise", "Yours Is No Disgrace" but to name a few.

Not only is this release with a classic band line up its also an amazing track listing!

Tracks: Intro/Firebird Suite , Yours Is No Disgrace , Rhythm of Love , Heart of the Sunrise , Clap/Mood For A Day , Make It Easy/Owner of a Lonely Heart , I've Seen All Good People , Solly's Beard , Saving My Heart For You , Whitefish/Amazing Grace , Rick Wakeman Solo , Awaken , Roundabout .

HAWKWIND - The Weird Tapes 7 & 8

Both these disks, previously on sale individually, are proto-Hawkwind, but in two very different ways. The first disk is early 1980s Brock material that became Hawkwind stuff later on, whereas the second disk reflects Dave Brock's activities prior to Hawkwind, mixed up with some very early Hawkwind.

Disk 1 review: The Weird Tapes #7:

The opener, 'Choose Your Masques', is preceded by the introductory dialog of the 1960s TV show, 'The Outer Limits'. Somewhat similar to 'The Twilight Zone', its Control Voice intones: 'Do not attempt to adjust your picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper.'

Since this is Brock rather than Hawkwind, the customary drumming and bass guitar is replaced by drum machine and / or keyboard rhythm. That's not to say the tracks are lacking anything, though. 'Masques' has a very grungy and dense feel, due to Brock's fuzzy guitar churning relentlessly away, and it's a good album opener, especially with the Control Voice preamble.

Brock has a tendency to vary his vocal processing a lot more when solo than with Hawkwind; and here, all the way through to a dalek... except this dalek speaks of 'turning star projections' rather than extermination.

Moving on, some of the tracks or ideas for tracks ended up on the 'Church of Hawkwind' album, and 'Circles' was wholly revamped for the 'Levitation' album – the track being rebranded as 'Fifth Second of Forever.

I've always been fond of the 'Circles' track, whatever it might happen to be called at the time - ever since I first heard it on Weird 3, back in 1981. The instrumentation originally was from a Watchfield Festival jam during 'Magnu' but here on Weird 7 it's had another total makeover and is done in a 1978 Hawklords / 'Douglas in the Jungle' kind of style.

Talking of 'Magnu': if the musical DNA of the 'Streets of Fear' riff was subjected to a parenthood test, 'Magnu' would receive a bloody large bill for child maintenance!

Finally, 'Looking In The Future' (aka 'Letting in the Past') is a not-very-well-known Hawkwind number that gets an embryonic run-out here.

Before turning to disk 2, a word about the appearance of this twofer.

The front artwork draws mainly on the Weird 8 imagery - Dave Brock on a text surfboard? - but includes text lifted from the Weird 7 cover. The original release titles were 'The Weird Tapes 107' and 'The Weird Tapes 108,' by the way.

Disk 2 review: The Weird Tapes #8:

It seems odd to be mentioning the absent track 'Douglas in the Jungle' twice in one review, but 'Live and Let Live' really is a dead ringer for it. However, it's very early Hawkwind, as is 'Down On Her Knees' – and the latter reminds me a lot of 'Paradox', a classic track from much later on.... 1974!

There's also what sound like audience recordings (in mono) of early versions of 'You Know You're only Dreaming' and 'You Shouldn't Do That' which are both performed in the 'In Search of Space' tempo and style.

Other tracks are from the pre-Hawkwind group, the Dharma Blues Band, and include the jaunty blues song 'Come On' with harmonica and honky-tonk piano well to the fore. For those wondering how the heck Hawkwind was born out of that band, 'Dealing with the Devil' goes some way to explaining it: after some fairly standard bluesy / rock 'n' roll stuff, it starts going grunge-grunge-grunge-grunge in a riffy and headbanging early Status Quo manner, with distorted harmonica twirling away.

Given the embryonic remit of both disks, albeit in different ways as I mentioned earlier, this pairing is probably for the diehard Hawkwind fan, rather than the casual punter looking to dip their toes in the water and get their first Hawkwind record.

To people in the latter category, I'd say buy the mainstream stuff first... and get to know it.... and then come back to this re-release.

(release details and ordering)

'WALLY' IN THE NEWS

Wally is a British progressive rock band formed by singer song writer Roy Webber in Harrogate in the early seventies. The band was signed to Atlantic Records in 1974 after entering a contest organised by the music paper Melody Maker. Unfortunately the band did not win the competition but they did catch the eye of One of the judges at the competition, presenter of the Old Grey Whistle Test Bob Harris who oversaw their prize which was to record a session for his Radio 1 programme. Through Bob the band were signed to Atlantic Records and Bob subsequently produced the band’s debut self titled album alongside Rick Wakeman. The band also enjoyed a number of high profile concerts including an appearance at the 1974 Crystal Palace garden Party which was headlined by Rick Wakeman and after being managed briefly by the manager of Yes Brian Lane would support Yes also at a number of high profile concerts.

Read on...

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL GONZO ARTISTS WHO USE THIS PARTICULAR ELECTRONIC DEVICE. Check out this remarkable new development...

What do you get when you combine a taxidermied badger with a theremin? You get the Badgermin. Yes, in this world of “if it can be done, why not try it?” somebody actually has created what is likely to be the first ever electronic instrument stuffed inside a dead animal.

RICK WAKEMAN: Live adventures and musings

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/rick-wakeman/2011/teatro-gran-rex-buenos-aires-argentina-13d1c59d.html

I was mildly impressed that there is an entire website set up devoted to reposting set lists, but then again I am always impressed when someone does something spectacularly trivial within a rock music context. Here you can see the set list from a gig in Argentina late last year, and if - like me - you have never really grown out of being a teenage space cadet, even well into the years of your prime, you are going to spend hour here, just footling about.

Anyway I am in the mood for Rick Wakeman at the moment. Not only have I been working on new issues of his autobiography, and the all singing all dancing 1978 biography by Dan Wooding, but these literary endavours have led me to spotify his albums, and - to my mild embarrassment - I had forgotten how good they are. Even Prudence (the massively unintelligent bulldog/boxer bitch who spends most of her life snoozing on the sofa) seems to like it.

So both Prudence and I are looking forward to the release of a new live album next week:

Rick Wakeman releases his latest album - an archive live album entitled "In The Nick Of Time" on the 19th of March.

The album was recorded in 2003 during an extensive British tour with the New English Rock Ensemble. The album is a single disc and contains 7 tracks including: Catherine Parr/Beware Your Enemies, No Earthly Connection,White Rock and Wurm which as many will know is a track originally found on The Yes Album as part of Starship Trooper.

In The Nick Of Time has long been anticipated by the large and dedicated Rick Wakeman fan base and the tour from which the album was sourced was one of Rick's most extensive and successful tours to date.

I am confident that my stepdaughter Olivia will sniff disdainfully at it, and give me the withering glanse that she always gives when she thinks that her darling stepfather is actually a tedious old hippy. But her favourite band is Slipknot, and whilst I know that Rick W has tried some extravagant new musical adventures in his time...

JUDGE SMITH: Speech Music and Allegorical tales

ORFEAS, Part Two

We sat down to listen to it last night, and although I know vaguely what I was expecting, but what we got was nothing like it.

For one thing I didn't expect it to be so enjoyable. I was expecting a piece of heavy Art with a capital A, but what we got was definitely well crafted, artostically valid, yadda yadda yadda, but it was also really entertaining and good fun.

It tells the story of George Orpheus, a rock guitarist of a certain age, whose career is dependent on his artistry on a magickal guitar called Eurydice (which he completely misunderstands, misreading it as "Furry Dice"). It transpires that Eurydice is actually his muse (no, not a three piece rock band from Teignmouth, that would have a capital M, duh!) and the magick guitar was her way of communicating her creative spirit into the engagingly numb skull of George O.

When George O turns his back on his creativity, disaster strikes....

One of the most striking things about the album is the way that Judge Smith uses a singular technique that I had not come across before:

"Speech-music involves taking a recording of a spoken voice, and then setting that recording to music; a music that closely follows the rhythm of the spoken words and the natural rise and fall of the speaker’s voice. This rather demanding and arduous technique was first heard in the 1980s, in the work of a small number ofcomposers and performers, all from the Americas. These include Scott Johnson, Hermeto Pascoal, and Steve Reich, while more recently René Lussier and Charles Spearin have continued to develop the idea. But perhaps the most accomplished speech- music practitioner to have emerged is another American, David Minnick,whom I was lucky enough to involve in the Orfeas project. My own initial experiments in the field can be heard on the 2007 L-RAD album Long Range Audio Device, and my only minor claim to originality in using the technique is that I believe I mightbe the first composer to use 'acted' or deliberately performed speech to generate the music, as opposed to documentary recordings of one kind or another".

JUDGE SMITH: Orfeas (Yer Press Release)

2/29/2012 - London, UK - Independent composer and recording artist Judge Smith, who in 1967 co-founded with Peter Hammill the influential underground band Van der Graaf Generator, has created a movie for your ears – a new concept CD titled 'Orfeas'; a retelling of the ancient myth of Orpheus, the magical musican who travels to the Land of the Dead in search of the lost Eurydice. Since his Van der Graaf Generator days, Judge Smith has been responsible for a wide variety of music projects, including four stage-musicals (with productions at the Edinburgh Traverse, Sheffield Crucible and the Lyric, Hammersmith), opera and cantata libretti, songs for the ‘70s TV show ‘Not The Nine O’clock News’, and songs recorded by Peter Hammill and Lene Lovich. His film ‘The Brass Band’ has won several international awards. Judge Smith's music is complex in structure and often fragmented, but is always tuneful and strangely memorable, with humor never far from the surface. In the course of a twenty-year independent solo career, he has released ten CDs and DVDs.

“My principal interest is in telling stories with words and music,” explains Judge. “Some of my CDs are collections of songs, the usual format for an album, although people say that my songs are unusual and idiosyncratic. However, three of my projects are in a different category. Over many years, I have developed a new way of making extended musical narratives that I call ‘Songstories’, which are more complex than song-cycles or ‘rock operas’. They are not ‘musicals’ either, since they are pretty well un-stageable, and are each intended to be being complete as an ‘audio experience’. The three Songstories are all very different. The first, ‘Curly’s Airships’, a double CD with a running time of two hours and twenty minutes, was completed in 2000 after six years full-time work, and tells the story of the 1930 R-101 Airship disaster. It is probably one the largest and most ambitious pieces of rock music ever recorded. The second, ‘The Climber’, released in 2009, in complete contrast, is performed by me with an unaccompanied Norwegian male voice choir, and a double bass. The third Songstory is ‘Orfeas’, my own interpretation of the Classical myth.”

This Songstory uses wildly contrasting styles of music to tell its story, including instrumental Rock, Mediterranean guitar music, modern classical string sextet music, classical Trance dance music and Death Metal. 'Orfeas' also features a radical, and little-known, technique for transforming recorded speech into melody. “As far as I am aware, I am the only person making work like this, and I think it would be probably fair to say that no one else does what I do,” says Judge.

“Best known for his role in the formation of Van de Graaf Generator, Judge Smith is clearly not an artist with much interest in toeing the line. 'Orfeas', a three-act 'songstory' in which Smith and a host of guest performers re-imagine the titular Greek legend as he headlines at Wembley Arena, is effectively an exercise in schizophrenic musical theatre, replete with rambling soliloquies and plot-revealing dialogue set to avant-garde chamber music, that takes in everything from Jaunty rock radio-jingles and ethereal pop.” Dom Lawson – Classic Rock Presents Prog

In recent news, on November 6, 2011 a performance of Judge Smith's 'The House That Cried' was held in Como, Italy. The show also took place on November 20, 2011 in Chiasso, Switzerland.

For more information visit www.Judge-Smith.com

To purchase Judge Smith – Orfeas CD http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15417

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@cs.com

WALLY: Montpelier

Wally is a British progressive rock band formed by singer song writer Roy Webber in Harrogate in the early seventies. The band was signed to Atlantic Records in 1974 after entering a contest organised by the music paper Melody Maker. Unfortunately the band did not win the competition but they did catch the eye of One of the judges at the competition, presenter of the Old Grey Whistle Test Bob Harris who oversaw their prize which was to record a session for his Radio 1 programme. Through Bob the band were signed to Atlantic Records and Bob subsequently produced the band’s debut self titled album alongside Rick Wakeman. The band also enjoyed a number of high profile concerts including an appearance at the 1974 Crystal Palace garden Party which was headlined by Rick Wakeman and after being managed briefly by the manager of Yes Brian Lane would support Yes also at a number of high profile concerts. A second album emerged in 1975 again produced by Bob Harris entitled Valley Gardens the band now joined by keyboardist Nick Glennie-Smith who would go onto a successful production and composing career after Wally split in the late seventies just before the band could record their third album Montpelier is the result of a reformation of the band and includes material that would possibly have featured on the bands third album in the seventies alongside new material. The band have performed annual concerts in their home town of Harrogate for the last three years but Montpelier is the first studio album since Valley gardens in 1975. The band does have a large cult following and this album will certainly be welcomed by that substantial following.

Tracks: 1. Sailor , 2. Sister Moon , 3. Thrill Is Gone , 4. Surfing , 5. In The Night , 6. Human , 7. She Said , 8. Giving.

JUDGE SMITH: In the news

One does try not to be churlish, and the person who did this interview was obviouly impressed by the new album, but - goodness me - there are some massive cock-ups in this generally positive review:

http://www.antimusic.com/news/12/March/08Singled_Out-_Judge_Smiths_Orfeas.shtml

The ever wonderful Lene Lovich, as Eurydice:

MATT ROWE REVIEWS THE NEW LIVE ALBUM BY JON ANDERSON AND RICK WAKEMAN

http://musictap.net/2012/03/01/review-the-living-tree-in-concert-part-one-anderson-wakeman/

Review: The Living Tree In Concert Part One – Anderson / Wakeman

Being on an extended YES immersion, it’s only natural that I’d want to hear more of them than what was released. A good place are the many solo works that came afterwards. Jon Anderson is pretty prolific a recording artist, whether that be studio or live. One of the more recent recordings from Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman is The Living Tree In Concert with the teasing addition of Part One to the title indicating more to follow.

The Living Tree In Concert opens with a tame, truncated but heartfelt version of “And You And I” from Close To The Edge. Now, not everyone is forgiving of a seemingly different version of a classic that many have fallen in love with and jealously protect. And some would argue that this version of “And You And I” is not well presented. However, this is a live setting with no studio trickery applied (for the most part). And I would argue that Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman, in their intimate 2-man show, without the full-bodied sound of other musicians to fill in the blanks, have done a fine job in presentation not only of that song but all of the tracks found here.

But more importantly, it’s how you come to the stage when listening to this particular live recording that features some well-known tunes as well as a selected collection of Anderson/Wakeman tunes. On the Living Tree In Concert, you are gifted with a unique experience with one of the more distinct voices of our time, and one of the most gifted keyboardists of Rock. Anderson/Wakeman revisits “And You And I” in a shortened but satisfying version of the song, “Long Distance Runaround”, an excellent (voice and all) version of “South Side Of The Sky”, and “Time And A Word” from YES. ”The Meeting” from the wonderful Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (1989) is also presented. The remaining tracks from the twelve found on the album are from the recent The Living Tree studio collaboration between Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman.

What you may come away with is that these two legendary performers have aged well. One listen to the previously mentioned “South Side Of The Sky” will reveal that Anderson can still flex his voice in remarkable ways. Rick Wakeman’s skill is as immaculate and beautiful as ever, if not more so. The Living Tree In Concert is a wonderful visit with two great friends. I’m glad I took the time to sit with them.

Release Date: February 1, 2012
Website

JUDGE SMITH - Tell me the old old story

ORFEAS, Part One

I've got a confession to make. I have vaguely heard of Chris Judge Smith over the years, but until this evening I hadn't ever got around to listening to him. And not for the first time in my life, I am cursing the unfortunate omission.

OK, what do you think when you hear that an ex-member of Van der Graaf Generator has made a mildly avant garde concept album based upon the classic story of Orpheus and Eurydice?

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Rock music is often a medium prone to hyperbole, and the word 'classic' is one of the most over used words in the genre. However, when one finds out that the earliest known appearance of the story is in the 6th Century BC, it makes claims that "Robbie Williams has made a 'Classic' album" seem pretty small beer, but I digress - I do that a lot, you'll find)

Still digressing, for those of you who are not familiar with the old old story about how Orpheus lost his wife and went into Hades to find her, you had better check it out HERE)

You know it is going to be classy; you know it is going to be edufite; you know that it is going to be well crafted. But, bloody hell, you don't realise that it is going to be so much fun! Corinna, (my wife), Graham (my best mate) and Prudence (my rather silly bulldog/boxer bitch) sat down to listen to it this evening, and none of us got even slightly what we expected....

To be Continued...

PLEASE ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF

If you have been following the old Gonzo blog, ably edited by our friend Jon Kirkman, then you will probably be wondering who the hell I am, and what the blazes I am doing here.

Well, my name's Jon, and I am probably better known as "That fat weird bloke off the telly who believes in vampires". Well, as well as believing in vampires (which I do, by the way, but that is an entirely different story) I have been writing about music for even longer than I have been writing about things that go bump in the night. The only difference being that most of the time no-one much read what I had to say. Even less people bought my records (which is one of the reasons that I became a writer in the first place), but music never stopped being very important to me.

Yes, I admit it. I was one of those deluded souls who truly believed that sitting in muddy fields in the rain listening to a bunch of grown men making whooshing noises on synthesisers was somehow going to change the world! I'm still not sure that it won't.

About a quarter of a century ago when I was editing a small-press fanzine that no-one much read, I met a bloke called Rob Ayling. The main thing that we had in common was that we both took music far too seriously, but that was enough, and we soon became firm friends. He and I both had dreams; I was going to travel the earth in search of monsters, and he was going to start a record label for the delectation of those people who also take music far too seriously. Twenty-five years on, we have both realised our ambitions, and what other two disparate middle-aged men can claim that?

Now, twenty-five years on from our first meeting at a Daevid Allen concert in Exeter Arts Centre, we are collaborating again. Rob decided that although
I had never stopped taking music far too seriously, it was time that I started to write about it again. I won't ever argue with Rob - he is from Yorkshire, so I gathered a few like-minded folk around me, we girded our loins, and set to work.

So here we are, at the beginning of a brave new adventure. We are going to do our best to make this a daily thing, and we hope that you will join us. C'mon guys; it is time to see the world through the eyes of a bunch of middle-aged weirdos who still have a sneaking suspicion that music can change the world!

Dee Palmer Nuremburg Cantata Performed Live At Concert In March

Former jethro Tull keyboardist Dee Palmer sees her composition The Nuremberg Cantata performed live at a concert In Aid of the Bomber Command Memorial Fund and takes place at;
All Saints Church, The Drive, Hove BN3 3PB
Tickets are priced at £12.50/£10/£7.50 and are available from the Brighton Ticket Shop New Road Brigton or online here:
http://www.brightonticketshop.com/



The concert features the Manheim ensemble and soloists inluding DeePalmer. Dee will play piano on her composition of the Nuremberg Cantata as part of the orhestra. The evening also include a performance of the Warsaw Concerto and Dee will be the featured soloist on this piece

The Nuremberg Cantata, KM-C is a lyric cantata for soloists, chorus and chamber orchestra. Its subject is the ill-fated 1,000 bomber raid on Nuremberg during the night of 30th/ 31st March, 1944, when ninety six of our aircraft were brought down by enemy action, resulting in a huge loss of life. Commissioned by the Arundel Festival, the

Premiere, in August, 2010 was received with great acclaim.

In this moving and tuneful work - which, in one “upbeat” section hints, wittily, at the popular music styles of the 1940’s - the fallen are represented by a solo tenor, and those left behind ie the mothers, wives and sweethearts, by a female chorus and alto soloist.

Each of the nine sections of the Cantata reflects a phase in the lives of the aircrews – from their exuberant, youthful outlook in the opening chorus to their sadly predictable end in the closing and harrowing “In Paradisum”. On a personal note, KM-C was the 44 Squadron call sign of one of the Lancaster bombers lost in the raid. The pilot was a relative of the composer.

The date of the concert, March 30th, 2012 coincides with and marks the 68th anniversary of the Nuremberg Raid.
Gonzo MD Rob Ayling and his son Hunter will be attending. Rob siad
"I am really looking forward to this concert and hearing Dee's new composition and of course it is raising money for a very good cause so I hope others will also buy tickets and support the cause"

Mimi Page Live Dates In March and April

Gonzo recording artist Mimi Page embarks on a series of live concerts in March and April in support of her recently released album. Breathe me In. Some of the dates find Mimi as the special guest of Jefferson Starship and also Choir of Young Believers. Elsewhere Mimi will be headlining her own show. More details below and also at Mimi's website here

http://www.mimipage.com/

Her album  Breathe Me In can be ordered directly here:

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15424/Mimi_Page-Breathe_Me_In.html

MARCH

15 - Ridgefield, CT/ Ridgefield Playhouse (supporting JEFFERSON STARSHIP)

16 - New Hope, PA/ Havana

17 - New Hope, PA/ Havana (supporting JEFFERSON STARSHIP)

18 - Bearsville, NY/ Bearsville Thr.

19 - NY, NY/ Mercury Lounge (supporting CHOIR OF YOUNG BELIEVERS)

20 - Prov., RI/ The Met

21 - NY, NY/ Lucille's @ BB Kings Blues Club & Grill

22 - New Haven, CT

23 - Huntington, NY/ The Paramount (supporting JEFFERSON STARSHIP)

 

APRIL

13 - Indio, CA/ Coachella 

14 - Indio, CA/ Coachella 

15 - San Diego, CA/ House of Blues

Fish UK Tour in May Including Three Dates With Genn Hughes

Fish embark on a short UK tour in May. The tour starts on the 21st of May in Southampton and ends on the 27th of May in Glasgow. Three of the dates are double bill concerts with Glenn Hughes. The dates and relevant booking information are listed below.

Fish is also involved in a major back catalogue overhaul which will take place throughout this year. There will also be liove DVDs and CDs from the recent Fish Heads tours.

MAY	Location	Venue	Info
Monday 21st May	England Southampton	The Brook	466 Portswood Road, Portswood, Southampton SO17 3SD Box Office: +44 (23) 8055 5366. Hours 1pm - 7pm Mon - Sat
Tuesday 22nd May	England Bath	Komedia	22-23 Westgate St, Bath BA1 1EP 0845 293 8480 Tickets also from Seetickets
Wednesday 23rd May	England Exeter	Phoenix	Bradninch Place, Gandy St, Exeter EX4 3LS +44 (1392) 667080 Tickets also from Seetickets
Friday 25th May	England London	O2 Shepherds Bush Empire	Double bill with Glenn Hughes Shepherds Bush Green, London W12 8TT Enquiries: 0905 020 399 (25p per min) Box Office: 0844 477 200 Doors 7pm. Tickets
Saturday 26th May	England Manchester	Manchester Academy	Double bill with Glenn Hughes Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PQ Box Office: 0844 478 0898 Doors 7pm. Tickets
Sunday 27th May	Scotland Glasgow	O2 ABC	Double bill with Glenn Hughes 330 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3JB Box Office: 08444 999 999 Doors 7pm. Tickets