Prog Britannia - Album Reviews

"Shadow of the Hierophant" (Extended Playout Version)

 

 

Album Review #54:- Legendary guitarist STEVE HACKETT (born 1950) is of course best-known for his GENESIS years as well as for his long and distinguished career as a solo artist. He recorded six albums with Genesis thoughout the 1970's:- "Nursery Cryme" (1971); "Foxtrot" (1972); "Selling England by the Pound" (1973); "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" (1974); "A Trick of the Tail" (1976); & "Wind & Wuthering" (1976). He left Genesis in 1977 due to the age-old band problem of "artistic differences", which led him to embark on a long solo career. Steve Hackett has recorded an incredible 26 solo albums to date, with his latest album "At the Edge of Light" released as recently as 2019. His first album, reviewed here, "Voyage of the Acolyte" (1975), was the only solo album Steve Hackett recorded whilst still a member of Genesis. It could be called the missing Genesis album, as it incorporated many of the ideas he wanted to include in the band. It almost IS a Genesis album in all but name, because "Voyage of the Acolyte" features Genesis members Mike Rutherford on bass and Phil Collins on drums. Steve recorded two more well-received solo albums at the tail-end of the 1970's:- "Please Don't Touch!" (1978) and "Spectral Mornings" (1979). He recorded six further albums during the 1980's which met with mixed receptions. More recently, he's released two critically acclaimed albums of "Genesis Revisited" songs. He was also part of the short-lived supergroup GTR who released one self-titled album in 1986. He collaborated with Chris Squire of YES in 2012 to record the album "A Life Within a Day", released under the cunningly-titled name of "Squackett". The original title of the "Voyage of the Acolyte" album was intended to be "Premonitions" but Steve Hackett's record label Charisma didn't like it and suggested the far better title of "Voyage of the Acolyte" which Steve was perfectly happy to accept. The album cover was painted by Brazilian artist Kim Poor, who later became Steve Hackett's wife and who went on to design many of Steve's future album covers.

"Voyage of the Acolyte" is a concept album based on a deck of Tarot cards and the first card drawn from the deck is "Ace of Wands". It's a Tarot card that represents fiery energy and this lively music is like a frenetic and energetic dance around the flames. It's a bright and sparkling proggy opening to the album that's positively glowing like a glittering prize. It's sure to delight fans of the Genesis sound, especially bearing in mind that the album has Mike Rutherford on bass and the unmistakably powerful drumming of Phil Collins. The music also features Steve Hackett's brother John on flute in some Prog-Folk fluty flights of fancy. There's enough key changes, chord progressions and staccato stop-start breaks in this 5-minute instrumental piece to keep even the most hardened of prog-heads happy. The second Tarot card drawn from the deck is "Hands of the Priestess, Part 1", a truly gorgeous flute and acoustic guitar piece. The High Priestess in the Tarot deck represents the duality of nature; masculine and feminine, good and evil, negative and positive, and although the music might have something of a melancholy air, it's a beautifully calming and pleasant piece of music that will carry you away on a sea of dreams, where you can marvel at those rippling blue waves of the topographic oceans ..... but that's another album entirely. The next turn of the cards is "A Tower Stricken Down". The Tower card which is shown being struck by lightning in the Tarot deck, represents disruption and potentially devastating change. This dramatic image is conjured up in the music, which is a strident and sonorous and somewhat discordant keyboard piece with the heavy pounding sound of Mike Rutherford's bass and with Phil Collins pounding away on the drums in a very offbeat and very proggy time signature. The music might sound harsh and full of dark and portentous doom and gloom, but it perfectly represents the sense of impending catastrophe in the stricken tower image. We hear a powerful sonic blast towards the end of the piece, which sounds like an atomic explosion, and then we hear the lonely voice of a Mellotron, representing a vast empty desert. Yes, it's all doom and gloom in this tale of a bleak dystopian future, but don't get too downhearted, as there now follows a brief reprise of the beautifully melodic "Hands of the Priestess", which is sure to lift up the spirits again. Next, we draw "The Hermit" card. It's a Tarot card representing spritual knowledge, accomplishment, development, and success. The music is a quietly introspective acoustic piece, featuring a cello, a flute, an oboe, and where we get to hear the dulcet tones of Steve Hackett for the very first time - and a very fine singer he is too. This is a sparklingly beautiful piece of music that glimmers like a bright shining crystal.

Opening Side Two now, you might recognise the voice on "Star of Sirius" because it's none other than Phil Collins. Not surprisingly then, this marvellous 7-minute piece of melodic prog sounds more like the classic sound of Genesis than anything heard on the album so far. As any amateur astronomer will know, Sirius is the brightest star in the northern hemisphere, and the playfully bright and uplifting melody very much reflects that. The Star Tarot card represents hope and optimism just as surely as the joyous and jubilant music in this emotionally-rich and exhilarating tune. The heavenly message contained within the stargazing lyrics is very uplifting too:- "Although the journey is still far from ended, You gaze at the sky, Above the cloudless night, Nebulous bright." ..... Returning to Earth now and we're in romantic mood for the Tarot card, "The Lovers". The card represents a naked man and a woman under the watchful protective eye of an angel in the legendary Garden of Eden. The delightful music is suitably angelic in tone too. It's a brief but beautiful acoustic guitar piece featuring the light echoey swirling synthesiser. This leads us into the final song and the real highlight of the album: "Shadow of the Hierophant". The Hierophant is a religious figure in the Tarot card depiction and the music is powerfully inspirational too and may even inspire religious devotion. This 12-minute masterpiece features the beautifully lilting tones of Sally Oldfield (Mike's sister). This is a spectacular grand finale to a magnificent album. Steve Hackett's masterful guitar really shines on this outstanding piece of musical magic. It wouldn't be overstating the case to say this music is as good as, if not better than, anything Genesis have ever done. This song features the full works, including crystal-clear vocals from Sally, the gorgeous floating sound of the Mellotron, a flighty flute, a sonorous bass, and powerful drumming. The song gradually builds up in intensity, emerging into a booming and bombastic wave of sound for the dramatic finale. No amount of superlatives in a review can do justice to the music though. In the words of King Crimson, this is a glorious and majestic "Cadence and Cascade" of music that you really have to hear to believe. You'll believe in the power of music to invigorate and revitalise the body and soul after hearing this. It's a powerful and dramatic piece of music with all of the opulent splendour and majesty of Buckingham Palace which will take you up the stairway to heaven and remain in the memory forever and ever, Amen! Okay, that's enough superlatives for now, because it's time for the album overview.

Steve Hackett makes a dramtic emergence onto the solo stage with "Voyage of the Acolyte" The album represents the spectacular beginning of a long and illustrious solo career. Steve takes us on a dramatic and powerful musical journey of wondrous stories with this tremendous opening album. It's sure to delight fans of melodic Progressive Rock everywhere, and should appeal equally to Genesis fans and non-Genesis fans alike. It's a moody and magnificent album of timeless appeal which has really stood the test of time.

 

 

Album Review #53:- STEAMHAMMER were a British Blues-Rock band with four albums to their credit. Their first self-titled album, released in 1969, was firmly rooted in the blues, but the album under review here, "MK II" (1969), contains more progressive Jazz-Rock influences. They released two further albums, "Mountains" (1970) and "Speech" (1972) before breaking up and going their separate ways. Steamhammer famously acted as the backing band for U.S. blues guitar legend Freddie King during his two tours of England in the late 1960's. The CD reissue of the "MK II" album included four bonus tracks added to the original ten songs on the album. Let's have a listen now and find out if this British Rock band really DO have the ramrod power of a Steamhammer.

This album is pumped up and raring to go with the 6-minute opener, "Supposed To Be Free". This Jazz-Rock number is no light refrain - this is a storming hurricane. It's emotional, it's powerful and it's incredible! This energetic and uplifting Jazzy number is the perfect opening to the album, featuring a lively and dynamic horn section with the golden-voiced singer sounding like he's riding on a wave of endless optimism. The album barrels along at full-speed-ahead with "Johnny Carl Morton", a pounding and percussive piece with the unstoppable power of a runaway train. This band probably have amplifiers that go up to eleven. You can't help wondering how the harpsichordist managed to keep up with the frantic pace of the drummer. The gently tinkling sound of the harpsichord never sounded like this back in Mozart's time. Slowing down the pace now, we're treated to two minutes of acoustic guitar virtuosity for "Sunset Chase", which brings to mind some of the acoustic numbers from Steve Howe of YES fame. It's back to basics now for "Contemporary Chick Con Song", a good old-fashioned dose of rough and ready British Blues-Rock, where the band return to their bluesy roots from the first album. Who knows what the song is about, but it's probably about a down-at-heel man who's done wrong by his woman, in the best time-honoured tradition of the blues. Onto Song No. 5 now and there's a change of pace for "Turn Around", a gently melodic flute and harpsichord piece, which gives the frenetic drummer a much-needed break after the energetic intensity of the earlier numbers. Next comes "6/8 For Amiran", and if you've ever wondered what a complex and Jazzy 6/8 time signature sounds like, it sounds like this. This supercharged song bounds along at incredible speed with the relentless Duracel drummer going hell for leather on his kit. You can almost picture Tim "the toolman" Taylor of Home Improvement saying what this album needs is "More Power!"

Onto Side Two now and we're just "Passing Through" with Song No. 7. This is a song which is sure to delight fans of Psychedelic Rock. It's very reminiscent of the American Psychedelic Rock bands of the late 1960's, featuring the beautiful sound of an electric guitar, gently floating like a breeze over the mellifluous melody. The music brings to mind the U.S. psychedelic band "It's a Beautiful Day", and it is indeed a beautiful day to be listening to music like this, when you can be transported back to those psychedelic flower-power days of the late 1960's. It's a nicely laid-back psychedelic grooves to trip out to. It's groovy,  baby - although it doesn't require the use of any psychedelic substances to enjoy the great music. Does anyone know of any psychedelic bands who don't do drugs though!? No, me neither! Anyway, back to the album at hand. A short burst of the harpsichord follows next with "Down Along the Grove" and then we're moving swiftly along with "Another Travelling Tune". This is a 16-minute-long laid-back and mellow groove that's firmly rooted in the blues. This sounds like the kind of epic blues-guitar number that Eric Clapton might have done. The song rumbles along rhythmically like a train going down the tracks, with the melodious sound of a flute and saxophone in accompaniment. The music may not have the raw Steamhammer power of the earlier numbers, but it's a beautiful piece of music and a stellar highlight of the album. It's sixteen minutes of soothing and sophisticated bliss. Finally, we come to "Fran And Dee Take a Ride", an acoustic guitar instrumental, which immediately brings to mind Jefferson Airplane's "Embryonic Journey" from their classic "Surrealistic Pillow" album.

Steamhammer is the perfect name for a band with so much driving ramrod power in their sound. The "MK II" album is the new and improved, more powerful version of the original self-titled Steamhammer album, which was much more bluesy than the album we have here. If you're looking for an album full of riveting and rollicking British Rock, then look no further than this awesome album. In the immortal words of that great philosopher Ozzy Osbourne:- "It's Rock & Roll!!"

Well....I have a fairly large cd collection (about 1,000) ...more cd's than vinyl (about 750) ....I sold a lot of vinyl(over 400 ) years ago when cd's came out...mostly mainstream bands. But....the obscure and hard to find albums  prog and others are worth investing in for future money. I have bought obscure prog 3 or 4 years ago that has almost doubled in value to collectors. Some day in the future.....when I might need the cash,, I will sell some of them since I own the cd;s to listen to. At least..that's my plan.  ;)

I'm buying that on original vinyl soon....local shop wants $70.00. I already have it on cd.

 

 

Album Review #51:- SKIN ALLEY were an English Jazz-Rock band who released four albums between 1969 and 1973. The eponymously-titled "Skin Alley" (1969) album, reviewed here, was followed up by:- "To Pagham and Beyond" (1970), "Two Quid Deal" (1972),& "Skintight" (1973). Their albums only met with very limited success due to a lack of publicity and general apathy from the record-buying public, and despite a change of record label from a U.K. to a U.S. label between the second and third albums, their fortunes didn't improve and the band went their separate ways in 1974. This album, with it's distinctive image of a rude American cop on the cover, included two bonus tracks added to the original nine songs on the album on the 2006 remastered CD edition. Let's cop a load of this album now and have a listen.

"Living in Sin" opens the album with a good solid slice of bluesy and brassy, psychedelic Jazz-Rock. Obviously, the term "Living in Sin" sounds rather old-fashioned and outdated now as we live in far more enlightened times fifty years on where it's no longer frowned upon for an unmarried couple to live together. In time-honoured fashioned, the bluesy lyrics tell a tale of a hard-drinkin' man fallen on hard times who's going to see his woman:- "I'm gonna see my woman, So look out here I come, I'm gonna see my young children, I love them every one, I've been living in sin, Smoking cigars and drinking gin, I was so alone, Had no-one to call my own." ..... The words might be moody and bluesy but this uplifting and energetic psychedelic Jazz number definitely won't leave you feeling blue. Song No. 2 "Tell Me" is a full-toned, emotionally-rich piece of music, featuring a powerful Hammond organ barrelling along to the sound of sweeping violins from the orchestra. It's grandiose and spectacular and the music and heartfelt lyrics could be described as an emotional rollercoaster ride, but that would be just another tired old cliche in a world full of tired old cliches. The impassioned plea of the next song "Mother Please Help Your Child" has a very solemn and religious hymnal feel to it. The music is a sombre flute and organ-driven piece with a slow marching rhythm. It's better than any music you're ever likely to hear in your average church service though. This powerful and passionate piece of music is enough to convert an atheist into a believer. You don't HAVE to be a religious devotee to enjoy this inspirational and spiritual paean, but after hearing this song, you might just believe in the restorative power of music to rejuvinate and revitalise the soul. If only they played music like this on "Songs of Praise". Hallelujah! Closing out Side One is "Marsha", a rollicking, rambunctious Jazz-Rock spectacular! The Hammond organist is given free rein here to go off on a wild keyboard jamboree with a cool saxophonist providing accompaniment. Prepare to blast off into Jazz-Rock heaven with this unrestrained and uninhibited 7-minute instrumental jam session that will light a fire in your soul. Come on baby, light my fire. We have ignition!

And so, we arrive at Side Two with the charmingly rustic instrumental "Country Aire", a short pastoral flute and harpsichord piece which reminds one of taking a long walk in the beautiful English countryside on a warm summer's day. It's the kind of traditional jolly Folk music that you might hear ridiculous-looking Morris dancers shaking their bells and tassles to as you quickly nip into the local tavern to escape them. Song No. 6 "All Alone" is just as moody and sentimental as the song title implies. Don't get too downhearted though, because this organ and saxophone piece is moody and magnificent. It's a timeless and transcendent piece of music with a slow marching rhythm, which builds up into a grandiose crescendo of sound for the tremendous finale. We're in Procol Harum "Whiter Shade of Pale" territory here with this harmonious, grand-sounding blast from the past. This impassioned and intoxicating piece of music might just inspire you to skip the light fandango and turn cartwheels across the floor, but try not to do yourself an injury. Dusk is drawing in now for "Night Time", a flutey and bluesy Jazz-Rock number with a mellow laid-back groove. This impressive and improvisational piece of Jazzy music is hip-shakingly good, so just move to the nice 'n' easy groove and shuffle those shoes, or if you're not in an energetic mood, just lay back and enjoy it and think of England. This music is groovy, baby! There's a change of mood and pace now for "Concerto Grosso", a short classical harpsichord piece which leads us gently into the closing song on the album, "(Going Down This) Highway". Yes, you've guessed it, this is a good old-fashioned rocking and rolling song for listening to as you're cruising down the highways and byways in your car, so if you're born to be wild, get your motor running, head out on the highway, and if you're looking for adventure, just take whatever comes your way.

"Skin Alley" is a nostalgic bluesy and brassy album of British Jazz-Rock with a ballsy take-no-prisoners attitude. It's foot-stompingly good!

We were getting along so well together up until now. What went wrong?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm detecting a distinctly unfriendly attitude here. I'm mystified. This is after all the nice things I've said about your album reviews too.  What have I said or done to upset you?

I thought we were best friends because you've always been the biggest contributor to my blogs. Anyway, why would you object to Dr Wu23 suggesting albums for me to listen to and review?

Why not? Have you fallen out with me?