PRIVATE PARTS & PIECES II - BACK TO THE PAVILLION

The second Private Parts and Pieces collection--many of which, I'm sure, were culled from The Geese and The Ghost era of Ant's production but others which were developed as he worked on his mastery of keyboards. - N.O.R. Side 1. "Scottish Suite" (15:15) (26.25/30): - i) Salmon Leap (2:46) (4.25/5) - ii) Parting Thistle (2:26) (4.5/5) - iii) Electric Reaper (3:03) (4.25/5) - iv) Amorphous, Cadaverous And Nebulous (4:53) (9/10) - v) Salmon's Last Sleepwalk (2:07) (4.25/5) 2. "Lindsay" (3:50) beautifully melodic solo piano ballad. (8.5/10) 3. "K2" (8:53) slow moving sustained synthy organ chords with keyboard-generated flitting angel noises over the top. (17/20) 4. "Postlude: End Of The Season (0:32) - S.O.R. Side 5. "Heavens" (4:22) more church-like synth-organ music. (8.5/10) 6. "Spring Meeting (3:52) outstanding solo classical guitar piece. (9.5/10) 7. "Romany's Aria" (0:50) reversed electric guitar vignette (4.5/5) 8. "Chinaman" (0:41) solo 12-string theme. (5/5) 9. "Nocturne" (4:05) solo classical guitar piece--slower, more cerebral, than the previous one. More of an étude of style and technique. Beautiful. (9.25/10) 10. "Magic Garden" (1:56) solo piano piece. Again like an étude. Ant sure can find odd but beautiful chord combinations and melodies. Like a keyboard version of "Tibetan Yak Music." (5/5) 11. "Von Runkel's Yonker Music" (0:41) a variation on a familiar theme from The Geese and the Ghost. (4.5/5) 12. "Will O' The Wisp" (3:30) heavily-flanged slow down-strummed 12-string guitar chords. Experimental and étudinal. (8.75/10) 13. "Tremulous" (1:06) 12-string with Mel Collins' flute. another outtake from The Geese and the Ghost? (4.25/5) 14. "I Saw You Today" (4:34) sensitive solo 12-string with Ant's plaintive singing. A longing love song to two friends from his past. There's a lot of very real-feeling emotion packed into this simple song. (9/10) 15. "Back To The Pavilion" (2:51) quiet solo piano, bass chords and treble single notes, then turning full-bodied. Definitely original though taking inspiration from so many classical pieces and styles. (5/5)

Total time 56:58

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of truly sensitive, emotional and personal progressive rock music. Beautiful.