SKY-SKATING

While Annette's singing rubs a lot of people the wrong way, I have always loved her voice in the studio recordings I own (Bruford, X-Dreams, and this). "Real & Defined Androgens" from X-Dreams has been one of my very, very favorite songs for 42 years now.

While I was still collecting music on vinyl, Annette's albums somehow could be frequently found in the "cut-out" bins and I like to pick them up. I consider Sky-Skating one of the surprise gems of those purchases. Though I haven't played it for a long time, the album's cover and the memories associated with my listens to it always and only evoke big smiles. The music is so intentionally free and loose, spacious and quirky, beautiful and austere, emotional and yet often humorous. The recording is cheesy, the arrangements are loose and haphazard (and cheesy), the lyrics cheeky and cheesy, but as a whole it is such an enjoyable diversionary listen!

Favorite songs: Nothing Outside Us, Sky-Skating, Rap With the Trees, Taking It As It Comes, Warmer Than Gold, Still Too Far, Trust.

I always wondered if quirky cerebral Canadian songstress Jane Siberry had any awareness and/or inspiration from Annette. Many know of Annette's early marriage to bassist Gary Peacock, her associations with Timothy Leary and Ram Dass, Albert Aylor and Paul Bley, her affair with the first Moog, and her collaborations with Mick Ronson, Bill Bruford, Allan Holdsworth, Brian Eno, and Karl Stockhausen, but few know of her solo work. While this isn't really progressive rock, I consider her the East Coast's answer to Joni Mitchell (or perhaps Joni was the West Coast's answer to Annette.) An excellent album for those tolerant of press-and-record music from genius lyricists, otherwise only good and non-essential. For PA, I'm gonna call it three stars; for true music lovers, this is an album I highly recommend you check out for yourselves.