HAIR IN A G-STRING (UNFINISHED BUT SWEET)

There comes a time when, after so many terrific albums worthy or four and even five star ratings, an album comes along that totally blows my pants off and I wish there was a special once-a-year-use-only six star option. I've been following the creation of this album for about a year now ever since I discovered a collection of demos called CTP on Melodic Revolution Records' web site and traced them to Mr. Colin Tench, guitarist of Corvus Stone. What was this CTP thing? Caribbean Turtle Poachers? Canadian Timber Products? Custard Treacle Pudding? Cornish Toilet Paper? When asked directly, Mr. Tench only replied with, 'Can't tell people.'

For those who don't know, Colin Tench did not take up the guitar until he was 22. He played in a few bands and even recorded with two of them, Odin of London and BunChakeze, during the 80's. Then he quit and left to travel the world. Twenty-five years later, a certain Pasi Koivu of Finland who plays keyboards encouraged Colin to release his old recordings and asked if he would play guitar for a piece of music he'd written. Thus was it that Corvus Stone first began. Around those formative years of 2011/12, not only did Corvus Stone release their debut album (with bassist Petri Lindström and drummer Robert Wolff) but Colin also was asked to play lead guitar for Blake Carpenter's band The Minstrel's Ghost and Andy John Bradford's Oceans 5. In the last year or two, Colin has called both Corvus Stone and BunChakeze home; however he plays all the lead guitar on Steve Gresswell's latest Coalition album 'Bridge Across Time' (releases October 7th) and makes guest appearances on many albums, including Murky Red's 'No Hocus Without Pocus', KariBow's 'Holophinium', Marco Ragni's 'Land of Blue Echoes' and Grandval's 'A Ciel Ouvert'. But all this past year, CTP has been his main focus.

Originally a bunch of demos that began with a composition entitled, 'Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Screwed', the project began to take shape as additional musicians jumped on board. I say so because I've heard that no one was hired or paid; all wished to be part of this. Following the Corvus Stone Facebook page, I read as Oliver Rüsing of KariBow came on to play drums and percussion; Steve Gresswell played keyboards and arranged orchestration; Victor Tassone of Unified Past provided more drumming, and then Jay Theodore McGurrin former drummer of the Jimmy Van Zant band; Angelo Hulshout of the ISKC Rock Radio's Angelo's Rock Orphanage was invited to play fretless bass; Phil Naro of Unified Past, DDrive and Druckfarben who has also appeared on Corvus Stone albums added his vocals; and of course, Petri Lindström, also of Progeland and Saturn Twilight and who also just released a digital album of original songs in tribute to Black Sabbath, plays bass on much of the album. But two of the players to have the biggest impact on the sound of the album were to be Gordon Bennett, an excellent guitarist himself and master of GorMusik and his digital album 'Fun In Outer Space' (new album on the way) and who did most of the orchestral arrangement for CTP, and the one and only Peter Jones of Tiger Moth Tales and Red Bazar. Gordon's orchestral arrangements, along with Steve Gresswell's, make this album stand apart from anything Colin ever did on Corvus Stone. And Peter's vocals, saxophone, and clarinet give this album something so unique, especially his vocals. Peter is not only an excellent singer but quite a voice actor in n this album!

The album, to be released digitally on September 30th and as a CD in November, was, to my great privilege, offered to me a few days ago, and in spite of the fact that I had seven new discs to check out and a list of albums to review, I've had CTP playing most of the time and I've not only heard the entire album four times but several tracks have received anywhere from six to over a dozen replays. This album is a one-of-a-kind incredible collection of music!

'Hair in a G-String (Unfinished but Sweet)' is what a personal project should be. It's nearly all Colin's music and even lyrics on all but two songs, but everyone who joined had the one job of doing his absolute best and as a result there are multiple personalities contributing. The music can be simply divided into the four parts of the Hair in a G-String suite plus two additional tracks in G, 'The Sad Brazilian' and the first official album single 'And So Today', and the other tracks on the album which Colin says are more melodic rock. It's like a prog epic with interludes, he states.

The album begins like the beginning of a movie about fantasy, magic and times long gone. Part One softly introduces the album at first with orchestration, then is joined by acoustic guitar and piano as the music builds and changes and Peter Jones delivers the lyrics. There's a hint of whimsy and false gravity. His saxophone solo is wonderful. If you are not necessarily a fan of Corvus Stone then expect to find much more different material on this album, starting with this track! Part two features more orchestration and then a more aggressive section with a classic Iron Maiden-like guitar riff while a strummed acoustic seems to want to bust out a samba. With a clever bass bridge, the music unexpectedly turns Santana in Rio de Janeiro with some awesome percussion and a Latino beach flare. Colin's lead guitar makes the song rock out and sway while Phil Naro adds 'ba-ba-da-doo-ba' and 'dei-o' and the likes. It's party time! Part Three hits its high point with Peter Jones singing partly interpretive, partly absurd lyrics at one point in great Beatle- esque harmonies and then in classic Queen style. The music keeps shifting and hopping around so that you can't even guess what it's going to do next. And what it does is morph into a Pink Floydian conclusion with some backwards vocals by Peter. Brilliant! 'The Sad Brazilian' features only Colin, Petri and Gordon and stretches out into a mini symphonic epic.

The Peter Jones sung single 'And So Today' deserves special mention because it's such a remarkable and beautiful song about saying farewell to four of our recently lost music heroes. Though they are not named directly, the lyrics give hints about for whom each verse was written. One of my favourite lines is, 'Sir Raymond from the Abbey rode away.' Peter's delivery is impeccable and the third verse is sung so passionately that it almost brings a lump to my throat, especially since I know who he's singing about. Colin delivers a short but powerful solo and Peter plays clarinet a little to delightful effect.

Most of the rest of the album can be divided into four categories. There are two Phil Naro sung songs that are more mainstream but have very catchy melodies and some excellent melodic rock. Though some might consider them not necessary on an album of this nature, I find they are a welcome addition to an already varied collection. If you prefer the more challenging music then you can take solace in a rumour of a possible vinyl release of only the music in G. Then there are three acoustic guitar instrumentals, 'The Mad Yeti', which is my favourite, 'La Palo Desperado' with an unexpected ending, and the short but lovely 'Dnieper Summer Day'. Two variations of a Corvus Stone original appear here. These are part of the 'Lisa' series, and 'Lisa Waltzes Back in with No G-String' is basically and Colin and Gordon reworking of material previously recorded with Corvus Stone, Gordon adding a string section, horns and basses. 'Lisa's Entrance Unplugged' (yes, Colin makes these titles up himself) is acoustic guitar with flute by Ian Beabout, and the effect in one part has me imagining King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table kicking back and enjoying this. 'Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Screwed' is included of course but it's been reworked and expanded since the original demo and is in seven parts, adding two bits borrowed from old BunChakeze songs.

The whole musical majesty tour comes to an end with Part 4b which is an astonishing and immensely entertaining piece of work. For starters, Peter Jones and Phil Naro exchange comic lines about why the song can't be called Part 4b as well as some ad lib parts that are pretty darn funny. Hear Peter do death vocals and choke! And Phil is the first person I've heard say, 'Take off, eh?' on an album since Bob & Doug McKenzie's 1982 comedy album 'The Great White North' on which Geddy Lee guested! The music is so brilliant and once more unpredictable. The song delivers a monster dual guitar solo at the end that will have you doing air-guitarist leaps off your sofa and knocking things over as Gordon's strings lift the power of the music higher and higher. Only five days and already this has become my most listened to song of the year! I can't get tired of this!!!

The CD will end here with a short but silly Chipmunks and piano bit by Peter Jones. However, the digital album includes a bonus track that is entirely orchestral arrangements by Gordon Bennett. 'Lisa's Waltz' is like the music at the end of the film when the credits are going up and you are sitting still feeling the emotional rush of the movie and somehow, though you're not actually reading the credits, the music has you rooted to your seat and you know you can't leave until it's finished. What's also remarkable to me is that we've already cleared 80 minutes of music! I don't usually like long albums so much but this one was a pleasure cruise that ended before I knew we were back in port!

It doesn't matter what you enjoy in music, you must check out this album. If you don't like it, that's fine. But if you miss this entirely you might just be missing out on one of the most remarkable albums in the last few years.

So now you know: Convicted Transvestite Perverts? Confused Theologian Prognostication? Nope. Colin Tench Project.

September 30th, people! Be ready!

Like a fraternal twin raised on the other side of town, the first issue of the Colin Tench Project is very different from its sibling band Corvus Stone, except in terms of quality, enthusiasm, and sheer bulk of material: business as usual, in other words, for the tireless guitarist and bandleader. Not many artists these days, working under the nebulous umbrella of modern Prog, can stuff their music to such consistent capacity without sound pompous or lazy. But over the 80+ minutes of the CTP debut there's rarely a moment that doesn't sound fresh and invigorating: quite an accomplishment all by itself, but hardly unexpected from talent of this caliber.

The album has been retroactively described by Tench himself as two separate EPs arbitrarily joined at the hip: one entirely instrumental and suitably eclectic; the other a collection of impeccable pop songs. Added together, they mark a welcome extension to (and a dramatic departure from) the year 2015 "Corvus Stone Unscrewed" epiphany. Maybe it would have been more sensible to keep the two halves separated, as individual mini-albums: the amount of music here can be a (not unpleasant) test of endurance. But when did sense ever matter when making truly progressive music?

It sounds like Tench and his ace collaborators had almost as much fun recording the album as fans (long established, or newly converted) will experience hearing it. The title itself is enough to prompt a chuckle from the shade of J.S. Bach. Elsewhere performance credit is extended to 'Shaving Cream', 'Annoying Noises', 'Thing That Goes Boing', and (my favorite) 'Bugger All', the last one for Tench's non-contribution to the album's oddly-titled 23-second epilogue, "Part 4b Redux", presenting Alvin and the Chipmunks in alpine lederhosen, drunk on Bavarian moonshine.

Astute listeners may catch a suggestion of Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther Theme" in the unplugged "La Palo Desperado", a title which (almost) translates from the Spanish for "Desperate Stick": further evidence perhaps of the bawdy undercurrents to the album. And what's up with that "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" quotation during Part 3 of the divided title track, indelicately subtitled "I'm Going Down"? Associating Walt Disney's Cinderella with suggestions of cunnilingus, even indirectly, is pretty hilarious, and why am I suddenly reminded of the Corvus Stone song "Jussi Pussi"? Thanks, Colin, for spoiling precious childhood memories of a classic film (no, really...thanks!)

And yet, despite all the tongue-in-cheek (or tongue-in-elsewhere) salaciousness, the music itself is often unashamedly romantic, full of lush orchestral arrangements and simple Beatle-esque sentiments, of a sort so far unexplored in the larger Corvus Stone discography. To these jaded ears the presence of vocals is usually the most vulnerable aspect of any rock album, but the song-based half of these sessions benefit from real talent in front of the microphone, even when the music itself is more of an acquired taste.

For an anti-commercial Prog snob like me, that would be "A Beautiful Feeling": a handsome but conventional love song bolstered by stellar guest support from drummer Gary 'Hoppy' Hodges, a veteran of the Buckingham Nicks touring band, and Ozark Mountain Daredevils keyboardist Kelly Brown (if nothing else, the track is a clear indication of its author's allegiance to a larger body of music outside the straightjackets of fashion, Prog or otherwise). Far better is the absolutely gorgeous "And So, Today", with its lovely clarinet accompaniment by Pete Jones, and the McCartney-like chorus and fade-out at the end of "Can't See It Any Other Way".

Balladry aside, Tench allows plenty of room for some full-throttle instrumental fireworks, once again channeling his inner-Santana (in "The Hairy Part" of the title track), and often with a wry touch of Zappa. You can hear some of the latter in the controlled ferocity of his guitar work, and of course in the polite smuttiness of the lyrical innuendo, the latter with a hint of Zappa's 'conceptual continuity'...yes, Moaning Lisa from the Corvus Stone II album is back, sans G-string this time.

Some of the acoustic interludes evoke the delicacy of early Charisma-era Genesis, but enough with the cheap comparisons already. I know it's a necessary shortcut when trying to describe music ill-sized to our standard Prog Rock cubbyholes. But by now Colin Tench has proved himself a true original, and the first expression of his self-titled (and hopefully long-lived) Project restores some of the uncomplicated joy often missing-in-action from too much of what we like to call Progressive Rock.

To begin I will say that this review, although unorthodox, is my review. My point of view in an endless sea of opinions. CTP (Colin Tench Project) - Hair in a G String (Unfinished But Sweet) The folks on this release are very familiar with Colin as some have appeared on Corvus Stone releases in the past. This one has some true genius behind it. I wouldn't go on to say Colin is genius, perhaps a bit mad is more like it, I think anyone who knows Colin can attest to this!! The addition of Mr Pete Jones was nothing short of genius. His addition alone is worth the wait and cost for the cd. Not to dismiss the talents of anyone else such as Phil Naro, Oliver Rusing, Marco Chiappini, Gordo Bennet, Stef, Petri, Robert, Angelo or even the cover art mistress Sonya or the rest of the cast of this project. The point is this is a huge release IMO and the world needs to see that Colin is a very real asset to all the fine partners in this endeavor but to himself as well. My review will, quite frankly be very limited and more of a questionnaire, short questions of course and they are as follow: 1. How can a guy, who was virtually unknown to the world, develop instant classics from Corvus Stone to this release? 2. How does one collect the talent to go along with his madness? 3. How do those fellas and gals put up with the nonsense we know of Colin Tench? 4. Does he ever sleep? 5. What drives him and his consortium of players to go along for the drive itself? 6. And most importantly how can a guy go from one genre or style and simply flip a switch to another? Now that being said I have listened to this 7 times now,7, and it just keeps getting better and better to my ears. I urge all who read this to reach out and hit listen and give this a good thorough open minded listen. If it is your cup of whatever by all means visit the store. This is a 5 star listen. Perhaps his personal Dark Side Of The Moon. Can Colin Tench improve on this?? I have no clue as to how but I certainly will be waiting to find out.

Classically trained (but not in guitar) guitarist Colin Tench is about 132 years old now. He was there when George Martin was conceived, errm, conceived The Beatles... Having learned to play the instrument at 22, after a 110 years he can barely be distinguished from the ones who started at age 5.

This is the point where I could say 'All jokes aside' and continue, but with this album I'm afraid that's very hard, as there is a lot to laugh about, in between 80 minutes of seriously good and well performed music. Good music, in the form of an epic title piece, that is divided into separate 4 parts, and runs about 30 minutes in total. The piece has a recurring musical theme, that is played in so many different ways it takes a proper listen to spot it, and which invisible makes it into a coherent piece. Makes coherent indeed, because this is not music for casual listeners. They will hear loose bits and pieces, that only connect when you sit down for it. It starts in Part 1 with an acoustic guitar and some synths, changes to electric guitar and piano, but just as easily goes Santana style lating in the second half of Part 2. In Part 3, avant garde and Zappa-esque things happen (also lyrically), while in Part 4 we are treated to a great progressive rock piece, with a comedy parade performed by vocalists Peter Jones and Phil Naro.

Having the theme, and Colin's way of composing make that this works. He doesn't just lay down a chord pattern. He thinks (and talks) in melodies and every note has to be at the right spot and of the right length - like the way classical composers did. I know first hand - having contributed a whopping 2.30 minutes of fretless bass to this piece. I have some bass notes left over that were rejected for being in the wrong place. I think the same applies to Petri Lindström (Corvus Stone) who contributed most of the other bass parts on the album, and Stephen Speelman (Unified Past) who makes a short but stunning appearance right in the middle of Part 2.

In between the four parts, 8 other tracks are placed, all of which are delicately crafted compositions, and as varied as the main suite.

Can't see It Any Other Way, is almost a prog rocker, with sufficient 'funny noises' and percussion to make it into something that attracts attention. The big star here is singer Phil Naro (Unified Past). La Palo Desperado and The Mad Yeti show Colin Tench's skills on acoustic guitar, and so does Dnieper Summer Day.

On The Sad Brazilian, a horror movie like keyboard riff opens, after which the track develops into a nice mix of melodic electric guitar rock and orchestra.

That orchestra, which lives in Gordo Bennett's (GorMusik)basement also happens on Lisa Waltzes back in with no G- string, which is a 'redesign' of the last bit of Corvus Stone's Moaning Lisa. In that piece, originally German Vergara sings 'mi chitarra canta', on this version Colin let's his guitar sing for real. He does it again, acoustically on Lisa's Entrance Unplugged, a redo of the same tracks intro minutes, with additional beautiful flute work by Ian Beabout. Oh, and there's the bonus track of course, a full orchestra rendition by Gordo Bennett of the yet another part of Moaning Lisa.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed Something Screwed was always one of my favourite demos of CTP, and now it's been remixed and slightly changed. Colin's ode to the old prog bands, by musically making it exactly what the title suggests.

The love it or hate it track on the album is likely A Beautiful Feeling. A bit of an odd beast, being a proper rock ballad, but with a feeling to it that made me nick name it 'The love boat'. It does have that feeling, just listen and you'll understand. At the same time, it has something very appealing, maybe once again because of Phil Naro's great vocals.

And of course, like all Colin Tench's works, the artwork on this album (digital release available September 30th, CD in november 2016) is done by the brilliant 'pintora' Sonia Mota (Chipmunk). To honour her (we think, but he won't admit it) Peter Jones contributed the 23 second Part 4b Redux to the album, which has the Chipmunks singing.

That same Peter Jones provided the vocals for my forever favourite track on this album And So, Today. Not favourite because it's the most complex or most progressive, but because it is a very fitting and well executed tribute to all the musicians who left earthly life in the year before this album was released. Every time I hear the line "Our wild eyed boy is stardust..." I get goosebumps and the hair on my arms stands upright.

Overall, this is an album I find hard to describe. The music on this one was all mainly composed by Colin Tench himself, although the contributing musicians got a lot of freedom to fill their parts. This makes it different from Colin's main project, Corvus Stone, which has tracks composed based on ideas by different band members. Some may find it more coherent because of this. Either way, like Zappa liked doing new things, as did Yes and Genesis in the early 70s, and The Beatles in the 60s, Colin aimed at doing something not done by other bands. And I think he succeeded. Music that sounds loose and playful, yet every note was perfectly planned. As Peter Jones sings in part 3, it's Gooditygooditygood. Highly recommended!

Also published on my website www.angelosrockorphanage.com

Colin Tench was funny. Colin Tench was talented. Colin Tench was versatile. He left us suddenly and way too early and we miss him. If there was one artist deserving of applause and praise, it would be definitely this man. He played guitar like a whiz, on occasion lending his picks to some great prog project (Oceans 5, Karibow, Minstrel's Ghost, Corvus Stone, Coalition, Murky Red etc). Nice guy, generous and witty. Well, it's about damn time he looked after his own bacon and highlighted in bold neon lights (yes garish) his own little thingy. Hence the Colin Tench Project. And trust me, Colin projects! He could have called this effort 'Colin T and his Henchmen', as a very familiar crew of friends line up in front of the soup kitchen, somewhere in Volvo-infested Sweden, to join in all the adult foolishness. Colin is also a prankster, an almost Zappa-esque, at times self-deprecating, humour that verges on the perverse (Jussi Pussi, really?) and ribald ("Hair in a G-String" is the title of this opus). Censors working overtime in XTC! Imagine for just a second, a musician who has no limitations, loves music, any kind of music and expresses his sonic love by endlessly mauling his instrument (oops!) and actually enjoying himself in the process. Sounds dirty? It is!

"Attention, prog passengers, CTP flight 19 is now ready for boarding (no water- or surf- accepted) , please proceed to your gate , where your delightful art attendant Sonia Mota , who we flew in from Mozambique, will clear you through customs and insecurity. A world-wind tour of the globe is now taxiing for departure, fasten your G-strings and follow both in and out structions".

"The Opening" is a stunning piece that sets the tone with some quark, smoothness and charm, show casing tinkling (no, pianos, not bidets). Moody, woody, sooty and just perfect. This is what is played in airport lounge in Uppsala, while knocking back some aquavit and munching on dill-infested gravlax. The orchestration arrangement was also fuelled by Steve Gresswell of Coalition and Inner Road legend.

Next stop, Pasadena, California. Smooth and velvety rock balladry on "Can't Be Any Other Way", expertly vocalized by the tremendous Phil Naro (magic lungs and Kenny G look alike) , sounding like some "We are just an American Band" apostrophe. Pfff! Laser guitars add the necessary spit and sparkle, courtesy of the 'Call-in'. "The Hairy part" suggests an Andalusian voyage with a conquistador wearing a Vaseline-oiled moustache, flamenco-ing the lindas senoritas lewdly as well as chasing some bull, through the narrow (Naro) avenidas of Pamplona! Imagine a shaker with one part Yello (Oh Yeah!), two ounces of Carlos Santana tequila guitara, a large quantity of Sangria that was drained from said toro's severed ear, some Coca Colin and well, samba pa ti, baby!

Nepal is next, as Colin finds a smiling Sherpa willing to take him to K-2, even though his seeing eye dog would have preferred K-9, searching out for "The Mad Yeti", a sweet acoustic guitar in tow (no plugs yet on Everest, though every other piece of human rubbish can be found), cresting nicely as Colin pants (Oops, I mean underwear) out of a lack of oxygen.

Guy from Ipanema is actually a pale derma Brit who lives in Arctic Sweden, only to maintain skin tone, with or without coconut-flavoured aloe balm, but he does get a-round, for he is not square. Off to Brazil, for some oochie- koochie with the cariocas. This does not explain why "The Sad Brazilian" is sad. But it does explain why Colin is mad, after all Sonia does speak Portuguese! Petri Lindstrom does limbo down with his Rickenbacker bass and he is a Finn! Did Colin win the 2016 Rio gold medal in guitar slinging? Must have! Such modesty, wot! Another prog ballad comes in the form of "And so Today" and provides a fine soulful platform for Peter Jones (Tiger Moth Tales) to sing his heart out. Lovely indeed.

As the CTP airliner does an Immelmann loop , Colin rekindles his Jeff Beck notebook from his school days and does this "I am Going Down" thingy, torturing his guitar mercilessly, but not chagrined by his waggish grin in any way, as this piece is theatrically bizarre, insane and oddball. As Karibow's Oliver Rusing pummels the drums in perfect fashion, this lollipop comes to sound like Zappa meets the Flower Kings. Peter Jones sings lead and backing 'vokes' and is utterly convincing, albeit weird at times. Colin fiddles with his guitars, both saccharine and sour, depending on the current mood. Unpretentious and dramatic, a fine slice of spice.

Though certainly never wanking, Colin does nevertheless deem fit to wink at past shameless nuggets (no, not boneless chicken!), staring lewdly at that Lisa girl again, an off and on relationship that basks in seemingly endless whimpers of lust, ever since she showed up in daring lingerie on that Corvus Stone II recording, prancing nubile on the cover, smoking a cigar, her preference for 10 inches and having the audacity to moan in public. The little?....! Google will turn beet (beat) red! All I have to say is that I would have liked to send Colin a voice clip going 'tsk tsk'. Angelo, these are my 2 seconds worth! Oh and add a laughter track, in the Beatles-style. This has a short boxer/brief add-on, "Lisa's Entrance, err...unplugged". Nasty!

Colin's blatant homage to the Beatles (Straight out of Abbey Road) is served up as "Something" four ways (Old, new, borrowed and screwed), which I presume relates to a hardware store in desperate need. But why visit supply depot? You were doing fine, travel wise! At least the music playing between the aisles is first class, Colin wailing luminously on his fret board.

"La Palo Desperado "proves not only that Colin likes guacamole (we knew that when he visited Acapulco 2 years ago, wearing only his Scandinavian moustache) but shows that he has the hots for Andres Segovia (who is Spanish) too. What's next, the Gypsy Kings, hombre? Colines Tenchos ? Acoustic and Spanish guitar, a chair and a G-String. Nada mas! A little Mancini-esque Pink Panther, because Colin only watches cartoons, all the time.

All this fun is now tempered with some unabashed pop splendour, landing in Nashville , as "A Beautiful Feeling" comes shining through the speakers, a warm tropical zephyr gently blowing on the bikini bra-laden beach, a very 70s Beach Boys meets the Eagles ditty. All that's missing is a Joe Walsh axe rant, but Colin does a job on his instrument. This is very Yankee/Rebel, so it comes as no surprise that a guest keyboardist from the Ozark Mountain Daredevils shows up, as well as a Buckingham/Nicks sideman on drums. Well, I'll be darned! Love hot dogs with Lingonberry jam! Phil Naro does it again!

Colin likes to roil the waters, so he chooses the Dnieper River, which travels through Belarus, Russia and their Ukrainian rivals, another short guitar manifesto that gets high Marx for amusement. No Engels, though! I always knew Tench was a hard core Colinist! And a card carrying Partyman to boot! This explains the 2 part "Part 4b" suite with lots a parts , Colin 'has no clue, having run out of ideas' , so this ball of confusion is infused with running commentary, full of unending criticism and judgement, offering up Meatloaf-isms, firing original drummer Neil Peart, as well as death metal growls . Tomatoes, potatoes and various toes sticking out of G-strings, it's all there for the prog aficionado, complete with electric giggles of insanity and spooned instruments that seem to have been played by head Master Bates. This was enjoyable, fun, hilarious and serious, all bundled into one and tied down by some loose cords from a bondage session. A trans-global journey , with great on board service, easy refuelling, complementary underwear and no life jackets. Ah, home again, warm my bones beside the fire..

Colin, you were Prog's saviour. Take that, Steve Wilson!

By the way, CTP stands for Call The Police, as this album is criminally brilliant, worthy of Albert Spaggiari (the greatest robber ever, look it up!) in an olive oil-based prog dressing that satiates the umami receptors in your brain.

5 boxer whiskers

Colin is feeling nostalgic!

1. "Hair in a G String (The Opening) Part 1" (6:25) is a very dramatic opening (an overture?) with quite theatric music supporting Peter Jones' eventual narration singing drawing us into the story (album). It's like the narration of the experience of writing and listening to a concept album 'show.' How self-aware is this writer/narrator/composer/performer! One of my three favorites from this album. (9/10)

2. "Can't See It Any Other Way" (4.36) a little in the countrified vein of the early EAGLES or GEORGE HARRISON/BEATLES-like tune. A well-recorded and -constructed homage to the music of the past but a little too over the top for me. (7/10)

3. "Hair in a G String (The Hairy Part) Part 2" (6.04) continues the "suite" theme that began with the album's opening song. This one feels very cinematic, like a lot of the Corvus Stone stuff. Very Spaghetti Western like (except for the drums--which are rather lame) with at least three distinct parts, the third of which is completely old-school SANTANA. (8/10)

4. "The Mad Yeti" (2:54) is a guitar instrumental with at least three or four tracks devoted to acoustic guitars. Not far from an Anthony Phillips piece. I like to imagine Colin sitting by a fire in the fireplace while recording each of these tracks. (8/10)

5. "The Sad Brazilian" (7:20) This happens to be one of my favorite songs on the album--as much for the wonderful use of orchestra and piano as for the wonderfully cinematic soundscapes painted herein. Even Colin's electric guitar flourishes are contained and restrained, yet they pack the perfect punch. (9/10)

6. "And So, Today" (4:12) is a beautiful tribute to four rock'n'roll greats that passed away in 2016. Great encrypted lyrics delivered with such beauty and respect from singer Pete Jones. Another of my three favorite songs here. (10/10)

7. "Hair in a G string (I'm Going Down) Part 3" (10.09) opens like a classic ROY BUCHANAN song, orchestra and all. Then, at 1:10 the guitar sound choice shifts into sustained overdrive to give it a more modern sound. At 2:25 there is a shift in mood to more Southern Rock--over which the theatric vocals of Pete Jones are delivered. The dreamy "feels so good" part at the five minute mark is pretty--as are the guitar and keyboard solos that follow. Accordion's presence gives the song a little beer hall feel. The song is starting to feel more PINK FLOYD/DAVID GILMOUR-esque here in the seventh and eighth minutes. Unfortunately, I find the premise that trimmed pubic hair is more desirable than the alternative to be a sad reflection of our paranoid, over-sanitized, youth-obsessed first world society. (9/10)

8. "Lisa Waltzes Back In With No G-String" (3:53) is a solid instrumental with another Spaghetti Western cinema feel to it--(this time especially the drums). (8/10)

9. "Lisa's Entrance Unplugged" (3:09) An oddly titled song for such a beautiful medieval folk song. One of my three favorites. (10/10)

10. "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Screwed" (7:32) The title here refers to the many themes from old classic rock songs that Colin here borrows and varies, including the BEATLES-esque opening upon which the song is founded. (As I said in the opening to this review: "Colin is feeling nostalgic.") To my ears, it is the Eagles, Pink Floyd, and The Beatles that are most represented in the collection and juxtapositions of the riffs I hear. Quite probably Colin means this as another tribute to the recently deceased heroes of rock history. Colin puts on display some wonderfully emotional guitar and melodic wizardry in his expression of these familiar themes. (9/10)

11. "La Palo Desperado (5:54) is pure Spanish guitar play--as if King Henry VIII's court with his first wife, Isabella of Spain. Nice concert material--though perhaps a bit drawn out. (8/10)

12. "A Beautiful Feeling" (5:58) sounds like a hit crossover song from the mid-70s--could be from Glenn Campbell, Charley Rich, Leo Sayer, Ronnie Milsap, the early Eagles or even The Greatest American Hero or Grease. Actually a pretty good song! Let's get it some AM radio airplay. (9/10)

13. "Dnieper Summer Day (1:38) is a multiple acoustic guitar piece that though essentially Spanish in its feel, purports to have something to do with Russia--though it's really a variation on The Eagles' "Hotel California" chords and melodies. (8/10)

14. "Part 4b (7:56) is stable rock set up for a humorous vocal drama between musicians, composers, lyricists, and singers. They really do camp it up! IT sounds like it could come out of a music studio version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. For the first three minutes it's quite fun, then it gets weird/silly in a Tim Burton-kind of way (despite Colin's excellent guitar soloing). Then, at 5:28 it threatens to become a heavy metal song, only it doesn't. The vocals disappear and Colin goes on doing his bluesy electric lead solos (in multiple channels/tracks). The orchestra joins in at the end in a kind of Quadrophenia kind of way as the narrator brings the comicopera to an end. Entertaining! (9/10)

15. "Part 4b Redux (0:23) is a brief dance hall version of the chords and comedy of the previous song.

There is so much nostalgia present in this album I wonder what Colin is going through (on a personal level). I appreciate his commitment to and reverence of these heroes and influences of his. Where Colin's music here lacks in comparison with his last Corvus Stone albums is in the up-front show of virtuosic flair in the electric guitar department. The man is an electric guitar god, so why not exploit it! I mean, there are only so many albums that one can put out in a lifetime (unless you're Buckethead, Sun Ra, John Zorn, or the Acid Mothers Tempe), so let's flaunt it! For posterity! One last thing: While I comprehend Colin's rather clever pun-manship with potty humour topics, I'm not necessarily a big fan: There's always a little too much implied misogyny (or male locker room attitude) involved for my comfort. Still, the man is nothing short of a genius! And a mega talented one, at that!

A 4.5 stars album; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music--and a genius piece of music drawing on, but making all his own, the riffs and melodies of past masters.

I have been listening to Colin Tench's past works and I have always enjoyed it very much, even rewarding it with five stars. That is a testament to a young man's brilliance and ecclecticism, because that is his forte. Tench seems able to play any genre in a convincing way and ever evolving. In a progressive sense that is true strengths. When I learned that he was involved in a new venture I was intrigued and happy to review it. Since I loved Corvus Stone II so much I was fearful that I would not like this as much. I was proven wrong.

Let me tell you, the opening track is such a gentle piece and holds a spoken "Welcome to the show". This section of the song, with a soaring sax-solo is one of the most beautiful passages I have ever heard. Breathtaking. The next track is a very melodious one which brings Beatles to mind. And then it hits you, "Hair in a G-string part 2". Santana and latin fusion. It's a vivid celebration to music and creativity. Part 3 of this suite is a folky nod to the 70's, I think, and is great. Apart from the folky nod there is a fantastic section of free-form characcter, a powerful workout and a intriguing soundscapes. I love this song.

"Something old, something new?" is a track in sections with outstanding playing and a guitar that is unbelievable. The opening nod to The Beatles (copying the intro to "Because" is simply delicious.) And the we head into the Wild West on "La Palo desperado" before "Part 4 b" starts summoning all the pieces together in a magnificent epic and soaring fashion. And then there's the bonus track, "Liza's waltz" with full orchestra. Pompous and overblown and as such stunning.

Of all things I have heard from Colin Tench this is by far his most progressive work. He throws all and any into the pot making "Hair in a G-string" a collection of outstanding beauty and power, blending his hardrock tendencies with folky intricacy, progressive outbursts and expeditions to any part of the world, fusing all above with latin jazz-rock worthy of any and all of the greats. It's whimsical in just the right sense and that makes the music even more endearing.

It need to be said that though Tench is the mastermind he surrounds him with, just as he always do, outstanding brilliance in his entourage of fellow musicians. If I was the emperor of the world, which I'm clearly not, I would prompt for all to listen to this album. It is a crowning achievement of 2016 and I urge you to listen. Brilliance on a plate.

Review #38. For those who maybe don't know Colin Tench, I should say that he is a very talented and skilled musician, who is involved in various bands and projects, such as Corvus Stone for example. I knew Colin and his skillful guitar playing from his previous works with Corvus Stone, but this solo album came as a surprise to me.

I have no intention to get into details for every song, because to be honest, 99% of the times I just put the CD and let it play. It is one of the best releases of 2016 without a doubt, and that is proven by the No.1 position at the Prog Archives albums chart with the best releases of 2016.

As Colin told me a couple of days ago, when we were chatting on Skype, one of his most beloved bands is The Beatles, and that is something that is rather obvious throughout the album. One can find enough influences by The Beatles among a few other bands, like Pink Floyd for example. The song Can't see it any other way, sounds like it was taken out of The White Album, and the small passage of ''Because'' at the start of Something new, Something old... makes me chill every time.

There were many musicians that participated in the recordings, so further than Colin and the 6 musicians that worked on this album, there are also 16 more that helped as guests; playing a very big variety of instruments, like flute or violin for example.

Further than each person's personal taste in music, the important thing is that Hair in a G-string is a well-structured album, with emphasis on the details. And you know what? All these simple and small details are making a big difference finally. Based on the 6-7 times that I listened to the album so far, these are my most beloved songs: Hair in a G-string Part.1, Can't See it any Other Way, The Sad Brazilian, And So Today, Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Screwed, and the fantastic Liza's Waltz with full orchestral arrangements, which is a bonus track. The album is available for download on Colin's Bandcamp page, but further than that, it will be available in CD near the end of November. Give yourselves a favor, and buy this really beautiful album! You will not regret it! Highly Recommended! My Rating would be: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. P.S: Because I can't rate it with 4.5 stars, I will give 5.0, in order not to downgrade the very good ratings the album has so far. Thank you for reading this. :-)

Colin Tench, that progressive rock artisan who has sufficient strength to season it with sounds distant to the genre, releases a forceful and elaborate work baptized from the beginning as a progressive music album. And it is not entirely false, but not true either. It is true that the structure presents itself to us as a concept of elaborate music, which is not missing, nor lacking, the progressive foundations that the British musician residing in a world of Vikings dominates in such a particular way; but it is also true that, despite being structured as a concept album, Colin's emotional and intimate element has slipped through at breakneck speed for a rich record of nuances that plummets, with that retro sound that only Colin seems to dominate, into an end product that not only pays homage to Pink Floyd or Genesis, but also to the Beatles or ELO, and to a large extent Santana, to name a few of the influences that feed Tench's musical soul. And it's that the exquisite set of progressive music of this incomplete but sweet 'Hair in a G-String' (note the irony referred to Bach), feeds itself, as interludes, on compositions as personal as the mastery of its composer. In this album, I repeat, we can attend a stage filled with an imagery of elaborate music, reminiscent of his other personal project, Corvus Stone, but we can also place ourselves before the naked soul of the artist full of references to the classics, to television tunes, to the Beatles, to Chicano sounds, to orchestral movements, to the intimacy of his life and his personal experience, definitely. A father and his son, neither more nor less. An excellent Music exercise, with capital letters, that wraps the listener from beginning to end and that has nothing to do with the cited project, in group format, which is Corvus Stone. We are facing the compositional crowning moment of an artisan whose craft is imagination and melody. We are facing the personal revelation of a musician who lives by and for the music and who does not care, at all, to undress metaphorically before a listener who will appreciate the enormous effort of a work born from the heart. A work cared for with great care and executed, apart from the huge cast of musicians whose talent is dispersed throughout this great album, with the delicacy, professionalism and energy of someone who knows what he wants. We are presencing, in a rationed but firm way, the consolidation of one of the musical and progressive pillars of the 21st century. Colin Tench is that friendly and effective mainstay of a genre that cries out for a regeneration that isn't lacking details and essences that enrich it once and for all. Colin Tench in the seventies would be a consecrated musician today, but the best of all is that we can be witnesses of this confirmation in these dangerous times for a progressive genre that, more and more, shows lack of emotion, technique and feeling. From the darkness of self-production and the underground emerges an increasingly powerful light that announces, like this 'Hair in a G-String', a new future full of hope, a horizon of events that will drag us towards the primitive and true condition of the progressive genre. Colin Tench is one of those flag bearers. The reason is simple: he is a musician with soul.

Wow,The Colin Tench Project Hair in a G String ( unfinished but sweet) is my absolute favourite album of 2016. The musicality of the whole album, every track different yet the genius that is so obviously Colin Tench shines through every guitar chord. Can't see it any other way i think is very much influenced by the beatles ballads, then Part 4B has hints of the Beatles once again but in a completely different way, i hear i am a walrus in parts, the vocals by Peter Jones and Phil Naro are great. Lisa's entrance unplugged is a fantastic instrumental it makes me think of Robin Hood and Maid Marion. There's also a Spanish flavour to Dnieper Summer Day, another excellent piece. There is something on this Album for everyone. It's been so cleverly put together by someone who loves what he's doing and it comes through in his music. And so, Today and A Beautiful Feeling are truly beautiful songs, wonderful lyrics accompanied by an amazing musical arrangement. Anyone who listens to this album will be blown away, the name Colin Tench should be up there with the best, his music will put a smile on anyone's face, for many different very clever reasons. ...

Ed Sheehan once said "I can't tell you the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone" but that is not the case for Colin Tench Project (CTP). Rather than trying to please everyone the band take detours into a vast variety of musical styles and this culminates in an album with surprises around every corner on HAIR IN A G STRING (UNFINISHED BUT SWEET). There are Samba and Latin rhythms mixed with extended keyboard and lead breaks, sporadic passages of jumpy beats and dissonance merged in among beautiful pastoral ballads. One song might sound like The Beatles and then the next launches into a full blown progressive instrumental. This is the type of album that grows slowly on the listener. It's adorned in an attractive artistic cover and booklet illustrated by Sonia Mota always capturing life perfectly at the stroke of a brush.

The real highlights are found in the songs with lyrics so well sung by Peter Jones. However the instrumental tracks are musical ear candy especially the Hair in a G String segments. Tench is masterful on lead guitar making it soar and dive at every opportunity. He is joined by a plethora of musical geniuses each adding their own quirky intervention.

The album opens with a symphonic space suite sounding like Star Trek and as soon as we hear the chimes, a wonderful acoustic accompaniment vibrates into a romantic sonnet. The harp glissando signifies a new movement and the lead guitars layer across the soundscape. This is beauty in a musical format. The vocals implores us to throw off some clothes so we can begin. It sounds as theatrical as Peter Gabriel. Peter Jones has a sweet timber in his voice and it's magnified by the cacophony of sounds including a gorgeous sax sound. A great start to the album.

The next track proves that CTP are capable of radio friendly commercial excellence. They are not People pleasers: for such people take most criticism personally; and Feel an extraordinary fear of rejection. The lyrics of Can't See it any other Way speak of making decisions and not allowing one to surrender their lives to the opinions of others. I love that Beatles sound on the song; melodic and calm.

Furthermore people pleasers would find it hard to express their true feelings. CTP certainly know how to express themselves in musical terms. On the Hairy Part of the title track they begin to channel Santana especially the sound of the early years. I love this and how the band sound like they are partying. It's a sexy sound with a ton of tom tom and Latin rhythms.

The Mad Yeti is an acoustic piece beautifully played with a very relaxed feel. Though I would not have a chance of getting such a gorgeous sound from my old axe.

The Sad Brazilian is a masterpiece. The piano rings with a melancholy sound and an orchestral sunset hovers over the keys. The hyper relaxed atmosphere is a dreamscape of symphonic majesty. A colourama of dark and light augmented by Psycho strings and cinematic breadth. The loud guitar crashes through at the right moment. Absolutely deliriously brilliant.

And So Today I rediscovered from the film clip scattered on social media. The ballad is sung with heartfelt emotion by Peter Jones in a graveyard. It signifies the passing of musical legends such as Lemmy. A very emotional detour in the album.

I'm Going Down is the third segment of the title track. It's a multi tracked song that becomes an instrumental. This one veers into all sorts of directions from Gentle Giant madness to Pink Floyd to Captain Pugwash accordion then into Because by The Beatles. It's as if a musical shop exploded and the instruments took off by themselves to play their own private gig. It's surreal in places, backmasking at one point, and is the band in an experimental mood. When they're unleashed they are at their best. A ten minute mini epic and one of the highlights of the album - its goodity goodity good.

Another instrumental follows with Lisa Waltzes in with no G String. This Lisa has appeared on past Tench albums so it's a familiar thing. A lot of fun as we are treated to a cinematic waltz with a Tarantino western feel.

Lisa's Entrance Unplugged is a medieval Elizabethan melody. This is followed by Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Screwed, an instrumental that encompasses a variety of musical styles that are striking when you hear them. There's a tribute to The Wall era Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Eagles, and others less obvious. Tench's lead guitar is wonderful on this track and the harmonies blend perfectly in.

We venture into Spain next as if Red Dwarf's Riviera Kid were about to make an appearance. This is followed by a song sounding as radio friendly as The Eagles Lying Eyes. It's actually a dang good song and well sung. I reckon Peter Jones would be a good lead singer for an Eagles tribute band.

Where to from here? An acoustic instrumental that is a glorified sped up version of Hotel California. But it's fun, short and I love the chord structure so I'll let them get away with it.

Part 4b opens with a nautical feel then really powerful lead guitar tones and a proggy song, with theatrical touches and extreme humour a bit like a Monty Python satire. It makes me laugh so I'm okay with the downright silliness. Where did these violins come from? Good question guys. The nonsense lyrics is a send up of the medium and why not? Zappa would approve. The Bathory death metal roar is killer but is soon ended with a Fishermans Friend. I'm not kidding. The odd time signature follows and the music spreads out into a nice piece. They still need to close off the show and impress the fans so it's time for some more arguments before a brilliant lead break with a Wah Wah pedal. It soars heavenly and launches into the stratosphere. I'm already sold by it all but then it takes me on a speed metal detour but it's damned too short. Back to the medium pace melody and duel lead break showcase. What a nutty and enjoyable romp.

The redux to follow is like Devo got hold of the album and added their own quirkiness.

Contentment doesn't come when we have everything we want but it comes When we want everything we have. TCTP absolutely nail every track on this album. We want to hear these tracks even though we don't realise it till the album is playing so we become content with it. Every time I put it on I am surprised at its diversity and how it manages to deliver so many pleasant musical experiences. It's a new approach to prog, ambitious and daring, but when it's played to perfection and with such passion it leaves little room for us to critique; on the contrary we can only sit back and bathe in the instrumental pool of delights.

Listening to this album has been one of my very disappointing musical experiences of the year. There are many good reviews about it!! So I was expecting for something really great. I prepared myself for an hour of great sound, big arrangements and all I know is a big prog album. And then it came "Hair in a G string" and I knew why the complete name has the "(Unfinished but sweet)" commentary Oh, my boy, IT IS, "Unfinished but sweet"!!! I will ask Colin Tench. Please why didn't you finished them all, BEFORE releasing the whole bunch? To me a prog album is greatly polished. OK, you got some good tunes here, but you got to work a lot on them before get a "prog album" of this stuff. Colin Tench in a very good musician, he plays guitar virtuously, but that's not enough to me. In the end, to me this is but a bunch of pop songs (some with long soft intros): "sweet but unfinished". I can't rate it as a "prog album".

Track Part 4B - Don't miss it! The title of the album is a take of Bach's Air on the G-String. While (Unfinished but sweet) is often described in classic music sheets unfinished suite. This album as a whole, one can't help but think of Alice Cooper's UNFINISHED SWEET musical landscape with explosion of colors taking you to Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory, to James bond sexy spy thriller, from the Beatles fun filled tunes and harmonies, to Nino Rota's latin musical scores, evolving to a dramatic opera with all the trimmings giving you Queen with Vangelis crescendos.

Hair In A G-String opens with Part 1 - The Opening - Stunning, stunning, song! Acoustic guitars, piano, keyboards, electric guitars lead in to "it's time to start the show, sit down, relax,...", Pete's voice sounds unbelievable, like Peter Gabriel with lyrics Bowie could have written. But the best part is yet to come. At 4.33mins Peter Jones saxophone 'OMG', you feel it starting right from your gut, an absolute stunner, reminiscent of Floyd's Dark Of The Moon.

Can't see any other way - Beautiful 70's feel good song, guitars play lead and response to Phil Naro's amazing 4 octave vocal range and harmonies. The bass guitar really shines here and Colin lead guitar at times sounds like a saxophone.

Part 2 - The Hairy Part - A track full of surprises - most endearing classical orchestration beginning, goes into full rock mode, changing to fluttering drumming and deep inhaling guitars, fast and rhythmic clever, 3mins into the track, ... "bang" Santana arrives... in big way... with a fantastic samba explosion.

The Mad Yeti - Romantic Spanish Acoustic song, fast and slow beautiful melodies.

And so today - Homage to Four Beloved Artists we sadly lost last year. Lyrics make special reference although not obvious to Sir George Martin (5th Beatle), Glenn Frey, Lemmy Kilmister and David Bowie... this song hits a nerve, emotionally grabbing, leaving lump in my throat, brings me easily to tears. Besides vocals, Pete plays clarinet with a touch of Genesis and the Waltz whereby the acoustic guitar, piano, violins and bass notes, all complement each other. Colin's small lead-break halfway through adds the right beautiful touch.

Part 3 - I'm Going Down - The first part of this song up to 2.17mins, orchestration, guitars hit every sensitive nerve, one feels, hangs on to every note. Then the song takes a Queen turn, May lead guitars kick in, at 2.38mins Pete vocals come in, soon turns into a darker Queen Opera, and back to melodic full orchestration of flowing fanfare 'fom fom fa fom fom fa' accordion to The Beatles Sergeant Pepper, the last part followed by Pink Floyd The Wall with my favorite ending Colin's guitars playing funky chucking notes like Nile Rodgers to describe it the best I can. N.B.: A secret backwards message at the end.

Lisa Waltzes Back In With No G-String - Gob smacking brilliant Waltz! Maestro Gordo orchestration is huge, Colin's guitars start a lead and response war, the horns, violins, bass and drums all join in to produce a marvelous explosion.

Lisa's Entrance Unplugged - Another big favorite, acoustic guitars, whistles and the flute performed by Ian, telling a Sicilian story with a touch of western, beautiful & touching like Nino Rota's The Godfather.

Something Old Something New Something Borrowed Something Screwed - Masterpiece - Exciting Instrumental song, great guitar tunes, beautiful lead breaks and magnificent crescendos.

La Palo Desperado - My favorite acoustic track on the album, Spanish Paso Doble and The Tango. Exciting full of flavor and raunchy with slower seductive bits. Olé ! And a slight pink panther tune.

A Beautiful Feeling - Phil Naro vocal harmonies take you back to the classic early 60's Frankie Valli and the 4 seasons, a song to be played anywhere, the soft samba rhythm, slide and lead guitars added by sweet percussion with shakers, easy to dance either alone or with a partner.

Dnieper Summer Day - a quirky fast acoustic guitar track, layers changing and overlapping each others. You cannot possibly sit still to that.

PART4-B - Favorite ending of an album, The Rat Pack Sinatra and Crosby with Zappa joining in. Very clever and funny, Peter Jones and Phil Naro duet with lead and response guitars joined by big band orchestration done just right. I have to highlight the comical middle section with Jay's drums adding to the whole band having fun.

PART4B Redux - This short piece, I envision Monty Python and the Holy Grail start of the movie, but this time they are Minions.

I'm going to straight to the point. It is brilliant! Everytime Colin Tench is involved in something I got to have it. It is soooo refreshing to still be able to find music and musicians that have an ability to not take themselves 100% seriously. Except for the obvious talent for constructing "catchy" tunes Colin and Co. also are able to put in a huge chunk of humour. It shows that they are having fun making the album, which in turn makes it fun to listen to.

The album is very well paced and despite some of the compositions being quite lengthy, none of them overstay its welcome. Constant twists, loops and changes make you feel like you are on a crazy adventure that can lead you anywhere. That is something that i find difficult to find in most of modern music. That sense of discovery, surprise and excitement. This album has it by the loads.

Even though I enjoy the album and I would put it on some of the highest of my shelves I think there is still more where it came from. Can't wait for the next one, cause they just keep getting better and better. OH, and don't forget to sit through the wohle thing cause Part 4b Redux, although short, might be modern musics answer to Bethovens Opus 55: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major ("Eroica") that we all have been waiting for!

Much love Pawel

I keep getting dragged back to this album. I do believe it's the best album for many years from anybody. If a single member of many different early progressive rock bands got together to see what happened, this might be the result. It is simply sublime. I see there are a few others who say the same in reviews, so I thought I would add my own. There is not one moment on here that I get bored or the feeling there is any pointless noodling going on. All of the vocals are brilliant and that rarely happens on any album. A perfect combinatoion of songs and pure music ranging from Beatles, Santana to Piano and almost classical pieces to classic guitar rock. Didn't this kind of record get banned 40 years ago? The Opening Part 1 draws you in and Part 4b blows you away as a finale. Great great music guys!

The first solo album from Colin was released in 2016, with the full title of 'Hair In A G String (Unfinished But Sweet)'. Colin and I are both originally from the UK, but he went North while I ended up as far South as I could. He first contacted me some five years ago, asking me to review an album by Corvus Stone, and even stayed in touch when I didn't enjoy it as much as I might have! He has worked on different things through the years, building up a strong set of contacts who admired him as a guitarist, and who were readily to hand when he started working on this album.

There are well in excess of 20 other musicians involved, while Colin himself provides acoustic and electric guitars, piano, synthesizer, drum programming and percussion. Musically this is all over the place, combining progressive rock with classical, pop, rock, and lots more. Colin is as happy double-tracking on acoustic guitar as he is providing Jeff Beck-style searing solos. He has always been a bit of a magpie, bringing in bits and pieces from his travels and discoveries, and his album is a microcosm of all that. Incredibly inventive, it is packed full of differing styles so that it always feels fresh, inviting, and something that really needs to be listened to. The very first time I played this was sat quietly, with a wonderful glass of Pinot Gris, and a book I was looking forward to reading. But, the book stayed by my side unopened as it just isn't possible to concentrate on the plot and follow this album at the same time. A mix of instrumentals and songs, this really is a very special album indeed, and one that all overs of fine music would do well to investigate.