Obscure/Lesser Known Gems

Review by Nightfly
Prog Reviewer

Back Door were an extremely highly regarded band in North East England back in the seventies, with two of the band members coming from my home town of Middlesbrough. Their early seventies shows at The Lion Inn, a remote pub with nothing else for miles around on Blakey Ridge on the North York Moors were the stuff of legend. In fact the cover of this, their first album has a picture of the jazz trio stood outside that venue. Sadly, because I was too young and the fact that I didn't discover them until 1976, I never had the opportunity to attend any of these shows.

For a trio of just bass, drums and sax Back Door make plenty of noise and play highly energetic jazz rock. The sound is filled out by bassist Colin Hodgkinson's busy style who often and unusually plays chords. He, along with drummer Tony Hicks lay the foundations for Ron Aspery's wild and inventive sax excursions.

The totally instrumental 12 compositions are all fairly short in length and the diversity of the material ranging from the frantic Catcote Rag to its preceding track, the more mellow Human Bed where Aspery switches to flute show a range and scope many would think not possible with such limited use of instrumentation. The standard of playing is excellent. They're all primarily jazz musicians, but play with a rock sensibility giving their music plenty of fire and each is given a turn to shine. Often the main theme of the tune will feature unison bass and sax until Aspery goes off on some wild excursion. Not surprisingly Aspery takes most of the lead on sax throughout but Hicks, who is never less than stunning gets his turn with a fantastic performance on closing track Back Door. Hodgkinson, who incidently played with Whitesnake for a while in the early eighties gets his turn with the solo bass piece of Lieutenant Loose but his lively style of mixing individual notes with chords always puts him upfront anyway.

It's been a long time since I heard any of Back Door's other albums, this being the only one currently in my collection, but what I do remember is that as good as some of their music was, it never captured the raw excitement that's present on this stunning debut which is likely to appeal to jazz and rock fans in equal measure.

Review by Nightfly
Prog Reviewer

Qualia is the second album from French band Syrinx. It's a truly beautiful and complex album, the kind that demands your attention and demands you to just sit back and listen to their compelling mix of Jazz and Prog.

All four compositions are instrumental and it doesn't get any better than the almost twenty minute opener Liber Nonacris. The band play brilliantly, Benjamin Croizy's keyboards used much of the time (though he has his moments in the limelight) to provide sweeping backdrops for Samuel Maurin's fluent, liquid bass playing and Philippe Maullet's dynamic drumming. The lead is taken in the main by David Maurin's busy acoustic guitar playing; yes no electric guitar here. He really is a fantastic player. The album alternates between sublime beauty and moments of musical tension and explosive power to make for an overall captivating sound. The production is excellent with lots of space in the mix, each player having ample opportunity to shine.

I haven't discussed individual tracks as this is an album to listen and to take in as whole and some of the best instrumental music I have heard in years. The only question is whether it's better than their 2003 debut, Reification. Buy them both and make up your own mind. Brilliant stuff, nothing less than 5 stars will do!

One of East of Eden's strengths lies in their use of an impressive array of instruments that, at the time, were still not common currency in the rock world. Dave Arbus' electric violin dominates the proceedings, weaving ethereal melodies or bringing a strident note to the compositions, while saxes and flute add a very distinctive character to the band's sound. In the best tradition of the original progressive rock movement (and not unlike KC's seminal debut), the songs on this album are at the same time accessible and experimental, soothing and harsh. While the band don't deny their rock and blues roots, they also push the envelope with their richly textured soundscapes, evocative of many different moods.

Closing track In the Stable of the Sphinx, a jazzy, sprawling instrumental (also present in a longer version in the 2004 remaster), is possibly the album's masterpiece: mainly guitar-driven, unlike most of the other tracks, it features some brilliant sax and violin work. Flutes take centre stage in the dreamy, hippyish Isadora; while Waterways and Bathers conjure images of Eastern-style languor and sensuality, with lashings of sumptuous violin and keyboard melodies. On the other hand, the bluesy, harmonica-driven Centaur Woman sounds somewhat harsh, and is in my opinion the weakest offering on the album, even though the slightly distorted, dramatic vocals add some interest to the song.

As previous reviewers have already stated, Mercator Projected is not the accomplished work of a seasoned band. However, even in its raw state it shows the promise than East of Eden would fulfill in their sophomore effort, Snafu. It is a great pity that they did not achieve the fame they deserved for their highly individual, creative approach to prog - they could have become as big as Yes or King Crimson, but now they are forgotten by almost everyone but the real aficionados of the beginnings of the genre.

On any account, this album is highly recommended to anyone who likes their prog to be a challenge, even if a bit rough around the edges. Four and a half stars from me for a disc that every self-respecting prog fan should at least try once.

Much like its author, "The Bruised Romantic Glee Club" (released in 2006 to a lot of critical acclaim, and become unavailable soon afterwards, due to the record label going under) enjoys cult status among prog fans, though not many people have been able to listen to it. I was lucky to find a copy (at a very inviting price too, considering it is a double album) in one of the music stores I used to visit regularly when I lived in Rome. And what a great purchase indeed.. The album is an offering most dedicated prog listeners will be able to appreciate, with all the trademark features of our beloved genre, plus a healthy (though not excessive) dose of melody and accessibility. Moreover, fans of cover versions will be absolutely delighted by the contents of CD2 - a stunning collection of classics by the likes of King Crimson, Soft Machine and Henry Cow, performed by some of the stalwarts of the original Canterbury scene.

Right from its cover, a gorgeous, muted snapshot of Jakko walking on Brighton beach at sunset, "The Bruised Romantic Glee Club" is a thoroughly classy package. Everything - the pictures, the detailed liner notes, the graphics, the music - is designed to appeal to listeners of sophisticated tastes, who look upon an album as a complete experience. I would not hesitate to call it a beautiful album, not only on account of the very accomplished nature of the music contained within, but also of the stories behind each of the song. Like many Canterbury albums, it has a very personal, intimate feel, as conveyed by the title itself.

From even a casual reading of the liner notes, Jakko comes across as a very sensitive, vulnerable human being, consequently bruised by life, but keeping up his optimistic side. Some of the stories attached to individual songs are very moving indeed, especially those related to his family. As many adopted children, he got to meet his real mother much later in life, not long before her untimely death. This part of his life story is the subject of the haunting instrumental "When Peggy Came Home", dedicated to the burial of his natural mother's ashes in her birthplace in Ireland; while the following song, "Highgate Hill", is centred around Jakko's own birth in a hospital in the titular area of London.

Musically speaking, the first CD features a number of songs and instrumental tracks performed by Jakszyk and a handful of high-profile guest musicians - namely Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison, Mel Collins, former Level 42 bassist Mark King, double bass legend Danny Thompson, and even His Majesty Robert Fripp. Canterbury keyboard king Dave Stewart also performs on one track ("Doxy, Dali and Duchamp"), as well as on most of CD2. Comparisons to other bands or artists are anything to easy to draw - I have read one review comparing some of the songs on "The Bruised Romantic Glee Club" to David Sylvian's output, and I find myself in agreement with such a remark. Though Jakko does not have Sylvian's distinctive voice, I find his vocals are the perfect foil for the album's elegant, somewhat understated musical mood. I could also sometimes hear echoes of Jakko's current band, The Tangent, especially their more Canterbury-inspired tracks.

On the other hand, there is a distinctly jazzy feel running through the album, both in the songs and in the instrumentals. The marvellous "Catley's Ashes", driven by Mark King's pneumatic bass, is richly laced with Mel Collins' masterful saxophone; while the melancholy "The Things We Throw Away" features Jakko's long-time friend and former bandmate Lydon Connah, and the majestic "Srebrenica" is based on the traditional music of Serbia. Infused with sadness and loss, the atmospheric, rarefied "When We Go Home" (dedicated to the artist's adoptive mother, Camille) features Fripp on electric guitar, as well as Camille's own recorded voice.

All the songs are of consistent high quality, with a particular mention for the title-track and the already mentioned "Highgate Hill". Admittedly, they sometimes border on pop, but we are talking about an adult, well-rounded kind of pop, and definitely not about anything overtly easy or commercial. Jakszyk also deserves kudos for his skills as a lyrics writer, something not precisely common in the prog world. While he lays his soul bare, he hardly ever descends into mawkishness, and occasionally injects some humour in the overall wistfulness of his musings.

There is not much that can be said about CD2, if not that it is quite magnificent. The quality of the 'raw material' alone would guarantee excellent results, but what really makes these versions special is the obvious love lavished on them by both Jakko and his distinguished guests. It would be very hard for me to pick out a highlight, though the cover of Henry Cow's "The Citizen King" is nothing short of stunning, capturing the blend of wistful beauty and biting irony of the original to perfection. Jakszyk's Oriental-tinged take on King Crimson's "Pictures of a City", featuring Indian percussionist Pandit Dinesh (another former collaborator of the artist), also wins points for inventiveness; while "Islands", remarkably faithful to the original, fits perfectly within the album's stylishly melancholy atmosphere.

As I have already stated at the beginning of my review, it will be probably next to impossible for people to get hold of this album, at least for the time being. However, should you find it second hand, or in the bargain bins of some music store, do not let it escape your clutches. "The Bruised Romantic Glee Club" can be easily counted as one of the best releases of the first 9 years of the new millennium, a prog album that pays homage to a glorious past, and at the same time feels thoroughly modern. With its intimate, confessional quality, and lush, tasteful music, it should appeal to most prog fans, except those who hate anything resembling melody. Four well-deserved stars, with a 'virtual' half one given out as a bonus.

No review of this album would be complete without discourse on the lyrical themes of this irreverently titled French album ("God is Insane"). Unfortunately, French is not my lingua franca, and so, perhaps, an analysis of the music shall suffice (well, it won't, but...) However, not being a musicologist, and being rather tone deaf, I shall not be able to offer much in the way of learned observations of the music. Oh, I could bluff my way through it, focusing on tone, rhythm, harmony, and texture to make myself seem semi-intelligent, but instead I shall vaguely focus on my vague impressions, tangential commentary, and share my love of the music. Anyway, if music is the universal language, and French is the language of love, perhaps my love of this French music shall suffice.

This is a very good album to my ear, and this highly collectible and eccentric vinyl obscurity deserves a proper CD release. Since Duffard was able to secure the necessary requirements for such an ambitious and accomplished release with a large and talented group of performers, it is surprising that there is so little information readily available about him. However, he had worked on a project with Pascal Lami before who was quite a popular French pop artist, and so he must have been quite connected within the music industry. Both projects utilized a large array of performers, some of which worked on both.

I might say that this theatrical avant/ folk/ pop/ rock/ jazzy/ operatic/ Zeuhl-related album sounds as if it is Henri Gougaud meets Magma, meets Laurent Thibault, Pierrot Lunaire, and Ripaille. Additionally, I might say that it meets Hellebore, Zao, Ange, Schonberg's Les Miserables, Arthur Brown, Gyorgy Ligeti, Jerry Goldsmith and Claude Francois for a philosophical and ecclesiastical discussion over a cup of tea (champignon infused perhaps) . I could do this, or use a different set of names, but that seems excessively silly and I fear that it would not provide much help besides. Moreover, I would probably miss the best examples! More correctly, and inarguably, it is composer Pascal Duffard meets all those who participated on his project, and with some research on all those names, I could provide a more useful list than the one I presented. Suffice to say, I like to think of this project as an avant French answer to Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Jesus Christ Superstar." Musical theatre of the absurd in another way to describe this dramatic, wacky, and beautiful recording. Whether you think it absurdly good is another matter. Each vocalist plays a role in the pantomime which is unfolding -- from folk/pop to dialogue, to opera to chant, to laughter and ecstasy (each section has a dialogue of sorts with contrasting textures and tone, and the whole album feels cohesive despite jarring interjections/ juxtapositions and diverse musical expression). It seems a terrific concept even if the finer points of the concept elude me.

The album opens with a trippy, spacey piece (a la some music in "2001: A Space Odyssey") with bleeping electronics that would suit some acid-enhancing sci-fiish movie from the late 60's/ early 70's. From there, it moves into dramatic, operatic, weird free jazzy territory interspersed with experimental avant madness and beautiful poignant-sounding chanson and acoustic passages that provide good contrast and a satisfying playfulness. Bombastic, pretty, strange, pretty strange, and I think pretty wonderful. I also discern a delicious sense of irony in the proceedings.

The direction, arrangements, and performers are very good, as is the production. Although I fully want to give it five stars as it's one of my favourite albums, I find the finale a bit of a letdown. I would not expect an epic, majestic finale, but I would have liked it to end on a very dramatic note. Instead, it tails off and fizzles; not necessarily in a bad way, however. It may work well for the concept, but I would have liked something grander (perhaps of the Grand Guignal variety). The way it ends is just a bit too anti-climactic for me. So I give it four stars for the lack of "kaboom." The Earth getting blown up at the end due to a deus ex machina, now THAT'S a finale, but, though a rather Prog concept, may be too Hollywoody (especially if "the guy" and "the girl" were to live happily ever after against all odds). Considering that the vinyl can set one back hundreds of dollars, one may expect plenty of "bang" for the buck! If only there was a sequel....