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VARIOUS ARTISTS -
Do You Dream?
Angel Air 2010

Subtitled "UK Pop & Psychedelia 1965-1970", the collection presents the naive side of the otherworldly genre.

Unlike its American counterpart, the roots of British psychedelia lay not so much in the lysergic domain as in the English absurdism tradition: those were the songs of innocence rather than experience, and that's the point made crystal clear by this compilation. Plundering the Angel Air archives for what, thanks to the label, aren't rarities anymore, it welcomes in a few previously unreleased tracks to tie up the loose fringe of the almost underground scene with quite a few family connections. Cue the folky title track by CIRCUS with its gentle watercolor glow and the Stax-styled groove of "Number One" by the band's earlier incarnation THE STORMSVILLE SHAKERS led by still-to-be-famous Phillip Goodhand-Tait donning an Otis suit here. Likewise, for all the clean-shaved, albeit sitar-tinged, pop like that of Phil Cordell's "Red Lady" there's a grit of Chuck Berry licks in FAVOURITE SONS' otherwise childlike "Walkin' Walkin'".

The prime examples of genuine psychedelia come in the shape of THE RATS' "The Rise And Fall Of Bernie Gripplestone", featuring Mick Ronson's nascent guitar wizardry in raga mode, and OUTER LIMITS' "Epitaph For A Non Entity" with Jeff Christie at his most Lennonesque. And the Fabs' genre-defining "I Am The Walrus" has found its way here, too, in AFFINITY's soulful version, alongside the brass-splashed "All Along The Watchtower" from THE ALAN BOWN produced by Mike Hurst before Hendrix took on that Dylan classic that the mighty Jess Roden voices here. That's where the innocence starts to wear off splitting into the proto-prog of FAMILY's "Weavers Answer" and hard rock of ATOMIC ROOSTER's "Devil's Answer" demo. The psychedelia had no chance after that, yet it gave birth to those genres and while its borrowed time lasted it was great.

*****
CHRIS SPEDDING -
Just Plug Him In
New Rose 1991
Angel Air 2010

The six-string rumbler goes it alone - front-stage and down to the business - over two decades. No showboating but pure class.

A famous guitarist-for-hire for the stellar cast including such diverse figures as Paul McCartney, Brian Eno, John Cale and Katie Melua, on his own - that is after driving SHARKS after Andy Fraser left - Chris Spedding could be perceived as a British Link Wray. There's the same punky menace in his sole solo hit "Motorbikin'" that's in the heart of this 14-track live collection which spans 1977-1989, in the twang of its opening tune, "Gunfight", and in the cover of "Shakin' All Over": no question as to why SEX PISTOLS asked Spedding to produce their demos.

While others save their energy for sophisticated solos Chris is also capable of - savor the liquid lines of "Silver Bullet" or "Guitar Jamboree" quoting "Layla", "Start Me Up", "Purple Haze" and the like - he channels it all in simple, yet powerful, Berry and Diddley-inspired chords of "Catch That Train" and the highly charged spikes of "Music Breakout" that blows you off your feet within the first minute. The tension may sag on "Hurt", but here the title cut of Spedding's 1977 album represents all the shambolic beauty of his concert. Now, what about a box set with all these shows in their entirety, Chris?

****1/3
ROBIN GEORGE -
Crying Diamonds /
Dangerous Music Live 85
Majestic Rock
2006 / 2004
Angel Air 2010

The secret weapon of British guitar army shoots with both his barrels.

Mostly known as a sidekick to the stars, it's on his own that Robin George gets a real kick out of the music he plays; it's not vanity, though, it's the fact that the guitarist's own voice - not pretentious but pleasant vocals - doesn't distract from his instrument. Here's the whole package, then, on these two discs, with 10 years between them, the studio and concert one.

The earlier, "Dangerous Music Live", has a period charm but transcends it thanks to the angular riffing and fiery solos, so the commerical gems "Heartline" and "Showdown" come counterbalanced with spiky groovers such as "Spy", which Robin would re-cut two decades later with his new band, DAMAGE CONTROL, that picked up where DANGEROUS MUSIC left off with this set. It rocks hard, bonus tracks underlining the power of "No News Is Good News", where the rhythm section, RENAISSANCE's Jon Camp and MAGNUM's Ken Gorin, propel the main man's axe to rage wildly together in "History", with the title track and "Go Down Fighting" packing the best punch.

"Crying Diamonds" is much more mature work, infused with a sense of tragedy from losing two friends: URIAH HEEP's David Byron, the guitarist's partner in shaping up the muscular bluesy funk of "Learn The Dance", and Phil Lynott who George co-wrote the titular Beatlesque song with and whose "King's Call" he re-imagined acoustically to make it a valediction to the THIN LIZZY man. But the memorable chorus of "Face To Face" bubbles with vitality, while "Cocoon", the soulful would-be axis of Robin's next band's album, sees the master foray into the Brian May harmonic solo territory. Unlike many other guitarists who made their names in the '80s, Robin George, also known as a skilful producer, never overplays, and his work is tasty on each of the 14 tracks, plus four additional cuts including a couple recorded in his own time by Robert Plant; yet there's no classic rock slant to the record, what with the alternative edge of "Whatever Goes Around Comes Around" that presages the due recognition its author is getting now. A little classic.

****4/5 / ****1/3
STRAY -
New Dawn / Alive And Giggin'
Mystic Records
1997 / 1997
Angel Air 2010

The impressive rebirth of forgotten hard rock heroes - on- and off-stage.

After two decades in the wilderness, a couple of failed reunions notwithstanding, 1996 saw the second coming of STRAY who were formed exactly 30 years earlier but fizzled out after eight albums without enjoying the fame of other second-division British heavy bands such as U.F.O. or URIAH HEEP. The force to be reckoned with anyway and kept in high regard by the NWOBHM breed, the group that the original guitarist Del Bromham resurrected, while positioning himself at the microphone, became trio, rather than quartet - hence the wild energy of "Alive And Giggin'" recorded that summer in England. Featuring classic '70s material, the performance is rarely less than fiery soloing-wise: the tremendously vivacious "Fire And Glass" cuts the slack as its title dictates, whereas the muscular funk of "After The Storm" belies its tag tempestuously, and "Buying Time" holds the effective use of talk-box. At the same time, "Mister Wind" and "Jericho" rage pleasantly between sharp attack and romantic flights, bassist Dusty Miller and drummer Phil McKee adding panoramic space to the Celtic heart of the latter and the power to the infectious stomp of the former.

A few months later the same line-up delivered "New Dawn", the other disc of this 2CD set and the band's first studio album in 20 years that opens with another Celtic march, the instrumental "Dawn Rising", to unfurl the lite version of STRAY's erstwhile hard zip in "Further To Fall" and the title track, yet after that, the familiar groove gets back in place to peak with the heavy "Rock Steady". "White Knuckle Fever" possesses a good kick, too, even though it recycles the "Immigrant Song" riff, and the bass-laden "Trouble" harks back to the early power trios era which links it to "Jimijam" that hangs on Hendrix's quotes, while "Dangerous Games" pays tribute to THIN LIZZY - all in fine style. Factor in the Fabesque jangle of the funky "The Man In My Head" and a couple of acoustic cuts as a finale, and you have a mixed bag that's more promise than resolve. Which is enough for any comeback.

***3/4 / ****
WIGWAM -
The Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose
Love 1976
Esoteric 2010

Streamlining their act, the Finnish proggers flex their collective muscle and pull their punches but don't quite hit it.

Following on from the previous year's "Nuclear Nightclub", WIGWAM astutely embraced the spirit of the era when the instrumental brilliance of progressive rock started to shift behind the ensemble playing with this, the band's sixth album. Not that singing pianist Jim Pembroke decided to simplify the group's approach, but now it was a melody that arrangements served, not vice versa. Cue the pure pop of the humorous "International Disaster" that eases in on Pekka Rechardt's Claptonesque guitar, although there's significatly less immediacy on the record as signalled by the opener "Save Again" which flicks the switch with vocals floating on keyboards wave.

And if in "Eddie And The Boys" WIGWAM pitch their tent under the Caribbean sun, the left-field 10CC way, the balance is maintained with two little epics crossing the bridge between the classic art rock and the commercial demand for memorable tunes: the title track and "Colossus" with their steady rhythms yet ever-changing tempos, with the latter's adventurousness firmly kept in check and the former's funky fusion strongly bound to Earth. The real gem is, still, the poignantly soulful - and almost orchestral in its scope - "Never Turn You In". Indeed, the band would never turn in anything as strong after that so, along with two bonus cuts from the preceding single, including the infectious "Wardance" which alone is worth is the price of admission, the album is the last great work the supreme Scandinavians.

***4/5
PEKKA POHJOLA -
The Mathematician's Air Display
Love 1977
Esoteric 2010

From mundane to the ethereal, the Finland's best goes along with the "Tub Bells" master.

So impressive were the talents of Pekka Pohjola that, once he'd parted company with WIGWAM, not only Frank Zappa but also Mike Oldfield, who liked the bassist's brilliant "B The Magpie", expressed the desire to work with him. With former it wasn't to be, while with the latter the thought came to a fruition, and the Englishman not only co-produced the Finn's next effort but played guitar on all, bar one, tracks roping in GONG's percussionist Pierre Moerlen and his own sister along the way. Sally Oldfield's angelic voice adorns the harpsichord and grand piano-led baroque of "Hands Straighten The Waters" and the frivolous gallop through "False Start Of The Shadows", the rest is purely instrumental - and somehow less reverie-inducing than Pohjola's previous efforts.

It's not all Oldfield's fault, though, as the cinematic drive of "The Perceived Journey Lantern", recorded before Mike joined the project, suggests, yet his mark is all over the mesmerizing title track, that unfurles grandiosely and gains momentum as it progresses despite featuring only the trio of the two main men and Moerlen, which wouldn't have felt out of place on "Hergest Ridge", if not for the often soloing bass line. The same line-up delivers the first part of the almost 16-minute "The Consequences Of Head Bending" in the jazzy, sligthly barrel-house and at the same time airy, style before the four-string rage builds up the funereal tension for the second part laid down early on in Sweden with a full band and harking back to Pekka Pohjola's original psychedelic approach with odd, if elegant, fusion excursions.

The result is somehow experienced and innocent at the same time which requires numerous listenings to get into the plot, but in the end it's immeasurably rewarding. Just like the mathematics...

****
DARREN BATH -
Love And Hurt
ChangesOne 2001
Angel Air 2010

The former U.K. SUBS and Ian Hunter guitarist delivers a minor pub rock classic.

Not a household name when it comes to six-stringers, Darren Bath is a British secret weapon when it comes to that rare breed of guitarist who can be rough and elegant at the same time. Which are, of course, the inherent properties of pub rock, that half-missing link between the art and punk currencies. Too young to throw down the gauntlet to Wilko Johnson, Bath made his name in the '80s but, always a team player, seemed reluctant to come up with a solo album which was in him for a long time. Still, 2001 saw Darren go down that road.

The path is a beaten one, as the slide-adorned blues romp of opener "So Young So Wise" suggests, yet enjoyable nevertheless. It's heavy on deliberate vocal Dylanisms peaking with the jolly ride of "Gimme A Choice", the "Still Learning" jelly roll and the romantic "Sweet Warm Lover" where Hugh McKenna assumes Al Kooper's organ duties, while the voice and guitar work make "Bit Of Your Pride" feel like Lennon-Harrison track that no one knows of, and "To Die For" has a genuine public house swagger about it. The same panache spreads all over "All The Good Times", added here as a bonus and featuring the guitar duet of Darren Bath and his great late buddy Nikki Sudden. Downplayed this record might be but it's a little gem to fondle.

***4/5
WIGWAM -
Nuclear Nightclub
Love 1975
Esoteric 2010

The Finnish proggers' finest hour in the times of balance-setting and no atomic blast on the horizon.

Parting company with talented bassist and organist who contributed massively to the band's moulden sound might signal a catastrophe for any ensemble but in WIGWAM's case the amicable split only shifted the focus towards Jim Pembroke's singular vision. This was the album that brought the group to the international listeners' attention, although with progressive rock on the decline the Finns chose not the best of time to deliver their masterpiece. Or, perhaps, Pembroke sniffed the change in the weather, as the title track's memorable chorus and soulful vocals and the playful flow of "Save My Money And Name" reveal a new, pop sensibilty to WIGWAM's still exquisite music.

Here, the mostly instrumental "Bless Your Lucky Stars" distills the collective's artful approach to composition and, in "Kite", new guitarist Pekka Rechardt could give David Gilmour a run for his money, while a part of "Do Or Die" and "Freddie Are You Ready" could have made it into the charts - what with Pembroke's Stevie Wonder-influenced piano jive - if not for the unpredictable time signatures and the little qurkiness which spreads all over the record and renders it so special. The heavy riffage of closer "Pigstorm" hints on possible alternative direction for the band yet it defines the album's gist and title in the best possible way.

****4/5
LIFE -
Cocoon
Now & Then 1997
Angel Air 2010

Rocking hard in the barren field, the forgotten heavy heroes break the shell.

The name LIFE Robin George, then a young guitar slinger, first used for his debut single in 1980 and revived this four-letter word in the early '90s when, having gained a great experience as a sidekick for THIN LIZZY's Phil Lynott and URIAH HEEP's David Byron and a producer, he came up with a band of his own in the company of Nick Tart on vocals. The group toured intensively recording this album along the way, but in the times of grunge reign this kind of melodic hard rock, fashionable half a decade earlier, didn't find a listener, yet now, in expanded form, it proudly stands its ground.

It's a strong work, the George-Tart co-write "The Language Of Love" boasting a catchy blues jive and a lot of funk, whereas the titular song is gospel-tinged and "Oxygen" flows as a soulful ballad. Some songs on the record had obviously been in place before the band came to be: the opener, "Dangerous Music", riff-rich and adorned with John Young's keyboards, originally was the title track for Robin's 1985's album, yet here it has much more grit - which must have made a live favorite - and provides the base for the more loose "Don't Come Crying". Still, while the leader's guitar playing is excellent throughout, tracks like "Losing You" are strictly of their era and today sound dated; at the same time, "Let It Burn" and "Rush" rage very contemporarily.

Sadly, LIFE's life wasn't long - "The End Of The Line" bids farewell on an exquisite acoustic passage - but with George still active and Tart fronting DIAMOND HEAD, "Cocoon" has both historic value and emotional zip to be viable in this day and age.

***
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