A fantastic LP which cemented this reviewer’s love affair with the band post Brave.
The album begins with a wall of sound on Gazpacho, with Kelly providing fine keyboards, and then continues in frenetic fashion with Cannibal Surf Babe, a fine example of a band breaking free of its shackles and producing something genuinely different. What were they taking?
Beautiful is a great ballad single, and you still have the hairs on the back of your neck listening to Rothery's opening chords to Hogarth's emotive singing.
Afraid of Sunrise is a pleasant, quiet, reflective piece, whilst Out of this World is a fine, slow moving tribute to Donald Campbell - the family asked for this to be played when his vehicle was discovered.
The tempo is upped on Afraid of Sunlight, whilst Beyond You builds the listener up to the LP's tour de force, King. If there has ever been a more glorious noise than the ending to this, I would like to hear it - King Crimson, eat your chords out!
Again, Rothery makes a vital contribution to this LP, as he does to all the best works. That is not, however, to denigrate the rest of the band's contribution. As with Brave, this is a collective effort, and all pull together.
The sleeve notes state that this album was knocked out - what would it have been with a slow recording process?
This was the end of the band's first stint with EMI and remains a fine work. Strongly recommended to all of you who cannot see beyond Fugazi.
NUOVA ERA - IL PASSO DEL SOLDATO
Despite the shocking quality of the photo aside, this album screams quality.
My interest was piqued recently when, as part of a forum thread I authored, I commented on Walter Pini, the keyboardist and major composer for Nuova Era. He is at the heart of everything on this album.
In listening to this remarkable work which discusses war, I have put aside all the all too obvious prejudices. Firstly, this album sounds absolutely nothing like classic Genesis. For a start, there are no guitars here whatsoever, and given that Phillips and Hackett were integral to the sound of Genesis, that is a big clue. There are definite shades of ELP/Emerson influence in Pini's keys work, but this album cannot be described as anything other than rather unique in this veteran's listening experience.
The vocals by Claudio Guerrini are relentlessly strong throughout, and the rhythm section of Enrico Giordani on bass and Gianluca Lavacchi on drums is thunderous.
The opening track, All'ombra di un Conflitto, in all its grandeur, sets the scene perfectly. There are many highlights, but I especially appreciate the quirkiness of the short instrumental piece, La Parata dei Simboli, and the brass on Epitaffio, both of which really sound like nothing I have heard before, always a huge plus for me. I thrive on new music, and this sounds as fresh to me as I am sure long-standing fans of this band must have thought when they first heard it 16 years ago.
The title track itself is the longest, weighing in at over 12 minutes, and starts with a delightful piano piece, before the main section commences what can only really be described as a rather dark and menacing operatic story. Full of mood, key, and signature changes, it grips the listener from start to finish. The closing section makes you imagine vividly the march of soldiers to battle. Similar feelings are wrought on the truly atmospheric Armicrazia which details the thoughts of a sniper, an extremely foreboding piece which, in a state of contrast, has an altogether lovely vocal section mid-track before the dark keys and relentless pushing of bass and drum take centre stage, before ceding to a far more thoughtful reflective synth.
Throughout this album there is intelligence, playing and singing of the highest order, and a story which you really do not have to be able to understand Italian to appreciate (take Riflessi di Pace, or Reflections of Peace. You know from the sunshine and lifting beauty of the song that this is different from the battlefield songs without really needing to be told). It makes you visualise, as, of course, the finer operas will do. Clearly, the album and its composer has its influences, not least of which is a classic 70's feel, but these are transposed into a definite 90's production and some really lovely passages of music.
If you have shied away from the Italian scene, then you really could do a lot worse than have a pop at this excellent album, and use it as a springboard to not only explore this fine outfit, but many other fine artists.
A highly recommended, wonderful, album.
Everyone must start somewhere, and I suspect that many readers who profess to love Anthony Phillips' work with Genesis on To Revelation, and, especially, Trespass, and bemoan the fact that he left the band...what might have been...have never actually heard a great deal of his extremely extensive solo work. If you are one of these people, or a member of the forum who has simply never experienced the genius of the man's work, this Anthology, originally released in 1995, and my first real introduction to a cornucopia of exceptional works, is a great place to start.
It contains all that we love and, indeed, loathe about his work. Phillips, a very introverted man, is very clever, and is a multi-instrumentalist, not just a guitarist. His compositions have, indeed, been very influential without being commercially huge.
The first track, The Women Are Watching, exemplifies every similar track on the album - that is, if you want to enjoy Phillips' music, don't bother listening to the ones where he sings vocals. He doesn't do it very often, and a good job, because he really cannot sing. This and Lucy Will are simply terrible and best ignored. Unheard Cry features some beautiful guitar work, and emotional vocals revolving around child and mother, but would clearly have benefited from a proper vocalist giving a professional feel to the lovely tune and lyrics. It's a lovely track, but Phillips just is not a singer.
Prelude is more like it, a lovely composition which is mainly keyboard based, it flows very nicely to a percussive backdrop.
But to really appreciate how influential and great the man's compositions are, The Anthem from Tarka (a soundtrack to an old TV documentary) is a must listen to. Quite simply heavenly in the main keyboard lead, this gorgeous instrumental takes you directly to the riverbed as the Oboe plays the Otter of the title track. It lilts and lifts and is a highlight of Phillips' career.
Tregenna Afternoons is perhaps the best known of his guitar pieces from his earlier solo career and is a track which features acoustic guitar played to such depth and imagination that you are forgiven for thinking that it is a symphonic work. One of those tracks which, no matter how much you admire Steve Hackett (which I do, very much), makes you wonder what might have been for Genesis had Phillips stayed. For a further good example, simply listen to Nightmare, an instrumental in which you can see the dark shapes, vicious happenings, and visceral forms in front of you if you close your eyes to listen to the music. It is Phillips very much proving that his hard rock and mood on The Knife (amongst others) was not an accident.
The album has 17 tracks, and I will not review each one individually - the above tracks really tell you all you need to know. Mainly a work of genius, with some infuriating lapses which make the album, and, indeed, the career, vital and rewarding.
I will, however, make special mention of God If I Saw Her Now, featuring our very own Phil Collins sharing lead vocals, on a track from the very first Mike Rutherford produced solo album. A track of such intricate feeling, emotion, and featuring the most incredible solo guitar piece in the middle, it puts paid to all those doubters as to Collins' prog sensibilities - he shines on this.
A collection of different moods, this album neatly encapsulates Phillips’ career to 1995. It is an enjoyable album which I would recommend to those who, like me at the time, are curious about extending their interest in his work.