EDISON’S CHILDREN - THE DISTURBANCE FIELDS
Not only my album of 2019, but also one of the finest albums ever made. Sheer genius.
As one of the original "Children of Edison", it was a no-brainer that I would pre-order the new work when the campaign was announced earlier this year. Indeed, I am a massive fan, so I would suppose that there would be an expectation that the collaborator who introduced the band to Prog Archives with an accompanying interview for the debut album, In The Last Waking Moments, and a five star review, might be somewhat given to wax lyrical about any new release.
Guilty as charged, m'lud. However, to begin this review, I think it is important to reflect on the words of one of the main protagonists, one Pete Trewavas of Marillion fame. In a video to accompany the pre-launch of this work, Pete made reference to a glowing career, which includes fine collaborations such as Transatlantic and Kino, and stated that the works he had composed and realised with Eric Blackwood in Edison's Children were amongst the finest in his career. He is absolutely spot on, because what we have here is something of wonder, a fine album which demands to be heard as a whole; you know, a throwback to the days when we purchased, listened to, and treasured a work as an entire piece, rather than a mere picking point for a small number of songs on a digital playlist.
If one ignores the "keep us going" patchwork that was Somewhere Between Here And There, The Disturbance Fields is the third original release by this fine ensemble.
There are some major changes to report before considering the work itself. Alongside Blackwood and Trewavas, the act now boasts the full time services of Rick Armstrong (son of Neil) on guitars (this owing to Eric's recent health issues) and Henry Rogers (best known for his work with Touchstone and DeeExpus) on drums. There is also a very welcome drum guest spot by Lisa Wetton, the widow of the late great John, and damned fine she is too.
As a result, this album has the real feel of a band, rather than the previous mighty fine collaboration. The album was produced by the band, and mixed by John Mitchell of Marillion fame. It sounds fantastic from the first waves to the last soundscapes. Lush, wholesome, and a joy to listen to, it contains everything that is wonderful about them, the ability to marry differing moods in the turn of a bar.
Edison's Children describe themselves as playing "hauntingly epic rock", and certainly the first two albums gave themselves much to debate about the meaning inherent within space and horror themes. This one, though, is, if anything, far more haunting and horrific in its theme, because it is entirely based around the power of Mother Earth herself, with the tempest that Pete and Eric suffered whilst recording previous works. Nature can be terrifying in its majesty and power, but also, even in the wildest moments, quite exquisitely beautifully terrifying, and this work takes that and provides these moods to the listener in spades.
The album is a complete suite entitled Washed Away. Fourteen movements, with sub parts therein. An album demanding to be considered as a entire work.
We begin with the calm of The Captain's Ledger, the serenity of the sea, but with the inherent loneliness of the old sea dog, although there is in the lyrics more than a passing reference to the unknown fate of the hero of albums past. There are some staggering passages of orchestration in this album, and they begin to rear up in the second track, providing us with the premonition of nature's fury to come. Thus is the scene set. The sound here, as throughout, is wholly symphonic and lush.
Throughout, the album is awash with sound effects, thundering rhythm, and a narrative which codifies the impact of nature's fury on individual lives and our precious planet, which, be in no doubt, is in peril. Many of us are, literally, in danger of being washed away. Indeed, the menace of swirling guitars, throbbing bass, and crashing drums accompanying the warning inherent within Indigenous exemplify this perfectly.
When Trewavas was introducing this work in the video, he played The Surge, a track which really deserves a huge amount of radio AirPlay, with its ridiculously catchy main theme, strong vocal performance of his, and bursts of gorgeous power. A single in the making? Any fan of Marillion will recognise this, the ability to marry messages, themes, power, and beauty into one seamless, and, yes, commercial, whole. Armstrong's guitar solo is really quite lovely here.
You are lulled into a wee bit of a false sense of security again Into The Dead Calm, a lonely narrative setting out into the sea. The Tempest then builds the scene vocally, with some lilting and screaming guitars. What follows is the promised wrath of nature, her revenge. I have heard much of these passages described as Floydian. Yes, in parts I suppose, but I prefer Edisonian, because this lot are unique. A Random Disturbance brings back the orchestral keys to such a menacing effect, on the face of it a simple loop, but a damned sight more than that when set against all else, especially some incredible guitar work at the denouement, and leads us nicely into the longest, at ten minutes plus, passage, The Confluence, the centrepiece of the album, formed of five mini-suites.
The band have had some heavy moments in previous works, but, by God, this one tops them all. If any band have ever managed to better this description of man sometimes meeting his match, and losing his life, as he confronts the disturbance fields, in such a huge storm of music, then I would like to hear it. When The Beast is revealed in Resurgence, it is, paradoxically, a passage of musical beauty, Armstrong's textures quite lovely set against more lilting keys, pacy rhythm ( Wetton compliments Trewavas wonderfully here), and Eric's haunting voice, before it falls back to that wonderful loop we heard previously, and we enter The Epitaph, where everything that ever was is washed away, closing our theme perfectly and fading with chilling effect.
This is a wonderful piece. This is my album of 2019. What is more, we are promised future albums already written. I cannot wait.
So, to return to the start of this review; yes, I am a fan; yes, my name does appear on the cd credits. You know what? Damned proud of it I am too. Eric and Pete, with their wonderful band, have created something truly special in this album. It might also, hopefully, get you to engage in a serious conversation, and reflect, as it has with I, about the true horror which confronts us in the world in the here and now.
This album is about as perfect as modern progressive rock gets. Forget to buy it at your peril. Oh, and Wendy's artwork is worth the entrance price alone - totally lush.
BIG BIG TRAIN - GRAND TOUR
Strangely, I did not do a full review of this in 2019 (I was going through a thin patch) and I will rectify this soon. However, for now, this is an album full of delight. A mature piece of work, wholly song-driven, with some majestic moments. A delight to listen to and become immersed in.
MOSTLY AUTUMN - WHITE RAINBOW
An album made under the most trying of circumstances, that of the death of long-term collaborator and close friend, Liam Davison. As a result, much of this album is achingly sad, but still features them doing what they do best - creating soaring songs which take the listener on a journey. This album contains one of my favourite all-time pieces of music, The Undertow, which features on lead vocals the wonderful Angela Gordon. Viking Funeral & the title track are two of the finest epics you will hear this, or any other, year. An excellent album.
THE WHO - WHO
Extremely good album from rock veterans.
A few years ago, I saw an interview with Roger Daltrey, in which the legendary Who vocalist waxed lyrical about how his old sparring partner, Pete Townsend, had "written the book" on teenage life, angst, and growing up in a harsh world, but hoped that he would one day write the definitive album about growing old.
Well, 2019 saw the release of "Who", a brand new collection of Townsend songs written for his cohort and recorded virtually, with Daltrey allegedly taking some time to "get into it".
Is it the definitive old rocker collection of words? Well, maybe not, but what it is is a fine collection, and, to this long-standing fan, that is likely as much as we are entitled to.
To these ears, Townsend has absolutely rediscovered his ear for fine and catchy rock tunes. The album leaps out at you with the opener, All This Music Must Fade, a somewhat bitter rock track, and Townsend shows that he has lost none of his old penchant for awkwardness when, at the close, he follows up a monologue with "who gives a fuck?". Indeed.
Daltrey sounds absolutely fantastic throughout. Of course, the range is a lot narrower than days of yore, but for a man in his 70's, it ain't half bad.
Ball & Chain opens with delicate piano and guitar, before providing us with a fine modern day blues riff discussing the horrors of Guantanamo Bay. And therein probably lies my deepest satisfaction with this album. I like it that Townsend still has the ability to have a damned good old rant, and that Daltrey is still the only singer and man alive with the capability of translating this into the polished product.
I adore I Don't Wanna Get Wise, a testimony to growing old in rather rude fashion, this rips along at such a pace that you really believe it is being performed by a group half their age.
Zak Starkey and Pink Palladino shine on drums and bass on Detour, a richly produced rock number with more than a nod to the past (Detours was the forerunner of The Who).
Talking of production, there are hints of some of the rich keys which blessed albums such as Who's Next and Quadrophenia all the way through, and nowhere more than on the expansive ballad Beads On One String, and my only minor gripe here is that it would have been nice to have a lot more, because they allow this track to soar in places. Ditto with Street Song, which contains keys which both remind one of Baba O'Reilly in parts, and provide a touch of Middle Eastern textures, and had this been more to the fore, a better track might have followed. As it is, I find it one of the rare throwaway tracks present.
Having said that, nowhere does the entire album sound better than on the wonderful Hero Ground Zero, with orchestral soundscapes backing a very strong Daltrey vocal. This track was written by Townsend as the opener to an as yet unfinished opera, and it is utter proof how just how much Daltrey brought into the recording process. The pair of them might have fought like cat and dog for decades, but they clearly respect each other, and I dare say love each other very much. Music this good doesn't come out of hatred.
Townsend saves for himself the longest track, at just over five minutes, I'll Be Back, a ballad sung and played by him, with Daltrey supporting on harmonica only, and it again features some good orchestration. An interesting track which provides an eclectic contrast to the overall album. The closing chord, by the way, is straight out of Quadrophenia.
The album reasserts itself strongly with the fine single release, Break The News, a song which simply shouts out the pleasure of still being alive, performing together, and rising above the chaos of being the world's greatest rock band. This track was the first I knew about the impending release of a new album when I heard it played on Planet Rock Radio. It was, and remains, a joy to listen to, and worth the admission price alone.
Rockin' In Rage does what it says on the tin, and probably only Daltrey could get away with this at his age. As a latter day protest rock song, it doesn't quite work for me, and I regard this as the other "filler track", being a wee bit too forced.
The album closes with She Rocked My World, a blues infused curio.
That these two are still knocking out music of any, let alone this, quality some 56 years after they started (they have been playing some 6 months longer that I have been alive) is nothing short of miraculous. They have weathered the loss of two of the greatest rock musicians ever to stride this Earth, and, more to the point, they still sound vital and relevant.
I think fans old and new will enjoy much of what these two old geezers still have to offer. If this is their recording swan song, it is a fine way to go out.
LEBOWSKI - GALACTICA
The sophomore album from talented instrumental Polish outfit Lebowski was released 9 years after the impressive debut, Cinematic. Dealing with themes of space, it is another extremely satisfying slab of clever and soaring soundscapes.
LEE ABRAHAM - COMATOSE
Class album from the Galahad man. This is a single track 47-minute concept album which, it is reasonable to say, fans of Pink Floyd, and The Wall in particular, will take a particular shine to.
INTROITUS - SHADOWS
I love this band. Hailing from Sweden, the driving force is Mats Bender, with his lovely wife Anna providing the most lovely vocals - further, two children also feature, Matthias on drums, and Johanna on vocals. The lazy assumption about Introitus is that they are “neo” classic prog clones. This scandalously undersells a fantastic band who are adept at creating wonderful atmospheres (witness the gorgeous denouement of Beyond Fantasy) and combine soaring symphonic soundscapes with Scandinavian folk sensibilities to provide a listening experience which always takes you with them.
IQ - RESISTANCE
Probably the most difficult album review I have ever written
I bow to no one in my admiration of this fine band, and the prospect, following a long wait, of a new album was mouth watering, especially given the fact that, to these ears, the predecessor album, Road of Bones, remains one of the best in my collection.
By God, though, I have struggled with this. Of course, those of us who have listened to prog for many years, and have the privilege of writing down our thoughts, will be familiar with many exceptional works which on the first few listens sound average or even dreadful, but, with growing familiarity turn out to be that belter of a classic five star work.
I know that this is going against the grain somewhat, but I do not think that Resistance is one of those albums, and, sorry, I think this is the weakest IQ album since Peter Nicholls returned gloriously to the fold.
To the ears of Lazland, the fault lies with the first cd. Very little of it progresses seamlessly. It is almost tuneless in parts. I dislike opener A Missile intently, with the overly layered keyboard effects hammering the theme somewhat relentlessly. Rise reminds me in parts of tracks from Frequency, but, unlike that fine work when the band worked together, this sounds very much like some post- production vocals stuck on top of a hotch potch of sounds, and guilty of the abiding sin of this whole work, which is far too much production, by which I mean the lack of emotion and emotive music, which to me are the hallmarks of this band.
The quieter pieces on Road of Bones dripped with menace and emotion, whereas Stay Down is merely rambling. I like the opening pipe on Alampandria, but could have done without the synth backdrops, again rather over-produced. The song then segues into a by-numbers IQ riff.
Shallow Bay is a somewhat typical late period IQ track, and is very good, and the first time on the album that the band make me sit up and take notice of proceedings, especially with the marvellous rhythm section of Esau and Cook work throughout, and a trademark Cook guitar solo.
Much of If Anything could have been transposed onto a late period Genesis album. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I like late Genesis. But the quieter moments on Seventh House, Dark Matter, Frequency, and Road of Bones were welcome and emotive parts of a whole body of work. It must be me, but I simply don't get how this fits into whatever narrative is being told here, and, once again, the sound effects towards the end strike me as simply being a noise. The church organ could have been marvellous, but feels way out of place.
None of this, however, comes anywhere near the awfulness of the closer on cd 1, For Another Lifetime. I hate this bloody track, and I really have tried to feel otherwise. The circus theme is damned annoying. The sound effects which come with it are shocking, and (I never thought I would say this about one of my beloved acts) it is soporific. Nicholls' vocals are soporific. The keyboards are, yes, soporific. I like experimentation. It is a critical part of musical excellence, but this is damned depressing. Different for the sake of being different, and I struggle like hell to see how it fits within whatever album narrative is being expressed to us. The rest of it is formulaic, but mostly I simply switch off well before this.
I doubt that I will listen to cd1 ever again, unless I am in a self-harm mood.
Thankfully, cd2 has much to recommend and please.
There are two huge epic tracks, opener The Great Spirit Way, and closer Fallout. The commencement of the former has a lovely, and thoroughly welcome, feel of a band jamming its way to the theme, but with surety and purpose. Cook and Esau thunder along, and, for the first time on the album, Durant's keyboards support, rather than dominate, the music. Nicholls, again for the first time on the album, sounds as if he not only means what he is singing, but he does it in time with the music. Some of Holmes' work is delicate and quite lovely. The whole track has some exceptional moods, signature changes, and soars wonderfully in places. There is a rather lovely piano and acoustic guitar passage in the middle section, and then thoughtful keys before the track reasserts itself in grandiose fashion. So, yes, an IQ epic, and whilst I would not put it up against classics of yore, in all honesty, it is so welcome after what came before, you cannot help but love it.
Fire and Security is of a muchness with much of the first cd, and is, therefore, somewhat forgettable. Not bad, but not much of anything.
Perfect Space opens thoughtfully, and is interesting, especially the snare, bass, and guitar interplay before we are transported back to more familiar IQ fare in the shape of Holmes guitar and Durant whirling away. Not a classic by any means, but okay, and could have been great had the opening themes been explored far more.
All, though, is almost forgiven when you listen to album closer, Fallout. This most certainly is a classic IQ epic track. A thoughtful and ambient opening sequence moves into darker territory. Once again, Cook and Esau absolutely shine in pushing the music along, Holmes dominates when he soars, and (I really hate to say this, because I think he is an excellent musician) Durant pulls off a marvellous Orford contribution - by this, I mean he complements the music with some delicate and thoughtful touches, rather than a sampled mess. This is a monster of a track, and thoroughly enjoyable. It has been placed as a worthy addition to the Lazland IQ playlist.
I like to think that IQ have at least one more classic in them. Unfortunately, Resistance is not it.
JON ANDERSON - 1000 HANDS CHAPTER ONE
Ultimately disappointing album by “Prog God” Anderson.
Jon Anderson will forever be associated with Yes, titans of the genre this site is (mainly) dedicated to. His was the voice which first got me into serious progressive music all those years ago in the heady mid-70's.
He has also released a number of solo albums, and it is fair to say that most people reading this will state that nothing has come close to topping the first one, Olias of Sunhillow, although my personal favourite is Change We Must.
1000 Hands is a project gestating for something akin to 20 years. Only Gabriel seems more pedestrian in completing new work.
The album features a cast of thousands, but is notable for having former Yes cohorts Howe, Squire, Rabin, Wakeman, and White involved. For those eager to see any classic line-up reunited, it must be said that this is the closest Howe will get to Jon these days.
It is an eclectic mix of music, but what does really strike one is just how good that wonderful voice still sounds. Anderson plays about with his familiar interests, namely spirituality, Native American sounds, the cod reggae heard here on First Born Leaders and once presented to embarrassing effect on Teakbois from ABWH, choral and orchestral arrangements.
It is a tad too diverse in my opinion to succeed wholly, although there is much to enjoy. The "Now" suite of music is split into three parts, and might have worked better as a whole piece, because it evokes some lovely sounds and arrangements, with Anderson really sounding as good as he ever has done. The album closing sequence gives you goosebumps, with Howe shining on classical guitar. Oh, what might have been, eh?
Ramalama is a fun track, full of grooves. The choral arrangements backing Anderson on First Born Leaders at the denouement absolutely rescue a track which commences with aforementioned cod reggae.
The other famous Anderson, Ian of Tull fame, plays a lovely flute backing track on Activate, and this together with some lovely string and choral pieces bring what would have been a somewhat rambling piece of lyricism in the first part to life. The track is almost 9 minutes long, and the closing half is nothing but a joy, full of life, sound, and a vibrant celebration of music and life.
In varying forums and reviews, the greatest criticism has been reserved for Makes Me Happy, an extraordinarily weird piece of pop music dedicated, naturally, to Janeeeeeeeeeeeee. The video accompanying this really must be seen to be believed to appreciate the extent of how years of imbibing smelly weed can turn the mind upside down. Joking aside, my view here is that the track does make me smile, and that isn't such a bad thing, is it?
In much the same vein, only Anderson could really pull off a track such as I Found Myself. It is another love song, and the words will be familiar to any long-time fan. Think of If Only I Knew from The Ladder, and you will be very close, but this does feature some fine violin, pulsating bass lines and pretty choral effects.
Twice in a Lifetime is a curious track, at once baroque, then something akin to a sea shanty at times. The violin playing on this is deeply moving, and it is here that I believe Anderson could have been far more adventurous, certainly given the time it took to realise this work. For this song would have been quite gorgeous had it been performed with a full symphony orchestra, rather than the bits and pieces it has. As it is, it is pleasant, but not a great deal more than that.
The other single release from the album is WDMCF, an acronym for Where Does Music Come From? This is another sort of maddening track for me. There are some wonderful vocal arrangements, more orchestration, and it was born from his chanting of a morning (as you do. A cup of tea normally does me, but it takes all sorts), but, again, this could have been so much more. It directly segues into the title track, 100 Hands (Come Up), and this, again, cries out, as with the previous tracks, for a full symphonic arrangement and live performance. It is far too bitty, the jazzy piano and double bass solos especially simply sounding completely out of place. There is a personal bias here. I have always loathed trad jazz, especially its pretentious sound patterns dressed up as improvisation, and this track sails too close to that particular wind for my liking. However, when the violin, keys, oboe, brass, and voices soar towards the end, the result is stunning, and a very frustrating shout out for what could have been.
To summarise, an album which has taken so long to produce should not sound, as much of this does, rushed. There are some lovely highlights, but they are too few and far between. In fact, that could almost be a narrative on Jon's entire solo career and proves to me that adage that great bands are made of a collective of genius, working closely together for a common goal. Thus Yes. Far greater together than apart.
Good, but utterly non-essential. A shame, really.