This is the 13th album from the Aylesbury-based band and this time they decided to pull out all the stops and produce a double CD collection of songs for the faithful. Once again, the fans paid the band in advance so fund their promotional push for this record and, if we are lucky, the band might just get a number 1 single out of this.
As a band that complains that they aren’t progressive rock, the album opens with a 12-minute track called “The Invisible Man”. This song builds on the loops and atmospheres laid down by “This is the 21st Century” from their previous album and is quite an atmospheric opener, despite some of the lyrics owing a nod to TS Eliot (naturally).
Throughout the album there are four smaller tracks called “Marbles I-IV” which provide the narrative thread. These songs deal with that sense of loss that goes hand-in-hand with getting older and that loss of innocence.
The song “Genie” seems catchy enough, but “Fantastic Place” seems as if it is a track from “Holidays in Eden” and “The Only Unforgiveable Thing” is completely throwaway. The first CD ends with another epic track called “Ocean Cloud” that deals with isolation and introspection again, the isolation of the ocean rower sailing across the Atlantic. Clocking in at nearly 15 minutes, this veers from quiet reflection to excited dynamism, but, for me, doesn’t quite manage to get off the ground.
The second CD fares much better. “The Damage” and “Don’t Hurt Yourself” instantly clicked with me and by the time the new single “You’re Gone” hit the speakers, I realised that we were onto something here. “Angelina” slows down the pace and is not a track that I am particularly enamoured with and then the album picks up again with “Drilling Holes” in which the band sound as if it has been listening to too many Beatles records.
The album closes with “Neverland” another mighty prog-rock epic. This time around though, the band nails it. It is the perfect closer to this record and sweeps you along from the get go.
The main problem with this record is the fact that it spans two CDs and for your money you get nearly 90 minutes of music. While some of you might think this is a good thing, I think the band could have made an extremely good 72-minute single album. Saying some of the tracks are filler would be unfair, but some songs naturally stand out more than others. The first disc feels a bit aimless while the second disc grabs you by the neck and drags you along.
So do I recommend it? Of course. Is it any good? Some of the music on Marbles is the best the band has done in a while. It is just a shame that there’s just too much music to get through in a single listen.
Category: Reviews
This is the second musical guide in an occasional series by Andrew Keeling, the first being a guide to King Crimson’s “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic” album. For those of you who have already seen that CD-ROM production, you are in store for very much of the same, for those of you who haven’t, I shall presently elucidate.
Mark Graham at Spaceward Graphics has taken Keeling’s work and transformed them into an interactive CD-ROM generated entirely in Macromedia Flash. You are presented with an historical overview of the events surrounding the creation of the album and there is also a lot of musical theory to wade through too, which might be a little daunting to those of you who think a crotchet is something you scratch first thing in the morning. But seriously, the musical stuff will be a revelation if you listen and watch the animations.
There are even a couple of vocal performances from Jakko Jakszyk, which allows the music to breath a little. You see, one of my main problems with the CD-ROM is that the majority of music is presented via the MIDI chip in your PC, so you are presented with a warbling, OK Computer-type voice rendering the vocals. I understand that this is a limitation of the technology, but it would have been nice to have more “real music”, for example, more MP3 samples replacing the tinny MIDI stuff. But this is a minor quibble.
What you do get is a pretty exhaustive study of one of King Crimson’s lesser albums. For me, this was a much more fulfilling journey than the Larks’ Tongue release, as I walked away with some knowledge that wasn’t previously there. You also get a chance to see some of the writings of Tammo de Jongh (the artist responsible for the sleeve) and get a closer understanding of the cultural context Peter Sinfield was drawing from in his lyrics. It is a real eye-opener.
I thought that the Larks’ Tongues edition was very good, but this feels a lot more complete in terms of information. It is an essential item if you want to understand the motivations and symbolism behind the album. For me, it has completely changed the way I listen and appreciate “In the Wake of Poseidon” and so therefore it is a purchase you may want to consider if you are a fan of early King Crimson. However, fans of the later incarnations might not find it so enlightening.
More details: http://www.inthewakeofposeidon.ukf.net/
I was very excited at the prospect of this gig because I had never seen Hackett perform live (except when he guested with Genesis re-enactment band “The Musical Box” last year for an encore of Firth of Fifth). The Missus suggested we got to the concert on time because she had a hunch that SH and his band would be taking to the stage on the dot. She wasn’t wrong.
We were immediately bludgeoned with the opening song “The Mechanical Bride” – a track that is pointedly a homage to King Crimson and Schizoid Man/Pictures of a City. It is a powerful song and it was made more powerful by a rush of strobe lights. Imagine that, from darkness to strobe in the blink of an eye. It certainly caught my attention.
Then there was a new track from his latest CD “To Watch the Storms”, the gentle, pastoral “Serpertine Song”. Then it was back to the classics with a barnstorming, abbreviated version of “Watcher of the Skies” and “Hairless Heart”. Knowing what was coming next, I nipped out for a toilet break. More on that later…
Darktown and Camino Royale followed in quick succession and then there was a personal favourite in the form of “The Steppes”. Then they took the show down a gear and performed an acoustic section comprising of “Horizons” (of course), “Walking Away from Rainbows” and an excellent version of another favourite of mine “Jacuzzi”. This time Hackett was joined on stage by his brother John on flute.
After the twenty minute interval, we were treated to more delights. “Vampire with a Healthy Appetite”, “Brand New”, “Spectral Mornings”, “Please Don’t Touch”, “Every Day” and a fantastic version of “Los Endos”. There were probably some more tracks that I’ve forgotten, but there you go.
The band was tight and looked as if they were enjoying themselves with plenty of on-stage banter and merriment. After one of the encores, Steve Hackett feigned a collapse and the bassist Terry Gregory revived him with a wipedown with a towel. Mind you, they had just thundered through a murderous version of “Clocks”. We were then treated to a corking version of “In that Quiet Earth…” and it was time to go home.
While I enjoyed the show immensely, both myself and the Missus felt that SH relied a little too much on Genesis back catalogue and not enough of his new material. “To Watch the Storms” is a strong album, yet he only played two tracks from it. Insane!
Review Supplemental: After “Hairless Heart”, I decided I needed to answer the call of nature. It may have been the walk beside the Thames on the way to the gig with the chilly night air or the cider I had consumed in Doggetts pub over looking Blackfriars Bridge that had an effect on my bladder. Who knows? But I needed to pee, so I left the hall and did the necessary. On my return, I was prevented from re-entering the hall. Myself and a number of latecomers (who had thought that there would be a support act and missed a good half hour of the show) were left to stand outside the doors. But I wasn’t a latecomer, I protested. I knew where I was sitting and didn’t need to be reseated. They were having none of it.
The two ushers made a point of not letting anyone back into the theatre during a song. Hackett just launched into his “Darktown/Camino Royal” medley. So I sat and waited and waited and waited and waited patiently. By now a queue was forming of about 25-30 people.
“If we rush them, they won’t be able to stop us,” I joked. But my words were greeted with looks of alarm as if I had called on the group to storm Buckingham Palace and bugger the Queen.
With nearly fifteen minutes of showtime missed, I knew that The Missus would be leaving the hall to find out where I had gone. And right on cue she appeared. Poking her head around the door, the jobsworth usher said, “You can’t go back in.” Bad call, Mr Usher. Never tell the Missus what to do. “You can’t stop me,” she replied and she darted back inside as the usher tried to trap her between the double doors.
This caused the crowd to swell forward, the song to end and the doors to open. I pushed my way down, calling the usher a nazi fascist for trying to crush my wife between the doors and we continued with our concert experience.
Neither of us had experienced anything like that in our concert-going career. It was a shame because this TOTALLY ruined my evening and it took me a good hour for my temper to fall from incandescent to simmering. Only in England – a land where an asshole is given a uniform, a set of rules and they think they are gods.
Oh well, at least it gives me the impetus to write a letter of complaint to the Queen Elizabeth Hall tomorrow. OK – so my toilet break cost me fifteen minutes of the show, but there was no need to try and squash the Missus!
Another year, another David Bowie album…
I never really understood the critical popularity of the last two DB releases. When the critics hailed “Heathen” as a return to form it left me baffled as I felt many of the songs were a little leaden and, to be frank, dull.
Luckily this isn’t the case with “Reality”. Getting past the abysmal sleeve design, Bowie is brave to put out a 41-minute album at a time when the kids expect their CDs to be packed to the gills with tunes. However, this short album, for me, is much more memorable than the last few efforts.
The album features the same band as the previous one with guest appearances from the likes of David Torn (on one track). The songs are short and snappy, and on the whole, hooky. While this obviously won’t be regarded as a Bowie classic, there’s enough here to satisfy the passing fan.
My only criticism is that Bowie needs to do what Bowie does best – surround himself with remarkable musicians. His current band just don’t cut it. On some of the tracks you can almost imagine DB saying “I want the guitar to sound like RF” or “Do some Eno synth there” but their playing (or more specifically, their solos) fail to ignite. And this is the problem. While Bowie remains consistant as a lyricist and vocalist, the music is almost becoming a pastiche, a photocopy of previous efforts.
Oh that makes it sound bad. But it isn’t…really. Also, pick up the 2-CD edition, because the extra tracks are quite good and should have been on the record…and also get another new version of Rebel Rebel.
On a recent interview, the interviewer commented to Bowie about the frequency of his album releases. In deadpan, Bowie replied that he was currently mixing his next release. Somehow, I don’t think he was joking!!!
On Monday night, my missus went out with her female friends to a part of London called Camden Town. Any of you with a vague interest in record collecting are probably aware of the multitude of second-hand record shops and stalls around the area. Anyway, to cut a long story short, on her return from her boozy night out, she brought me gifts. The first was the new Supergrass CD single. The second, and the subject of this review, was a second-hand copy of the Steve Hackett DVD/CD triple pack “Somewhere in South America”. Now you all know why I married her!
The pack contains one DVD and two audio CDs of the show. This is housed in an elegant slipcase, which folds out to reveal all the discs neatly packed. The show is taken from his South America tour (obviously) and was filmed at the Teatro Coliseo in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The DVD itself is 105 minutes long and contains 22 tracks spanning Hackett’s solo careers as well as his time with Genesis. The footage is not bad, but you won’t get all the whizzy multi angles that you get with other discs (cough – Deja VROOOM). Despite this, the video footage captures the band in fine form as he rattles through songs from his new album “To Watch the Storms” (Serpantine Song & Mechanical Bride – which sounds like Pictures of a City to these ears) as well as classics such as A Tower Struck Down and The Steppes. In fact, there’s a really good mix of old and new material with a healthy sprinkling of Genesis tunes too.
The band itself is remarkably tight and in terms of production values, the show reminded me a little bit of his previous DVD outing “The Tokyo Tapes”. You also get some extra bonus footage of Hackett talking about his career and his current band. Apart from that, there’s nothing else special on the DVD. But this isn’t a criticism, because you get a long 5.1 Dolby encoded show.
I am completely biased when it comes to Hackett so I totally recommend this set and I think the inclusion of the audio on two CDs is a brilliant idea and allows the likes of me and you to enjoy the concert when we are on the move. Of all the Genesis flock, Hackett always continues to develop and grow and this DVD package has whetted my appetite for his UK tour in October.
All in all, well worth a gander if you are a Hackett fan and it could also be seen as a good introduction to live Hackett for those of you who aren’t familiar with his work.
For more information/purchasing details:
http://www.stevehackett.com/somewhere/
Finally got my copy of Blemish today…
I don’t have the words available to describe just what a complete pile of steaming sh*t this release turned out to be. Thanks Dave. Anyway, here goes…
If you are expecting anything vaguely musical then forget it. While his voice doesn’t disappoint, the music and lyrics are totally unforgiveable. I pinched myself several times, checked that the calendar wasn’t stuck at 1 April, but to no avail. I wasn’t dreaming a nightmare involving a faulty David Sylvian CD.
The guitar playing is laughable. In fact, I have managed to replicate the sound by getting my pets to jump up and down on my acoustic guitar. While the dobro playing on DBOAC was sensitive and well-intentioned, the random pluckings heard on this CD sound desperate and like a rather bad joke.
His lyrics are ponderous and say nothing – they do not to attempt to engage the listener at any level. By the time I had reached “Late Night Shopping”, which was about “Late Night Shopping” the cloud of depression that I had been stuck in for the past week suddently lifted and I felt very, very angry. I immediately decided to write a song about putting the rubbish out for the bin men.
Let us take out the bags
The black bin bags together
We can walk alone
Down the path
To the place where I leave the trash
And they will come
In their big vans
To take away
Our rubbish
<To be sung in the stylee of David Sylvian accompanied by Alex the Wonderdog on guitar and Speckle T Bird on whistles and bells>
Darren’s Three Word Review of Blemish:
Turgid
Uninspired
Rushed
The packaging is nice – it smells of burnt matches. Oh no – that was me, just trying to set it alight.
I last saw Peter Gabriel 10 years ago at Earls Court, London on his Secret World Live tour. That night, I was deeply disappointed by the concert and it still rates as one of my worst concert going experiences ever. With this in mind, I approached the Growing Up 2003 tour with trepidation. I initially wasn’t going to buy any tickets but I gave in.
The concert start promptly at 7.30pm and we were just snacking on a hot dog outside the arena when we heard Gabriel introduce the first support act, Sevara Nazarkhan from Uzbekistan. We rushed into see this beautiful creature (the wife’s words, not mine) with a voice of an angel. Being unfamiliar with her work, I was held spellbound for the duration of her set.
After that, I quickly nipped off for a toilet break, only to return to see Peter Gabriel castigating all of us who has just sneaked off. He was annoyed that the arena wasn’t full enough for The Blind Boys of Alabama. Hey, I didn’t want to miss any of the acts…but when you gotta go, you gotta go!
The Blind Boys were a treat to behold and have a voices that hit you squarely in the chest. Even one of them broke off, accompanied by a sighted member of the band, to be lead into the audience for much hand-shaking and communing with the enthusastic throng. Excellent stuff.
Then PG himself was up. He opened with Here Comes the Flood on the piano before breaking into Darkness, probably the best track from UP. He had me. The hairs on the back of my neck was standing up and I was trapped. The disappointment of ten years ago was wiped away. I was in for a treat.
What can you say? The Growing Up tour is a marvellous blend of the heartfelt (Flood, Father Son) and the pompously theatrical (walking upside down and the Zorb) but you come away thinking “Wow what a show”. OK – so I am sick and tired of hearing Sledgehammer and Solsbury Hill again, but everyone else was getting off on it. The real treat came at the end when we got an extra encore for Come Talk to Me (another personal fave) and the song Father & Son, a song that reduces me to a choked sob everytime I hear it.
Gabriel was excellent. Despite his years and portly frame, he appeared more confident, more happy and more “with-it” than he did during the Secret World Tour. Tony Levin was doing his think, but lacked some of the dynamism of his previous performances. There were some parts of the show where he didn’t play, yet bass noises were coming out from somewhere. The rest of the troupe did well. David Rhodes was solid as a rock as usual. The new chaps Ged Lynch (though a bit of a pounder) kept a tight rhythm and Melanie Gabriel aquitted herself with aplomb.
Before going to the concert, I had heard mixed opinions. Some raved about it, some were very negative. Some said the sound was crap, some said that the audience were lethargic and left an hour before the show ended.
I say this: We got an evening of excellent entertainment. The support bands were great. The main act was excellent and there was always a sense of something going. The audience got behind Gabriel and we cheered and sung along the best we could. My only criticism was that there was something wrong with the bass end of things, which was a shame, because I really love hearing/seeing Tony Levin work.
If it comes to town – see it. It is a spectacle…especially when he gets inside that bouncing ball. It really has to be seen to be believed.