|
Post by Horacewimp on Oct 2, 2014 8:03:10 GMT
Good album QOTH, I found it easy to listen to, it would be good to have on while driving the car or as background music at a party as its not intrusive.
Mineral Man: Good opening song, slightly repetitive lyrics Another Way: Has a nice opening, good song Hang On Rose: Very easy to listen to Home Loving: Weakest track so far The Cycle: OK but a filler track Lead Me To The Water: This is better, good tune The Angler: Pleasant easy going song Low Flying Birds: Another good track Symphathy For The Hard Of Hearing:Nice way to end the album
|
|
|
Post by queenofthehours on Oct 2, 2014 20:51:15 GMT
Mineral Man - Reminded me straight away of Ringo Starr, easygoing rhythm and some great unusual sounds from guitar and keyboard layering up. I wouldn't have thought it was Gary Brooker at all if I'd not been told. Liking this one very much. Another Way - More interesting keyboard and percussion sounds, found myself nodding along without realising which is a good thing. Slightly Genesis-esque to my ears. Nice vocals, sounding more like himself here. Is that saxophone towards the end or synthesiser? A bit of sax on a song is always a good thing in my opinion. It's nice to think that Mineral Man sounds like Starr, Ringo knew a good rocking song when he heard one.
It's definitely a real sax on Another Way, played by Mel Collins. A very 80s instrument I think, but here it's pitched just right.
Hang On Rose - Drums sound machine-made, did he do the whole thing on keyboards? Didn't do much for me because of this but it does have an uplifitng chorus - and vocoder which is never a bad thing. I never thought about them being machine made drums, they do sound a little that way though. But with drummers like Phil Collins and Henry Spinetti on the record I doubt Gary would have dared use a drum machine! My money is on Phil for the drums. Lead Me To The Water - I'm nodding along again, this reminds me of something Andy Fairweather Low might have done in the '70's so it's happily nostalgic. The Angler - Rolls along nicely enough, liking the piano running through it, proper foot-tapper and good melody. Bet this is one Eric Clapton had a hand in? Low Flying Birds - Oo, saucy! Probably completely un-politically -correct. I imagine he had a lot of fun recording this one and not taking it too seriously. Lots going on here musically, and is that a cow bell? And sax again? 'nuff said. *stamps "APPROVED" with big rubber stamp* Made me smile and I loved the funky outro.. I'm not at all surprised you can hear some Fairweather-Low in Lead Me To The Water. I can imagine him making a marvellous cover of this. Gary Brooker often plays live with Andy F-L.
The Angler - I don't know if Eric plays on it but I should imagine the fishing subject matter would be very close to his heart. From what I'm aware, Gary actually taught Eric to fly-fish.
Glad you enjoyed Low Flying Birds. It took me a while to get into this track but I love it now. Every record has a "light" track on it and I guess this is Gary's here.
I'm pleased you liked the LP, unomusette , you definitely have done yourself a good turn!
|
|
|
Post by queenofthehours on Oct 2, 2014 21:07:21 GMT
I've been reading up on Lead Me To The Water and the only information I can find as to who plays what on the album is this: George Harrison plays guitar on 'Mineral Man' and also sings backing vocals on 'The Cycle'. Eric Clapton plays on both 'Lead Me To The Water' and 'Home Loving'. Eric also sings backing vocals on 'Home Loving'.
I'm fairly positive that it's Eric on those two songs. Not least because they were originally written for his own album. Here's Eric's go at 'Home Loving' -
|
|
|
Post by Helmut83 on Oct 3, 2014 18:33:52 GMT
OK, here goes my review:
All in all I think it's a very good CD, with a bunch of good and very pleasant songs. I was not very convinced by the beginning (the first two songs), but as it runs the songs keep getting better and when the CD ended I found myself very pleased with it.
- Mineral Man: to be honest, I didn't find it the best way to open the album. I don't get it much.
- Another way: the song I liked least of the album. Too much synthetizers, those drums snare beats sound quite ugly to me and the melody doesn't convince me at all.
- Hang on Rose: here is where the album gets much better. A strengthful and inspired song. I particularly like the bridge ("that's when I knew that it was you..."). Those "hang on Rose" through the vocoder (or whatever it was) sound very ELO-like.
- Home loving: a great song from start to end. I loved it. It has the perfect balance between melancholy (the verses) and happiness (the bridge and chorus). The best one probably.
- The cycle: a very good mid-tempo song, easy and fluent. The only thing that didn't convince me much are those keyboard arrangements in the middle of the verses, but in some way they put an original sound on the song, and in no way does that ruin what I think is a very good song.
- Lead me to the water: for others it may sound like reggae, but to me it is very surprising to find it has some elements of a couple folkloric Argentine rythms (which I'm sure is just by chance because it's impossible that they have reached Brooker's ears). A decent song IMO, but I agree with Horace that, having many better songs on the same CD, it didn't deserve the album to be named after it.
- The angler: nice song. It switches between different rythms (as most songs of the album), most of them country. That instrument in the background in the middle of the song sound like an accordion (probably made with the keyboards)?
- Low Flying birds: fantastic. The most uplifting song of the album, and one of the best ones IMO.
- Sympathy for the hard of hearing: I agree with Unomusette here, the first part bored me a bit (very slow songs definitely aren't for me), but then when it sped up it got better. Still, I found it a bit too proggy.
|
|
|
Post by queenofthehours on Oct 3, 2014 19:25:47 GMT
It’s hard to make a review of an album you know well and because you know it so well it’s also hard to be critical. I’ve been listening to this album I regularly since I bought it so I guess my views will be a lot different to other peoples. However, I’ve had a go and these are my thoughts -
Mineral Man - One of my favourites: a dynamic rock song that’s down-to-earth yet still remains smooth. With clever and original lyrics which rely on wordplay ('Well I'm a mineral man, stuck here in the can till I oxidise'), the track also boasts the unmistakable, understated guitar of Brooker’s old friend George Harrison.
Another Way - Along with a smooth, relaxed tempo, it’s the chorus that really makes this song.
Hang On Rose - What I like about this track is how the verse and chorus are at odds – the verse has a feel of vulnerability, with some haunting, mysterious saxophone and synth whereas the chorus has a tone of strength suggested by the guitar.
Home Loving - An ode to family love, originally written for Eric Clapton, this is one of the album’s best tracks. With an optimistic melody and a memorable chorus (‘Home loving, costs us nothing / Home loving / saves you suffering’) Eric himself appears on backing vocals and guitar. It might not be a traditional love song but the amount of feeling and sincerity in the track is more than many songs can muster.
The Cycle - With the observation that ‘I'm seven-tenths wet / Yes all but a third of me's water’, this is a track about acknowledging nature. I especially like the textures of the backing harmonies and the use of dynamics and tempo to emphasise the changes in nature.
Lead Me To The Water - Perhaps the most mainstream track on the album with a relaxed, poppy reggae beat. The guitar (Clapton?) is tasteful and not imposing. I find the bass here really interesting.
The Angler - A reflective ballad that begins with a piano quotation straight from an old Procol Harum track, this is perhaps the most personal composition Brooker has ever written. A song about Gary’s passion for fishing, there’s a real sense of affection and sincerity in the tale of the battle between man and fish (‘Two spirits fighting, two creatures bold / They're eye-to-eye / I see why he spend his time on his own’). The gentle tempo mirrors the calm of fishing but speeds up to illustrate the drama of the battle between the angler and nature or perhaps to imitate the current of the river. I like how the music has a country feel, just enough to make it sound pastoral, but not overdone.
Low Flying Birds - With a level of irony and sardonic humour, this is less reflective and less serious than other tracks on the LP. The up-beat bass suggests a light-heartedness that belies the warning against the dangers of Low Flying Birds. I especially like the instrumental section near the end.
Symphathy For The Hard Of Hearing - This is perhaps the standout track on the album, at least structurally. A compassionate song based on the real-life experiences of Gary’s neighbour. The track has a two part division: slow and melancholic with some beautiful piano and then an urgent, fast rocking part. The use of dynamics between the thoughtful, reflective half and the driving, dramatic half emphasises the mix of the emotions of war.
Despite being largely overlooked and sadly underrated Gary Brooker has written a dignified and intelligent album; a mix of humour, passionate vocals and thought provoking lyrics with some very fine playing. Nothing’s there on the CD that doesn’t need to be. No instrument played just for the sake of it and what is used is never overpowering. The only thing that really reveals the album’s 80s origin is the use of synthesisers which are wisely kept under control.
|
|
|
Post by BSJ on Oct 4, 2014 16:05:40 GMT
This album was not in any used store, so I don’t know what my review would be if I couldn’t iPad to stereo using Groveshark. There’s that soulful voice I’ve not heard in a while.
Yes, Gary does fit right in. It would be easy to play Towshend or Winwood before, or after this album. This is beautiful writing. What’s a favorite, what’s below par, or my least favorite song? When first hearing Mineral Man, I thought, oh, this album will be easy to get into. It was. The Angler, bit of country, is my top pick, or is it? My favorite vocal is on Another Way. The Cycle with the organ has a throwback sound to the ‘70’s (though the ‘70 had just expired). Hang On Rose, the pop favorite. The ELO bit had me smile. Nice tight sax and guitar jamming on Low Flying Birds. Clapton’s touch on Home Living and Lead Me To The Water, are a perfect “Non-imposing Guitar Solos”. I can feel the confidence Brooker has in his work and he didn’t push things. I liked them all.
Thanks, queenoftheheart!
|
|
|
Post by queenofthehours on Oct 5, 2014 12:35:50 GMT
- Another way: the song I liked least of the album. Too much synthetizers, those drums snare beats sound quite ugly to me and the melody doesn't convince me at all. - Hang on Rose: here is where the album gets much better. A strengthful and inspired song. I particularly like the bridge ("that's when I knew that it was you..."). Those "hang on Rose" through the vocoder (or whatever it was) sound very ELO-like. - Home loving: a great song from start to end. I loved it. It has the perfect balance between melancholy (the verses) and happiness (the bridge and chorus). The best one probably. I agree with you about Another Way in so far as it's perhaps the weakest track (musically at least).
Hang On Rose, the vocoder - It wasn't until I started looking more closely at this album that I noticed that. It isn't an overpowering effect I think.
I like how you describe Home Loving, Helmut: The balance between melancholy and happiness.
- Lead me to the water: for others it may sound like reggae, but to me it is very surprising to find it has some elements of a couple folkloric Argentine rythms (which I'm sure is just by chance because it's impossible that they have reached Brooker's ears). A decent song IMO, but I agree with Horace that, having many better songs on the same CD, it didn't deserve the album to be named after it. It's an interesting thought that there could be some Argentine rhythms in there. Gary Brooker's music, at least with Procol Harum, has always had unusual elements and influences in it.
|
|
|
Post by queenofthehours on Oct 5, 2014 12:48:31 GMT
This album was not in any used store, so I don’t know what my review would be if I couldn’t iPad to stereo using Groveshark. There’s that soulful voice I’ve not heard in a while.
I'm not sure it would be easy to find used - I don't think many people bought it when it came out . I had to get my CD from Amazon.
I only included here the tracks on the original LP. On the CD reissue there is a bonus track, a B-side called ‘Badlands’ – a slow gospelly, blues-type number. The iTunes version also includes another bonus track, another B-side called ‘Chasing for the Chop’. Unfortunately I couldn’t find examples of these tracks anywhere but believe me they are just as good if not better than the album tracks.
|
|
|
Post by Helmut83 on Oct 5, 2014 16:33:39 GMT
I like how you describe Home Loving, Helmut: The balance between melancholy and happiness.
Yeah, I liked that song a lot. I played it several times over this week. It's an interesting thought that there could be some Argentine rhythms in there. Gary Brooker's music, at least with Procol Harum, has always had unusual elements and influences in it. Well, like I said, his musical horizons would have to be very wide to have come to know the folklore of a country in the bottom of the world, but who knows? That song definitely sounds like a local genre we have here. One of the things this CD of the Week section is making me realize is how different tastes can be. While to me "Low Flying birds" was one of the best tracks of the album and I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about "Sympathy for the hard of hearing", you seem to find the first one as a lightearted and less serious (maybe suggesting it's OK but not great) while you describe the latter as the standout of the album. I'm sure a bigger amount of listens could, to a certain extent, change a bit my perception, which is of course much newer than yours (from last week, to be more precise).
|
|
|
Post by queenofthehours on Oct 6, 2014 19:18:18 GMT
I’d like to say thanks to everyone who gave the CD a listen and for the reviews. I know it’s not an album to set the world alight, it doesn’t break any new ground, but I’m glad you gave it a try and that everyone seemed to enjoy it. What I find interesting is that tracks I thought would be popular, like Mineral Man and Home Loving, have had mixed reactions and tracks I didn’t think would be popular, Another Way, Hang On Rose, have been. The biggest surprise for me is that Low Flying Birds seems really popular as I’m used to thinking of it as the LP’s throwaway track (an excellent throwaway track at that!). I was also surprised at the mentions of prog. I couldn’t hear anything proggy before but now I see the album in a whole new light.
One of the things this CD of the Week section is making me realize is how different tastes can be. While to me "Low Flying birds" was one of the best tracks of the album and I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about "Sympathy for the hard of hearing", you seem to find the first one as a lightearted and less serious (maybe suggesting it's OK but not great) while you describe the latter as the standout of the album. I'm sure a bigger amount of listens could, to a certain extent, change a bit my perception, which is of course much newer than yours (from last week, to be more precise). I was thinking along the lines that LFB is clearly intended as a sort of light-relief against the weightier subjects on the album and you can't get much weightier than war as a subject in Symphathy For the Hard of Hearing. I love both tracks a lot but usually musicians get a lot of stick for adding "light-hearted" tracks to their albums. It's nice to learn that "innocent ears" don't have that prejudice. I already knew SFTHOH before I heard the rest of the album so my preconception was that it was in important track. Looking at the album in a new way, because of this last week, has been a real eye-opener.
|
|