Author Archives: admin

Dorothy Bird, Under Water. Single Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

There are those fortunate souls to whom the world is a playground of aural stimulation, they are able to hear in the ether a sound denied to others, perhaps intentionally, for surely we are the conduits of our own reception, our internal antennas designed to pick up a signal which will be understood to either mean something personal or be used creatively to inspire others.

Jordan Rudess, Wired For Madness. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

The curious mind left unchallenged and unstimulated is soon left to rust, an act of ignominy, one that is akin to neglect and dishonour. However, an inquisitive mind that is nurtured, encouraged and given the chance to explore will forever be found rummaging through the day to day with hope, Wired For Madness, hooked to the freedom that such gifts entail.

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters. Film Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe, Ziya Zhang, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O’Shea Jackson Jr., David Strathairn, Anthony Ramos, Elizabeth Ludlow, Jonathan Howard, CCH Pounder, Joe Morton, Randy Havens.

Rarely does a film’s main premise reflect so accurately the place in which the actor’s sit in relation to the story unfolding around them but then few films have the absolute fortune to have one of the greatest cinematic monsters of all time filling the screen with its gigantic legend sweeping all before it, and the power to hold an audience’s attention even when the camera looks deep into the eyes of the human participants who are in effect bit part players to the creation unleashed.

Nth Ascension, Stranger Than Fiction. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

There are times when only the truth that Progressive Rock holds in its soul is enough to fill the void left by all that flutters past and refuses to enlighten your being, shaking their heads as if avoiding the disappointment they offer and the realisation that they hold little or no substance. In the art of the Progressive, the ability to tell a continuing story is one that is lauded, hoped for, it may be Stranger Than Fiction but it is a tale that encompasses the very best of imagination, dedication and concentration, as well as being an art form in itself.

Ferocious Dog, Fake News & Propaganda. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Beware the hound that bites, for they are the ones that have intuition, they are the ones who growl long before everybody else cottons on that the subject is not trustworthy, they can spot a bogus heart as quickly as they can sniff out Fake News & Propaganda, this dog bites, snaps with reason and isn’t afraid of using the conveyer of misinformation as its personal method of hygiene.

The Schmoozenbergs, Awaken. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Carefree times during an era of repression and conflict are to be savoured. It would of course better for all concerned if moments in history had not been under the jackboot of tyranny and the rule of fear, however out of such times comes a rebellion, the people fight back the only way they can, with a mood of enjoyment, of bliss and the ability to dance under the spotlight and raise a smile which infuriates those with no humour or soul in their body.

The Dovetail Trio, Bold Champions. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Within the search, hope must lay that we discover something of ourselves, that we open the doors of our souls and capture forever the feeling of having become one of nature’s Bold Champions, one of the people who follow through on their plans to add a moment to the world and be entwined with its joy. The search may be fruitless in terms of profit, but in lifting the spirits of others it must be considered a benefit, and to the courageous, those who support and back their words with actions, that is point of the search.

John Jenkins And The James Street Band, Looking For That American Dream. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

So few of us follow through on our broader dreams, content, satisfied with forever imagining what life would be like if only we had the time, or the will, to create the conditions in which we could be happy, or at least proud of being the person we want to be. It is not necessarily our fault, the cosmos conspires, fate lends a hand, and there is always a million chores to be done, perhaps by looking for our dream, holding the vision as if it were made of gossamer or the thin veils of intricate spider’s webs, we are reassured that we have at least given our life meaning.

The Waterboys, Where The Action Is. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Almost everybody wants to know Where The Action Is, the engagement between a group of people in which the dance of ideas are pitched and the sway of the carefully selected phrase is allowed to tightly wind itself around the listener’s heart and soul. The action is a call to arms, the latest rally in the never-ending fight against futility and the mundanity of life which dictates that stagnation is special, almost lauded, proposed by people who have no understanding of the right to stride onwards, to take heed of the Piper At The Gates Of Dawn and act accordingly.

The Waterboys, Gig Review. Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. (2019).

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

The sound is enigmatic, sincere, almost poetry within itself, add into the equation the lyrical robustness that flows elegantly as if navigating, taming a winter storm at sea, then it becomes clear why Mike Scott and The Waterboys continue to impress the audiences that eagerly await the announcement of a gig in their area, almost choir like in their appreciation, they sing to a glory that gathers rhythm and insightful prose together in a sweeping gesture that makes the heart beat faster and the mind moved in unison.