Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Eventually you come face to face with what you have achieved, and you see the greatness that others have known for a long time, that the selfless act of promotion in others leads to a far great spiritual richness than can ever be realised; and after 42 years at the helm of Fellside Recordings it would be perhaps considered time for the company and artists to look back on all that has accomplished and smile at the triumph of the endeavour.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Is He Joking?, regardless of whether Chris Tavener is or isn’t, whether this musician who reminds so much of the great Billy Connolly in his appreciation of raising a smile, and does much to promote the beautiful sound of innocent laughter during a gig, has in him the temperament and class to withstand comparisons to such luminaries of the circuit is beyond a joke, it shouldn’t even be brought up, for in Chris Tavener, the only conclusion you should arguably reach, is that he is a genius.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
The Blues for such a long time seemed to be destined for the scrapheap of musical history, at the very least it could have been seen as the last preserve of a fading generation, kept alive by its reputation and some of the more enlightened souls to whom had the genre’s best interests at heart. The slow burn out, the limit of fascination and fandom reached its zenith and was now on the verge of a spectacular collapse, one in which the Muse would have strained to give it C.P.R. but which would have seen its spirit depart with dignity, if not a new modern ear enjoying it.
Welcome…
…Here we are,
Ladies and gentlemen, and those to whom
we respect define as neither,
splash on a little make up and relax
for here we are in the last heady days of Berlin,
the days of Rome
before the Vandals
and Nero’s enigmatic solo
on a half strung fiddle, raise a toast
and see the world, frolic, dine,
take a picture of your neighbour’s dinner
and give it a groovy like, drop your pants
in excitement as low core porn
becomes a reality programme, and
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
The mid to late 90s British music scene will perhaps always be dominated by the thought of a collection of bands to whom the world, in one way or another, idolised, venerated and almost single-handedly took all the glory, all the passion and much of the energy that would have been arguably better suited to groups, artists and song writers to whom deserved it so much more. The Man Who would, the woman who could, have served the attentions of the public better because there was nothing more than splendour in their music, no egos, no bitterness, just a serenade that was inclusive and deeply, melancholic, melody driven, assuredly beautiful.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Ted Levine, Jeff Goldblum, Toby Jones, James Cromwell, B D Wong, Rafe Spall, Daniella Pineda, Justice Smith, Geraldine Chaplin, Peter Jason, Robert Emms, Isabella Sermon.
By taking the beast out of its environment you increase the terror, you bring the creature into the home, you escalate the fear and by bringing that monster into one small, almost perfect, bedroom, where everything is neat, where everything is in its natural place and ordered, you have the makings of something that makes the imagination run wild, that makes the latest in the Jurassic Park/World series so much darker, so more in tune with the modern world and the debate of the human factor in the destruction of the eco system.
We spoke of the news
long into the night
and in time for the moon
to dance between the slits
of our blinds
and our once blinded opinions,
a coal fire dying slowly
and our lungs to breathe
in the remains of the dark day
that had passed,
huddled together
we spoke of the news
of the constant evil, of the never ending
criminal, corrupt, immoral
and natural disasters in which
deep down we crave, to satisfy
our longing for calamity, our need
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
A resonance in Time is always something to look out for, to capture it takes proficiency and passion, and even to touch upon it is a calling that few can master without finding themselves being driven down the cul-de-sac of bitter recriminations and self-doubt; we can all use the abundant instruments to make the way clear, hopefully we can all follow a guide, but so few of us can say with certainty that we have dedicated ourselves to studying all the Maps available and are ready to find the way forward, or even be prepared to admit that we are lost and need help.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Music cannot exist in the soul unless it has a meaning, it must be a symbol, even a design to it that makes it stand out, that makes it impressive, no matter the form, no matter the immensity, if it has no plan, if it is written just for the sake of making a noise, creating a jumbled chaos that makes more of a statement about the artist, then there is surely no foundation, no Architecture in place that can make the blueprint that was poured over, worth a damn.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
To disregard the softly spoken in favour of those that rattle like a tin can that is being pushed along by a light breeze down an empty street, is to commit a grievous act, an offence against the soul; it is an attitude that has lasted for as long as humanity has had the wherewithal to listen to supposedly wise men, those who shout loudest, perhaps fearing their ideas and pleasures won’t be heard. It is an position that does us no good, that makes all that we are capable of achieving being nothing more than a side-line, a final swig of the antiseptic before the realisation of what we have swallowed hits home.