Category Archives: Music

Genesis, Foxtrot. 40th Anniversary Retrospective.

Genesis, especially the classic line up of Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Steve Hackett would become one of the U.K.’s favourite Progressive Rock bands on the strength of the 1972 album Foxtrot.

This eccentric band packed to the rafters with burgeoning talent had already broken parts of Europe with Trespass and the charming Nursery Cryme but as had up to that point failed to break the U.K top 20 album chart. Their first album From Genesis to Revelation had failed to convince the British public that their music was worth listening to, Trespass saw them make inroads and Nursery Cryme make friends, it was however the pastoral feel combined with an abundance of British eccentricity that would convince music listeners that these five performers had something worthwhile to say.

Genesis, Foxtrot. 40th Anniversary Retrospective. full post

(1191 words, 1 image, estimated 4:46 mins reading time)

The Fifth Movement, A Roll Of The Dice. E.P. Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

As the Kevin Critchley Outfit they were brutally good, interesting and gave one excellent show after another As The Fifth Movement, the same burning desire to bring out some of the most interesting music still rings true, however there seems to be an edge, a sympathetic ruthlessness, that pervades across the E.P., A Roll of the Dice, which just is outstandingly clever and musically satisfying.

The Fifth Movement, A Roll Of The Dice. E.P. Review. full post

(341 words, 1 image, estimated 1:22 mins reading time)

Damien Dempsey, Almighty Love. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating *****

There is no other way to describe the Irish singer Damien Dempsey than incredibly imposing in his natural gift of poetic words that shine like a beacon across from Dublin Bay and point out the injustice that still pervades across both countries that straddle the Irish Sea and imposing in his stature and honesty.

It is this talent, this raw, unflinching and thankfully untameable man that brings the songs of his life, that of the still forgotten people of that part of Ireland and the growing number of disposed and disenfranchised people beyond it which makes his new album, Almighty Love, such a remarkable and perfect statement.

Damien Dempsey, Almighty Love. Album Review. full post

(346 words, 1 image, estimated 1:23 mins reading time)

Muse, The 2nd Law. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating ***

There comes a time in a groups, hopefully distinguished career, where a listener may stop and think, well that was good but it wasn’t really as awesome as everybody raved on and on about. That might be the case with Muse’s sixth album The 2nd Law.

One of the band’s great strengths over the last few albums is the absolute conviction that they have created something approaching unique, something nothing less than genuinely superb and out of this world. Even including Black Holes and Revelations into this equation, which after quite a few plays revealed an album that wasn’t quite up to scratch, full of pit falls and loosely tied together with some very appealing songs as Map of the Problematique and Invincible, it still suited the canon and the ways of Muse.

Muse, The 2nd Law. Album Review. full post

(448 words, 1 image, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)

Bruce Foxton, Back in the Room. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating ****

For anyone, who in the last couple of years caught one of the original godfathers of modern music, Bruce Foxton, performing with Mark Brzezicki and Russell Hastings as part of the excellent From the Jam will point out, the man who put rock into roll is back and better than ever.

Bruce Foxton, Back in the Room. Album Review. full post

(372 words, 1 image, estimated 1:29 mins reading time)

Tori Amos, Gold Dust. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating *****

In 1992 an album was released by the name of Little Earthquakes and the impression it made on those who heard it turned the composer of the delicate and angst ridden tunes into at first a cult hero and then over the ensuing 20 years has turned her into an absolute legend. Tori Amos doesn’t sit still, not at her beloved piano and more importantly not in her life. Just a little over a year since she released her first foray into classical music, she has come out all guns blazing with the breathtaking Gold Dust.

Tori Amos, Gold Dust. Album Review. full post

(469 words, 1 image, estimated 1:53 mins reading time)

Heart, Fanatic. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating ****

Two years after Heart brought out Red Velvet Car, Ann and Nancy Wilson have once again teamed up with Ben Mink and come up with an album of distinction. For those that only remember Heart as producing hard rock ballads during the 1980’s and know nothing of their early albums such as Little Queen or Dreamboat Annie, before you listen to Fanatic, check out the early recordings, see how rich and full Ann Wilson’s voice was and then compare. For as Red Velvet Car showed, the two sisters are back and sounding as good as they did before they sold out to the 80’s corporate mainstream.

Heart, Fanatic. Album Review. full post

(387 words, 1 image, estimated 1:33 mins reading time)

The Boomtown Rats, The Boomtown Rats. 35th Anniversary Retrospective.

Originally published by L.S. Media. September 27th 2012.

The history of the Punk movement would not be complete without the influence of the bands that came from across the Irish Sea, took Great Britain by storm and who in one way or another become heroes to a generation that transcended politics and religion and yet who left their own indelible mark on the national conscious in the late 1970’s and early 10980’s.

The Boomtown Rats, The Boomtown Rats. 35th Anniversary Retrospective. full post

(1111 words, 1 image, estimated 4:27 mins reading time)

Magnum, On The Thirteenth Day. Album Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. September 25th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating *****

On The Thirteenth Day…Magnum was created to rock the socks off die-hard rock and Progressive fans alike.

The new album from the legendary Midlands band follows a trend of superb albums by the group since they reformed in 2001 after a few years away and on various other projects. From 2004’s Brand New Mourning onwards, Magnum have notched up four excellent albums on the bounce and now On The Thirteenth Day joins that run of success and firmly establishes once and for all that Magnum should be seen as one of the best British Rock bands of all time.

Magnum, On The Thirteenth Day. Album Review. full post

(422 words, 1 image, estimated 1:41 mins reading time)

Deacon Blue, The Hipsters. Album Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. September 25th 2012.

L.S.Media Rating ****

When Raintown was released 25 years ago Deacon Blue strode aloft the pop world and made sure that the finality of the 1980’s British music lovers had another band that would be remembered fondly and for good reason. Now 25 years later and ten years elapsing since their last studio album, Deacon Blue have returned with all guns blazing and produced a record of incredible quality befitting the past and yet sounding new and exciting.

Deacon Blue, The Hipsters. Album Review. full post

(362 words, 1 image, estimated 1:27 mins reading time)