Category Archives: Music

The Lost Weekend Band: One Hell Of A Time. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Time was a lost weekend was one filled with unaccountable angst, a shame dictated by a society used to frowning at anything that suggested a raucous behaviour that ended up in temporary amnesia of the events that might be considered anti-social, objectionable, rebelliously lawless; now time is such that the lost weekend is to be lauded, for exactly the same reasons, for the further we are treated so abominably, by the constant pressure to be treated worse than the underclass of Victorian society, the more we which to rebel and have One Hell Of A Time whilst we still can.

The Lost Weekend Band: One Hell Of A Time. Album Review. full post

(402 words, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

Mark Knopfler: One Deep River. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

One Deep River, that is the fortune of those whose lives are touched by their close proximity to the power and the pull of the seas as they make their way in land, like an artery carrying vital blood to the heart we require the belief that the river is the pulse of the town that sits by its banks, that is fed by it, inspired by its temperament, fearful at times of its rage, but always respectful of the secrets it keeps, and those like a spy it chooses to disclose to its faithful followers.

Mark Knopfler: One Deep River. Album Review. full post

(398 words, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

Manic Street Preachers: Lifeblood. Album Review. 2024 Deluxe Reissue.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Like artists we must acknowledge the times when our best was taken for granted, when our vision of the outcome was less than we would have expected, and the regret of placing before our peers and friends our most invaluable thoughts when they don’t quite live up to the promise we hope to deliver.

Unlike artists, those moments can soon fade, they are only seen by a minority, time can soon wipe away the more painful of our actions and leave them in the background of our experiences as a human being; only there to serve as a reminder of the possibility we once handled without care.

Manic Street Preachers: Lifeblood. Album Review. 2024 Deluxe Reissue. full post

(532 words, estimated 2:08 mins reading time)

Ed Harcourt: El Magnifico. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

To be able to capture the listener’s heart is to feel assured of the time you placed into the art you slaved over, to capture the melancholic essence of the listener’s soul is to be assured of a far higher purpose than you might have expected.

The imagination requires feeding, the stimuli it provides can be an inspiration to those who might find the dark just a little too enticing, and it takes an artist who understands the withering notes of a tortured soul to express them in such a way that they appear magnificent, almost serene, always passionate, and that is certainly the case when it comes to Ed Harcourt, his lyrics, and his particular way of communicating to the listener via instruments that sing fruitfully and in silence bring beauty.

Ed Harcourt: El Magnifico. Album Review. full post

(425 words, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

The Bordellos: I Promise Not To Make Art Again. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Annoy the critic and the censor of personal virtuosity by continuing to create that which pleases you and the minority, for in their ire you will achieve the kind of immortality that few can only dream of, and the finer point is that they don’t truly understand the art you have made, the reasons for it, and because of that your voice will be heard across the void of those who utter I Promise Not To Make Art Again.

The Bordellos: I Promise Not To Make Art Again. Album Review. full post

(424 words, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

Eagles: To The Limit – The Essential Collection. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Leave the cynicism at the door as you check yourself into the palace of Eagles memories that come with the new release of their collected works and the advantage of a series of live songs from their 1976, 1980, 1994, 1999, and 2018 tours.

Eagles: To The Limit – The Essential Collection. Album Review. full post

(427 words, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

Katarina Pejak: Pearls On A String. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

We covet the strangest of rarities in our pursuit of beauty, we adorn our skin with gems but often our hearts and souls go without such finesse; such is the skewed way we consider wealth we would rather glorify gold and silver as a mark of our good fortune and populace than ever offer merit to that which may have come from a more unexpected place, which to some could be an irritant, but which holds an artist’s eye with a fonder, more alluring sense of style, and whilst Gold may ravish, it is Pearls On A String that highlights sensuality and natural instinctive charm.

Katarina Pejak: Pearls On A String. Album Review. full post

(430 words, estimated 1:43 mins reading time)

Gun: Hombres. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

A thousand Harley Davidsons roaring in unison as they escort a squadron of Spitfires as they prepare to take off could only dream of capturing the elegance of cylinders being fired as fiery and significant Scottish rock band Gun once more appear before the listener as the Hombres to whom the sound is always in capable hands, in souls ready for action, in minds attuned to the fight ahead.

Gun: Hombres. Album Review. full post

(342 words, estimated 1:22 mins reading time)

Session A9: The Magic Roundabout. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

To Generation X, their childhood was arguably one of the weird and wonderful as television programmes especially that were geared towards their mindset were often trippy and alluded to a sense of the pursuit which would not be tolerated in any other time; and one in particular springs to mind as the former winners of the Scottish Traditional Music Awards ‘Best Live Act’ attest to the heavens their splendid new album, and the lively, animated, passion that expands from within.

Session A9: The Magic Roundabout. Album Review. full post

(411 words, estimated 1:39 mins reading time)

Feeder: Black/Red. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

The pilgrimage has become a word more associated with its religious connections, with its sense of selflessness and devotion to a God so engrained that you are willing to put the body through torment just to prove your commitment; and yet there is no need to head to Canterbury for a selection of tales that showcase support, to attachment, and an enthusiasm, perhaps all that is needed is the road to Newport, and rather than accompany Chaucer’s muses, we instead find ourselves as escorts to Grant Nicholas and Taka Hirose of Feeder.

Feeder: Black/Red. Album Review. full post

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