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January 2024 = |
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Bevis Frond |
Maat Lander
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Fuzzy Grass
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Under
Golden Canopy
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Nick Nicely
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Raoul
Eden
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Muireann
Bradley
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Brown Horse
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Photon
Band
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Øyvind
Holm |
The
Throttles
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Ralph
McTell
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AN
INTRODUCTION TO THE
BEVIS FROND
Available
on Fruits
de Mer
No
Terrascope reader should actually need an
introduction to The Bevis Frond.
Founder/bandleader Nick Saloman published our
print precursor Ptolemaic
Terrascope and, solo and with his band has
released over 30 albums in the past 35 years.
But this is different. Always glad to lend a
track or three to magazines (including the Terrascope),
compilations, the odd 45, and benefit and
tribute albums, Saloman and the Frond began a
fruitful (sorry!) relationship with the
musicologists and music lovers over at Fruits de
Mer with their piano-driven down-and-dirty cover
of the Sky Saxon Blues Band’s ‘Creepin’ About’
for 2011’s Keep
Off The Grass compilation. Since then, The
Bevis Frond have submitted numerous tracks
across various releases and Fruits de Mer have
assembled a baker’s dozen (plus three unreleased
demos), making this “Introduction” an essential
collection for Frond fans and completists.
Saloman has made no secret about his
love of The Beatles so an opportunity to hear
him tackle ‘Glass
Onion’ (from ‘The White EP’) is a welcome
addition to the canon. I particularly like the
organ backing, flute flourishes, and even
creepier extended coda than the original! ‘I’m A
Stone’ is a stomping Saloman original
psychedelic head cruncher that would’ve sat
nicely on any of the early ‘90s releases (It
Just
Is, Sprawl,
London
Stone, New
River Head). Another original, ‘Not Quite
Home’ is a dreamy diversion with a medieval air
alternating with bleeding solos and another
favourite here.
‘Hard, Hard Year’ is a sweet ballad
initially appearing on the Hollies’ 1966 album Would
You Believe? (and covered almost
immediately by an obscure garage band from
Milwaukee on a 1967 B-side!) The Frond’s
faithful version (from Fruit de Mer’s Hollies’
tribute album Re-Evolution)
is almost twice as long allowing for some tasty
soloing. ‘Night Sounds Loud’ and ‘Sand’ bring
out the heavy artillery for brain-busting solos.
The originals are by another Saloman favourite,
U.S. psych band Clear Light, a mini supergroup
that featured drummer Dallas Taylor (CSNY),
keyboardist Ralph Schuckett (Todd Rundgren’s
Utopia), and legendary session guitarist Danny
Kortchmar (not to mention actor Cliff DeYoung on
lead vocals!)
If you’ve ever listened to Nick
Saloman’s “The Scene” podcast
with bandmate Paul Simmons you’ve heard him
speak highly of krautrockers Electric Sandwich,
even playing the opening track ‘China’ from
their eponymous 1972 album. Here is your chance
to hear Nick and Co. pull out all the stops on
their sidelong interpretation that triples the
original’s eight-minute length, turning it into
one of the Frond’s patented wall-rattling epics
to rival ‘The Shrine’ and ‘The Miskatonic
Variations.’
‘Nautilus’ is another Saloman original
in the manner of the aforementioned guitar
pyrotechnics but always with one eye (ear?) on
his pop sensibilities. ‘I’m Here and It’s There’
sets the fuzz box on stun for some gnarly punk
that fades too soon, and we’re glad both sides
of the limited edition (100 copies) lathe-cut 7”
that was only available at their headlining gig
at Fruit’s 19th Dream of Dr.
Sardonicus Festival earlier this year are
included. The Frond’s poppier side is front and
centre on the brilliantly melancholic ‘Condition
Blue’ while ‘Not Until I Feel It’ features some
nimble finger work on the lengthy solo.
The three 2020 demos feel completely
baked to me so their hold back may be due to
Saloman’s prolific songwriting and the decision
that the released tracks were just a tad better.
But that’s not to say the somewhat perfunctory
‘I Killed You In My Dreams’, the ruminating
‘This Sinking Feeling’, or lullaby-level lilt of
‘The Happening’ are unworthy of your time and
attention. As with much of The Bevis Frond’s
material, their demos are much more enjoyable
than some artists’ “finished” product. With more
than half the tracks Saloman originals (and
faithful but Frond-embellished covers rounding
out the set) this is something you need in your
collection, particularly if you missed out on
the long sold out source albums and singles.
(Jeff
Penczak)
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MAAT
LANDER – ELEMENTS:
WATER
(Clostridium
Records)
Maat
Lander
is back with another album of Grade A
instrumental space/psych/jazz/prog for
all the heads on their headphones out
there.
The group, made up of brothers Arkadiy
(bass, synth, organ, effects) and Ivan Fedotov
(drums, drum machine, wave drum) of Vespero and
Ilya Lipkin (electric and acoustic guitars) of
The Re-Stoned combine some of the best
attributes of both their respective primary
bands, and throw in a sci-fi element to give it
an extra spin into the cosmos.
All
the band’s albums, though instrumental, have
accompanying stories revolving around said Mr.
Lander, intrepid traveler of inner and outer
space. Their
first several records, dating back to 2015’s The
Birth of Maat’s Galaxy, detail Maat’s
cosmic voyages, while the two most recent ones
are clustered about themes of the elements,
2021’s Elements:
Air and now this one.
They’ve
been
compared to the space-prog of Ozric Tentatacles,
which I feel is an apt analogy, especially when
you factor in some of their electronic rhythms,
but of course Maat Lander takes their music into
other dimensions as well.
My favorite tracks on the album are the
ones which primarily feature Lipkin’s acoustic
guitar playing atop some swirling space synth
galactic glop – songs such as “Land of Dreams,”
“Brilliant Depth,” “Sapphire Realm,” and parts
of “Pulse of Water” and “To Infinity and
Beyond.” These
tend closer to The Re-Stoned’s mellower Stories
of the Astral Lizard albums.
The long outro on “Pulse of Water”
showcases some particularly brilliant
flamenco-esque Lipkin acoustic guitar playing
over little besides Ivan Fedotov’s high-hat
playing. Lipkin’s
electric guitar playing is always phenomenal,
but these more chill acoustic passages bring out
something else in him that shines.
And, to be fair, most of those
acoustic-based little ditties tend to expand
later in the track into the full-blown electric
assault, with no complaints here.
With
“Mobius
Strip,” the trio adds krautrock to their quiver,
albeit with a world-class guitarist in their hip
pocket. Some
of these rhythms are quite complex, and it all
starts with Ark and Ivan Fedotov doing their
usual incredible job digging that foundation,
setting the bottom, the tempo and the musical
framework for Lipkin’s six-string fireworks.
I also always enjoy listening to Ark play
the recorder, which he graces us with in “To
Infinity and Beyond” before they ignite the
rocket’s last stage.
Elements:
Water
adds more sonic goodness to Maat Lander’s canon.
Is some Fire in store in the near future?
Stay tuned.
Also, The Re-Stoned have a new EP out Spectrum,
and Vespero have a new album De Ludo Globi.
Watch this space for some reviews in the
future.
(Mark
Feingold)
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FUZZY
GRASS – THE REVENGE OF
THE BLUE NUT
(LP,
CD,
Digital, T-shirt on Kozmik
Artifactz)
Fuzzy
Grass
plays a heavy, bluesy brand of early 70s-style
hard rock and boy, do they do it well.
The band is from Toulouse, France, also
home to their excellent hard rocking townsmen
Slift. Slift
has gone on to international fame, and Fuzzy
Grass should, too!
The Revenge of the Blue Nut is
that oft-told tale, billed as a “concept
album…about a peanut man having a psychedelic
trip after a love deception.”
And you know…you know…taking in the news
of the day in the world these days, I will gladly
enjoy an album about a jilted blue peanut
man’s psychedelic trip for 40 minutes any day.
Especially
when
it sounds this good.
Keyboards man and vocalist Audric
Faucheux has a fantastic rock voice, channeling
golden throats the likes of Paul Rodgers and
Peter Green. Guitarist
Laura Luiz matches him stride-for-stride with a
furious combination of distortion, fuzz and
wah-wah. She
plays some lowdown, funky, filthy riffology.
And when these two get going, as they are
wont to do, they are simply relentless.
Opener
“Living
in Time” sums up Fuzzy Grass’s attack tidily.
Audric Faucheaux’s impassioned vocals –
well, as impassioned as you can get singing
about a lovesick blue peanut man tripping out –
and Laura Luiz’s shredding are thunderous.
Drummer Clément Gaudry and bass player
Thomas Hobeck are solid and in lockstep.
Gaudry has an endless supply of perfect
fills, and even shines on a brief solo.
The
six tracks offer some light and shade on tracks
like “I’m Alright,” “The Dreamer,” and
“Moonlight Shades,” giving the band and the
listener some brief moments to catch their
breath in Zep “I Can’t Quit You Baby” style,
before the inevitable onslaught comes on heavy
and hard. “Why
You Stop Me” is an all-too-short frenetic guitar
riff and solo monster, with Faucheaux singing as
if his life depended on it.
It’s easy to overlook Thomas Hobeck’s
bass playing keeping up with Luiz’s explosive
guitar work note-for-note, but we don’t miss
things like that around here.
Nearly
12-minute
closer “Moonlight Shades” is kind of their
“Dazed and Confused,” sans the violin bow.
I know I sound like my needle’s stuck,
but Faucheaux’s singing, Luiz’s ferocious guitar
playing, and Gaudry’s brilliant drum fills are
intoxicating. The
song even ends with an unusual, strange blend of
saturated heavy blues-rocking with semi-operatic
background singing.
It’s weird, but I like the weirdness.
Fuzzy
Grass
may have chops to spare, but obviously doesn’t
take themselves too seriously.
And it’s good somebody is still
doing that, having fun while they blow your
speakers to smithereens.
The nifty blue marble vinyl’s still
available. Snap
one up before the peanut man turns to peanut
butter.
(Mark
Feingold)
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UNDER
GOLDEN CANOPY – FLUTTER AND DRONE
(DL
from Apple Tree Lament at Flutter
and Drone | Under Golden Canopy | apple tree
lament (bandcamp.com))
What
do you imagine when you read ‘Flutter and
Drone’? A podcast about horseracing? Someone
kitted out in a camo flak jacket flogging
unmanned aerial vehicles used variously for
innocent enjoyment, surveillance and killing
people? Or, perhaps, an upmarket purveyor of
high-end technical gadgetry and such likes of
the sort you need to book an appointment before
they allow you over the threshold?
Now
what do you experience when you hear Flutter and
Drone? Well, you soon realise that it simply and
accurately describes a collection of home
recordings by our very own Simon Lewis,
no less, and Geoff Puplett. Across five tracks
it flutters and, yes, drones in stately yet
homely fashion, never overplaying its hand or
outgrowing its boots. As organic as electronica
gets, the overall impression is of a reassuring
old school pair of sonic slippers, resembling in
places a single hob ‘New Age of Earth’, or
‘Rainbow Dome Music’. Opener ‘Chorus’ opts for
the drone, a gentle but pulsating introduction
that reaches elegantly into the light. There are
strains of Gong’s ‘Other Side Of The Sky’ to be
heard here and, indeed, proceedings frequently
invoke an edgier close cousin of the Pixie lot’s
more ambient workouts. While we don’t quite make
it to space whisper there is enough technical
wizardry that with the slightest imagination it
can be willed into being. The eerie underwater
exploration of ‘Dive Deep’ hints at darker and
more dangerous depths while the title track
builds from a single note call to prayer taking
on more layers and array of textures, again a
gritty uneasiness contrasting with the
superficially blissful. All isn’t necessarily
well in Eden, evidently, and even that glissando
sounds like it’s preparing us for something of
some taut and suspenseful denouement before
abating into eastern tinged constant hum
overlaid by playful pitter-patter. It all gets
chucked into the mix for the expansive 15-minute
‘The Mysteries of Time and Space’ incorporating
several intriguing and at times haunting vocal
samples. It’s the sound of amiable tech boffins
having fun and which in, turn, helps lifts my
mood (and possibly Moog).
For
why is any of this especially important to me
right now? Well, you find me writing this during
the Dark Days between Christmas and New Year,
that strange interzone, or Winterval as some
would call it (although I draw the line at
Twixtmas which sounds like one dive too many
into the Celebrations tub). And they are,
literally The Dark Days, a low-wattage
perma-dusk with the constant threat of biblical
floods and persistent weather anxiety. A bad
time for existential rumination, then. Moreover,
2023 seems to have been a year in which I
finally fell out of love with music. I listened
to less (so admittedly missed a lot), liked even
less, while those releases championed by
generally reliable sources left me unimpressed
and uninspired. It’s taken this, a digital only
release knocked together by mates for the sheer
love of it, to help me rebalance the musical
chakras and reconnect with my muse (this and the
recent Fruits de Mer Bevis compilation).
Thank
you, Simon and Geoff – life-affirmative,
Captains.
Ian
Fraser
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NICK
NICELY – AFTERWORLD
(LP
from fruitsdemerrecords.com
)
I
was sorting through my albums the other day, as
you do, when I came across this rather excellent
collection of outtakes and demos. It was only
then I realised that I had not actually reviewed
it, as it had been misplaced for some
considerable time. I can only apologise to all
concerned and correct this error promptly!
Hopefully most of you reading this will
be familiar with the work of Mr Nicely, his
brand of swirling psychedelia remaining
traditional whilst also taking it far into the
future with his 2014 album “Space of a Second”
being a prime example and one of my favourite
albums from that year. Coincidentally, this
compilation opens with “Rosemary's Eyes” a track
from the aforementioned album, this alternate
version sounding more distant and reverb
drenched than the original track, but still as
psychedelic as it should be.
Slowing things down, “Eels”, an
abandoned project, is a moody, lysergic tune
that slithers into your brain delightfully held
together with a pulsing bass and dripping with
guitar. Following on, “DCT Dreams” has a bright
electronic drum pattern at its heart, the music
wrapped around it to great effect, droning
chords and effect laden vocals creating melody
and texture as other-wordly sounds phase in and
out.
In an alternative reality, which is
where this album dwells, “Blood on the Beaches”
would be a number one with catchy melodies and
sweet organ sounds, the feel good hit of the
summer. Alas this is not the case, so I’ll have
to console myself with the creeping psych of
“Gallery” instead, a tune that reminds me of The
Dukes of Stratosphear, which is no bad thing at
all.
With beautifully treated vocals and
some fine, droning guitar, “Whirlpool” hits all
the right notes as it takes you to another
dimension and quite probably gets you home for
tea, turn on, tune in and drop out indeed. On
reflection tea may be late as “Rainbow (harp
free Berlin outtake)” keeps you floating for a
bit longer, a slower and mellow tune that gently
lands you in a summer meadow, relaxed and
golden.
Keeping things moving, “Further Down
the Beach” has a driving Hawkwind vibe, although
Hawkwind shoved through every effects box in the
shop is more accurate, whilst the whole
collection is wrapped up with “Shadow in the
Sun” a droning slice of noise that dances with a
rippling melodic loop and distant drums, the
tune leading you back from distant lands until
you suddenly find yourself sat in your favourite
armchair again. Now where the fuck did I leave
the teapot? (Simon Lewis)
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RAOUL
EDEN - INCARNATION
www.raouleden.com
A
journey of 6 & 12 string instrumental
guitar, slide dobro and gembri, beyond matter
and through illusions. It was recorded during
the winter months, in a lonely house, on the
heights of the Massif Central.
With the drone of the fireplace that
heated the room, mixing with sparse modular
synthesizer.
Raoul
is a French guitarist very much in the American
primitive style, but with added Middle Eastern
influences. He first came to my attention by his
work with Sophia Djebel Rose, appearing on her
Metempsycose album, which I reviewed here a
couple of years ago. Before that he and Sophia
were in the psychedelic folk duo An Eagle In
Your Mind.
This
is fairly uncompromising music, which to use an
analogy if it were a coffee it would be black,
likewise if it were a spirit it would be
presented neat, no foaming, milky nonsense and
certainly no mixers involved. It is elemental in
nature, a true distillation of the guitar.
The
record opens with a stop-start, slightly halting
circular song in parts, entitled ‘Red Sun of a
Moonless Morning’ where spectral notes pass in a
flurry of cadences; it has a gentle, unhurried
style which draws the listener in, instilling a
sense of calm, grounding and enticing the
listener to its underlying melody. This is
followed by ‘The Ghost Hound’, rendered on a
slide dobro, with spectral notes escaping like
fireflies into the ether. It’s a sparse haunting
song underpinned by a lightly whirring rhythm.
The first side ends with ‘Millions Now Living
(improvisation)’, a twelve string opus; it rings
out in a lively manner of intense soli guitar.
Side
two begins with ‘Will Never Die
(improvisation)’, where open, expansive notes
ring out in an easy unhurried way, a melody
finds its way out through the tumbling strings
and plants itself in the mind. It’s fairly
obvious that Raoul has immersed himself in the
Takoma school of playing, with Toulouse
Engelhardt and John Fahey springing to mind.
‘Beat Your Head with Glorious Songs’, slows down
the pace and is the lengthiest song on the
album, plenty of attack and decay amid a tangle
of notes, where melodies rise and fall over a
metronomic rhythm. The album ends with ‘L’Oeil
se Ferme’, over a sparse whirring synth, he
plays a strangely evocative, primitive tune, on
what I believe may well be the aforementioned
gembri, an instrument that I am not really that
familiar with, so apologies if I am mistaken,
anyway this is a fine album of primitive
instrumental guitar music. I understand that it
will be available to order soon through his
Bandcamp site www.raouleden.bandcamp.com
(Andrew
Young)
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MUIREANN
BRADLEY – I KEPT THESE OLD BLUES
(LP,
CD, Cassette on Tompkins
Square Records)
Fingerpickin’
acoustic guitar player Muireann Bradley of
County Donegal, Ireland, is all of 17, but
her performance on this debut is that of a
musician way beyond her years.
And Tompkins Square came a-courtin’
for her all the way back when she was 14,
when most of us are picking gum out of our
braces, not hundred-year-old tunes on a
guitar. Amazingly,
she only started getting serious about
playing guitar on lockdown when COVID hit.
Her
backstory is as charming as this record.
I’ll let her tell it, from her
Bandcamp page:
“Most of these tunes were
originally recorded by the great blues men
and women who were making records from the
1920s and 1930s… My father would play this
music constantly at home and wherever we
went in the car and talk about it
endlessly whether anyone was listening or
not, telling stories about the lives of
these musicians as if they were legend,
mythology or the evening news.”
We all owe a great debt to her father
for introducing her to this nearly forgotten
musical world and teaching her how to play;
but it was Muireann herself who took the
initiative and got serious about playing
when lockdown drew her focus away from
playing sports outside – you know, like kids
her age normally do.
So
how well does a teenage girl from Ireland
capture these songs of old ragtime, blues,
folk and Americana, songs originally written
and performed generally by older Black men
from the US South?
ASTONISHINGLY well.
With her technical proficiency and
her vocal style, Bradley makes these songs
all her own.
If I didn’t know better, I could
fully believe they were her originals.
Rather than try to mimic Blind Blake,
Mississippi John Hurt and others, she casts
them in her own DNA, and you won’t stop
grinning from the first note of Hurt’s
“Candyman” to the end of closer, Elizabeth
Cotton’s “Freight Train.”
Kudos
to Bradley also for not shying away from the
adult themes and innuendos in some of the
original lyrics.
After all, the songs include murder
ballads, tales of dope pushers, sex,
gambling, prostitution, domestic violence
and more. I
love her understated singing throughout the
album, but her guitar playing is splendid.
This isn’t easy stuff, but she’s got
it down. Her
playing takes center stage on instrumentals
such as “Vestapol” and “Buck Dancer’s
Choice.” On
“Candyman” she cries ‘Take it!’ at one point
- to herself – and she does with gusto.
At another point in the same song she
calls to her guitar, ‘Talk!’ and indeed she
makes it speak volumes.
She also adds lovely little touches
throughout, such as the flourish to end
“Shake Sugaree” right down to the final
harmonic.
There
are promising debuts and then there’s this,
which comes from a whole other place.
I Kept These Old Blues is a
delight from start to finish.
Muireann Bradley has dusted off some
heirlooms from our attic and put a fresh
shine on them.
That it comes from a talented young
girl thousands of miles from their origin is
all the more heartwarming.
(Mark
Feingold)
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BROWN
HORSE - RESERVOIR
(LP
from Loose
Music)
A
few, a very few, new releases these days carry
sufficient weight of assurance to make me drop
everything and pay sufficient close attention to
write an immediate eulogy, and for that new
release to be a debut album is rare indeed.
Six-piece Norfolk band Brown Horse have
pulled off that feat with aplomb however.
The
band hail from Norfolk - that’s Norfolk in
England and not Norfolk, Virginia (and yes, I do
realise your name isn’t Virginia, but bear with
me) - and is ably fronted by Patrick Turner,
vocalist and guitarist, whose voice puts me in
mind of the charred, quavering tenderness of Guy
Kuyser from Thin White Rope. Wisely, the band
shove him to the front to sing every song, since
it’s a mistake when you have a singer with that
quality of power and originality to try to be
fair to everyone and let everyone have a turn.
Which is not to denigrate the value of backing
vocalists Ben Auld and (especially) the
marvellous Phoebe Troup, who is Linda to
Turner’s Richard, if you see what I mean. Rowan
Braham adds some deft piano touches throughout,
Nyle Holihan plays bass and the other key (in
fact you could say defining) member is Emma
Tovell, who plays banjo and lap steel.
The
fact that there’s a banjo and lap steel at all
more than hints at their sound. Right from the
off, the melancholic and rather brilliant rocker
‘Stealing Horses’ (a song not so much about the
obvious, but more about the manner in which
songs change over time and how country artists
borrow shamelessly from their vintage
predecessors) it’s patently obvious that their
sound is illuminated throughout by a Harvest
Moon. The band themselves claim allegiance to
Uncle Tupelo, Silver Jews and Jason Molina -
“the Last Waltz generation of folk rock artists”
- however, in that they are merely showing their
age. To us grizzled old-timers, they are the
modern embodiment of bands like Brinsley
Schwarz,
Gypsy and a host of other Brits who maintained
their cool in the sepia-tinged shadow of The
Band, CSN&Y and the like. And I couldn’t
possibly have warmed to them more on listening
to this album.
It
would be unfair to pick out one particular song
when every single song is a stand-out, but aside
from the aforementioned opener, Rowan Graham’s
‘Outtakes’ is a strong personal favourite;
clocking in over six minutes, it’s an
acoustic
yet
propulsive number
with
darkly intelligent lyrics (“I’m
the outtakes of an actor trying to make
herself cry…
I
can’t
sleep unless I’m
weak from work, I can’t
sleep unless I haven’t
slept in days”).
The
ghost
of Neil Young sidles, inevitably, across the
musical landscape with the electric guitars of ‘Everlasting’
and then there’s the churning guitars, and
driving keyboards
of
‘Silver
Bullet’.
Apparently
the record took just four days in the studio to
make, but the train has obviously been a long
time a’coming. The band are almost
telepathically tight, well practiced and at home
with one another. I would earnestly suggest you
make a home for this record just as soon as you
can, too.
(Phil
McMullen)
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PHOTON
BAND
– PURE PHOTONIC MATTER VOL 2
LP/DL
(LP
from
bandcamp.com)
After
a
squall of feedback and an interesting spoken
word line, this LP kicks off in glorious fashion
with the Glam-Bowie celebration of “I Was Free,
I as Fried”, a down and dirty guitar driving the
tune right back to 1974, a sweet boogie that
makes you feel a whole lot better, the soaring
solo the icing on a mighty fine cake, the trick
repeated on “What's a Body to Do”this time
referencing the Beatles with its melodic vocal
line although the guitar solo takes us back to
the seventies with its Fripp vibe. However you
slice it a great tune that sounds even better
turned way up to neighbour annoying levels.
Moving on, “Out of my Head” could have
been a surprise hit in 1973 yet still sounds
relevant today sounding far better than the
current crop of fashionable indie guitar bands,
something that is also true of “Set it Free (The
Energy)” another fine tune powered on by free
flowing Drums and Bass that are full of energy
and groove, a wah driven guitar solo adding
plenty of dynamics to the song,betit sounds
fabulous live. Finally on side one, “Skin
CloseTo Bone” is a short, weird and echo filled
track , the guitar sounding like a banjo, the
vocals weaving all over the place, and strange
sounds attempting to smother everything,
fabulous indeed.
Over on side two a similar feel is to
be found as “When the Wind is Blowing Backwards”
starts sweetly before exploding into life
sounding like the finest Pub-Rock (the
beginnings of punk) band you have ever heard,
energy and attitude a-plenty, up goes the volume
again. Ith a lovely groove and introspective
lyrics, “”When I Fall Out of the Sky” sounds
like another surprise hit, whilst “Dude, Leave
the Headphones On” is a swirling, slightly
lysergic, seventies groove that holds your
interest throughout, the album wrapped up by
“I'm Still Me”, that down and dirty guitar sound
leading us into the groove,melody and riff
intertwining to glorious effect, the perfect way
to end a rather excellent album that is both
retro and modern and sounds like an old friend
from the moment you first hear it, a great trick
that is definitely a mark of quality.
Also featuring The Photon Band
as well as xpoemsx is “The Birth and
Death of the Historical Buddha” a split LP on
Easysubcult. (
xpoemsx (bandcamp.com) ). Here we find the
band in a more experimental mode, seemingly
given room the experiment, spoken word and
guitar noise mixed in with the tunes, an early
highlight being “Things That Are Important” a
distorted Mudhoney sounding guitar hosting
lyrics that resonate within, the following
“Acceptance” the counterpoint with its sweet and
gentle nature. Elsewhere, “Windy, not Windy” is
a weirdly picked instrumental that leads nicely
into heavy instrumental groove of “Painting of
the Impure Aspect of the Human Realm” which
sounds like the way Grunge should have gone
rather than the corporate shit it became.
The whole thing rounded off by “Be a
Lamp”, bringing the wah-wah pedal back into
fashion and making me turn the volume up yet
again.
As if all this wasn't treasure enough
flipping the LP over reveals the wonders of xpoemsx,
Strange, engaging beat poetry and rambling
looped guitar blended together in simple yet
rewarding ways with “Bolshevik Cigs On A Roof On
An Island” hooking you in straight away,
painting pictures and letting you dream.
Continuing down the same path “Swim In The Sea”
loops guitar to the edge of feedback whilst
remaining calm and soothing with both “Vodka and
Percoset Breakfasts (For Lars Gerhard RIP)” and
“Racing Toward Death (We Are All)” repeating the
trick creating a trio of instrumental that leave
space for your imagination to drift where it
will. Given the name xpoemsx and the excellent
use of words on the first track I was hoping for
some more poetry as the music continued but, in
fact, the delicate nature of the music allows
you to form your own words and visions, poetry
without speaking. I like it.
(Simon
Lewis)
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ØYVIND
HOLM
- PARADOX OF LAUGHING
(LP
from Crispin
Glover
Records)
It’s
no great secret that Øyvind Holm has long been
one of my own (and therefore by extension one of
the Terrascope’s) favourite singers, songwriters
and vocalists - the quality of his work with
bands as diverse as Dipsomaniacs,
Deleted Waveform Gatherings and more recently
the wonderful Sugarfoot speaks for itself, and
if there’s one thing I envy it’s the person who
has yet to delve into the career of this
delightful and criminally underrated artist.
Despite fronting and /or at least being heavily
involved in a string of incredible records going
back to 1997 or so, Øyvind didn’t release a solo
album until 2020 - ‘After the Bees’, also on
Crispin Glover, which was followed in 2022 by
‘The Unreliable Narrator’. And now we have his
third, ‘Paradox of Laughing’, and to my mind
it’s his best yet. Right from the outset, the
urgent, catchy swinging singalong ‘Between
Stations’ you’re immediately made aware that
you’re in for a memorably journey in the safest
possible pair of hands. Note by cascading note,
the song unfolds exactly as you long for it to
do. This is followed by what is for me the first
of three stand-out numbers on the entire album,
‘August 1969’ - a gentle, countrified pop-psych
number guaranteed to bring a knowing smile to
your face (the other favourites are ‘Paper
Tigers’, which is the kind of brilliant,
heartfelt song that could only be written and
performed by the legend that is Øyvind Holm, and
‘Flies on the Window Sill’ which is a lyrically
brilliant string-driven melancholic piece to
close side 1, an echo of the title song from
‘After the Bees’). ‘In Flakes’ also plays to
Øyvind’s strengths, with an uncanny feel for 60s
psychedelic pop melody; the whole album in fact
is speckled with clever arrangements, strings,
backing vocals and occasionally exotic
instrumentation, such as on the closing ‘Big
Plans’ which is gently shuffled along by Arve
Gulbrandsen’s percussion. There’s
experimentation as well: the title piece
‘Paradox of Laughing Parts 1 and 2’ could almost
be lifted from a late 70s Frank Zappa album, and
the keyboard driven ‘CCTV’, with Thomas
Henriksen channelling his inner Phil Ryan, has
Rockfield 1976 stamped all the way through it
like a stick of Welsh rock (both songs an echo
perhaps of ‘The
Unreliable Narrator’
which had more of a 70s feel to it than this
album does overall). Finally, ‘Must Be a Way’
features some gorgeous guitar from Alexander
Pettersen, whose work throughout is just one of
the noteworthy elements of this album.
As
with all Crispin Glover releases, the care put
into the cover is outstanding: a die-cut split
sleeve with cover art by the German artist Marco
Wagner. I’m personally not won over by the dark
green vinyl, which is so close to being plain
black that it might not as well be coloured; but
it’s a great quality pressing for all that and
the sound of this record, as with everything
else about it, is absolutely exemplary.
(Phil
McMullen)
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THE
THROTTLES - UNSAVOURY
URGES
(DL
via
bandcamp.com)
I
have known Mike Wooding, main-man behind The
Throttles, since I was a teenager and have
played in a band with him so this review, whilst
not being in any way biased, will definitely be
written with affection. [Nothing wrong with
that, mate! – Phil]
Being familiar with Mr Wooding's vinyl
collection it comes as no surprise that the band
are raw and uncompromising, their Garage/Punk
sound best heard very loud and with lashings of
cider, each song a little nugget of fury as
demonstrated on “DOLS”, 90 seconds of fuzz-laden
intent that gives way for “Poison”,
3-chords and a snotty attitude roaring out of
the speakers before “BackBite” ramps up the fuzz
even more completing a fine opening trio of
tunes that should have you leaping around the
kitchen or at least turning the volume up.
Dark and slightly disturbing
“Container” has lyrics that are perfectly
matched to the Punk Rock guitar that surrounds
them, which leads us nicely to “Trash”, The
lyrics a list of bands, both loved and despised,
the whole ethos of the music of The Throttles
“Born in the garage, live in the trash”, and is,
quite possibly, the only song in existence that
mentions The Unrelated Segments.
Over 12 songs, the band give it their
all, a relentless Barrage of Garage that is
excellent fun, with “Rage” owing a lyrical debt
to The Meteors, a tale of insects in the ear, as
well as being my favourite track on the album,
whilst the whole collection is brought to a
crashing end with the distorted stomp of “Room”.
Recorded in glorious mono and a labour
of love, no ballads, no bullshit, no excuses,
just go buy one and make an old garage-head very
happy. Cheers.
(Simon
Lewis)
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PAUL
O. JENKINS - RALPH
McTELL: EVERY ALBUM, EVERY SONG
(Sonic
Bond “On Track” series)
With
over 350 songs across more than 26 albums,
McTell (born Ralph May)’s 50+ year career is
ripe for analysis. Two volumes of autobiography
and several biographies give us the details of
his legendary life and career, but Professor
Jenkins focuses on the music. Brief biographical
sketches are included but his remit is to
discuss the songs. Space limitations result in
the absence of any discussions of his children’s
music for The
Alphabet Zoo or his contributions to other
artists’ recordings, such as his brilliant vocal
on Scottish singer Jackie Leven’s ‘Cornelius
Whalen’ from Gothic
Road (Cooking Vinyl, 2010) or his
appearance at Fairport Convention’s Cropredy
Festival. But we have much here to digest and
Jenkins is a patient, knowledgeable guide who’s
not afraid to point out the warts on an
otherwise masterful discography. (He also wrote
the liner notes to McTell’s 2006 box set, The
Journey.)
From the beginning McTell’s talent was
recognisable, but Jenkins still rates his 1968
Transatlantic debut Eight
Frames A Second ”inconsistent.” Even
though he was working with burgeoning music
legends Gus Dudgeon (his debut in the producer’s
chair) and arranger Tony Visconti, Jenkins
notices the growing pains, suggesting that some
of Visconti’s arrangements were “heavy-handed
and at-odds with the material.” McTell was also
disappointed that Gudgeon seemed to be trying to
turn him into a “crossover pop star.” Be that as
it may, several tracks stand out.
‘Nanna’s Song’, one of the first songs
he ever wrote is a valentine to the Norwegian au
pair he met in Paris several years earlier and
who would become his wife the following year.
They’ve been married nearly 60 years and have
five children and their initial attraction is
beautifully captured in this poignant love song.
‘The Mermaid and The Seagull’ has a cheery
Donovanesque vibe and two “Blind” Arthur Blake
covers illustrate his early love of the blues.
Several other cover songs fail to impress,
although Jenkins points out that McTell was
contractually obligated to record both Bonnie
Dobson’s ‘Morning Dew’ and the Purple Gang’s
novelty hit ‘Granny Takes A Trip.’ The curious
should stick to the originals.
McTell’s sophomore release Spiral
Staircase (1969) is judged “far stronger
than his first.” It includes the first
appearance of what has become his signature
song, ‘Streets Of London’ which garners a
lengthy, detailed analysis from Jenkins.
Surprisingly, McTell doesn’t rate is as highly
as some of his other compositions but over 200
performers who’ve covered it disagree.
Interpretations by everyone from Mary Hopkin
(McTell’s producer Tony Visconti’s wife, who has
covered several of McTell’s songs) and Sinead
O’Connor to the raucous punk band Anti-Nowhere
League attest to its popularity. Jenkins gives
us McTell’s own explanations for the sources of
some of the verses which add another dimension
beyond simply reading the lyrics. In 2017 McTell
recorded a new version as a charity single with
Annie Lennox and in 2020 he added a new verse
inspired by the COVID pandemic. McTell even
serves as ambassador for the Streets Of London
charity organization which has raised over
£750,000 for London’s homeless. McTell has
softened his opinion of the song over the years,
telling Jenkins “It is certainly not the best
song I’ve ever written, but if you seek to touch
hearts and move people then it succeeds from
that point of view.”
Other tracks that impress Jenkins
include ‘England 1914’ which shows McTell’s
“ability to treat serious, even profound topics
with a poet’s touch,” ‘Last Train And Ride’
which is “a marked improvement over the original
blues numbers included in his first
collection…”, ‘Daddy’s Here’, one of several
autobiographical songs about his absent father
who abandoned the family when McTell was two,
and the heartbreaking ‘Terminus,” an
end-of-the-affair weeper that always reminds me
of Noel Coward’s Brief
Encounter.
McTell’s third album My
Side Of Your Window (also released in
1969) is his first to contain all original
material. He also produced it and Jenkins finds
it to be a mixed bag. While ‘Michael In The
Garden’ is judged “one of his strongest
compositions to date” and ‘Clown’ is one of
McTell’s favourites on the album, ‘All Things
Change’ sounds “awkward and forced”, ‘I’ve
Thought About It’ is “a bit self-righteous” and
‘Kew Gardens’ is a tad “precious and
sentimental.” The album is also notable for
featuring future C.O.B. members Clive Palmer and
Mike Bennett on ‘Blues In More Than 12 Bars’ “a
playful romp set to a jaunty tune.” McTell would
produce both C.O.B. albums, playing and writing
the liner notes to their Spirit
Of Love debut the following year.
1971’s You
Well Meaning Brought Me Here was McTell’s
one-off album for Famous Records and features an
all-star cast, including Rick Wakeman and Danny
Thompson along with members of Hookfoot/Elton
John’s band, Pentangle, Manfred Mann, and Kiki
Dee’s band. The artistry on hand coupled with
the superb songs lead Jenkins to label this “one
of McTell’s most magical and visionary
albums and certainly his heaviest.”
Critic William Ruhlmann (All Music) praised it
as “one of the seminal singer-songwriter
collections of the 1970s.” Here McTell examines
his religious roots and feelings via ‘Genesis I
Verse 20’, bitterly attacks the British Army (in
‘Pick Up A Gun’) for the humiliation, hazing,
mistreatments, and physical and verbal abuse he
suffered during “the worst six months of his
life” in the Queen’s Surrey Regiment Junior
Leaders Battalion at age 15, and delivers one of
his most poignant stories of desperate lonely
characters that feature throughout his
discography in ‘Chalkdust.’ The album is also
notable for McTell’s choice of Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha
as the basis for his longest composition ‘The
Ferryman’ which receives a lengthy analysis from
Jenkins who ultimately selects the album as
McTell’s “masterpiece.”
Commercially, the early ‘70s were
McTell’s most successful period with his next
three albums being his only chart appearances. Not
Till Tomorrow (1972) is rated “nearly as
strong” as his previous release and features
several of what have been called his “artist
songs” - songs dedicated to people who create
art: ‘Zimmerman Blues’ (Bob Dylan), ‘Sylvia’
(Sylvia Plath), and ‘Birdman’ (George Jackson,
who died the year before the album’s release).
[Jenkins actually breaks McTell’s
compositions written for adults (he also
recorded two albums of songs for the Alphabet
Zoo children’s show that he hosted in
1983-84 that are not discussed here) into
various themes: love, artist songs, protest
songs, instrumentals, and childhood. The
remaining tracks he consolidates into songs
about optimism, loneliness, religious faith,
fathers, history, and compassion.]
McTell explores his childhood in
‘Barges’, ‘Standing Down In New York Town’ was
inspired by Woody Guthrie’s ‘New York Town’, and
‘Gypsy’ is another autobiographical song about
his possible Romani bloodline. Trivia fans may
chuckle at the source of the album’s title: the
printer asked McTell’s manager Jo Lustig’s
secretary the name of the album and she replied,
“Oh, not till tomorrow”!
Another all-star ensemble contributed
to Easy
(1974), including some of McTell’s oldest
friends and inspirations Bert Jansch and Wizz
Jones, John Kongos, and members of folk-rock
royalty Pentangle, Fairport Convention, and
Fotheringay. While it garnered McTell his first
silver disc in 1976, Jenkins doesn’t rate it as
high as other reviewers (All
Music praises it for “some of McTell’s
most accessible material” while Q
said it included some of his “finest
compositions.”) Jenkins however feels the
previous two albums were “far superior” although
he does acknowledge it is “the closest he ever
came to a pop sound and pop sensibility.” ‘Take
It Easy’ has a “catchy chorus and nice fiddle
solo”, ‘Stuff No More’ is an “enjoyable, if
slight number improvised in the studio featuring
the jug band sound McTell had largely
abandoned”, and ‘Would I Lie To You’ is “a very
simple number that really swings.” Toss in one
of McTell’s “artist songs” - a track dedicated
to Steeleye Span singer Maddy Prior (‘Maddy
Sings’), Bert Jansch guesting on a critics’
favourite ‘Run Johnny Run’, and closing track
‘Summer Lightning’ that Jenkins praises as the
album’s finest and also served as the title of
the second volume of McTell’s autobiography and
it is, er, easy to understand why it resonated
with audiences. The CD version adds the 1972
non-LP single ‘Teacher Teacher’ c/w ‘Truckin’
Lil Baby’ featuring the T. Rex rhythm section.
McTell’s biggest-selling album
followed, almost reaching the Top 10 in 1975
(peaking at #13.) Streets
was obviously riding the coattails of his
biggest hit ‘Streets Of London’ but McTell
lobbied to exclude it from the album for fear of
record buying-public backlash. [British albums
typically did not include previously-released
singles.] He lost the battle, but did succeed in
shortening the album title. Jenkins is not a fan
of the album. “It’s far from his strongest
collection of songs. Most are minor, another is
a cover and two can be considered throwaways.”
Another stellar cast includes Danny Thompson,
Dave Pegg, Jerry Donahue, and, returning the
favour from his previous album, Maddy Prior who
lends exquisite backing vocals to one of the
album highlights ‘Lunar Lullaby’, a lyric from
which provided the title to the first volume of
McTell’s autobiography Angel
Laughter. Elsewhere ’Grande Affaire’ still
remains one of Jenkins’ and McTell’s favourite
songs (mine, too!) and ‘Heron Song’ is a
“powerful” story song. Two bonus tracks on the
CD release were rated better than some of the
weaker tracks so that’s the version to pick up.
Jenkins then rates follow-up Right
Side Up (1976) as an “excellent album that
includes some of McTell’s best work… and is one
of the best-sung albums in McTell’s catalogue.”
Of course, it failed to chart, and McTell would
never trouble the charts again. But this
contains many McTell classics “that have stood
the test of time”, including a cover of Tom
Waits’ ‘San Diego Serenade’, ‘Naomi’ (a tribute
to his aunt that is “one of McTell’s strongest
and most beloved compositions”), and ‘Tequila
Sunset’ (“all the ingredients of a hit single: a
catchy melody, confessional lyrics, and a lovely
memorable chorus”). Jenkins speculates that the
Eagles’ 1973 hit ‘Tequila Sunrise’ may have
influenced this one, which is McTell’s favourite
song on the album. Jenkins and I agree!
Dave Pegg, Dave Mattacks, Jerry
Donahue, Robert Kirby, Simon Nicol, and Richard
Thompson all combine to give Slide
Away The Screen (1979) a folk-rock sound,
but Jenkinns was disappointed in the outcome,
claiming “few songs rise to the quality of
McTell’s earlier work in terms of either lyrics
or melodies.” ‘One Heart’ is “bland” despite
Jerry Donahue’s intriguing guitar solo, ‘London
Apprentice’ is “pleasant but not intriguing” and
a worthless cover of ‘Save The Last Dance For
Me’ contributed to a growing perception that
McTell “lost a certain edge and that his sound
was worryingly creeping towards
middle-of-the-road.” Only ‘Van Nuys (Cruise
Night)’ with its radio-friendly chorus and
‘White Dress’, adapted from Fairport fiddler
Dave Swarbrick’s dedication to Fairport singer
Sandy Denny and featuring a “tasty guitar solo”
[presumably by Thompson?] merit repeat visits.
Three years and a new label (Leola)
later McTell returned with Water
Of
Dreams, an album full of tributes (to
Bahamian guitarist Joseph Spence, Romani
gypsies, or “travellers”, and Martin “Tubs”
Sole, the latter, ‘Song For Martin’ featuring
Phil Collins on drums) and protest songs (the
tragic story of Derek Bentley and Christopher
Craig and the title track about New Zealand
teacher Blair Peach killed during an anti-racism
demonstration in London in 1979, which Jenkins
finds similar to the tale of Joe Hill).
The rest of the book follows a similar
pattern: an introduction about the recordings,
personnel, and some interesting trivia followed
by Jenkins’ analysis of each song. McTell
continued to attract major talent, particularly
from the folk-rock field. The
Boy With A Note (1992) is an excellent
concept album about Dylan Thomas that originated
as a BBC 2 radio play and is judged “a landmark
in the performer’s career.” McTell’s next two
albums are the longest in his discography, each
lasting over an hour. 1995’s “thought-provoking
collection” of mostly protest songs Sand
In Your Shoes is praised as “the work of
a mature artist at the height of his powers…”
Five years passed before Red
Sky arrived and while Jenkins found it
“largely dour in tone [and] a bit of a downer at
times” he praises many of the 19 tracks,
particularly the “outstanding” ‘In The
Dreamtime.’ Other reviewers were even more
ecstatic, with NetRhythm
labeling it “an undisputed pinnacle of Ralph’s
achievement” while Q
called it his “best record for 25 years.”
McTell’s most recent album Hill
Of Beans (2019) marks Tony Visconti’s
return to the producer’s chair after 35 years
and is a “strong effort”, although Jenkins fears
listeners may find it a bit too obscure or
overly personal. The final two tracks are very
clear however, the title track reflecting on
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman’s
relationship in Casablanca
and ‘West 4th Street And Jones’ (“the
album’s best track”) may be familiar to fans of
Dylan’s Freewheelin’.
McTell ties the two tracks together, comparing
Rick and Ilsa’s doomed relationship in the
former with Dylan and Suze Rotolo’s in the
latter, the title reflecting the address where
the cover photo was taken. After hearing the
song, Dylan was moved to write a personal letter
to McTell claiming “it made an old man cry.” I
can’t think of a better endorsement.
In addition to his albums of original
material, the second half of McTell’s career
found him recording seven albums of cover tunes
by his major inspirations, from Woody Guthrie to
Bob Dylan. Jenkins walks us through each, which
unfortunately begins with the “listless
performances” on 1985’s At
The End Of A Perfect Day, perhaps the
weakest album of his career. McTell’s
interpretations of songs by Jim Croce, Cat
Stevens, Carole King and others range from
“desperate” and “cheesy” to “saccharine” and
“antiseptic” and this one is best avoided.
Other albums in this category include Blue
Skies Black Heroes (1988), a “generally
well executed” collection of blues classics from
Robert Johnson, Blind Boy Fuller, Arthur Blake,
his namesake Blind Willie McTell , et. al.,
1990’s similar Stealin’
Back, with more of a jug-band vibe, and a
third album of blues covers featuring McTell
playing a National resonator guitar (National
Treasure, 2002). Listeners who prefer
McTell’s folk leanings over his blues influences
may prefer Gates
Of Eden (2006), which is dedicated to one
of his early inspirations Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
and consists mostly of covers of Dylan and Woody
Guthrie songs, and the two albums About
Time (2016) and About
Time, Too (2017) he recorded with his
mentor “Wizz” Jones.
Jenkins also addresses the myriad
thematic compilation albums and Best Of
collections that have appeared over the years
with recommendations for his favourites that are
perfect for beginners or those looking for a
career overview. As
Far As I Can Tell is a 3-CD set of McTell
reading selections from his two autobiographies
if you’d rather hear than read about his life.
The set also includes some rare recordings. The
more serious fan may want to spring for The
Journey a 4-CD box set of rarities,
previously unreleased tracks, live cuts, photos,
and tributes that includes an essay from
Jenkins. His verdict: “there are surprises and
delights aplenty.”
Finally, as with many artists, McTell’s
songs may best be appreciated in a live setting,
and Jenkins walks us through a few of his
favourites, citing 1977’s Ralph,
Albert & Sydney (named after the
venues: Royal Albert Hall and Sydney Opera
House) as the best and a perfect introduction to
McTell’s work for the uninitiated. Some fun
“Suggested Playlists” (the cream of his output,
best love songs, best artist songs, best protest
songs, et. al.) will please both DJ programmers
and list compilers.
Throughout, Jenkins’ subjective
opinions of each song and album are backed by
persuasive arguments (pro and con) and
frequently supported by quotes from McTell’s
autobiographies, his “official” biography, and
interviews and email correspondence. Original
album covers, contemporary posters, and personal
memorabilia from McTell’s private collection add
to the enjoyment of this wonderfully detailed,
if occasionally academic overview of the career
of one of our most endearing musical treasures
and is highly recommended to long-time devotees
and novices alike. You may also benefit from
listening to each album as you read along and
many of McTell’s albums are available on
streaming services or for purchase directly from
the artist’s website.
(Jeff
Penczak)
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