Record Reviews
19 Reviews Found. Use search to find more reviews or follow the links in the review text.
  | GARY BOYLE ~ THE DANCER
ESOTERIC 2307 (Barcode: 5013929430747) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1977 Released: 2012
This is the 1st solo album by the excellent British guitarist / composer Gary BoyleFind albums by this artist, recorded after his excellent group IsotopeFind albums by this artist disbanded. A brilliant guitarist, Boyle enjoyed success as a sideman both in the Prog and Jazz circles in UK, and the work with Isotope firmly established his reputation as a formidable Jazz-Rock Fusion player. This album, recorded with a dreamy team of superb players: keyboardists Zoe KronbergerFind albums by this artist (who also contributed two compositions), Dave MacRaeFind albums by this artist (ex-Matching MoleFind albums by this artist) and Rod ArgentFind albums by this artist (ex-ZombiesFind albums by this artist), bassist Doni HarveyFind albums by this artist, drummer Simon PhillipsFind albums by this artist and many others, is a classic example of the British Fusion, full of intricate melodies and virtuosic performances. There is not a dull moment here, from start to finish, and Fusion fans, who for some strange reason might have overlooked this treasure are about to discover a goldmine of pleasures. A must to any intelligent Fusion fan!
| | | CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | MATCHING MOLE ~ LITTLE RED RECORD (EXPANDED EDITION)
ESOTERIC 2312 (Barcode: 5013929431249) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1972 Released: 2012
This is the 2nd and last album by Matching MoleFind albums by this artist, the seminal Canterbury ensemble formed by drummer Robert WyattFind albums by this artist, after he left Soft MachineFind albums by this artist. Although Wyatt was determined to start a solo career following his split with Soft Machine, Matching Mole was born and kept going for about a year, recording two legendary studio albums. Live performances and BBC radio recordings gave birth, decades later, to three albums, which consist of material from these sources and now the expanded editions of the two studio albums give us another two new CDs of Matching Mole material, all together 7 CDs worth of superb Canterbury stuff at its best. The lineup, which recorded this music, consisted of Wyatt, keyboardist Dave MacRaeFind albums by this artist, guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist and bassist Bill MacCormickFind albums by this artist. MacRae contributed or co-contributed most of the music on this album, with Wyatt taking charge of occasional vocal parts and lyrics. The music lost absolutely nothing of its freshness and the wonderful weirdness, which characterizes most of Canterbury output. Of course the genre would fully blossom only shortly after Matching Mole would be no more and its members would form such legendary groups like Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist and National HealthFind albums by this artist. This is music straight from heaven, for listeners inclined towards the more sophisticated end of the spectrum, combining complex improvisation and quirky rhythmic patterns, which have no parallel anywhere. Of course this kind of music should be kept alive at all costs and this new edition does the job just fine, with a crisp new remaster and plenty of previously unheard stuff to make every fan green from ear to ear. Essential stuff for body and soul!
| | | CD 2 Oversampling Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | MATCHING MOLE ~ MARCH
CUNEIFORM 172 (Barcode: 045775017228) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1972 Released: 2002
Recently discovered live recording from March 1972 (hence the title) by the seminal UK Canterbury scene outfit Matching MoleFind albums by this artist. Every bit of unearthed material by Matching Mole is a feast to every Prog fan, but in this case considering the superb sound quality and the great form the group is in, this is a royal treat. Nothing more needs to be said.
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  | MATCHING MOLE ~ MATCHING MOLE (EXPANDED EDITION)
ESOTERIC 2311 (Barcode: 5013929431140) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1971 - 1972 Released: 2012
This is the eponymous debut album by British Canterbury / Prog / Jazz-Rock ensemble Matching MoleFind albums by this artist, formed in 1971 by drummer / vocalist Robert WyattFind albums by this artist, after being kicked out from Soft MachineFind albums by this artist due to "artistic differences" between him and the other Soft Machine members, mainly as to the shift of the group´s music towards Free Jazz / Improvised Music. In retrospect it turned out that fate was about to play a trick with Wyatt´s ideas, as Matching Mole was about to embark on an almost identical path as Soft Machine. Of course, again in retrospect, the listeners got to enjoy the music of two superb groups instead on one. The name Matching Mole was a pun on the French for of Soft Machine – "machine molle". Wyatt was joined by brilliant Canterbury keyboardist David SinclairFind albums by this artist, who about the same time left the legendary CaravanFind albums by this artist, guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist (ex-DeliveryFind albums by this artist) and bassist Bill MacCormickFind albums by this artist. The group jammed in Wyatt´s garage for a few weeks and by the end of 1971 was already recording this debut album. Ridden by technical problems the recording took much longer than expected and the album was finally released in April 1972. A second keyboards player, Dave MacRaeFind albums by this artist, took part as a guest in the recording sessions, and by the time the album was released he formally replaced Sinclair, who decided to move on to other things. Wyatt wrote most of the music on this album, which also features his wonderfully eccentric vocals. Stylistically the music is all over the musical landscape of the time, with ambient, Jazz and Jazz-Rock Fusion elements dominating the proceedings, but Wyatt´s classic ballad "O Caroline" is also included. This wonderful extended version sheds a lot of light as to the album´s recording sessions with a plethora of previously unreleased outtakes, as well as a couple of BBC recordings made at the time. Of course this is absolutely classic stuff, which should be part of the eternal music legacy as well as an essential part of every serious music collection. An absolute must!
| | | CD 2 Oversampling Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | MATCHING MOLE ~ ON THE RADIO
HUX 083 (Barcode: 682970000831) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1972 Released: 2006
Although Matching MoleFind albums by this artist existed for barely a year, they are still considered one of the most important Canterbury scene bands and their musical legacy achieved legendary status over the years. Formed in late 1971 by Robert WyattFind albums by this artist, who left Soft MachineFind albums by this artist dissatisfied with the Free Jazz phase the band he founded was going through at the time, this new band was much closer stylistically to the Soft Machine Jazz-Rock period, which recorded ThirdFind albums with this title. The original lineup included (apart from Wyatt) the ex-CaravanFind albums by this artist keyboards wizard Dave SinclairFind albums by this artist, bassist Bill MacCormickFind albums by this artist and guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist. Pianist Dave MacRaeFind albums by this artist joined later, playing alongside Sinclair and when Sinclair left he stayed on as the resident keyboards player. The band recorded two excellent albums: the self-titled debut Matching MoleFind albums with this title and Little Red RecordFind albums by this artist. Following the band’s split by the end of 1972, Wyatt started his solo career and Sinclair and Miller went on to form Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist and National HealthFind albums by this artist, the two most significant Canterbury bands ever. The CuneiformFind albums on this label label released two albums with live Matching Mole material in the 2000s (Smoke SignalsFind albums with this title and MarchFind albums with this title), but their BBC sessions reminded unreleased until now. This is the first time that the BBC sessions, recorded between January and April of 1972, can be heard by the numerous fans of the band, myself included. Both the quintet and the later quartet versions of the band can be heard. The music is of course phenomenal and needs no further recommendation, something any Canterbury fan around the globe will surely agree with.
| | | CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | ANNIE ROSS ~ ME AND MY BABY – AN EVENING WITH ANNIE ROSS
VOCALION 8451 (Barcode: 765387845124) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1971 Released: 2009
British singer Annie RossFind albums by this artist has spent many years in the USA, where she came to fame as one of the most important and innovative Jazz vocalists and is mostly known for her part in the vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & RossFind albums by this artist, which revolutionized the group vocal approach in Jazz. Upon her return to the UK, Ross continued to record, perform and even acted in the movies. This album is a document of her one-women show at the Hampstead Theatre, where she performed a vide range of Jazz, Bossa Nova and even Progressive Rock (yes! She sings a King CrimsonFind albums by this artist song as well) material, accompanied by a wonderful band, which included keyboardist Dave MacRaeFind albums by this artist (another Prog connection, as we was at the time a member of Matching MoleFind albums by this artist), guitarist Gordon EdwardsFind albums by this artist, bassist Rick LairdFind albums by this artist (Mahavishnu OrchestraFind albums by this artist) and drummer Dave MontgomeryFind albums by this artist. This was 1971 and anything was possible! Of course this recording is very different from what most Annie Ross fans would expect to hear from her, and therefore quite special in every way. I have no idea how many people are even aware of this rare album, but surely many will be interested to check it out!
| | | CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | SOFT MACHINE ~ FOURTH (REMASTERED)
SONY BMG 687291 (Barcode: 828768729120) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1970 Released: 2007
4th album, which finds Soft MachineFind albums by this artist back in the quartet format with Elton DeanFind albums by this artist as the new permanent member. Following the direction set on the previous album, SM moved even further away from their original psychedelic direction into experimental Jazz-Rock, which was groundbreaking and innovative to the extreme and aeons ahead of its time. In similar fashion to the previous album, the band used a horn-section to utilize a much more powerful sound and limitless sonic possibilities, which included the creme de la creme of (then) contemporary and burgeoning young UK jazz scene, including Roy BabingtonFind albums by this artist – acoustic bass, Nick EvansFind albums by this artist – trombone, Mark CharigFind albums by this artist – cornet, Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist – saxes and Alan SkidmoreFind albums by this artist – saxes. This expanded ensemble recorded one of the most beautiful and most sophisticated albums of the era, which is completely timeless and inspiring to this very day. This new direction created some tension (to put it mildly) between the jazz oriented trio and the band’s original drummer Robert WyattFind albums by this artist, which led to Wyatt’s departure from the band by mid-1971 (to start Matching MoleFind albums by this artist), before the next album would be recorded. Therefore this was to be the last SM album to feature his extraordinary drumming skills. This beautiful new remaster finally (for the first time ever) gets rid of the muddy and hollow sound from which this album suffered badly, obscuring much of the music it contained. Absolutely essential!
Visitors' Comments
Christopher Brice
It´s great to hear this properly at last - I have been listening to it over and over again since I broke the seal last night!
| | | CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | SUPERSISTER ~ ISKANDER
ESOTERIC 2058 (Barcode: 5013929715820) ~ NETHERLANDS ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1973 Released: 2008
4th and last album by the brilliant Dutch band SupersisterFind albums by this artist, which almost singlehandedly were Europe´s answer to the British Canterbury scene. Often compared to Soft MachineFind albums by this artist (circa "ThirdFind albums with this title"), in fact the group is more comparable to later Canterbury groups like Matching MoleFind albums by this artist, Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist, National HealthFind albums by this artist and even later CaravanFind albums by this artist, although chronologically they preceded these groups by several years. Obviously influenced by Soft Machine´s jazzy free improvisational excursions, the band was also influenced by many other experimental Rock (Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist), Jazz musicians and contemporary Classical composers. Following the recording of the previous album, the band´s flautist and drummer left to pursue their careers were replaced by a new drummer and the great American-born but living in Europe saxophonist Charlie MarianoFind albums by this artist. Naturally as the result the band´s music became even more Jazzy. The album was recorded in England (with some guest musicians) and this time it was a concept work dedicated to Alexander the Great. Unfortunately soon after the album was recorded Mariano left and the group disbanded, after the legendary Elton DeanFind albums by this artist played with tem for a while, leaving us the legacy of four wonderful albums.
| | | CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | SUPERSISTER ~ PRESENT FROM NANCY
ESOTERIC 2056 (Barcode: 5013929715622) ~ NETHERLANDS ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1970 Released: 2008
1st album by the brilliant Dutch band SupersisterFind albums by this artist, which almost singlehandedly were Europe´s answer to the British Canterbury scene. Often compared to Soft MachineFind albums by this artist (circa "ThirdFind albums with this title"), in fact the group is more comparable to later Canterbury groups like Matching MoleFind albums by this artist, Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist, National HealthFind albums by this artist and even later CaravanFind albums by this artist, although chronologically they preceded these groups by several years. Obviously influenced by Soft Machine´s jazzy free improvisational excursions, the band was also influenced by many other experimental Rock (Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist), Jazz musicians and contemporary Classical composers. With the European Jazz scene rapidly developing to emancipate itself from the half-decade American domination, with Holland as one of the epicenters of the new European Jazz, the band was a reflection of the trends by the young European musicians to go elsewhere in search of their musical ventures. The stunning debut album by Supersister is a great example of spontaneity, daring and complete disregard for commercial consideration, all these of course on top of amazing talent and musicianship of its four band members. Similar to early Soft Machine the band did not include a guitarist, so the soloing is mostly done by the keyboardist and flute player, but the bass player and drummer had also a most significant role. Altogether this is a magnificent piece of music and a stunning debut album, worthy of an honorable place in any serious music collection. Essential listening experience!
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  | SUPERSISTER ~ TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER
ESOTERIC 2057 (Barcode: 5013929715721) ~ NETHERLANDS ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1971 Released: 2008
2nd album by the brilliant Dutch band SupersisterFind albums by this artist, which almost singlehandedly were Europe´s answer to the British Canterbury scene. Often compared to Soft MachineFind albums by this artist (circa "ThirdFind albums with this title"), in fact the group is more comparable to later Canterbury groups like Matching MoleFind albums by this artist, Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist, National HealthFind albums by this artist and even later CaravanFind albums by this artist, although chronologically they preceded these groups by several years. Obviously influenced by Soft Machine´s jazzy free improvisational excursions, the band was also influenced by many other experimental Rock (Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist), Jazz musicians and contemporary Classical composers. This follow up to their stunning debut is every bit as excellent and its release established the group as one of the most important European Jazz-Rock acts. Full of great melody lines, quirky rhythm changes and exceptional sensitivity, this is a true gem, always worthy of returning to. Essential listening experience!
| | | CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | ROBERT WYATT ~ RUTH IS STRANGER THAN RICHARD
DOMINO 41 (Barcode: 5034202204121) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1975 Released: 2008
3rd album by Robert WyattFind albums by this artist, which presented the Canterbury hero with an incredible challenge to follow up the masterpiece he created with "Rock BottomFind albums with this title". Rather than continuing the deeply personal self-exploration, Wyatt chose to present a collection of material, which is a mixture of earlier compositions, some even preceding the Soft MachineFind albums by this artist days, some pieces written by other colleague-musicians and the rest being new material written especially for this album, all performed by a stellar cast, which includes former Matching MoleFind albums by this artist cohort Bill MacCormickFind albums by this artist on bass, saxophonist Gary WindoFind albums by this artist, Fred FrithFind albums by this artist on piano, Mongezi FezaFind albums by this artist on trumpet and a few other Avant-Garde musicians in his inner circle. Wyatt sings and plays piano, delivering his unique music with grace and the usual masterly mystique and heartbreaking emotional truth. Quite experimental and often bizarre, this album in retrospect reveals more of its incredible bold and futuristic vision than it did at the time of its release, once again proving that Wyatt was always decades ahead of time with his musical ideas. Brilliant stuff, which is worth both discovering and getting to know for the first time!
| | Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
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