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Joe Lynn Turner - Belly of the beast

Watching now the Northern Soul Prom from the Albert Hall. KTF.

Pretenders 'Learning to Crawl' (1984)



A TARDIS-jump back to 1985. WH Smith decided that the newfangled Compact Disc format wasn't going to catch on, just like Betamax video, and so put the small selection they had on clearance sale.

Curious as ever, I picked up 3 titles for next-to-nothing: a collection of Baroque Classical, Police 'Synchronicity' and the then-latest from the Pretenders. Even though I didn't have s CD player yet, in fact no-one I knew had one !

The shiny little discs sat on a shelf for a few months and would sometimes be looked at suspiciously. Then I took the plunge and got a Trio (Kenwood) DP1100, a weighty CDP that looked very Space-age.

Somehow in the intervening years the Pretenders disc has vanished and now purchase of a 5CD box has bought it back into the fold.

Still a fine album, Chrissie Hynde and her boys stretch out and turn in a more refined performance here. The heartwrenching version of 'Thin Line Between Love and Hate' is just awesome.

Takes you back.

Fates Warning 'FWX' (2004)



Genre-hopping today. Now onto American Progressive Metal legends Fates Warning and their 10th album (hence the 'X').

Standing stylistically inbetween Queensryche and Dream Theater, Fates Warning have been operating since 1982, gradually refining their sound to a polished, complex and melodic mix of metal-riffing and technical mastery.

FWX is dominated by mainstay Jim Matheos, who creates a varied sonic palette by incorporating acoustic guitars and synthesizers - in fact this is probably their most 'electronic' release.

You can certainly hear how younger bands like Tesseract have been influenced by Fates Warning. Sadly, the band have announced that their 2020 album 'Long Day Good Night' will probably be the last as Matheos has no interest in writing new material.

However they leave a strong legacy of quality albums that are well-worth exploring.

Fretless wrote: ↑Sun Aug 27, 2023 8:01 am
A TARDIS-jump back to 1985. WH Smith decided that the newfangled Compact Disc format wasn't going to catch on, just like Betamax video, and so put the small selection they had on clearance sale.

Curious as ever, I picked up 3 titles for next-to-nothing: a collection of Baroque Classical, Police 'Synchronicity' and the then-latest from the Pretenders. Even though I didn't have s CD player yet, in fact no-one I knew had one !

The shiny little discs sat on a shelf for a few months and would sometimes be looked at suspiciously. Then I took the plunge and got a Trio (Kenwood) DP1100, a weighty CDP that looked very Space-age.

I bought my first CD player early in 86 when I was convinced the medium would catch on and in time take over from vinyl. It was a Yamaha following a favourable review in HiFi Answers. For some time I was unable to buy discs in the high street. My only means was by mail order and often what was in the catalogue was not in stock. It seemed that, although few people had CD players, demand was outstripping supply. This was reflected in the price, over £10 a Disc. I bought few CDs to begin with limiting myself to new releases from favourite bands.

Fretless wrote: ↑Sun Aug 27, 2023 10:37 am Fates Warning 'FWX' (2004)



Genre-hopping today. Now onto American Progressive Metal legends Fates Warning and their 10th album (hence the 'X').

Standing stylistically inbetween Queensryche and Dream Theater, Fates Warning have been operating since 1982, gradually refining their sound to a polished, complex and melodic mix of metal-riffing and technical mastery.

FWX is dominated by mainstay Jim Matheos, who creates a varied sonic palette by incorporating acoustic guitars and synthesizers - in fact this is probably their most 'electronic' release.

You can certainly hear how younger bands like Tesseract have been influenced by Fates Warning. Sadly, the band have announced that their 2020 album 'Long Day Good Night' will probably be the last as Matheos has no interest in writing new material.

However they leave a strong legacy of quality albums that are well-worth exploring.

I had not heard of this band. Have given this a couple of plays and it is right up my street. Will have to investigate more of their albums.

CN. I recommend starting with 'Perfect Symmetry', 'Parallels' and 'Inside Out'.

Fates Warning 'Long Day Good Night' (2020)



Time to have a listen to this, the band's final album - and it has 'Final Album' written all over it. From the opening line '...and now it's time to go home' to the closing track 'The Last Song', you have the idea that they have pulled out all the stops and incorporated everything they have experienced in the last 35 years to produce a Meisterwerk, a summation, a pinnacle.

Jim Matheos has already moved on with a new project called 'Kings of Mercia' where he goes for a more mainstream, Classic Rock approach and has Simon Phillips behind the drums. Following his muse, doing his own thing.

The energy on 'Long Day Good Night' is pretty incredible for a band of, effectively, veterans. - harkening back to their early Metal beginnings. The only noticeable difference is that time has lowered Roy Alder's vocal range and he can't really hit those ear-splitting screams anymore - not entirely a bad thing. Their trademark precision, technical proficiency and controlled power is very much in evidence. Matheos can shred like Steve Vai when he wants to but is also not averse to lilting, melodic passages.

One song stands out as especially noteworthy; 'When Snow Falls' is probably the most atmospheric, intriguing track that Fates Warning have ever made and it features Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree / King Crimson) on drums. just to prove that this group have the right to stand alongside the other giants of the Progressive genre.

All in all, this is a solid album that needs a few listens to get to you. A mature work that soothes AND rocks.

A fond farewell.

Twelfth Night 'Reading Rock 83'



Over at Bandcamp there is a download of this set on offer for only 2 Pounds. Twelfth Night's triumphant blast in front of a a home crowd when they were at their peak. A magnificent set from a truly great band. I know - I was there !

Recording quality is excellent as this was done by the BBC for transmission on Tommy Vance's Friday Rock Show (must still have that on a cassette somewhere).

Brit-Prog at its best !



https://twelfthnightuk.bandcamp.com/alb ... sary-offer

A teaching friend set up a small hi fi dealership in the early 80’s above an old stable block attached to his large Edwardian pile.
I first noticed a CD motif above a button on a Sondex S230 amp and had no idea what on earth that was all about.
Having just purchased a Heybrook TT2 and a pair of Heybrook HB2’s from him I was a bit miffed that the small silver disc would soon be replacing my record collection that had grown steadily from the late 60’s. He had a player I can’t remember which and blew me away with the guitar intro on Dire Straits “Money for Nothing”
The writing was on the wall right then as we had been trying to play a really warped early Simple Minds album earlier in the session. Funny how later that year a Turkish friend bought a Sony discman over, put it in my system at home and repeated the demo - enough said!
My LPs were sold cheaply to a dealer in immaculate condition and my CD’s are in the garage!
How things move on!