As indicated on the cover, this week's 120 minute summary of a rather svelte (ok not really - still a long way to go) Mr CBQ's last seven days' soundtrack...
...comprises rock and pop from Alpha Male Tea Party, Gentle Giant, Jethro Tull, Cakewalk, Phish, Roy Moller, Honeyblood, Tim Bowness, Paul McCartney, Mammoth, Sophie Hunger, The Winery Dogs, Mats/Morgan, Yes, Eamon McGrath, Sleepmakeswaves and, of course Cloudland Blue Quartet; with classical pieces by Dohl, Schenck, Peri and Sammartini; and some tasty jazz from Gabor Szabo, Keith Jarrett, Krokofant and Matthew Bourne...
Also, over the last seven days, this...
...was created by light entering the CBQ camera...
You have around five weeks to download, at which point this podcast will become stream only via the Mixcloud player below - I am also gradually adding the back catalogue of deleted weekly podcasts to Mixcloud - slow laborious process - I am still only up to week 8...
You can play this Cloudland Blue Podcast in iTunes by clicking on the "subscribe" button on the player...
You can download the podcasts by clicking on the "download" button on the player...
Or try the Mixcloud Player - it does seem to show up even on Apple devices - you can only stream from this, not download...
Press play (on either player) and away we go...
Alpha Male Tea Party - Judas the Tenderiser 4:51
from "Droids"
We start with my discovery of the week - a Liverpool three piece that plays extraordinary music, this, from their latest album, gives you an idea...
Gentle Giant - Free Hand (Instrumental) 6:12
from "Scraping the Barrel"
Last Saturday, I picked up this 4CD box by one of my fave prog bands - who have been featured here quite a lot I must admit - but what the hell here they are again. This instrumental version shows off, possibly to a greater extent than the finished piece, the instrumental prowess involved in their music - and you can't beat instrumental prowess...
Gabor Szabo - Mizrab 3:32
from "Jazz Raga"
A purchase from a couple of weeks ago which soundtracked my morning journey one day this week whilst I read through some online reviews. A groundbreaking album in its day (recorded in 1966), now largely forgotten...
Jethro Tull - Fylingdale Flyer 4:36
from "A"
A track from one of three Tull albums that popped through the Crispycat letterbox this week...
Cakewalk - Dive 4:57
from "Transfixed"
Two albums by this Scandinavian band were downloaded a couple of weeks back based on the recommendation of blogging chum Sid Smith. This is from the group's latest LP and, for some reason, reminded me of my dear old dad's snoring. See what you think...
Dohl - Textur II 4:28
from "Friedhelm Dohl Edition, Vol. 2 : Musik fur Klavier"
First of ten one pence (plus postage) CDs purchased recently, which arrived this week (the other nine arrived yesterday and will no doubt feature next week). German composer Dohl's abstract piano sounds are just to my tastes and this is an excellent album, much recommended - there may even still be a few copies going for this ridiculous price over on Amazon marketplace...
Phish - Winterqueen 4:21
from "Fuego"
I've had Phish on my radar for around twenty years, buying their albums off and on over that period and always finding myself slightly disappointed, so they've never really become a true favourite - but I'm always interested in what they're doing - so, of course, I partook of their latest album when the opportunity arose and it's possibly the best thing I've heard by them. The comedy aspect has been relegated, much to my delight, leaving their musicality to the fore. Here's a sample of their current wares...
Roy Moller - Honey Berlin 3:11
from "One Domino"
My old chum Jim Park alerted me to a drumming gig he had this week, so I popped along to lend my support and was muchly entertained by the music on offer from long time stalwart of the Edinburgh scene, Roy Moller - so much so that I bought the album which was being launched - this is the opening track to a great little LP. Also impressed that the band's second set opened with a cover of Eno's "I'll Come Running (to Tie Your Shoe)". Yowsah!
Keith Jarrett - Don't Ever Leave Me 5:08
from "Complete Live at the Blue Note"
Brother-in-law Keith and lovely wife Maureen popped over to Crispycat Towers last Saturday night to partake of the Exec Producer's excellent curry and listen to some sounds and chat some chat. The main reason for the visit though was so that I could burn a copy of a library borrowed very expensive six CD set of Mr Jarrett's June 1994 concerts with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette at the Blue Note club in New York - here's a sample...
Honeyblood - Braid Burn Valley (Blink, Now You've Missed It) 5:21
from "Honeyblood"
Old chum John Edwards has been raving about this album, his album of the year so far no less, so I got hold of a copy and gave it a listen and it is indeed enjoyable - this is the closer from the LP, a tale of domestic abuse - seguing into the final piano and vocal hidden track...
Tim Bowness - The Warm Up Man Forever 5:08
from "Abandoned Dancehall Dreams"
The opener from the No Man singer's second solo LP, released ten years after his first - he's a busy man with tons of side projects on the go. A very impressive slice of laid back prog, much raved about by the aforementioned Sid Smith and by another blog buddy, Barrie Sillars, over on his Prog Dog website "Prog Rock Stuff" - with those credentials, I had to partake and wasn't disappointed - a warning though that this is the only upbeat track on the LP and Mr Bowness sugar sweet vocalising may grate with some...
Schenck - Sonata No 4 in A Major 1st Movement 4:55
from "Nymphs of the Rhine, Vol 1"
A lovely slice of viol music now from Dutchman Mr Schenck - sadly long gone from the planet. This accompanied my meusli, banana and coffee based breakfast on a sunny morning this week, so I thought I'd give it a spin here too. Enjoy...
Paul McCartney - Queenie Eye 3:48
from "New"
The Exec Producer can't stand Paul McCartney (or The Beatles for that matter) whereas your correspondent is a sucker for Mr M's output - much of which is, frankly, shite but every so often a wee gem pops up and this is, in my opinion, one of them. From his last LP, a fine little slice of Beatlesque pop - and who better to produce Beatlesque pop?
Mammoth - Halucinogenic Hummingbird 5:26
from "Polymorphism"
Beatlesque is the last thing on these guys' minds - another new discovery this week, probably second only to Alpha Male Tea Party - they make some astounding Math Rock sounds (this one with vocals too) which are just up Mr Quartet's street - this may blow your mind, or may leave you shaking your head in disbelief - see what you think...
Krokofant - Thispair 5:05
from "Krokofant"
A great slice of Crimsonesque jazzy rock from our sax wielding Scandinavian chums which fits in nicely alongside the newly discovered Mammoth...
Sophie Hunger - Heharun 4:55
from "The Danger Of Light"
I decided to listen to Sophie Hunger's album one lunchtime this week, having previously not given it much attention - the fate of many a disc which enters the collection, purely because so much new material does. I liked it a lot putting me inmind of utch fave Mathilde Santing. Here's a wee exampe of herw ares...
The Winery Dogs - Elevate 5:02
from "The Winery Dogs"
Pop metal at its very best now from Richie Kotzen, bass guru Billy Sheehan and drummer extraordinaire, Mike Portnoy - this rocks out completely - and there's a tune in there somewhere too...
Peri - Qual Cadervo Spirante 4:37
from "Italian Renaissance Dances, Vol. 1"
From the ridicuous to the sublime and a piece by Jacopo Peri from a lovely disc of Italian renaissance dances, this written in the 16th Century. Signor Peri is often credited as being the inventor of opera - so, if you're looking for someone to blame...
Mats/Morgan - DJ Fetisov 5:22
from "[schack tati]"
Swedish drums and keyboard duo Mats/Morgan have been writing and performing together since 1981 but this week was the first time I'd ever heard of them and they've already been catapulted onto the CBQ playlist due to the overall excellence of this, their latest LP. Wonderful stuff indeed, in my opinion - of course your own may differ once you hear their racket...
Yes - To Ascend 4:43
from "Heaven and Earth"
One of the better tracks from the new Yes album, due out on Monday, which I've been trying to convince a distraught old chum Dr Prog is actually not bad - if you cut out three pieces of pap from the offering and take it down to a respectable 36 minutes. The reviews have been dire. It doesn't help that this is sandwiched between two slices of excellence of course - no, wait, I think this is rather good and to hell with the critics...
Matthew Bourne - XIV Knell (In Memory of Philip Butler-Francis) 5:03
from "Montauk Variations"
For me, an unquestioningly brilliant LP is this from pianist Matthew Bourne (not the choreographer of the same name). The whole set of variatons is best enjoyed at one uninterrupted sitting but, hopefully, this example may draw you into Mr Bourn's world...
Eamon McGrath - Saskatoon, SA 3:31
from "Young Canadians"
The closing track from McGrath's much lauded in Canada 2012 release popped up on the old shuffleplay this week - an algorithm not much used over the last seven days. But this impressed me enough for it to make the final cut into the chosen 25 slices of wonder...
Sammartini - Sinfonia in D Major 5:59
from "Lumieres : 09 : De La Sinfonia À La Sinfonie..."
The final classical piece of the week comes from Giovanni Battista Sammartini, credited by many as the inventor of the symphony - and his was one of a few which entered my head via my headphones this week. So, what we have here is one of the first symphonies ever written. Tasty...
Sleepmakeswaves - Emergent 8:29
from "Love Of Cartography"
Introduced to me this year by chum Prog Rock Willie, Australia's Sleepmakeswaves have much impressed and I was chuffed to find that a new release was on the schedule for 2014. And here it is at last. This is one of the longest tracks from the LP and one of the best - doing what SMW do best - building and building. Brilliant stuff indeed...
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Kindling 3:59
from "Starlightnight"
"But Dave, where's the CBQ track?" I hear you cry. Fear not, as we close off this two hour extravaganza with a little piece from my last song-based album. I listened to it again this week and, for the life of me, can no longer recall exactly how I recorded it all. No new songs on the horizon at this point but i would hope this is to your liking. A tale of terrorism...
OK that's it for another week, thanks for listening - I hope you enjoy the music and will come back again next week for more...
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