Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Retro Reviews: Genesis: Selling England By The Pound

 

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 


Genesis: Selling England By The Pound (1973)

****

Producers: John Burns, Genesis

Musicians: Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins

Songs and Music: Dancing With The Moonlit Knight, I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe), Firth of Fifth, More Fool Me, The Battle of Epping Forest, The Cinema Show, Aisle Of Plenty

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    First off, I’d like to disagree with some of my peers who suggest that Peter Gabriel is the sole visionary of the band. That he acts like a Svengali who controls the direction of Genesis. What I see from the credits are five immensely talented individuals, that are equals. This isn’t to diminish Peter’s talents as a vocalist or flutist, indeed, he is unique as a stage performer and as an idea man, he keeps the audience engaged. I don’t buy into the idea that Messiers Hackett, Banks, Rutherford or Collins count for very little, I think they do, and the continue to create some of the best Progressive leaning material out there. After Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot, this line up has settled into such a groove, it just leaves you curious with where they will go next.

    The opening track begins with some A Capella by Gabriel that sounds like an English hymn in “Dancing In The Moonlit Knight” before it settles into the soft acoustic number, then shifts minutes later into some playful figures from Gabriel and Hackett, the heavier fast section has some real life with Hackett and Banks’ solos. A lot has happened by the halfway point, and the grandeur of Bank’s choir mellotron and Garbriel’s vocal drives the narrative in the other half. The track does paint a picture of medieval chivalry and quests. It's obvious why “I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)” is the perennial single, after an ominous synth drone, it has a catchy verse with the sitar figure, then strong chorus. In a lot of respects, the piano driven “Firth Of Fifth” is astonishing even before the full band enters for the vocal section, the somber section has a nice Gabriel flute solo, Banks reinstates the opening with the full band and impressive synth leads, Hackett’s reinstatement of the other section features some moody lead work. “More Fool Me” is the Collins vocal showcase, an acoustic ballad, Phil’s vocal approach different from Gabriel, his approach is more soulful and accessible, and it will be curious to see if he contributes further.

    “The Battle of Epping Forest” is less an historical reference and more a satire of British class culture. Gabriel has gotten better at taking on various characters vocally separate from the stage costumes, Banks and Hackett’s lead work in quite good, the opening part offers some fife and drums, with Gabriel playing some clever flute, the main body of the song has some real craft musically. Collins drumming is inventive and interesting in several sections. “After The Ordeal” is a baroque pop instrumental, nice acoustic piano and guitar interplay before the full band comes in at the mid-point. The resolve has some good lead guitar harmony from Hackett and Gabriel’s flute plays off of it nicely, with an album that already has some long features. 

    “The Cinema Show” might be the tour de force of the album, after a lovely, introspective opening, there are moments several minutes in where Gabriel is able to make his flute sound nearly like an oboe. The three-guitar interplay with Rutherford, Hackett and Banks has always been a strong feature of the band, and it remains true here. The Gabriel and Collins vocal blend with the backgrounds remain strong on this one. The last half of the instrumental section is evocative and, once again, some good and clever drumming from Collins. The brief “Aisle Of Plenty” just seems to be a restatement of ideas from the album.

    Overall, the production on the album and the mixes seems significantly better and more present than on Foxtrot and Nursery Cryme. The band has shown some new growth and it all hints at exciting possibilities for the next album. It will be interesting to see where they go next. Recommended. 


Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Thank you!

 

Thank you from MFTBC

    I want to keep this brief, but to begin with, I want to thank everyone who is following the blog again, I decided over the summer to bring this back with the retro reviews, that is only the beginning…We have a bunch of material in the cue, rest assured. We have hit a small milestone, two blog reviews have hit 100 views, Rodriguez – Cold Fact and Neil Young – After The Gold Rush. Thank you, it’s a slow burn, but we are getting there.

    We started by regaining followers on Facebook, and added some more faces into the Facebook MFTBC group page, thank you!

    The numbers from the Instagram account keep growing, we have a huge number of people who view the Instagram promotions, but don’t follow us, please visit the blog, the numbers there really count. Thank you to all who are following the Instagram page! Spread the word!

    The Threads account is still growing, but I appreciate those who follow it. Thank you!

    I don’t really have any data from the Blue Sky posts, but thank you for those who take a look!

    The long piece about Ike & Tina Turner’s Workin’ Together album from 1970 is almost done, just finishing up book research to fill out details from the on-line work. We will be featuring video sample music with that review.  That is coming soon. The next full album review that will follow up is The Jimi Hendrix ExperienceAxis: Bold As Love, but not certain when that will happen. People like Abigail Devoe and LarsLand have really pushed me to ‘do better’, thank you!

    We plan to add in sample video clips to the Billy Joel Round Up reviews and a great, insightful video discussion. We have to be careful to comply with “Fair Use”, so we are limited.

    We want to keep the Retro Reviews going, the ‘old school’ feature reviews, more of the Album Round Up’s and the Perspectives pieces. But the hope is to do video interviews with a talented host, with myself being the writer and Producer behind the scenes, and upload those to YouTube next year!

Saturday, October 18, 2025

Retro Reviews: George Harrison - Wonderwall Music / Electronic Sound

 

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. These albums are lesser known titles.

George Harrison: Wonderwall Music (1968)

***

Producer: George Harrison

Musicians: George Harrison, John Barham, Tony Ashton, Colin  Manley, Philip Rogers, Roy Dyke, Tommy Reilly, Eric Clapton (alleged), Ringo Starr, Big Jim Sullivan, Aashish Khan, Mahapurush Misra, Sharad Kumar, Hanuman Jadev, Shambhu Das, Indrani Bhattacharya, Shankar Ghosh, Chandrashekhar Naringrekar, Shivkumar Sharma, S.R. Kenkare, Vinayak Vora, Rijram Desad

Music: Microbes, Red Lady Too,  Tabla and Pakavaj, In The Park, Drilling A Hole, Guru Veranda, Greasy Legs, Ski-ing, Gat Kirwani, Dream Scene, Party Seacombe, Love Scene, Crying, Cowboy Music, Fantasy Sequins, On The Bed, Glass Box, Wonderwall To Be Here, Singing Om

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Technically, George’s first side project from the Beatles could be considered a solo project, but it is really more the soundtrack to Joe Massot’s film of the same name. The album focuses on artists from India, and George’s newfound interests with Indian culture and Hare Krishna, it also blends in Western pop and rock sources in the cues to a enough of a degree so that the casual listener will have something to latch onto. But ultimately, this might act as a primer to the rock listener who is not familiar with Indian music. This is a difficult album to assess some if it’s merits unless you are already schooled in classical Indian music tradition. Even with the most western material, there’s a heavy use of experimentation. Earlier in the year, The Beatles “The Inner Light”, a lovely piece, showcased some of the players Harrison has gotten to know. This looks to be a next step.

    The opener “Microbes” basically sets up the tone with its somber Indian instruments, you aren’t going to get just the typical rock or pop sensibilities here, if you are open to what it offered, then it’s an interesting journey.  “Red Lady Too” is a complicated, baroque piano piece with several keyboard colorings. “Tabla and Pavavaj” is layered with several percussion instruments. “In The Park” again features a number of traditional Indian instruments and it makes for an interesting listen. “Drilling A Home” is an easier to grasp piece, a music hall, ragtime number where the speed of the tape has been manipulated. “Guru Veranda” is another traditional piece. “Greasy Legs” has an ominous opening before it shifts to a meditative piano and layers of keyboard. A driving percussion and Sitar drone beds “Ski-ing” with some blues guitar that sounds like Clapton to my ears. This evolves into some dueling guitars where I can’t tell if it’s one player, or Harrison in the mix. “Get Kirwani” has some impressive sitar instrumentation.

    The “Dream Scene” is a fascinating kaleidoscope of different sections, the first has a bed of sitar, what sounds like rolling harps, a male and female Indian vocalist, backwards effects, before it shifts to a treated piano whose melody is accentuated by a guitar or Indian instrument, I can’t tell. This becomes richer until it shifts again to a moody horn, pensive, that builds into a montage of sounds. “Party Seacombe” features a treated acoustic and piano with a strange processed vocal that seems to merge with a Wah pedal guitar, the drums become more emphasized along with a hint of Organ. “Love Scene” has some more traditional Indian arrangement’s that progresses. “Crying” is self-explanatory as it features Indian strings wailing.

    “Cowboy Music” is also self-explanatory with guitars, harmonica, galloping percussion, harmonium and dobro, a musical humorous pastiche. “Fantasy Sequins” is somber. “On The Bed” features some spry Piano and Organ as the bed, and some introspective horn soloing, and what could only be described as insect slide guitar. “Glass Box” is another traditional Indian snippet. “Wonderwall To Be Here” has a dramatic piano and string mellotron arrangement. The album closer, “Singing Om” is another traditional Indian piece with harmonium and prayer like vocals.

    The album seems to have a few purposes, one is to feature Indian musicians that may not be known to western ears, and the other is to allow Harrison to experiment with western instruments, and in interesting ways. For international music, this is a good primer.  While there were things to latch onto here. It will probably mostly appeal to the most intellectually curious. But the intent to blend the West with the West is a bold and fresh idea.



George Harrison: Electronic Sound (1969)

**1/2

Producer and Musician: George Harrison

Music: Under The Mersey Wall, No Time In Space

    George Harrison’s next project will probably be a litmus test for a number of the listeners. George recently acquired a Moog 3 series synthesizer and collaborated with Bernie Krause. With “Under The Mersey Wall” there are moments of musicality along with ominous tones and random textures. Irregular percussion, sounds, voices intermix with the strange synth textures. “No Time In Space” even takes this all further with what sounds like drum beats and firework cracks, then it transitions into wind sounds and noise. This whole effort is taking the extremes of the technology and it differs from Walter Carlos’s “Switched On Bach” album. Tonally, It will probably remind some of the electronic theme from Dr. Who, or the electronic score from 1956’s Forbidden Planet by Bebe and Louis Barron. Yet it lacks some of the finesse of those works. It feels like a noodling by George and hopefully will yield some interesting results in the future, but this is mostly for the curious of exotic sounds. I have no doubt that enthusiast for the odd will find this compelling, yet rock fans should be forewarned about this.


Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Retro Reviews: Johnny Cash: Orange Blossom Special

     I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums.

Johnny Cash: Orange Blossom Special (1965)

****1/2

Producers: Don Law, Frank Jones

Musicians: Johnny Cash, June Carter, Luther Perkins, Norman Blake, Ray Edenton, Marshall Grant, W.S. Holland, Bill Pursell, Charlie McCoy, Bill McElhiney, Boots Randolph

Songs: Orange Blossom Special, The Long Black Veil, It Ain’t Me Babe, The Wall, Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright, You Wild Colorado, Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind, When It’s Springtime In Alaska (It’s Forty Below), Danny Boy, Wildwood Flower, Amen

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    Following themed releases like Bitter Tears from last year, or the earlier Ride This Train from 1960, Cash has now focused on a collection of songs once again. He had started out in the 50s as an originator of Rockabilly and Rock N Roll, and in spite of his recent association with County and Western, he seems open to youthful song writers. He bridges the gap between the past scene and new voices. Which brings us to one of the more interesting points - Johnny’s recordings of three Bob Dylan songs. I can’t think of two figures who are more in sync with each other creatively, Cash may not write as many songs as he used to, but the pairing of these two talents for the future is exciting to consider. Cash wrote two songs for the album. His affinity for selecting material is nearly unmatched.

    The opening title track has Luther Perkins distinctive driving rhythm, the harp manages to sound somewhere between a train whistle and a fiddle, it is in the tradition of many rail line songs, the saxophone solo is playful. “The Long Black Veil” has become part of the traditional selections in the country scene. The Dylan cover, “It Ain’t Me Bade” features June Carter, and the horn section has the same Mariachi or Banda flavor from “Ring Of Fire”, it’s not surprising this became the single. “The Wall” follows the same tradition of his prison songs like “Folsom Prison Blues”. The next Dylan recording is “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” which features a brisk rhythm grove. The first half closes with a Cash number, “You Wild Colorado”, Cash has always had an affinity of nature and ‘wide open spaces’, a very simple guitar and vocal ballad.

    The second half opens with the third Dylan track, “Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind”, once again a playful horn solo ornaments the number. “When It’s Springtime In Alaska (It’s Forty Below”, June Carter offers vocal support and takes a partial lead on the track, another stripped down piece. Johnny’s second original song is the more socially conscious “All of Gods Children Ain’t Free”, it is interesting that Cash didn’t select any of Dylan’s topical social pieces, but more relationship-built songs. Cash opens “Danny Boy” with a long narration about his father, and his first exposure to the song, before the plaintive acoustic guitar and vocal, supported by background singers and a sparce flute. Cash has an uncanny ability with narratives and addressing the audience to have a broad appeal. “Wildwood Flower” has a poetic narrative behind it. Some good support from the rhythm guitarist on the track. The album closes with the rousing gospel of “Amen” with some spry piano work and a choir. The album manages to feel rather varied, and while it embraces the country sensibility, it manages to be accessible as well.

    As a follow up to last years I Walk The Line album, this is a very, very good record. Recommended.

Friday, October 10, 2025

Retro Reviews: Fanny: Charity Ball

 

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. These albums are lesser known titles.

Fanny – Charity Ball (1971)

*** ¾

Producer: Richard Perry

Musicians: June Milligan, Jean Milligan, Nickey Barclay, Alice de Buhr

Songs: Charity Ball, What Kind of Lover, Cat Fever, A Person Like You, Special Care, What’s Wrong With Me?, Soul Child, You’re The One, Thinking Of You, Place In The Country, A Little While Later

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    The new album by Fanny, the all-female rock band is a great continuation of what they presented with the first. At first glance, the material may appear less gripping, but further inspection reveals additional growth. The Milligan sisters are a potent duo on guitar and bass, and keyboardist / singer Nickey Barclay and drummer / singer Alice de Buhr continue to astound. They have stayed true to their live, informal, relaxed performances from the first album, but there’s some additional production layering. Even the album cover retains their whimsy. While I can’t agree with my peers this is as strong as the first, I will admit, this is only by a small margin. There's a certain power pop element that could remind the listener of peers like Badfinger.

    The album opens with the good time rock n roll of “Charity Ball”. The New Orleans blues of “What Kind Of Lover” is fun, Nickey’s vocal is fiery and June’s lead is good, it’s possible that Fanny had already heard The Guess Who’s “Albert Flasher” as they have a similar feel. The RNB fused “Cat Fever” has a strong rhythm shuffle from de Buhr. June’s lead guitar, and Nickey’s Piano lead tradeoffs give this some life and builds to a fiery end. The Country fused “A Person Like You” has a nice playfulness. The band wrote all of the material except for the next number, a Buffalo Springfield / Steven Stills cover of “Special Care”, has a good vocal from June and guitar lead.

    Things are brought down by the acoustic ballad “What’s Wrong With Me”, some really strong harmony vocals and the nice touch of a tasteful organ refine the number. The standout moments for “Soul Child” is the bass and the interplay with the B3 Organ, there’s an interesting switch up before a great organ solo, fair to say there's a funk infusion with the keyboards. “You’re The One” has an unexpected slow burn, but moves into playful territory. “Thinking Of You” has a dynamic opening for a ballad, but probably should be the single – there’s some real song craft there. “Place In The Country” is another country blues offering, Nickey, June and Alice are really allowed to shine in the number. The closing ballad “A Little While Later”, musically has a certain whimsy, but there’s a lyrical introspection that keeps it interesting, there’s a baroque pop quality to the second half of the number, building into a fitting conclusion for the album.

    The band and the four women who comprise it, remain a very talented group of players that should not be underestimated. This album leaves me curious within where they will go next. Recommended.


Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Retro Reviews: Sly And The Family Stone: Stand!

 

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 


Sly And The Family Stone: Stand!
(1969)

****

Producer: Sly Stone

Musicians: Sly Stone, Rosie Stone, Freddie Stone, Larry Graham, Greg Errico, Cynthia Robinson, Jerry Martini, Vet Stone, Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton

Songs and Music: Stand!, Don’t Call Me Nigger - Whitey, I Want To Take You Higher, Somebody’s Watching You, Sing A Simple Song, Everyday People, Sex Machine, You Can Make It If You Try

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Sly Stone’s first three albums have been moderate successes. In spite of the success and charm of ‘Dance To The Music, and to a degree ‘Life’, so this album feels like they have turned a corner. It is concise, focused, seems to capture the spirit of the band, and seems very candid in it’s social relevance. I would like to offer a rebuttal with peers that have compared this band, The Family Stone, to Frank Zappa’s Mothers. I don’t hear it and I think comparisons seem superficial. Zappa’s brand is built on cynicism and sarcasm, and while it’s all brilliantly executed with The Mothers. The whole vibe with Family Stone feels very different. Sly’s ideals are to blend folks of different genders and races together through music, and demonstrate that unity is possible, and make no mistake, there are several great players in his band. Sly’s song writing has become so adept at taking something catchy yet so present to the now.

    The opening title track, ‘Stand’ is a statement of purpose and offers some pearls of wisdom where things stand, then the track ride out takes things to an entirely new level. ‘Don’t Call Me’ is a very pointed number, a funk tune that perhaps takes the spirit of James Brown to the next stage. “I Want To Take You Higher” has become one of the perennial singles for the album, the opening blues riff jumps into an infectious groove with nods to James Brown. On the surface, “Somebody’s Watching You” appears to be a whimsical pop number with some strong organ runs, but there’s a social comment that drives the number.

    The second half opens with the strong number, “Sing A Simple Song”, a number that allows many members to contribute vocally, and another clever groove. “Everyday People” has become the other perennial single, a simple groove that supports the lyrical point. “Sex Machine” is a funk-based jam that sits around two chord changes with an odd scat vocal processed through effects, Wah and fuzz guitar leads, and saxophone, Greg Errico is allowed to shine especially towards the end, and there’s some nice interplay on guitar between Sly and Freddie. “You Can Make It If You Try” is another fun and apt closer for the album. The whole of Sly’s stance seems to be ‘if you believe in nothing, you’ll fall for anything’, and this is a wise position during tumultuous times.

    Sly Stone’s ability as a songwriter has really evolved, and this album is that needed showcase, the whole band is a revelation and as equally talented as Sly. He’s offering another perspective in the counterculture movement, and it’s just as valid. Recommended.


Sly & The Family Stone: Greatest Hits (1970)

****

Producer: Sly Stone

Musicians: listed on prior albums

Songs: Everybody Is A Star, Hot Fun In The Summertime, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)

    This review isn’t going to focus on prior album tracks, but the three singles featured in this compilation. “Everybody Is A Star” is a lovely ballad RNB fused mood that shifts into a steady groove in the vamp. All of the key singers of the band are featured on the track. It has a positive pathos that is uplifting. It has been awhile since I have heard something as infectious as “Hot Fun In The Summertime”, or as well crafted, while Sly has most of the vocal focus, the other members manage to hold their own vocally. As a guitar and bass line up, Larry Graham, Sly and Freddie Stone are the centerpiece of this funk groove with “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), the song features some clever lyrical nods to prior songs, and the horns weave around this dance number. Sly continues to evolve and improve as a writer and visionary. I will be curious to see where this goes in the new decade.


Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Perspectives: Roger Waters and some of his fans, not all of them

Perspectives: Roger Waters and some of his fans - not all of them. 

By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Often there’s three sides to every story, and the truth is somewhere in the middle

    It’s no surprise in some ways, that Pink Floyd’s former bass player, singer, and co-founder, Roger Waters put himself into hot water over insensitive comments about Ozzy Osbourne’s passing, and his dismissal of Black Sabbath as a musical force. Old school Floyd fans have known about his antics since the early eighties. In the past, Roger was blessed with having segments of the public just ignore and dismiss his colorful comments - decades ago.

(To digress, frustratingly, I do have the Saucer Full Of Secrets and Inside Out books, but they are in storage, and so I had to make due at the time of this writing.)

Is There Anybody In There?

    I realize I will do myself no favors by jumping into the fray as this debate can be polarizing for many. All Roger had to do was make a bland public statement such as the following:

    “Ozzy Osbourne was a colorful character in life, and Black Sabbath was an interesting band. My sympathies go towards his family and fans at this moment.”

    There -  a very neutral statement – you don’t have to profess your love for the artist or the band, just show an equal level of respect. For myself, I never considered myself a rabid Sabbath fan, but I liked a number of their albums, and I recognized their massive, musical importance. I have seen for decades that Heavy Metal fans are some of the most fiercely loyal fans out there, and it is precarious to knock the artists and bands they love. In truth, I always leaned towards the first two Ozzy Osbourne solo albums with Randy Rhoads, as I found them musically amazing. Ozzy’s legacy can’t be denied. 

    In that video interview, Roger looked disheveled, -  and one could perceive he looked mentally ill, there’s no proof of that though - the optics looked bad when you compared that final farewell concert with Mr. Osbourne weeks prior to his death. Yet, as far back as the eighties, Roger has been dismissive of other musical acts and artists, that list is pretty far ranging.  

    Roger’s ongoing feud with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber went on for years. The gist of that feud had to do with Roger’s plagiarism accusations with Webber over his “Phantom of the Opera” piece, and a descending and ascending riff from “Echoes” from 1971’s Meddle album. While there’s a basis for the argument in their similarities, as of this writing, neither Gilmour, or Mason have considered, or agreed to legal action against Webber for copyright issues, and I find that odd if there’s a legitimate grievance. I am not going to dispute if there are similarities between the pieces, there are.

    These days, there’s a contingent of Waters fans who rabidly defend any action he takes, some are the next generation of hipster media writers who ignore the bands history, or a sliver are socialists who defend Roger for his noble causes surrounding Palestinians, Gaza, the West Bank, or his screeds against conservatives in British government and parliament.

    While there are writers who glaze over Waters work as a musician and person, not every writer is having it. Some recognize his disconnect with his privilege, a similar problem faced Lennon in the early seventies, and some have seen Roger’s penchant for playing the victim. Or even questions about his angerI suspect that Roger is a narcissist, a term often misunderstood as Narcissism isn’t a mental illness, but a personality trait. One characteristic of a narcissist has is an unconditional demand for loyalty, even if the participate doesn’t often benefit from the narcissist. You can see this with musicians who, reportedly, played with both Waters and Gilmour. There’s an incessant need to ‘choose sides’; even when players have better experiences with one leader over another.

    As far as some music fans are concerned, Roger has been engaged in a revision of Pink Floyd for the last 15 years. In spite of Nick Mason’s pretty candid book about the history of the band, or David Gilmour’s remarks to clarify matters, Roger has been engaged in a form of gaslighting to appeal to the ignorant. I cannot forgive Roger’s character assassinations of keyboard player, and singer Richard Wright to justify his firing of Rick during The Wall sessions. Or his arrogance and hubris, circa 1986, from Waters to form the opinions about the A Momentary Lapse of Reason album with the public, and the legal fight to stop the band from touring under the PF banner. Those legal arguments lead to Richard Wright role in the recording sessions to be minimized, as well Richard being cropped out of the band photo in early pressings of Lapse to protect him from Roger’s continuing barrage of lawsuits – all of which failed I might add – and the band continued the tour under the Floyd banner. Richard’s picture was added in later pressings of Momentary Lapse.

Embryo

    Most bands are the sum of their parts, Syd Barrett started the band with Roger, Richard was a key contributor to the bands early years, both as a lead and background singer, Nick was a solid drummer, and once David Gilmour was broken in, his guitar work became vital and he developed a signature sound through the years, even if Roger isn’t always willing to admit it, David was invaluable to Pink Floyd. Unfortunately, Roger didn’t see much value with Rich and Nick. Even recently, there was an article about Barrett letters put up for auction and in them, Syd acknowledged in jest and love that Roger could be difficult, it's always been an issue, 

    The early years, post Syd were difficult, their early American tours in the late 60s were a disaster, there were reports of going broke mid tour, or having to rent out musical gear in American due to transportation issues. Plus, during their experimental album phases from 68-72, the soft sales must have affected the magnitude of venue appearances, and I could see how these struggles could weigh on Roger’s desire to see the band survive. I could see how that might explain his relentless drive.

    Back onto the issue: Jack Osbourne’s counter argument about Roger was completely justified, Ozzy’s passing is still very recent, and it just smacks of being tackey and snobbish for Roger to comment in this way, - and so soon. What would be fair game would have been for Roger to wait until next year before he made critical comments about Mr. Osbourne. Ozzy was a very flawed person and the general rule with rock musicians who use alcohol or drugs, they are going to do stupid things, and Ozzy did a lot of stupid things under the influence. Considering that members of Pink Floyd have their own past addiction issues, it did seem sanctimonious and hypocritical for Roger to be so dismissive. In the early years between 1968 to 1972, Roger was said to have smoked Hash, and it made him, some say, a more manageable personality before he went sober.

One Of The Few

    As much as I hate to diminish the role of Roger’s contributions, while he is indeed a great lyricist and idea man. His bass work is uneven. It’s been pretty well known that Gilmour did some of the bass work on The Wall sessions, and Roger is simply not a great singer in comparison to Gilmour and Wright who were. Roger didn’t sing the majority of the songs in Pink Floyd. If you do an actual breakdown, David sang lead on 61 tracks to Roger’s 55 tracks, and Richard sang lead on 15 tracks.

    Let’s look at Roger’s dismissiveness towards Richard in the late 70s, it’s true that Richard was having problems prior to The Wall sessions, a divorce and drug issues – but then again many of them were not innocent as far as drug use at the end of that decade. Roger claimed that Richard was coming up with no musical ideas, but Richard Wrigth’s 1978 solo album Wet Dream does demonstrate that Richard had a wealth of music ideas to offer. Also David Gilmour’s solo album from that year wasn’t too shabby. At least two Gilmour songs from his album, ‘There’s No Way Out Of Here’, and ‘I Can’t Breathe Anymore’ could be relationship songs, or slight digs at Roger, things weren’t well with the band at that time. Richard’s work on Wet Dream is often poignant.

    Here's a brief sampling from David Gilmour and Wet Dream and for you to decide for yourself.

    All video music samples are in compliance with "Fair Use" and are for educational reference.

    Roger simply didn’t seem to like Richard’s keyboard style at that point by 1978 and seemed to think his approach didn’t match what he envisioned for The Wall. Regarding the claim that Richard ‘played almost nothing on the album’, of the 26 tracks, Richard played on 20. It is almost true that Bob Ezrin played piano on the number of the more notable tracks, the Piano on ‘Nobody Home’ was Ezrin - as it’s a very different style from Richard - Bob had played on Kiss’s Beth’ and had played keyboards on various Alice Cooper records, so he was an adept Piano player – just different.

    Let’s address that claim that A Momentary Lapse of Reason was just populated by ‘session players’. You are aware that The Wall was populated by some session players as well? Aside from Bob Ezrin and Michael Kaman, other session players included Fred Mandel, Jeff Porcaro, Lee Ritenour, Joe di Blassi, Joe Porcaro, Bobbye Hall, and Travor Veitch. Never mind the session players that populate The Final Cut sessions from 1983. Roger’s arguments seem disingenuous.

    Now, there’s no argument that The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall are brilliant albums. But of the four, Animals is the most blunt lyrically, challenging and for some, less accessible, yet there are Water’s fans who find that bluntness appealing, to each their own. I find the albums between 1968-1972 fascinating for a number of reasons, A Saucerful of Secrets, More, Ummagumma, Atom Heart Mother, Meddle, and Obscured By Clouds may be wildly uneven, but they also felt democratic as a band unit.

    The ugly truth is that Roger destroyed the democracy of the band after 1975 to further his personal vision. He started to see his band mates as mere ‘session players’. What may have appeared to be an aberration with the Animals album in 1977, started to turn into a pattern of Roger being the dominant, tyrannical leader and writer – he just arrogantly presumed he should be the primary song writer – and of course when you take into account publishing royalties, it’s quite a clever racket and gaslight to steer in that direction. Roger’s projected wealth is at around 310 Million and higher than the others – he knew what he was doing. I can’t say he’s a victim by any means.

What Do You Want From Me?  

    While you could argue that Momentary Lapse acts as a Gilmour solo record, by the time of the Division Bell album, the band were truly a democratic band again. Richard had co-writing credit on four songs, and sings lead on ‘Wearing The Inside Out’. By extension, the mostly instrumental follow up and posthumous The Endless River. Richard is credited with co-writing 11 tracks. David also liked Richard enough and regarded him highly to have Richard appear on two songs from his On An Island solo release from 2006 and had him tour with him for the album prior to his passing. Yes, I am aware that you could argue that Endless River are just leftovers from the Division Bell album, in the same way you would argue that The Final Cut are just leftovers from The Wall sessions. But the intents were different, by 1983 Roger assumed the band was over, whereas by 2013, Endless River was released to wrap up unfinished business and honor Richard.

     Many of the above points are simply empirical fact.

    To go further, let’s look at the album chart success of the various Waters vs. Pink Floyd album. Starting in 1984, Roger’s The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking reached the Billboard 100 at number 31 after its initial release in April 1984. That album did chart higher in the UK at 13. David Gilmour’s About Face was released in March, 1984 and charted in the US at 32. Both were about pretty even as far as sales. In the middle of the squabbles of their respective albums in 1987, Roger’s Radio K.A.O.S. charted in the UK at 25 and the US Billboard 100 at 50, when released in June 1987. The charts for Pink Floyd’s A Momentary Lapse Of Reason, released September 1987, hit number 3 in the UK, and number 3 in the Billboard 100. A significantly larger success. This will be important in a moment. 

    When Roger’s Amused To Death was released in September of 1992. It did significantly better than its prior releases. Charting at number 8 in the UK and at 21 in the US Billboard 100. When Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell was released in March, 1994, It peaked at number one in the UK and US album charts – and it is the most democratic sounding album in a long time. To be fair, if people don’t like the Gilmour era albums, that’s perfectly fine. But if you simply look at the gamble Roger took leaving Pink Floyd by 1984 – with him assuming it was a ‘spent force’ – he misread the room.

Eclipse 

    In contrast in 1975 when Peter Gabriel left Genesis, that gamble paid off and Peter had a more viable solo career, while Genesis continued on to their own fortunes as band, everyone benefited.  There’s the adage, “Pride goeth before the fall,” from Proverbs 16:18, and Roger’s hubris got in the way with reality. Part of me can’t blame him. The 1973 success of Dark Side of The Moon must have been a major adjustment for all concerned in the band, and people react differently to sudden changes in fortune. Once the follow up, Wish You Were Here in 1975 was an equal success, it had to have affected Roger’s confidence and he misread the room. Some of my points are verified by the above article.

    I wish more people would view Pink Floyd and Genesis in a similar light. The guys in Genesis have stated that they view the band as a ‘writers workshop’ to explore various ideas and types of music. In spite of Floyd’s really reputation as ‘space rock’ jam band, Floyd really evolved with an emphasis on song craft even before the mid-seventies. While both bands are very different, they ended up arriving at similar results by the mid eighties, for good or ill. 

    We haven’t even discussed Nick Mason’s thoughts on much of this post 2005. Nick has remained social friends with both David and Roger, and he had some thoughts about the tensions as sited from this article:

“It’s a really odd thing in my opinion. But I think the problem is that Roger doesn’t really respect David. He feels that writing is everything and that guitar playing and the signing are something that, I won’t say anyone can do, but that everything should be judged on the writing rather than the playing…I think it rankles with Roger that he made a sort of error in a way that he left the band assuming without him it would fold. It’s a constant irritation really, that he’s still going back to it. I’m hesitant to get too stuck into this one, just because it’s between the two of them rather than me. I actually get along with the both of them, and I think it’s really disappointing that these rather elderly gentlemen are still at loggerheads.”

    Some of his points make sense, David may have always been seen as the new kid in the band, even by the end of the seventies, so David’s control of the band in later years was a real test. Part of the issue is the differing perspectives between the basic writing of a piece and that arrangements. The core view is that the basic chords, lyrics and lead melody is the writing, but the process is complicated and the ideas of the players can shape the arrangement, David’s view seems to be that Roger is too dogmatic on the finer points.

    Early songs such as “If..” from Atom Heart Mother show there’s a real humanity in there with Roger – and self-awareness, but he seems so doused in this public façade of scorn, you can’t tell, half the time, who the real person is there. Perhaps the ego, hubris or narcissism has won out, and that’s a real shame if true. I can’t speak for that as I don’t know what’s in his heart or head. Only he could answer that.

    I remember that Live Aid performance in 2005 with the full band, as mentioned here. Roger seemed genuinely thrilled to be there, David came across as diplomatically muted, and the sad reality is that the damage had been done long before 1987. I don’t read it as just a jilted ego from David – he seems to truly not like how Roger treats others. 

   It is a shame that Roger could not have been involved with The Endless River as far as playing bass an co-writing several songs, it would have given the album a more final definitive stamp as the album was intended as a tribute to Richard, we will never know. I admit that a few more proper songs could have rounded out the album.

Paranoid Eyes

    There’s also the issue that David seems to treat his band mates better on his tours, and I could argument that ‘character matters’. Roger has a reputation for cultivating tension, he even fired his son keyboardist Harry Waters in 2016, after he had toured with his father for 14 years. Now, it’s common for band leaders to dismiss members at the end of tours, nothing new. But the reasonings seemed cryptic and callous. Perhaps so Roger could prove a point about Nepotism? I don’t know. This was first noted in the late eighties regarding Roger’s solo tours.

    I haven’t even tackled his politics - which I am indifferent to - but some recent choices are illustrative of his inability to read a room. Yes, Roger is a dedicated socialist, it is what it is. Regarding the events circa 2022, when he was fronting another revival of the Pink Floyd The Wall tour, and when certain references of the stage show was interpreted as being Antisemitic regarding criticism of Isreal, the second half of the narrative of the Pink character from the album falls into delusions and hallucinations as a fascist leader until Pink catches himself. Roger ramped up the fascist references due to the context of what was increasingly happening at the time. As much as I feel that the ADL and AiPAC overplays their hands in their rhetoric, I am not certain that Roger is an actual antisemite. But due to his father’s death in WWII, I think Roger has developed such a blind rage against any wars, he has lost his objectivity. It’s one thing for Roger to run concert revivals of The Wall album in 1990, when the political stakes seemed lesser. But the social climate had changed so much by 2022, the themes of The Wall were bound to be misinterpreted in the changing culture.  He doesn’t see that.  

    There’s also his back-and-forth stance on the Ukraine war, where he seemed to pivot against Vladmir Putin and then defend Putin. This lead to the fight between Gilmour’s wife Holly, against Roger, and then by extension David over the Ukraine war. Even David and Nick wrote a song in support of Ukraine, ‘Hey Hey, Rise Up’. I suspect Roger’s blind mistrust towards the West leads him to lose his objectivity. Again, Roger has an uncanny ability to misread situations, even if he stands by his connections, and even if he refuses to censor himself, - traits that many people admire and I am not saying I object to - for such an infinitely intelligent man, he seems to stumble a lot.

Signs Of Life

    In contrast, David Gilmour has been more measured, diplomatic, he seems to be a better band leader, and one has to ask – who is the more intelligent person? Roger keeps having to recycle his Pink Floyd past, since his solo albums can’t sustain him as far as ticket sales. Gilmour retired the Pink Floyd enterprise as an actual unit, and released three solo albums, On an Island, Rattle That Lock and Luck and Strange, all three of those albums have gone number one or top ten in the US and UK album charts. As well as tours for each album that have done well. David has moved forward and is still writing music that resonates today, now that point might seem incredibly unfair to Waters fans. Again, who seems to be the more intelligent person? David has been quoted as saying:

“I have no interest in going on a tour to make money without making new product, new art.”

    People can dismiss chart success as having little to do with quality, and they would be correct, but when a player such as Gilmour has shown the ability to resonate better with an audience, then Waters thesis about having more depth may not be as important as he likes to believe or suggest. I am not saying people should dislike Roger’s solo output, if you do, more power to you, But I am suggesting there should a little more balance in the public perception. I can admire Roger’s musical legacy and input, but I can’t say I admire the man that much as I have gotten older. He just comes across as a bitter old codger these days.

    Criticizing other successful bands and musicians is often a sign of insecurity and weakness. What I mean is the kind of withering criticism that is designed to degrade others, that is my problem with much of the last fifteen years with Roger. Being able to objectively look at the pros and cons in a work is a different matter. A lot of Roger’s razor tongue may have been entertaining in the press in the past, but it has gotten tiring. The arguments about Water’s ‘Genius’ just don’t seem that important anymore.

    Roger seems incapable of moving on – the rest of the world have moved on. 

P.S. If Roger does see this - he will probably argue it's a hit piece from a 'nobody',-  it is what it is. No Roger, I am not a practicing Christian due to quoting a proverb for a point, and don't worry Roger, I don't plan to visit this issue again. 

Friday, September 26, 2025

Retro Reviews: Iggy Pop and the Stooges: Raw Power

 

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 

Iggy Pop and the Stooges: Raw Power (1973)

****

Producers: Iggy Pop, David Bowie

Musicians: Iggy Pop, James Wiliamson, Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton

Songs: Search and Destroy, Gimmie Danger, Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell, Penetration, Raw Power, I Need Someone, Shake Appeal, Death Trip

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    This album is about as liberating as one could expect, it is brash and fun within the darkness, New guitarist James Williamson who replaced Ron Asheton who takes over on bass, he brings a freshness and a different groove that their prior, James offers some incredible and firey lead guitar work throughout. The album opener, “Search and Destroy” is the mission statement, even if some could argue the lyrics seem nonsensical, this is glorious. The second track, “Gimmie Danger” is as close to a ballad as one can expect with some acoustic guitar and, Iggy playing a moody piano. “Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell” is another savage number and just demonstrates that the Stooges are one of those rare street bands, they always went against the grain of Hippie idealism. “Penetration” has a clever guitar hook, they aren’t just playing hard down strokes, and Iggy plays a celesta which manages to give it an additional menace.

    Side two’s “Raw Power” has some more moody piano by Iggy, one issue has to do with the mix where the drummer and bassist tend to get drowned out in the mix, and this is self-evident with certain numbers.  “I Need Somebody” is one of the more interesting cuts on the album, the other bluesy ballad with some menacing chords and a good vocal from Iggy. While new, “Shake Appeal” manages to have a retro fifties spirit in it’s vibe. “Death Trip” has a great groove for an album closer but probably runs a little long, which is my only complaint.

    David Bowie is listed as co producer, but it doesn’t feel like he had much interference here, whereas with ‘Transformer’ Bowie and Mick Ronson were very present, it sounds like Iggy and the band were given free reign here. I don’t know if this album could be considered ‘glam’ as it is heavier than what you’d expect, and the band has less restraint than would see with later period Velvet Underground. There are enough musical innovations within the writing and playing that this album feels a few years ahead of its time, but perhaps it is of its time and we just haven’t caught up yet. Recommended.


Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Retro Reviews; Miles Davis: Nefertiti

 I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. These albums are lesser-known titles.


Miles Davis: Nefertiti (1968)

**** ½

Producers: Teo Macero, Howard Roberts

Musicians: Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams

Music: Nefertiti, Fall, Hand Jive, Madness, Riot, Pinocchio

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    Nefertiti is an incredible jazz record, the fourth of Miles new quartet with Shorter, Hancock, Carter and Williams. The blend of Davis and Shorter as horn players compliment each other well, Hancock’s playing has a fresh harmonic complexity, and the Carter and Williams rhythm section has an astonishing inventiveness. While Davis did not compose any of these titles, his assured presence drives the tone throughout. Sorcerer went into some interesting directions, but this new record has an additional confidence. All of the players who composed for the album seem to have the talent to present to Davis the kind of material that reflects his introspective nature. The album is another example of his continued explorations into modal playing. 

    The title track, written by Wayne Shorter is a wonder, a mournful piece where Davis and Shorter states the melody on horn while the shifts come from Hancock and the rhythm section, a haunting piece. The next piece written by Shorter, “Fall” is another introspective piece and another wonder, Hancock’s piano soloing is beautiful on this. The next piece, “Hand Jive” is the one Williams composition and seems to connect back to Miles hard bop tradition. The piece allows Williams to stretch out as a player.

    “Madness” is another fast tempo piece written by Hancock, another fast tempo piece that allows Davis to shine as a soloist. Ironically, Hancock sits out during the Davis solo, and comes in during Shorter’s section. There’s an element of self-discovery as this progresses. The next piece, the all too brief “Riot” finds a fitting tone and the other Hancock composition. The final piece, written by Shorter, “Pinocchio” simply illustrates what an adept composer he is, the interplay between the three of them is so satisfying, but Hancock manages to bring it home with his solo before the resolve.

    Davis has managed to assemble such a blend of players with this quartet, that I hope it never ends but it probably will, it is indeed exciting, and he has managed to move forward from John Coltrane’s free jazz expressions and find his own way, his own sound, to explore that ideas that Coltrane was so bravely willing to examine. This album hints at the direction Davis may go in the next decade.  This moves forward from Davis’s past work in the fifties and it’s a wonder to behold. Recommended.


Friday, September 19, 2025

Retro Reviews: Supertramp: Famous Last Words

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 70s and start of the 80s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are classic albums. This is in tribute to Rick Davies, rest in peace.


Supertramp: “…Famous Last Words…” (1982)

***

Producers: Peter Henderson, Russell Pope, Supertramp

Musicians: Rick Davies, Roger Hodgson, John Helliwell, Dougie Thomson, Bob Siebenberg, Claire Diament, Ann & Nancy Wilson

Songs: Crazy, Put On Your Old Brown Shoes, It’s Raining Again, Bonnie, Know Who You Are, My Kind Of Lady, “C’est le Bon”, Waiting So Long, Don’t Leave Me Now

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    To be honest, it was bound to happen that the follow up to Breakfast In America would face challenges. In part, the first issue with the album is the sequencing, the two strongest tracks, and likely singles, ‘It’s Raining Again’ and ‘My Kind Of Lady’, don’t open the album. ‘Last Words’ is evenly split between Rick and Roger songs, some of the stronger songs are placed often towards the middle of the album, this makes for a frustrating listen, in contrast considering how well paced “Breakfast In America’, and “Even in the Quieter Moments…” ended up being. Overall, Roger’s songs are stronger, yet many of Rick’s songs have a certain whimsy. There’s also a lot of introspection in the songs, and it feels like, at times, that the full band isn’t always utilized as well as you’d expect. 

    In fairness, both Supertramp and Rush have been the two bands from the 70s that carried the torch for Progressive Rock, and found ways to evolve it, keeping it fresh while accessible at the same time. On the other hand, for many, the cardinal sin of acts from the 70s was to go pop at the start of the decade – it’s a balance. 

    “Crazy” would have made a fine track for the middle of the album, but it almost feels like self-sabotage that this is the first statement you hear. It’s a fine instrumental, but it feels too much like a slow burn. Rick’s “Put On Your Old Brown Shoes” is playful with some nice interplay between the electric piano, piano, and a dab of harmonica, but it feels a little too understated for a second opener. Halliwell’s humor is allowed to come through on this though. There’s real life with Roger’s “It’s Raining Again, it’s catchy and direct. Halliwell is allowed to shine and there’s a fun little quote towards ‘It’s Raining, It’s Pouring’. Rick’s “Bonnie” is merely good. Aside from being more introspective, Roger’s “Know Who You Are” feels like a nod to mid-seventies acoustic Genesis.

    Rick’s “My Kind Of Lady” is his strongest track, a pastiche of 50s doo wop that is very appealing. Roger’s “C’est le Bon” as an acoustic number even feels stronger than “Know Who You Are”, Rick’s “Waiting So Long” is an improvement as a second to last track, but yet there feels an absence of the full band interplay on these tracks, when it is there. Roger’s “Don’t Leave Me Now” is a stronger album closer, and limited interplay I felt was missing on other tracks is more present on this track, and a number of players are allowed to shine. The band feels like there’s a conflict between their pop instincts and their progressive rock leanings. It’s all beautifully done as far as the musicianship, production and arrangements, it just feels like there’s a lack of focus now, and I really don’t know where the band goes from here, but “My Kind Of Lady, It’s Raining Again,” and “C’est le Bon” make this worth it.


Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Retro Reviews: Supertramp: Even In The Quietest Moments...

 

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the start of the 70s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are classic albums. This is in tribute to Rick Davies, rest in peace.


Supertramp: Even In The Quietest Moments… (1977)

****1/2

Producers: Supertramp

Musicians: Rick Davies, Roger Hodgson, John Helliwell, Dougie Thomson, Bob Siebenberg

Songs: Give A Little Bit, Lover Boy, Even In The Quietest Moments, Downstream, Babaji, From Now On, Fool’s Overture

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    Supertramp’s first two albums were commendable but not distinctive enough for me. Crime Of The Century was a notable improvement, and Crisis? What Crisis? was somewhere in-between. But this album feels like a notable step forward. There’s a greater focus on the songs, the balance between their Progressive Rock and pop instincts is better. It’s just about no surprise that ‘Give A Little Bit’ is the perennial single. The band has been labeled as ‘art rock’ or ‘art pop’, and while that makes sense, I question if the label is too limiting. They are simply a good band that can write great songs. The bulk of the writing remains between Davies and Hodgson and there’s a simpatico between them that should remind people of Lennon and McCartney, or Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

    The informal feel of the opening from Roger with ‘Give A little Bit’ pulls the listener in, while acoustic, the introduction of Halliwell broadens the piece out. The full band drives the second half, and there’s some nice organ accents to give it a little color.  Rick’s “Lover Boy” has a playful yet dark under current, that especially builds when the full band and support vocals come in, it also has a nice false ending before the crescendo. Nature sounds and an Eastern drone set up Roger’s lovely “Even In The Quietest Moments”, an acoustic number with gradual build up from the band’s support, John’s horns really enhance the piece, Rick’s keyboard work really sympathizes with Roger’s efforts. Rick’s “Downstream” is a solo piano number, sincere and tasteful.

    Roger’s “Babaji” is a piano driven piece with some clever percussion from Siebenberg, and a nice dynamic range that has a compelling orchestral build up. The Thomson and Siebenberg rhythm section remains solid on the album. Rick’s “From Now On” opens with a playful stuttering barrelhouse feel before it shifts into in main core. While Roger’s lyrics tend to be more pensive, Rick’s lyrics often recognize the dark underside of a society that is just barely holding together and not listening to the outcast. Roger’s “Fool’s Overture” might very be the tour de force of the album, it opens as a morose piano ballad before a sound collage that harkens to the flavor of Pink Floyd’s better work, build into a lament about World War II, a good half of this acts as a concerto before the vocal. There’s some nice synth work in the final half that is both playful yet menacing.

    This remains a strong, consistent album that explores hope, humanity, despair and desire, and very likely one of the better albums of this year. Recommended. 


Friday, September 12, 2025

Retro Reviews: George Harrison: Living In The Material World

 

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 


George Harrison: Living In The Material World (1973)

*** ½

Producers: George Harrison, Phil Spector*

Musicians: George Harrison, Nicky Hopkins, Gary Wright, Klaus Voormann, Jim Keltner, Ringo Starr, Jim Horn, Zakir Hussain, John Barham, Leon Russell, Jim Gordon, Pete Ham

Songs: Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth), Sue Me – Sue You Blues, The Light That Has Lighted The World, Don’t Let Me Wait Too Long, Who Can See It, Living In The Material World, The Lord Loves The One (Who Loves The Lord), Be Here Now, Try Some Buy Some*, The Day The World Gets ‘Round’, That Is All

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    George’s new album is out and it was bound to be met with high expectations. From out of the gate of the end of 1970, George had put out the best of the first wave of post Beatles albums. “All Things Must Pass” was gargantuan accomplishment, an album with a cinema scope grandeur sonically, and he had amassed such a range of material that was rejected by the Beatles, that the album enjoyed few weak tracks. He then followed this up with the “Concert for Bangla Desh”, a megastar live event, multiple album set and concert film in 1971. How does this album measure up? Well, it all depends on your point of view and what may have been George’s intention. In truth, it is uneven, but not terrible. It has several great tracks, several good tracks and the rest average.

    It is no surprise that the opening track “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)” was the single, it is outstanding, with some spry acoustic guitars, and clever slide guitar harmonies, and a very universal sentiment. The next track is the fun blues slide number, “Sue Me, Sue You Blues”, a serious issue that is taken lightly – and in light of numerous legals with the Beatles – it’s not surprising he is being open about them. “The Light That has Lighted The World” is a fairly earnest, spiritual ballad and demonstrates the major difference between “Must Pass” and this, that album’s focus on spirituality was broader, people could read into the Christian theme, but now George is being more specific about his Khrisna faith. The song has some great keyboard and slide guitar work that is notable.  “Don’t Let Me Wait Too Long” is a more upper tempo number. “Who Can See It” is a lovely, rich ballad, that reveals how George is developing as a writer. Quite emotive. The closing track on side one is the lively “Living In The Material World”, which includes Ringo’s playing and the line “We got Richie on the tour”, a tuneful bridge as well.

    “The Lord Loves The One (That Loves The Lord)” is another fun folk blues infused number, and some good guitar work, another tale about the relativity of karma. “Be Here Now” is an inauspicious guitar and organ number, with a nod to Indian scales in his vocal inflection. “Try Some, Buy Some” is the only actual track that Phil Spector was involved with, a little more dramatic and something that feels like Ronnie Spector could tackle. It also has a little of that grandeur I had mentioned previously, merely an interesting track. “The Day The World Gets ‘Round” seems to mirror the theme of the prior track “The Light” with some dynamic piano. The closer and lovely “That Is All” is another ballad, the album is less demanding on the listener, but should satisfy those in a often mellow mood.

    Let me address the prior point about expectations, it does feel like George is trying to scale down the expectations, and it reminds me of what happened to Dylan after his motorcycle accident circa 1967, his approach and priorities changed, he simply could not keep writing the same material he wrote from 65 and 66. The reality is The Beatles in their 20s had lived five lifetimes in the scale of less than a decade, they had seen it all and done it all, they were in their 30s now and George seems to want to offer his insights. George already may already know he can never repeat the accomplishments of the last record, and he may have proved everything he needed to say with it. Nevertheless, one has to move forward and he seems to be in a different place now. These changing expectations may be a cardinal sin for some music fans. This album doesn’t have such blazing numbers as “The Art Of Dying”, so you will have to take it on its own terms. As far as if that makes for a good listening experience – for some – that is debatable. But the positives outweigh the negatives on this, and I will be curious to see what he comes up with next – if anything. Time will tell. Recommended.


Thursday, September 4, 2025

Retro Reviews: Frank Sinatra: Strangers In The Night

 

I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 

Frank Sinatra: Strangers In The Night (1966)

****

Producer: Jimmy Bowen

Musicians: Frank Sinatra, Arranger: Nelson Riddle, Ernie Freeman, Band: Artie Kane, Bill Miller, Michael Rubini, Chuck Berghofer, Ralph Pina, Al Viola, Al Casey, Bill Pitman, Glen Campbell, Tommy Tedesco, Hal Blane, Irvin Cottier

Songs: Strangers In The Night, Summer Wind, All Or Nothing At All, Call Me, You’re Driving Me Crazy, On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever), My Baby Just Cares For Me, Downtown, Yes Sir That’s My Baby, The Most Beautiful Girl In The World.

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

Frank Sinatra’s new single, the title song, is doing very well, you can take that for what it is the only track arranged by Ernie Freeman. But it bodes well for an album when it has three potential singles, along with “Summer Wind” and “All Or Nothing At All”. This is a solid album and Sinatra sounds assured here, he is managing to contemporize his sound, while keeping the big band swing elements he is known for. His most notable album with Gorgon Jenkins, September of My Years had another memorable hit with “It Was A Very Good Year” in 65 and hinted at the possibility he could still compete with the likes of The Beatles. In a lot of respects Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis embody cool, and while their styles are very different, they also embody the rock n roll spirit that others have carried forward. Never forget that in the 50s, during the rise of Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Chuck Berry, Sinatra was holding his own with a group of albums from Capitol that defined quality, and he set up the blueprint for the ‘concept album’ before it was an idea.

“Strangers” is a lush sweeping, following ballad and he does it well. The B-3 Organ, probably played by Artie Kane on “Summer Wind” adds to the relaxed swing of the tune, and Sinatra owns the piece. ‘All Or Nothing At All” is a perennial standard, and the swing setting is quite apt, he had recorded it before, and the organ makes another appearance in the horn breakdown, nicely done. “Call Me” is a more contemporary number, but Frank puts a nice swing accent to it. The interplay between the Organ and horn section on “You’re Driving Me Crazy!” is quite fun, and Frank sounds playful.

While a somewhat known musical, Frank’s arrangement of “On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)” is quite good, this selection fits Frank well. “My Baby Just Cares For Me” is another Gus Khan standard. Something should be said about the bulk of Nelson Riddle’s arrangements, he has not lost his simpatico with Sinatra as a creative partner. “Downtown” is another more contemporary pop number, originally done by Petula Clark, a very self-conscious attempt at a pop number, and Sinatra’s read is, to say the least, quirky. Frank’s read on “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby” is back to more comfortable territory. The album closer, “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World” is a very brisk arrangement and not something you’d expect for a track that could have been given the lush ballad treatment. The album manages to find a covert way to stay true to Sinatra’s swing inclinations. The title track has already managed to keep Sinatra relevant in the singles market, I will be curious to see where he goes next with these new opportunities on the charts. A Very satisfying edition to the Sinatra cannon.