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THEmusicINDEX

(February 2009)

JAMES GRANT Strange Flowers (Vertical)

James Grant returns with Strange Flowers, his most upbeat record since Love And Money's legendary Strange Kind of Love.

More of a full blown band affair than the introspective Holy Love, another phenomenal collection of songs begins with the sweeping strings of This Could Be The Day and goes on to eclectically cover topics such as vampires (Strange Flowers), how Satan was perhaps the first solo artiste (Can't Beat The Music) and features as its centrepiece the epic My Father's Coat.

There are shades of Scott Walker, John Martyn, John Barry and 70s' soul but the voice, the inimitable lyrical twists and turns and blistering guitar playing are absolute James Grant.

Filled with uncommon candour, passion and dexterity, Strange Flowers reaffirms his reputation as one of the finest singer songwriters and performers there is and will undoubtedly be one of the albums of 2009.

..there is a roundedness in this album, perhaps a realisation too from Grant that he needs to take the beat up a little.

And with albums increasingly pared down to just voice and guitar he has dared to rekindle his electric soul. www.getreadytorock.com

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JACK THE LAD Jackpot (Market Square)

Founded in north-east England in1973 by Rod Clements, Simon Cowe, Ray Laidlaw and Billy Mitchell, Jack The Lad (a name the former Lindisfarne members picked up from Status Quo on tour in Australia) had released three successful albums for United Artists, and while losing Clements and Cowe picked up Hedgehog Pie's Ian Fairbairn and Phil Murray, before recording this, their final album, 'Jackpot' in 1976.

Closer to pop and rock than its predecessors, it features Andy Bown (ex-Herd, Status Quo) on keyboards, and a brass section on some tracks. This first ever reissue and CD debut on Market Square brings back the original album plus a generous number of bonus tracks in previously-unreleased demos as well as live material recorded in Plymouth of this highly- popular band in action. A 16pp booklet includes the album's history by Lindisfarne expert Jim Henderson and track synopses from the band itself.

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Also available from Market Square Records: ROD CLEMENTS, LINDISFARNE, ALAN HULL

Catalogue: www.themusicindex.com/commerce/pages/html/msm_catalogue.htm

DR STRANGELY STRANGE Kip Of The Serenes [Release date: 30 March 2009] HUX104

Hux Records is proud to announce the forthcoming re-release of this classic slice of psychedelic folk.

Based in Dublin, the Strangelies were friends and contemporaries of the Incredible String Band, whose producer Joe Boyd signed them to his Witchseason management and production company in 1969. This first album originally came out in mid 1969 on Island Records.

Over the years, Kip has acquired a considerable cult status; in 2007, Record Collector Magazine proclaimed it one of the UK's 'hundred most collectable progressive rock records.'

Previous CD reissues of Kip have been of variable quality, but we have now set matters right with this special Collectors' Edition. Using the tape restoration skills of the Audio Archiving Company, we have re-mastered the album directly from the original stereo mixes and added four previously unheard bonus tracks, taken from the original studio sessions. Belying the age of the tapes, the sound quality is sparkling.

Music historian Adrian Whittaker, responsible for our well-received archive Strangelies release Halcyon Days, has put together a lavish accompanying booklet including a history of the band, new interviews with the band members, Joe Boyd and writer Iain Sinclair, full lyrics to the songs and many previously unseen photographs.

INCREDIBLE STRING BAND Tricks Of The Senses Rare And Unreleased Recordings 1966-1972 [Release date: 26 January 2009] HUX100 Double CD

One of the most engaging groups to emerge from the esoteric 1960s was the Incredible String Band. Basically the duo of Mike Heron and Robin Williamson, its sound was comprised of haunting Celtic folk melodies augmented by a variety of Middle Eastern and Asian instruments.

Tricks Of The Senses is a double CD compilation of unreleased or rare Incredible String Band material from the Witchseason and Island Records archives, and represents a fascinating alternative history of the band. ISB's Robin Williamson and Mike Heron were fully involved in this project from the start, and were both impressed by the quality of the material that was unearthed.

The opening track here, Leadbelly's 'Relax Your Mind', is taken from the band's own 1966 rehearsal tape, and is the source of the earliest surviving two-man ISB material.

'Lover Man' (with Danny Thompson on string bass) is an unreleased song from the band's second album, 5,000 Spirits. 'All Too Much For Me' & 'The Iron Stone' are outtakes from the band's Wee Tam LP. The remainder of disc 1 features previously unreleased recordings from a 1968 US radio session.

The second CD starts with 'Penwern', an instrumental which was not used for the 1969 Be Glad film soundtrack for which it was originally recorded. 'El Ratto' & 'Long Long Road' are both previously unreleased recordings from the ISB's 1970 song & dance extravaganza, U, which was performed at London's Roundhouse Theatre.

'All Writ Down' is an alternative stereo version, featuring an additional verse. 'Queen Juanita' is a previously unreleased outtake from the band's I Looked Up album. 'Poetry Play # 1' is a previously unreleased 1971 recording. The final two tracks are outtakes from the Earthspan sessions, recorded in 1972.

The accompanying 28 page booklet features exhaustive liner notes, including a detailed story about the background to this project. Also featured are several rare photographs and full lyrics to many of the songs.

Also available: ACROSS THE AIRWAVES (BBC Radio Recordings 1969-1974)

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Imagine the progressive hard rock stylings of Rush mixed with the sensitivities of modern-day Marillion. You're getting close to 25 Yard Screamer.

The acclaimed CD is now available as a special price download.

SPECIAL: Buy Cassandra and get the Rising Stars CD (see below) for only £1.00!

Three lads from South Wales are set to widen a growing audience with the release of their third album, Cassandra.

They've been playing music together since 2002 and their latest album shows progress in leaps and bounds.

Guitarist Nick James says that the lead track on the album expands the myth of Cassandra who in Greek mythology was given the gift of prophecy but not of being believed. How could we apply that to the modern world, if at all?

The album can be enjoyed on different levels, but listeners will be drawn to the quality of the musicianship, the stirring choruses, and the fact that the band have fashioned something provocative and different.

Power and passion, Cassandra has it all - some absolutely wonderful playing from the band - Matt Clarke (bass), Nick James (guitar and vocals) and Donal Owen (drums). It's a remarkably confident and mature work, maybe highly Marillion influenced in places, but it's as good as anything the post Fish line up of that band have released. And believe it or not this was recorded and produced at home.

Classic rock of epic proportions. It would be a crying shame if this didn't reach a wider audience. ****½ www.getreadytorock.com

There is plenty of healthy imagination gone into this debut album...the band has no fear of getting in some complex melodies and some heavier ones too among the gentler and emotional moments...a certain one to watch'
Classic Rock Society (May/June 2007)

Blacklight, the epic 20-minute opening track, is full of chunky, chiming Alex Lifeson guitar and high-falutin' Neil Peart-style lyrics...Yet it's on the title tune where this Carmarthen combo really show their metal...It's a powerful, complex piece of work that's right up with the best of Brave-era Marillion. 7/10

Geoff Barton, Classic Rock magazine (September 2007)

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ASIA Live In San Francisco, May 5 2008

Official bootleg, band approved

Recorded Live May 5th,2008 Grand Ballroom at the Regency Center, San Francisco, California (USA)

Asia - Live In San Francisco 2008 is the first of a series of Live double albums recorded during the successful 2008 world tour from Asia.

The unique factor from each concert is the performances from the band members adding solo performances to the now famous Asia tracks with historical versions of hits from their previous bands such as YES, King Crimson and ELP.

This is a must for Asia fans to collect - authorised from the bands own archives.

Also available: ASIA Live in Tokyo 12 May 2008

ASIA ON TOUR IN THE UK, APRIL 2009

April 16 - Harrogate, International Centre
April 17 - Cardiff, Wales - St.David's Hall
April 18 - Holmfirth - Picturedrome
April 20 - Buxton - Buxton Opera House
April 21 - Birmingham - Birmingham Town Hall
April 22 - New Brighton (Liverpool) - New Brighton Floral Pavilion
April 24 - London - The Forum

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SAD CAFE Anthology

Sad Café was formed in Manchester in the late 70’s with the original line-up of Paul Young (vocalist), Ian Wilson and Ashley Mulford on guitar, bassist John Stimpson Vic Emerson (keyboards) and Tony Creswell on the drums.

Their first album ‘Fanx Ta Ra” did not achieve the great success they had hoped for. However this did not apply for the second album, titled “Misplaced Ideals” that achieved international success.

This second album was with a new drummer, David Irving who came in to replace Creswell. Then in 1979 came further success with the single “Every Day Hurts” going straight in to the charts at number three- along with “My Oh My” and “Strange Little Girl” also both entering the UK Top 40.

The next album release was the self-titled “Sad Café” which was a slight disappointment in relation to their recent success- and did not do as well as they would have liked. A new bass played and two more albums followed- but unfortunately the band couldn’t get the sales they needed.

The band most recent release (in 2000) coincided with the passing of Paul Young, which was a repackage of the 1985 album “Politics Of Existing’ and the 1989 album ‘Whatever It Takes’, the other remaining members of Sad Café performed a tribute concert to Paul after his death.

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ALSO AVAILABLE: JOE COCKER, GRAHAM PARKER, DAN FOGELBERG

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MARTIN ORFORD The Old Road

Martin Orford is best-known as keyboard player and main songwriter with legendary progressive rock band IQ, although he's also contributed to albums by Jadis and John Wetton.

This solo album is effectively Martin's swansong as he is leaving the music industry at the end of 2008.

What a way to go! The album features an all-star line-up of John Wetton (Asia). Nick D'Virgillo and Dave Meros (Spock's Beard) and John Mitchell (It Bites/ Arena).

Hard to pick highlights as there are no filler songs on here but for Asia/John Wetton fans 'Take It To The Sun' will delight your ears. John Mitchell adds some tasty guitar solos on this one as well. Wetton also sings lead vocal on the album's heaviest song 'The Time And The Season' and if the lead guitars on here don't have you air guitaring you must be clinically dead.

The title track is the best song Kansas never recorded! From the keys/acoustic guitar intro through to the fiddle solos from respected folk musician Colm Murphy it reminds the listener of 70's Kansas in all their pomp and glory, plus add in some flute for a Tull feel - superb. Steve Thorne takes lead vocals on 'Out In The Darkness', which could easily have come off any of his very enjoyable solo albums. The reflective 'Endgame' finishes the album off nicely.  www.getreadytorock.com

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Since 2003, the classic rock website www.getreadytorock.com (GRTR!) has been promoting upcoming and unsigned acts as well as the more familiar mainstream artists.

This CD brings together 16 bands under the 'rising stars' banner, and the music styles range from pop rock, through indie, to melodic rock.

SPECIAL OFFER: Only £1.99  Just add to your order before checkout.

SPECIAL: Buy Cassandra (see above) and get the Rising Stars CD for only £1.00!

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MAGENTA Live At The Point 2007

The success of Revolutions in 2001 - a studio-only project conceived by keyboards/guitarist Rob Reed - led to public demand for live shows from which Magenta developed. In 2004, the band released their second album Seven and a double live set Another Time, Another Place.

The band picked up several progressive rock awards, and  2005 saw the release of the band's first live DVD and prize for Best Band at the Classic Rock Society end of year awards ceremony.

2008 has already seen the band pick up Best Band and best Female Singer at the Classic Rock Society awards, and  the new studio album Metamorphosis  was released in April.

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PATRICK MORAZ Change Of Space

Patrick’s latest album is entitled Change of Space and it is his first album for a number of years. Recorded in America over the last two years the album is a return to Patrick’s progressive roots and as such will be highly anticipated by his large and dedicated following.

The reissue campaign has renewed interest in the work of this special artist and as such demand for this new album particularly in the progressive genre bodes well.

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ALSO AVAILABLE: ESP, Future Memories I and II and others

Australian guitarist Kevin Peek has played on many recordings over the years in his capacity as a session guitarist. Over the years Kevin has recorded with the likes of Cliff Richard, Leo Sayer, Mary Hopkin, Manfred Mann, Kiki Dee and Shirley Bassey among others.

More famously Kevin formed the classical/rock fusion band Sky alongside John Williams and Herbie Flowers experiencing massive commercial success the world over.

Awakening was Kevin Peek’s second solo album and was recorded whilst still a member of Sky and released in late 1981. Although his second solo album it wads the first album to receive a wide distribution and due to his membership of Sky this album took on a higher profile.

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Maggie Reilly has had a varied career that stretches back over thirty years. She first came to prominence with the Scottish band Cado Belle releasing a well respected album and EP while fronting the band.

From here Maggie went on to find herself in demand as a session singer working with artists such as Morrissey Mullen, Hamish Stuart and Kokomo.

Her next career move was perhaps to be the one many people remember her for. Having heard her sing, Mike Oldfield invited Maggie to join his band for his 1980 tour. Following this tour Maggie sang on the album QE2 and subsequently joined Oldfield's band full time singing on the albums Five Miles Out and Crises and the hit singles Moonlight Shadow and To France from the album Discovery.

Following a short break in order to concentrate on her family Maggie continued to work as a solo artist and also work with many other artists on a number of varied projects including legends like Jack Bruce, Dave Gilmour and Nick Mason (of Pink Floyd fame), Mike Batt, George Harrison and Andrew Eldridge's Sisters Of Mercy.

Maggie Reilly's solo albums have included the albums Starcrossed, Echoes, Midnight Sun, Elena, Save It For A Rainy Day and the Best of compilation There And Back Again.

FEATURED ARTIST (March) on GET READY TO ROCK! RADIO, Mon-Fri 14:00 - 16:00 GMT

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NEIL ARDLEY's NEW JAZZ ORCHESTRA Camden 70 (DUSKCD105)

Featured Album: July/August 2008

Between the NJO's first album, Western Reunion (Decca, 1965) and second, Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe (Verve, 1968), Neil Ardley's writing had matured to a point where it was showing serious signs of outgrowing even the highly flexible instrument that the orchestra had become. Under his guidance, the band was now also playing new music by a whole crop of young composers - Mike Taylor, Michael Garrick, Howard Riley and Michael Gibbs among them.

The line-up on this session was substantially the one that had recorded Déjeuner, although there were a few significant absentees including Ian Carr, who was by now touring the world with his pioneering jazz-rock band, Nucleus.

The programme that night was essentially the orchestra's current concert set and drew heavily on Le Déjeuner sur l‘Herbe, which was still current and selling well. Of the eight numbers on the album, seven are included here (tracks 5 to 11).

Camden '70 measures the extraordinary capabilities of a talent pool the like of which was not to be seen again in a jazz orchestra. This release marks the recording's debut and, together with notes from Dave Gelly and sound engineer Martin Mitchell (on the master tapes restoration) and period images, makes for a truly exciting addition to the jazz and jazz rock aficionado's collection.

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OLD WINE NEW SKINS (DUSKCD104)

A diverse roster of recording artists - spanning half a century between the oldest and youngest - have contributed contemporary interpretations of traditional English songs to a new album released as a companion piece to The Folk Handbook: Working With Songs From The English Tradition, published in the UK and US this summer by Backbeat Books.

"Old Wine/New Skins", released via Proper Music Distribution this October 2007 on Market Square Records' Dusk Fire imprint, compiles 17 songs from the book in performances all but one of which have been recorded in recent years; many have been recorded specially for this album and thus are unavailable elsewhere.

Contributors, including English, Scots, Americans and other nationalities, count Lisa Knapp, Tom Paxton, James Yorkston, Robin & Bina Williamson and The Devil's Interval amongst others - renowned or about to be.

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WISHBONE ASH Argus Then Again Live (TECD133)

This is the first new studio album from the band for over two years. It follows on the great WISHBONE ASH tradition of twin-guitar based Rock for which they are universally famous.

Fronted by the original member Andy Powell this album will be a must-buy for all Wishbone Ash fans, plus all fans of great guitar-based Rock. The classic sound of Wishbone Ash.

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Also available: THE POWER OF ETERNITY

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Martin Turner, original bass player, singer and principal songwriter during the classic Wishbone Ash period returns with a re-recording of the classic 1972 album. There was also an opportunity also to place the tracks in the intended order.

Ray Hatfield (guitars, vocals), Rob Hewins (drums), Danny Willson (guitar/vocals), Keith Buck (guitar, vocals)

With John Wetton and Geoff Downes on backing vocals!

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FAMILY Old Songs New Songs (MYSCD191)

Another limited run of this definitive box set, only £25 plus postage!

FAMILY were and still are one of the most revered bands to come out of the late Sixties early Seventies. Fronted by the manic but prolific vocalist ROGER CHAPMAN, Family were one of the most popular bands on the UK and European gig and festival circuit where their particular brand of “progressive art rock”, backed by Chapman’s on stage antics and a brilliant band excited audiences everywhere.

The band became a brilliant vehicle for the song writing partnership of Roger Chapman and CHARLIE WHITNEY who were joined along the way by a number of top musicians including JOHN WETTON and later TONY ASHTON.

The popularity of Family was reflected by top thirty singles including a number 4 with “In My Own Time” and 7 top thirty albums, with “A Song For Me” reaching number 4, “Entertainment” number 6 and “Anyway” number 7.

This four CD box set features the following:

1. 49 tracks including 14 previously unreleased performances
2. The first release on CD of the album “Old Songs New Songs”.
3. Booklet written by Pete Feenstra on the history of Family, featuring quotes from band members and previously unseen photo’s.
4. A reproduction of the 1970 Isle Of Wight Festival programme

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ALSO AVAILABLE:

FAMILY Old Songs New Songs

FAMILY were and still are one of the most revered bands to come out of the late Sixties early Seventies. Fronted by the manic but prolific vocalist ROGER CHAPMAN, Family were one of the most popular bands on the UK and European gig and festival circuit where their particular brand of “progressive art rock”, backed by Chapman’s on stage antics and a brilliant band excited audiences everywhere.

The band became a brilliant vehicle for the song writing partnership of Roger Chapman and CHARLIE WHITNEY who were joined along the way by a number of top musicians including JOHN WETTON and later TONY ASHTON.

The popularity of Family was reflected by top thirty singles including a number 4 with “In My Own Time” and 7 top thirty albums, with “A Song For Me” reaching number 4, “Entertainment” number 6 and “Anyway” number 7.

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This compilation was originally issued in 1971, during a break in the band's activities, and is here on CD for the first time.

The original album remixed earlier material and spawned a hit single too. Mixing late sixties rock and pop with touches of psyche, folk and a prog nod, the Roger Chapman led combo were popular at the time, and this is a good intro to the band at the time, with informative sleevenotes too, from GRTR's Pete Feenstra.

Chapman's a good singer and it shows here, and the rockier material shows some good guitar and bass work. Well worth investigating.

Review by Joe Geesin, www.getreadytorock.com

A deluxe box-set comprising five full-length themed CDs, over 85 Tracks. with previously-unreleased rarities and new recordings from Steve Tilston, his friends and musical collaborators - plus: a 100-page full-colour book with detailed discography, image archive, and career overview.

The set has been compiled with unprecedented access to Steve's own archives and with tracks contributed by Steve's many fellow musicians and admirers from around the world that appear on the special CD5.

It features all the classic Steve Tilston songs, as well as new recordings from Steve's admirers, and the set includes many previously-unreleased or new versions of his superb songs.

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Also available: RICHARD THOMPSON, FAIRPORT CONVENTION, DAVE SWARBRICK

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For many, 'Moonchild' is the band's magnum opus and they will welcome the new version which has been scrubbed off, resequenced, and with two bonus tracks added. With new artwork, too, this is essentially a fresh-looking and fresh-sounding release. The Celtic infusion lends a timeless quality to the tracks, with the standout title track, 'The Pilgrim', 'We Two Are One' and the superb 'Strange Day In the Country.  www.getreadytorock.com

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Groups and Sessions 1962-1978

Definitive career overview of ace session guitarist who has performed with Ian Gillan Band, Spencer Davis Group amongst others.

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