Page 87 - Classic Rock (January 2020)

survivor from Hatchet’s glory atmospheric musings about colours to studio reworkings of explosions of sound and wonder pop polymath his most
days, the others all having police brutality (Trouble In Town) songs spanning the Steve happening everywhere. The rapturous reviews since his
passed away, guitarist and and Dylan-esque ditties about Hogarth years. orchestrated, choir-fed opening prime-time Talking Heads days,
founder Dave Hlubek the last to arms control (Guns). But for all With the band rarely cutting 150 seconds of Race For The Prize blasting him into the arena-rock
go, in 2017. But the modern these attempts at topicality, loose, Hogarth’s work is carefully alone justifies life itself. premiere league and extending
version of the band, led by long- essentially it’s the sound of the framed to bring out its best This is a re-recording of their into a Broadway residency.
serving guitarist Bobby Ingram, band letting off creative steam qualities. This Strange Engine 1999 album The Soft Bulletin Performing on an artfully bare
remains faithful to tradition. after the ruthlessly commercial especially is composed with – perhaps The Flaming Lips’ stage with a dynamic troupe of
Battleground, the latest of pop bromides of 2015’s Head sensual precision, the wax smell crowning achievement before singer-dancer-musicians, the
Hatchet’s many live albums, Full Of Dreams. Accordingly, the of abandoned school corridors the R.E.M. trap took hold – 67-year-old avant-pop legend
marks the debut of singer Jimmy rest of the 53-minute running recalling the start of its subject’s recorded live with the Colorado clothes new tracks and old
Elkins, whose raspy voice is time is filled with lo-fi gospel rebellion against authority. The Symphony at Red Rocks classics alike in explosively funky
reminiscent of the great Danny vamps (Cry Cry Cry, BrokEn), Hollow Man’s profound alienation Amphitheatre in Morrison, marching-band arrangements
Joe Brown. While there’s plenty utterly bonkers choral lullabies also benefits from melancholy Colorado in front of an ecstasy and superbly wonky
of gusto in the performance, (When I Need A Friend) and cellos. Both songs have been of believers making insect choreography. It is an
with a few late-period songs enough saccharine balladry (Old rescued from Marillion’s noises and losing all abandon. exhilarating audio-visual
mixed in with early landmark Friends, Daddy) to have the Chris wilderness decades, to perhaps The album is played through spectacular, but it inevitably
tracks such as Whiskey Man, Fall Martin-phobic reaching for the get a fairer hearing now. in its entirely, Wayne Coyne has loses something when shrunk
Of The Peacemakers and Flirtin’ nearest receptacle. The relentless restraint can rarely sounded this engaged and to a conventional live album
With Disaster, what was There is the occasional flash of be self-defeating, making this poignant, the rhythms do what format. Divorced from their
captured on Double Trouble Live pop brilliance – notably desert- more a genuine chamber- the rhythms must. This version theatrical staging and Byrne’s
– the classic line-up at its hard- rock nugget Arabesque – but for piece than a rock album. But of Waitin’ For A Superman is, right droll banter, folksy surrealist
boogieing, hard-drinking peak non-fans of Coldplay this dose of it’s an interesting angle on now, my definition of beauty. ballads like Every Day Is A
– could never be equalled. Everyday Life will be one they can a dogged career. Music so spiritually uplifting Miracle and I Dance Like This
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Paul Elliott QQQQQQQQQQ Nick Hasted with a health warning. What even the vintage Heads classic
Paul Moody the hell are we going to do when Once In A Lifetime and Burning
Coldplay The Flaming it finishes? Down The House feel slightly
Marillion Lips
Everyday Life PARLOPHONE QQQQQQQQQQ underpowered. That said, the
Sprawling double album from With Friends From The Soft Bulletin: Live Everett True brass-heavy polyrhythmic Afro-
gazillion-selling soft rock The Orchestra EARMUSIC At Red Rocks BELLA UNION funk versions of I Zimbra,
behemoths. Strings and things reimagine This is the purest acid magic, David Byrne Slippery People and Blind still
Announced via post-Fish highs. the hairs on your arms lit American Utopia On pack a mighty kinetic kick.
a worldwide Rock bands tend up like Sunderland Bridge Broadway – Original Cast Byrne and his multiracial crew
poster to employ at Christmas. Recording Live NONESUCH also invest Janelle Monáe’s
campaign, orchestras for This album is Bryne’s career-topping, jaw- blistering anti-racist protest
Coldplay’s their massed Disneyland for dropping stage spectacular anthem Hell You Talmbout with
eighth album - divided into two thunder, but Generation X, feels diminished on record. righteous gospel-fired passion.
halves: Sunrise and Sunset – Marillion settle here for an every note and David Byrne’s A decent live album, but the
comes with an over-arching augmented version of the string sound teased 2018 American inevitable film or DVD version
sense of its own importance. quartet used on 2016’s resurgent out and engorged, pinch-me-I- Utopia tour will make much more sense.
We get Afro-beat-inspired F.E.A.R album. Rather than raw cannot-believe-I-am-hearing- rightly earned QQQQQQQQQQ
calls for global unity (Orphans), power, they add subtle classical this minor epiphanies and the silver-haired Stephen Dalton

ROUND-UP: BLUES By Henry Yates

Jack Broadbent Imperial Jade Malone Sibun

Moonshine Blue CROWS FEET On The Rise LISTENABLE Come Together REDLINE/CARGO
Barefoot, shirtless, In a recent High Hopes The partnership of one-
sprawled on an old interview with this time Robert Plant
sofa, blowing a plume writer, Imperial Jade sideman Innes Sibun
of cigarette smoke guitarist Hugo Nubiola along with Detroit
– the Jack Broadbent was at pains to point out vocalist Marcus Malone
of the Moonshine Blue album sleeve is that his Barcelona band aren’t just another proves to be one which is as good as the
enough to give any A&R man the horn. pound-shop Zeppelin. He’s right: The Call arithmetic suggests. Let Me Love You has
Scratch this Lincolnshire singer- manages to mash a Page-worthy riff with a brilliant climbing chorus lick that could
songwriter’s immaculate surface, though, a psych-swirl breakdown (without listeners have fallen off Zep II, and best of all is the
and there’s a depth that explains why seeing the stitches), while album closer moment when the medieval-folksy Taste Of
Ronnie Wood pulled him along for Struck By Lightning is a howl-at-the-moon Your Love casts off its tabard to become
recent gigs. Floydian space-rock epic. a meaty man-rocker.
Out of the blocks, the glib comparison is QQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQQQQ
Nick Drake, but as a supple slide lick rises
from the autumn fingerstyle of the title Giles Robson Laurence Jones Band
track, Broadbent announces himself as
a bluesier beast with more about him (he Don’t Give Up On The Blues Laurence Jones Band
cites Joni Mitchell, Radiohead, Robert AMERICAN SHOWCASE MUSIC TOP STOP MUSIC
Johnson and Davey Graham). The blues harp remains Despite the new ‘Band’
His slide guitar playing is as phenomenal in safe lungs with Giles moniker, Jones still writes
as they say – “the real thang” according to Robson. For all the everything, and his voice
Bootsy Collins – but the songs come first. British blower’s and guitar are the main
If is a piano-clanger that has a touch of virtuosity and scholarly event. But perhaps the
The Doors; The Lucky Ones is rockabilly knowledge of his genre (see Show A Little re-brand has given him the sense of a blank
played in a haunted roadhouse; This Mercy), there’s a punkiness to Robson’s page, which he scrawls with more than just
Town is a left-behind lament like Bruce take: he gives his tin sandwich hell on Land blues: The Love is a great country-rock
Springsteen at his most intimate, To Land and That Ol’ Heartbreak Sound, slowie, and the soulful Everything’s Gonna
Jack Broadbent: Broadbent singing like a ghost left out while the roistering Giles Theme should Be Alright is a fantastic half-steal of the
a phenomenal slide guitarist, in the rain. Beautiful. make the walls sweat live. Dandy Warhols’ Bohemian Like You.
but the songs come first. QQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQQQQ

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