Record Reviews
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  | GENESIS ~ 1970-1975
VIRGIN 5099951968328 (Barcode: 5099951968328) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1970 - 1975 Released: 2008
This monster Box Set brings back to life the bulk of early recordings by the British band GenesisFind albums by this artist, which is of course synonymous with Progressive Rock genre and includes their 2nd to 6th albums: "TrespassFind albums with this title", "Nursery CrymeFind albums with this title", "FoxtrotFind albums with this title", "Selling England By The PoundFind albums with this title" and "The Lamb Lies Down On BroadwayFind albums with this title". Once the Genesis lineup stabilized (starting with the 3rd album) the band produced a remarkable body of music, which now, almost four decades later, still consists of the defining elements of the genre. Even if Genesis were not truly groundbreaking or innovative, and considering some extravagancies and annoying aspects of over the top theatrics by the band´s lead singer Peter GabrielFind albums by this artist, this music lost nothing of its remarkable quality and majestic aura. There is no point going into the detailed description of the music or its historic importance as a row model for countless musicians the world over, suffice to say that this is an essential piece of musical history, which deserves to be preserved for future generations, which this Box Set attempts to do. It includes 7 CDs and 6 DVDs: The original five albums are presented on 6 CDs (the last album was a double LP and is a double CD), remastered and remixed from the original studio tapes. The 7th CD includes bonus tracks recorded during this period, both studio and live, which is a holy grail for any Genesis fan. All CDs are hybrid CD / SACD format. The 6 DVDs present the albums in the advanced 5.1 surround sound mix and a plethora of video material captured during this period and recent interviews with the band members. Exquisitely packaged in a luxurious box (same format as the other 2 Box Sets with their later recordings), this limited edition is sure to disappear from the market in matter of weeks, same as the previous Box Sets. Need I say essential?
| | Updated: 26/01/2019Posted: | CD+DVD 13 Box Set SACD Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | GENESIS ~ FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION (EXPANDED EDITION)
EDSEL 721 (Barcode: 740155172121) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1967 - 1968 Released: 2005
Debut album by the British Prog legends GenesisFind albums by this artist, who were just teenagers barely out of high school at the time this music was recorded. Vocalist / lyricist Peter GabrielFind albums by this artist, blessed with a unique voice and theatrical delivery way beyond what could be expected from a youthful lad and his mates keyboardist Tony BanksFind albums by this artist, guitarist / bassist Mike RutherfordFind albums by this artist, guitarist Anthony PhillipsFind albums by this artist and drummer John SilverFind albums by this artist delivered a masterpiece of early Prog, which in retrospect (and I know this sounds like a blasphemy) overshadows everything they did later. This concept album, which presents the Biblical story covered by 13 songs, is full of great melodies, clever lyrics and heartfelt delivery. Although the band had no experience performing live before this music was recorded, the album was carefully produced and the orchestral arrangements, done with great taste, were just perfect for the music and solidified the album, hiding whatever shortcoming were there as a result of lack of experience by the band. The resulting music sounds somewhat similar to early Moody BluesFind albums by this artist orchestral extravagancies, but is completely original and sounds today as good as it did at the time. My problem with future Genesis releases is mainly due to the fact that the band, and especially Gabriel, would constantly indulge in ego trips and completely lose self-restrain, which resulted in watering good musical ideas with extensive passages, which contributed nothing of essence (exactly as another Prog legend YesFind albums by this artist). Therefore I love this album more that anything they recorded later. This expanded edition adds a whole additional CD of material, which includes the demos recorded before the album, pre-album singles and album outtakes – in short a goldmine of additional material. This is an absolute must to every Prog fan!
| | | CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | MANU KATCHÉ ~ NEIGHBOURHOOD
ECM 1896 (Barcode: 602498698150) ~ FRANCE ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2004 Released: 2005
First recording on the legendary ECMFind albums on this label label by French / African (born in Ivory Coast) drummer / composer Manu KatchéFind albums by this artist, who established his international career in the 1980s when he played with Peter GabrielFind albums by this artist, StingFind albums by this artist and many others Rock stars. However, his true vocation is Jazz, as this spectacular album shows. Accompanied by a dreamy team of musicians: Norwegian saxophonist Jan GarbarekFind albums by this artist and legendary Polish trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist with two young players from his quartet - pianist Marcin WasilewskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Slawomir KurkiewiczFind albums by this artist; Katché presents ten original compositions, all written by him. The music is brilliant from start to finish, superbly performed by all the participants with Katché´s drumming, as unusual as it is for Jazz, adding a new dimension. African rhythms and pulsations play a major role in Katché´s drumming, but they are not aggressive and overly dominating, which is all for the best. Altogether this is a superb piece of music, full of heavenly moments and surprises. An absolute must!
Visitors' Comments
Christopher Brice
The playing, recording and production are outstandingly good, including the interplay between these wonderful musicians; but I have to say that the composition is not as interesting as we would expect on a Stanko or Garbarek album
Christopher Brice
Something keeps drawing me back to this album despite the partly negative comment above, and I have even been tempted to try MK´s later Playground; This album really does have a special sound, but those little repetitive parts do irritate.
| | | CD 1 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend |
  | MANU KATCHÉ ~ PLAYGROUND
ECM 2016 (Barcode: 602517373211) ~ FRANCE ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2007 Released: 2007
2nd recording on the legendary ECMFind albums on this label label by French / African (born in Ivory Coast) drummer / composer Manu KatchéFind albums by this artist, who established his international career in the 1980s when he played with Peter GabrielFind albums by this artist, StingFind albums by this artist and many others Rock stars. However, his true vocation is Jazz, as this spectacular album shows. Accompanied by a dreamy team of young musicians: Norwegian trumpeter Mathias EickFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Trygve SeimFind albums by this artist and Polish pianist Marcin WasilewskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Slawomir KurkiewiczFind albums by this artist; Katché presents ten original compositions, all written by him. The music is brilliant from start to finish, superbly performed by all the participants with Katché´s drumming, as unusual as it is for Jazz, adding a new dimension. African rhythms and pulsations play a major role in Katché´s drumming, but they are not aggressive and overly dominating, which is all for the best. Altogether this is a superb piece of music, full of heavenly moments and surprises. An absolute must!
Visitors' Comments
Christopher Brice
My comments on MK´s Neighbourhood apply equally here: Wonderful playing, and Mr Eick sounds sufficiently like Mr Stanko in subdued mood that I had to double check the line-up; but the writing is not quite good enough to justify to the musical skills on hand in the studio.
| | | CD 1 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend |
  | SENDECKI & SPIEGEL ~ SOLACE
SKIP 9153 (Barcode: 4037688915322) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022
This is the second album by the duo comprising of Polish (resident in Hamburg) Jazz pianist / composer Wladyslaw SendeckiFind albums by this artist and German drummer / composer Jurgen SpiegelFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve original compositions, seven by Sendecki and five by Spiegel and one interpretation of a Pop song by Peter GabrielFind albums by this artist.
The music is quite diverse and cross-genre, based on clearly defined melodic themes, but embraces dynamic development, spontaneity and improvisation, with a possibility for both musicians to have a lot of fun and freedom to express their own ideas in the process. It is imperative not to approach this music strictly within Jazz dogmas, as it is not meant to be a Jazz affair per se, despite the fact that Sendecki has an obvious affinity and history within the genre. Since Spiegel originates from outside of the Jazz parameters, this music should be accepted for what it is rather than trying to frame it into what it is not.
The piano / drums duo seems to be a limited and difficult framework of making music together, but judging by what can be heard here, the proper attitude and amalgam of talents can produce a surprisingly powerful effect, which is able to reach a wide audience of music lovers, regardless of their musical inclinations and habits.
Sendecki is able to showcase his virtuosity here, skillfully introducing elements of Classical, Folklore and Jazz clues within his improvisations, but avoiding lengthy excursions into the abstract zone. Spiegel supports him amicably and respectfully, adding his own personal touches and keeping the music within a precise time frame, but managing to play creatively. There is an obvious feeling of camaraderie and partnership between the two musicians, mutual respect and the joy of making music together.
Overall, this is a coherent continuity from the duo’s debut album, which shows a clear path they wish to take together in the future. I am pretty certain that hearing this music live is able to provide a much stronger and immediate impact and pleasure to the listener, so catching them in a concert setting is strongly recommended. But listening to this album is definitely not a bad option as well!
| | Updated: 19/02/2022Posted: 19/02/2022 | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
  | KRYSTYNA STANKO ~ SECRETLY
STM 001 (Barcode: 5905912559279) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2010 Released: 2010
This is the fifth album by Polish singer / songwriter Krystyna StankoFind albums by this artist, who this time sets aside her own music and pays homage to the songwriting talents of Brit Peter GabrielFind albums by this artist. Gabriel, who came to fame as the eccentric, theatrical and quite over the top charismatic front man of the legendary proggers GenesisFind albums by this artist, calmed down considerably after he opted for a solo career, which in retrospect was a smart move, both artistically and commercially. Over time Gabriel recorded an impressive number of albums, containing mostly his self-penned material, which overall is excellent Pop music in today´s standards, gaining acclaim by critics and fans alike.
For her album Stanko selected eight songs, seven of which are Gabriel´s creations and one, which was covered by him on his eights studio album "Scratch My BackFind albums with this title", and was originally written by Stephin MerrittFind albums by this artist, front-man of The Magnetic FieldsFind albums by this artist. She is accompanied by a dreamy quintet, which includes trumpeter Marcin GawdzisFind albums by this artist, bass clarinetists and flautist Irek WojtczakFind albums by this artist, veteran drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist and her regular cohorts vibraphonist Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist and bassist extraordinaire Piotr LemanczykFind albums by this artist. On the non-Gabriel song she sings a duet with singer Mieczyslaw SzczesniakFind albums by this artist, who appears as a guest.
Jazz tributes to Pop artists are a perilous path, often leading straight off the cliff and I must say that this album is one of the very few such attempts that actually work, which already is a success. What makes this music work is mostly the fact that Stanko as a performer and Bukowski / Lemanczyk as arrangers (although not credited as such on the album´s cover, but audibly so) did not just perform a tribute to Gabriel´s music by covering the songs but in fact transformed the music, often quite dramatically, into a different platform, which has very little to do with the original Pop environment it was created in, and sits firmly in the Jazz idiom every step of the way. All the solos, the incredible work of the rhythm section and Stanko´s vocals are dripping Jazz honey every step of the way and I´d even risk speculating that many of Gabriel´s fans would not recognize some of the original songs under the disguise they appear here in.
I dare say that I find it a pity Stanko did not take this project one step further, by translating the original lyrics into the Polish language, which would have made her vocal expression much more sophisticated and intense. Singing in a foreign language is an effort, which usually limits the vocalist by robbing them of their total attention towards the music, so necessary in order to create a perfect vocal delivery. Nevertheless this is a speculation and the album is definitely an excellent piece of music the way it was recorded. I have no idea if Gabriel ever heard this album, but I´m quite sure he´d approve and appreciate it, considering he´s one of the more open-minded and non-prejudicial heroes of the contemporary music biz (or whatever is left of it).
This is definitely an album worth having and hearing again and again, in different moods and circumstances, as it is multifaceted and capable of uplifting the spirits repeatedly. There is something in there for a wide audience of music lovers, from Jazz buffs to Pop aficionados (providing they wash their ears first). Kudos Krystyna!
| | | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
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