LINK: Peter Stenshoel reviews Chris Squire's 'Fish Out of Water'

When Yes members each decided to release solo LPs, all roughly in 1975, one of the stronger creations was Chris Squire's "Fish Out of Water." Composition has always been Squire's strong point; that and a muscular electric bass technique. This album readily features both.

To begin the record with strains from London's St. Paul's Cathedral organ and the inclusion of a full orchestra could be warning flags for that sorry state known as rock and roll pretentiousness. Of course, from a strict punk point of view, all progressive rock is condemned as pretentious, but for those who embrace the ideal of a highly developed, through-composed, and cereberal rock music genre, Squire and his orchestrator Andrew Pryce Jackman make these out-sized collaborations work.

Read on...

LINK: Eric Burdon's new album track by track

Eric Burdon, 'Til Your River Runs Dry'

ABKCO RECORDS

It's been 50 years since Eric Burdon joined the Animals. However, even after fronting War and the Eric Burdon Band, not to mention enjoying a long solo career, Burdon has made what might be his most personal album yet. One of Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers breaks down his new album, 'Til Your River Runs Dry, track by track, revealing how he channeled such diverse inspirations as water conservation, Fats Domino and President Barack Obama.

1)"Water" – "Having lived in the arid deserts of Southern California since the 1970s, my interest in water conservation is a very personal concern. Water! The source of life! Some people are squandering the world's most precious resource while others have too little clean water to drink. I sing this song in the hope that I can bring some balance to the issue of water, to bring some attention to the importance of water to our future on the planet."

2)"Memorial Day" – "It is a very important day in the U.S. and the U.K. When I was a child in England, it was observed as a very solemn day. Everyone would wear a red poppy in their lapel. It represented the blood of the fallen. But on Memorial Day, I don't want to only remember the combatants. There were also those who came out of the trenches as writers and poets, who started preaching peace, men and women who have made this world a kinder place to live. So it's the hippies, the poets and the spartans that I will remember on this Memorial Day."

Read on... 

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO

The Lost Broadcasts DVD - £9.99

The Animals And Beyond  DVD - £9.99

Beat Beat Beat - Eric Burdon.. DVD - £4.99

THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY is from the Edgar Broughton Band

Love in the Rain

---

Currently available:

Edgar Broughton Band DVD - £12.99

KOZFEST 2013 - dates and lineup info

Graham's comment: OK, hands up everyone who knows where Uffculme is. 

I have an advantage here, as it's  only around 6 miles from where I lived as a kid, back when I'd never heard of the Invisible Opera Company of Tibet!

New Historical Pink Floyd and Genesis Boxset (Via Neptune Pink Floyd)

After completely selling out of the second edition of the Bath and Knebworth Pink Floyd commemorative set in less than 12 weeks, www.rockmusicmemorabilia.com realised they had underestimated the demand for these sets.

There was also a great deal of interest in the 1978 Knebworth Genesis commemorative set by visitors to Neptune Pink Floyd, so Henrietta Bannister, the daughter of the promoter Freddy Bannister, decided to produce a combined Pink Floyd/Genesis Bath and Knebworth commemorative set, with an amazing discount of £44.99.

The set and full details can be viewed here.

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem

Rob Ayling writes: 

"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Tom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth, Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied with in seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not? why not indeed!!" (The wondrous poetpic is by Jack McCabe, who I hope forgives me for scribbling all over it with Photoshop)

Raga Time

India has a history-of classical music -ragas

for every hour of every day-on which may be embroidered

improvised themes to embellish and extend themes,modes and styles

to grow from solid and secure cultural harmonic traditions

So it is with each of us-our 4/4 bloodbeat pulse orchestra

tunes up in womb and proceeds upon counted heartbeats

to become the metronome of our musical lives.We thrive via attunement/

alignment with "music of the spheres"was an Elizabethan concept

philosophically projecting perfection as circular orbits and Heavenly cadences

You hear "the mermaids singing each to each".You reach bliss through this

immersion in the waves of ocean sounds and waves of silences

Doppler beat(your art)-silver gold veins walk you in step with all that lives..

Life is a gift.Muse is what you give!

STEVE HACKETT NEWS

Greetings Hackett Fans,

There are lots of exciting Hackett related re-releases due very soon!

At the end of February Inside Out are re-issuing 7 of Steve's solo albums; Til We Have Faces, Guitar Noir, Darktown, Feedback '86, To Watch The Storms, Wild Orchids and ... the first Genesis Revisited album! The CDs come in 6 panel digipak sleeves. All these albums are available to pre-order now on the HackettSongs webstore along with some money saving bundles of any 3, 5 or all 7 titles! Orders received on or before 25th February will be signed by Steve.

The start of March sees some classic Genesis albums being pressed on heavyweight 180g vinyl; Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England By The Pound and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. These have all been remixed and remastered by Nick Davis with input from the band and Steve will also sign these. Please note that we will only have very limited stock of these vinyls and pre-ordering is essential!

Not forgetting that the band will be taking Genesis Revisited II on the road this year (with more dates to be announced soon):

25-30 March  - Cruise To The Edge (with Yes, UK, Tangerine Dream, etc.) - Florida USA, Cayman Islands, Jamaica

01 April  - La Mirada, CA USA - CalProg at La Mirada Theater

03 April  - Baja California, Mexico - Baja Prog Festival at Teatro Del Estado

14 April  - Paris, France - La Trianon

15 April  - Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique

17 April  - Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Paradiso

20 April  - Zurich, Switzerland - Kaufleuten

21 April  - Vienna, Austria - WUK

23 April  - Milan, Italy - Teatro Nuovo Ciak

24 April  - Vicenza, Italy - Teatro Comunale

27 April  - Bologna, Italy - Teatro Manzoni

29 April  - Leipzig, Germany - Haus Auensee

30 April  - Stuttgart, Germany - Theaterhaus

02 May  - Munich, Germany - Herkulessaal

03 May  - Mainz, Germany - Phönixhalle

05 May  - Oberhausen, Germany - Luise-Albertz-Halle

06 May  - Hamburg, Germany - Kampnagel

10 May  - London, UK - Hammersmth Apollo

11 May  - Cardiff, UK - St. David's Hall

12 May  - Liverpool, UK - Philmarmonic

14 May  - Glasgow, UK - Royal Concert Hall

15 May  - Gateshead, UK - The Sage

16 May  - Birmingham, UK - Symphony Hall

18 May  - Dublin, Ireland - Vicar Street

21 May - Bergen - Norway- Ricks Theatre
22 May - Oslo - Norway - Sentrum Scene
23 May - Copenhagen - Denmark - Amager Bio
24 May - Stockholm - Sweden - Nalen

27 September - Westbury NY - NYCB Theatre
28 September - Connecticut - Ridgefield Playhouse
3 October - Montreal QC - Place Des Arts Theatre Maisonneuve
4 October - Quebec QC - Grand Theatre Du Quebec
5 October - Gatineau QC - Le Casino Du Lac Leamy
6 October - Belleville ON - Empire Theatre
9 October Oakville ON - Oakville Centre For Performing Arts
11 and 12 October - Philadelphia - Keswick Theatre

22 October - Birmingham - Symphony Hall
23 October - Bristol - Colston Hall
24 October - London - Royal ALbert Hall
26 October - Manchester - 02 Apollo
27 October - Newcastle - City Hall
29 October - Liverpool - Philharmonic
30 October - Sheffield - City Hall
1 November - Cambridge - Corn Exchange

For full ticket details and the latest news on extra shows be sure to check the hackettsongs website regularly.

Best Wishes,

The HackettSongs Team