Welcome to the first regularly updated CD review section I've done in ages, outside of the Scottish and selected English (& Australian) independent music scenes.
This section, however, is devoted to bands who are signed to labels, and outside of the Scottish music scene.
Basically, the thinking behind this bit, although inevitably it's my own humble opinion, is that if someone's produced a CD that is so stonkingly good in its field that no fan of that style of music should be able to live without it, then it's reviewed here - all styles, all artists - all thing considered - but only the best included. Now, read on......

AGITATION FREE – LAST Remaster + Bonus Track CD
Originally an album that only came out in France for some obscure reason that still escapes me, and I remember seeing it one day at a French record store back in the early seventies and grabbed it so fast, you'd have thought it was the Holy Grail. That, musically, it then turned out to be as good as the Holy Grail, was something astounding at the time – and, 35 years later – it still is!! The first track of the two live tracks that begin the instrumental album is a six minute piece called “Soundpool” which begins with assorted cosmic and space fx from the shimmering guitars, spacey synths and typically seventies Krautrock electric guitar explorations and occasional drum rolls, all just stunning to hear once again. After a few minutes, it calms to a whisper, as space synths usher in an initially subtle distant guitar, a lot like Pink Floyd's “Echoes” in its sound and effect, before a ringing guitar chimes in, strengthens and then the rhythm section drive ahead as the main lead guitar takes the reigns, all done in a very “Echoes”-meets-Krautrock styled Pink Floyd-esque manner and simply superb, albeit stopping somewhat abruptly. Following this is a mammoth, near seventeen minute version of the second album's stand-out track “Laila Parts 1 & 2”, here called “Laila II”, which begins with slowly chiming, Man-Wishbone Ash like guitars over deep rivers of bass and slowly rolling drums, as the dual guitars and keys evolve, jam and break out, taking you and the track on an epic journey that sounds just fantastic, builds and layers, features tons of classic seventies Krautrock lead guitar work and is so spellbinding every time you play it, crisp, clean, sounding stunning on its remaster, and building into this epic of a track, a sort of driving Krautrock answer to Man's legendary “Spunk Rock” only a lot cleaner sounding and typically Krautrock.
The longest track on the album is the studio recorded “Looping IV”, twenty two minutes of amazing music, that starts out as this slowly building giant of a cosmic soundscape, with vast canyons of spacey fx and booming textures, as cymbals add extra texture to the space brew. Slowly the piece develops, never standing still and constantly adding subtle layers here and there to keep the whole thing moving. You are subtly aware of the added presence of treated guitars, fogbanks of synths and guitars all moving in the cosmic mist as assorted layers and textures keep you hooked. About half way through, you hear a distinct sound of deep bass twanging away at the top of the mix, as the cosmic mist dissipates a little, then gathers strength once more before sitar-like echoes of guitar make their presence felt in spacey mode as the track threatens to break out but instead just meanders and flows to spacey fulfillment and dark, eerie black-hole bliss. But out of this cauldron, does arise a single chiming guitar and distant rolling drums, giving the track a whole extra dimension, the slowly evolving electric guitar lead now moving to the front of the mix as the track gathers strength and a rhythm starts to emerge, gradually changing shape into a mix of cosmic magic and instrumental Krautrock class, the bass work as upfront as the guitar above the sea of rolling drums, waves of space synth undercurrents and distant ringing guitars and buried guitar riffing, all delivered to spellbinding effect, the track then ending as it began, in a fogbank of cosmic soundpools. Thus endeth the original album – but there's more!
A near eleven minute, previously unreleased bonus track, recorded in 1971, strangely continues the cosmic flow of the previous outing in its initial stages, only less subtle and more like early seventies Floyd soundscapes once again, in many ways a bit like a Krautrock alternate universe version of “A Saucerful Of Secrets”, mixed with Man styled guitar jamming further on, and an absolute belter of a track.

DAVID CROSS BAND – Alive In The Underworld CD
First thing to say is that this is one spectacularly recorded live album, not just because the sound quality is perfect but also because it captures the band's energy and subtlety, power and passion, to equal perfection.
Not only that, but it's one of those nights where everything just comes together and a great band deliver one stellar performance.
For those not in the know, Cross used to play violin in the mid-seventies, and arguably the best ever, King Crimson line-up. Now has has his own band, a sextet with additional keys, drums, bass, guitar and vocals, and that are absolutely superb.
The album opens up with an instrumental that sets the scene with that sinewy violin lead snaking its way across the band's foundations, before they press the power button and erupt into the near six minutes of “Nurse Insane”, revealing a vocalist with strength who can really deliver the goods over the surging might of the band, as they play as one tight unit, swirling, driving and flying forward in a hurricane wave of rock-prog proportions. The six and a half minute “Learning Curve” is similarly powerful only here, there's more variation and for the first time, the undeniable sounds of seventies King Crimson come sailing through the arrangement and the performance as the keys, guitar and violin whip up one monumental instrumental mid-section, the presence of the synth making it much closer to “typical seventies prog-rock” than Crimson provided. But it's a monster of a piece that, with its Wetton-esque vocal strength, is a stunner of a track. The near six minute “Are We One” starts with that wistful spacey violin as the lone vocal enters on top, full of feeling, before the band then kicks in and another slice of muscular power prog, fires up with solid bass well in evidence, a vocal that almost seems to harmonise with itself, while the drums drive it all onwards, the guitar, violin and keys providing this huge sounding undercurrent of depth, intensity and texture. With barely a pause for breath, it turns a corner to a more sedate but no less heavy, section, with lurching drums, throbbing bass, cascading violin and emotive vocals, only then to fire up once more and take off. Following this comes the first of three King Crimson cover, in this case a ten minute rendition of “Exiles”, which is every bit as good, if not better, than many a Crimso version. Once more the mixing of the violin and synths gives it more of a proggy feel, while the overall performance from band and singer, is simply outstanding. The start is a much spacier intro with violin, synth and Percy Jones-esque bass to the fore, before the band crash in and burn through a really dense and driving take on a classic Crimso track, all the depth, strength, subtlety and emotion kept firmly intact on what is, to all intents and purposes, a faithful adherence to the original structure of the track. “Tonk” is one mother of a mighty slice of rock-prog intensity, just under five minutes of surging band-driven songwriting that positively glows red hot as the band simply blow you away with a massive sounding track, again, the violin rising to lead proportions, but largely just a band on fire and loving every minute of it. The near six minutes of “I Buy Silence” begins with lone piano, shortly joined by that soaring violin as the band then erupts once more in typical Crimso fashion as a song glides in and another strong vocal is heard over the might of the band, again the Wetton-isms firmly in tow, although much more powerful with an almost rock-oriented delivery but well in tune. The piece twists and turns through piano leads, guitar riffing, and a storm of violin leads that take you from surging to spacey in a heartbeat, then fire up to blow your mind, on one of the finest numbers that King Crimson never recorded.
But what King Crimson did record, was a track called “Starless”, and here, the David Cross Band, deliver a twelve and a half minute performance of the piece which stays true to everything that made the original so special. The vocals are delivered full of feeling, more melodic sounding than Wetton and more wistful but no less strong, while the band initially flow and soar with the violin well to the fore. Once the song portion is over, on a stinging cascade of guitar that's Fripp with thorns on, so begins the lengthy instrumental section, as bass throbs under the guitar, percussion is heard below that and the whole thing begins its journey, building and pushing ahead, slowly increasing the intensity before gradually breaking out into an expansive ocean of sound as the whole band plays it tight, flowing and strong, enough to please even the hardest hearted Crimso and prog-rock fan alike. But if this didn't finally break down your resistance, then a ferocious nine minute version of “21st Century Schizoid Man” will do the trick – the band lets loose this immense sounding version of the legendary track and don't put a foot wrong as the whole thing just goes nuclear, and you don't need me to tell you just how good this piece is when that spark ignites and the whole thing blows to infinity, exactly what happens here.
That's the end of the concert – just under 63 minutes of excellence – but not the end of the album, as the band have provided a bonus track in the form of a brand new studio recording. A five minute track, entitled “Floodlights”, it once more shows off the might, strength and cohesion of playing that this band exudes by the shedload, here sounding like a cross between King Crimson and Kings X to a tee, on a track that's full of emotion and, the more you hear it, the closer you realise that comparison, actually is, the result being a simply stunning track and, hopefully, a portent of what's to come. Overall, a superb, faultless album – and you can't say fairer than that!!

FREE SYSTEM PROJECT – Narrow Lane CD
There's a guy on one of the Tangerine Dream discussion groups on the internet who summed up this entire album, part one in particular, in just one sentence - “I don't know why they just didn't go the whole hog and call it 'Ricochet Part 3'. After that, you don't even need a blow by blow review – that just sums up what a fantastic album this is!!
However, I will embellish it a little – there are just two tracks – part one lasting a shade under 30 minutes and part two lasting a shade under 50 minutes. To say it sounds like Tangerine Dream's “Ricochet” is like saying the Pope's a bit Catholic. Quite simply, this is glorious stuff – mellotrons, sequencers, synths – everything you could want from seventies synth is here – and it sounds stunning.
But there are those that say “well, if it's that close, why would I want it when I've got the real thing?” The answer to that is simply because, if this was “the real thing”, it would be being hailed as one of the all-time classic synth music albums of the last 40 years. So, if that's the case, then why, simply because the name of the band isn't Tangerine Dream, should you treat it with any less reverence. I have to admit that, when faced with a mood that demanded my playing of “Ricochet” or “Rubycon”, I'll now probably grab this instead – if anything simply because it's powerful, emotive, satisfying and texturally spot-on, and it lasts close on 80 minutes in one absolutely mesmerising sitting. You can't argue with that!!!

RARE BIRD – Somebody's Watching (Remaster + Bonus Tracks) CD
RARE BIRD – Born Again (Remaster + Bonus Tracks) CD
Fundamentally, these are both very similar albums – average length tracks around 4-5 minutes, mostly songs with solos, one recorded in '73 (“Somebody”) and one in '74 (“Born”), solid, varied and well sung and played. But the “Somebody” album is by far and away my favourite. Why? Well, first you have to say that both albums have been given a fantastic remaster makeover and sound so crisp, clean and clear. The band is musically dominated by electric guitar and electric piano, with occasional keys embellishment backed by a consistently sound rhythm section, while the vocals are yer typically emotive seventies styled vocals, not faceless but not that distinctive, something along the lines of Gypsy, Quiver, Wishbone Ash and Supertramp.
But what makes the “Somebody” album so much better is that the band are here making songs that they love, without any drive other than to produce a corking set of well sung and arranged songs, many with excellent choruses, great harmonies, great depth and a real atmosphere, sounding like they've left the rough edges in but at no time sounding rough. The songs, apart from the occasional ballad, flow well with strength a opposed to power, not progressive rock, but then not rock either, instead that weird hinterland between the two that existed in the seventies. Overall, an album that's remarkably enjoyable in the light of today's singers and songwriting, of it's time for sure, but stands up well. “Born” however, although full of similar things, has clearly got one eye on that dreaded word “commercialism” - the songs sound too polished, too smooth, the edges well rounded, the depth replaced by a pop sheen and somehow ending up sounding quite vacuous for the quality that you might have expected. They even clearly attempt to try something that sounds like they're trying to hit the charts and even though, mercifully, there's nothing on here to rival their rather morose single “Sympathy”, it's not as riveting and as satisfying as “Somebody” which is an outstanding blast from the past.

STEVEN WILSON – Insurgentes CD
If you have a musician, singer, writer and producer who is so talented that he can exist in multiple disguises across the musical worlds of prog-rock, psychedelic, Euro-rock, electronic and avant-garde and produce albums of the highest quality and enjoyment by each of those disguises, then you know you are dealing with someone who is as musically legendary as Frank Zappa.
But, if you then allow that musician to create a solo album where he blends all of those elements together, if anything substituting a touch of classical where the avant-garde should be, and then manage to achieve a work that can only be described as truly outstanding in every last detail, then you have a musician who is, quite simply, beyond legendary.
“Harmony Karine” opens the album with rippling guitars, distant synths and dramatic drums before the unmistakable wistfulness of Wilson's vocal just sails into view, only then for the whole musical canvas to erupt in a blaze of progressive glory amid a hail of expansive almost mellotron-like backdrops, before dropping back down to earth once more, a skilfully delivered song with soaring vocals that rises and dives as good as any Porcupine Tree track but infused with such an expansive canvas, as a searing lead guitar is added to the magnificence, as the track then subsides, lifts, twists, turns and drives, as good as opener as you'll find on any modern prog-rock album, only this is way beyond prog-rock – it's in a category all its own.
“Abandoner” opens with crunchy fx, distant electronic mist and an even more wistful vocal as wooden block-like percussion cracks away underneath. Delicate acoustic guitar, distant organ, strains of Floyd-like slide guitar and all manner of guitar and keyboard subtleties are added to the frame as the whole thing moves slowly forward in a magical blend of romance and substance only this time infused with a sense of darkness as the vocals fall away to leave the shimmering and beating heart of synths, guitars and percussion to roll forward, mutating into something extraordinarily charming, only for the whole mood to be shattered by this massive thunder roar of electronics and guitars that fills the entire musical spectrum before stopping to equally shattering degree and ending on a series of electronic clipped notes as it segues right into “Salvaging” which adds prominent bass guitar to the driving expanse of keys, synths and guitars as a more Gilmour-esque lead vocal cruises above the now powerful onslaught of riffing guitars, soaring lead synths and that massive sounding juggernaut of a rhythmic undercurrent, as the menacing mix of psych, space, prog and rock all collide head on to create this monster, only once again for it all to drop suddenly and leave this sea of real mellotrons, rippling keys and orchestral-sounding bliss, the nearest he's ever got to sounding like “Foxtrot”-era Genesis mixed with classical elegance and simply THE most gorgeous, heartwarming musical finale that you'll have heard in aeons – only it isn't a finale – the mood is shattered once more as this beast of electronic grandeur rises from the depths in a hail of keys, synths, fx, piano, drums, bass to provide this enormous soundscape of epic and deathly proportions – and THAT'S the finale – amazing stuff, indeed! “Veneo Para Las Hadas” starts with slowly flowing warm cosmic synth bliss, gorgeous piano chords and shimmering spacey and spacious guitars as the wistful yearning of the lead vocal flows in as naturally, the whole thing pure and deep, shining like a diamond, more emotion in so few chords than most musicians achieve in a whole album, a mix once more of elegance, feeling, warmth and beauty, a simply wondrous slowly moving spacescape with purpose and structure, and an equally expansive yet closer to the heart vocal perofrmance, on yet another slice of Wilson magic. “Twilight Within The Courts Of The Sun” starts with rolling drums, a stinging slice of lone lead jazz-rock guitar chording, deep bass and guitar background as it all tumbles forward, gradually coalesces as wah wah guitar enters, the lead guitar takes on positively Brand X proportions before then going into this wild solo more worthy of Fripp at his most fiery mixed with Mclaughlin at his most dextrous, all the time the background becoming ever busier until the whole lot erupts into a storm of prog-fusion riffing and seriously roaring rock – then it stops – abruptly. A whispered vocal enters over the backdrop of drums and shades of Matt Johnson at The The's finest most menacing hour that was “Infected” album comes eerily into play before that, too, erupts, then that drops away to leave rippling keys and guitars over a sea of synth-based undercurrents and the ever rolling drums, as this gradually gathers pace, adds a lyrical and solid lead piano to the fray and it all moves forward in finest seventies prog-rock fashion before fading on rolling piano chords. By now you've got the message – this is one amazing album. There are a further five tracks after this, some of which are even better than what's come before, none of which are any less so, all of which are the epitome of everything that makes an album into something that you'll play and play and play for years to come without ever once tiring of hearing it, an album that WILL one day be assigned the moniker of “legendary”, an artist the likes of which we should all be privileged to have in our midst.
Welcome to the amazing, magical, mighty and truly awe-inspiring world of Steven Wilson - legend!!

Continued....

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