TO WHERE I AM NOW

Today celebrates 100 consecutive days of writings which might mean I’ve written a book or two since January. There’s parties being held, firework displays, ticker tape parades, commemorative coins and a world holiday. In fact all worlds in the known galaxy are celebrating. The Martian equivalent of The Red Arrows will do a fly by, interestingly, they are also called The Red Arrows. But most importantly every citizen of the universe will be doing something creative. On Cygnus 7 they are electrifying their chemical atmosphere with a special gas that makes the clouds play music. In Birmingham they are decorating the roads with paintings of cars. Here in Penzance the seagulls have donated their shrieks to the script of a new horror movie. Other people have grown extra eyes and fingers, whilst some have practiced conscious floating. Mrs Robinson from Nr. 37 has built a castle made from uncut diamonds and soot and in South Africa they have connected a beautiful hollow golden cord to Australian deserts so they can send them mountain water.

We might all need to reflect on the surrealistic concepts as the apparent leader of the free world suggests injected disinfectant to save you. You don’t hear much about prayers anymore, that also doesn’t seem to work. I think one of the main issues here is the disillusionment of the intelligent. The smartest people are the ones who need to stay positive, but how can they? If only bright people had louder voices. At some point somebody is going to work out that different opinions are necessary to debate the right outcome, not to descend into stubbornness and esoteric beliefs or parroting what your parents told you when you were six!

Which brings me to my next point and remember really all I would like to do in this world is make music, write, buy records (and stamps and books), love, have nice friends and see the amazing world. I can’t really contribute to the political side of things or the medical side of things except by being fair and healthy. Tolerance goes a long way, too. I’ve also come up with another new plan along with my make travel compulsory idea. They used to send you to the army, but this idea is far less warlike and strict. When you get to 21 you have to go to a camp, like a youth retreat, where the main topic on the agenda is to review what your parents told you. Have a real think about it and challenge whether or not it was right. Compare notes with others and debate the possibilities of God versus no God, football versus cricket, marijuana versus alcohol, you get the picture. The whole point would be to question what you were taught instead of accepting early influence. Ok, it’s a terrible idea, I’ll stick to the music.

I was graced with the first hearing of serious progress with my collaboration with Jerome Froese today. It was 20 minutes of amazing instrumental bliss and two vocal works in progress. Dare and Olivia and I sat on the famous red couch and listened and were blown away. I can’t believe I’m even involved in such a great project. I really don’t know what to do about all these inspiring projects I’m involved with as they move towards completion, MOAT (finished, waiting) and today Space Summit mix 8. Where is the light for art and music in a world that seems to be collapsing in on itself. How can I be thinking about the guitar sound in all this mess? We are supposed to be leaving the solutions to people who are smarter than us, what happened there? I only hope my contribution to the world as small as it is, that music, words, guidance in an area that I can share from experience, contributes something positive.

One of the best things that ever happened to me was discovering Gentle Giant all these years ago. I’ve had all their albums since the seventies, I have the DVDs too, but sadly I never got to see them play live. I can’t quite figure out how I missed them. I guess I was younger and poorer and not paying attention. They came through Liverpool at a time when I was going to see lots of bands, but somehow I missed them. They were formed out of Simon Dupree And The Big Sound and had a hit in 1967 with the song Kites reaching No.9 in the British charts. They’d always seen themselves as a Soul band and saw this track as really quite unrepresentative of who they were (rather like Traffic with Hole In My Shoe). Psychedelia was all the craze and if you didn’t join in, well you know what happens. I remember Grunge.

They broke up in 1969 as the label wanted no Soul, more Pop and they somehow metamorphosized into Gentle Giant as the times and fashion changed again. It was an unlikely transition considering their early love for Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett. Shulman Brothers, Derek, Ray and Phil teamed up with Kerry Minnear on keys, Gary Green on guitars and Martin Smith on drums. They were all extremely talented musicians, between them playing guitars, bass, drums, keys, trumpet, violin, cello, flutes and whatever else was there to be blown, plucked or hit – they could also all sing. Consequently they left their Soul dreams behind and concentrated on something far more adventurous.

They have just released remastered vinyl of their first four albums and that is tonight’s musical feast. Their first self-titled album produced by Tony Visconti was released in 1970 and is a taste of what they were to become, a fascinating melodic complexity. Ingenious creations by a band that included multi-instrumentalists exploring, inspired, talented in the execution of music that straddled genres. Their second album Acquiring The Taste also produced by Visconti was released in 1971 and set them on their way to exquisitely executed adventures in harmony, sound and structure, almost modern fairy tales. By the release of Three Friends in 1972 they had replaced original drummer Martin Smith with Malcolm Mortimore. It was a concept album in the time when concept albums ruled the world, the album found its way to the bottom of the US charts. It was to be the only album with Malcolm Mortimore, replaced by John Weathers for the first album I loved by them, Octopus, released in 1973. I played this album to death. They were making a harder sound with their new drummer only hinted at on Three Friends. It was to be the last album for brother Phil who left to spend more time with family. These remasters sound absolutely fantastic and if you want to get into this amazing band then I suggest you get the albums while you can, I’m sure they’ll be limited.

Song Of The Day is Head On featuring Olivia from Noctorum’s The Afterlife, just a little something with a Progressive edge.

 

Head On

(Him)
Six thirty seven
The sun’s going down
The engine is purring
The rain’s coming ’round

I stare through the windscreen
As twilight falls
I’ll be there by midnight
You missed my call

(Her)
I’ve had an idea
I’ll meet you halfway
Don’t even argue
And don’t be late

See you at nine-ish
Where we first met
Me in my Sunbeam
You in your Corvette

(Both)
We are crushed by our own love
Tears have fallen from above
Head on you and I entwine
I am yours and you are mine

(Him)
Is that wreck gonna make it
Are you gonna break down
I know you’re attached, but
That car is a clown

(Her)
I’ve already left, dear
I’m on my way
See you at the diner
Love you, by the way

(Both)
We are speeding to our end
I will kiss you on the bend
Head on colliding anxious hearts
This way, we’ll never be apart

(Willson-Piper / Mason)
Noctorum – The Afterlife (2019)