Missionaria Protectiva

  MORGAN & TANDY  Earthrise  (FM/Revolver,1985/2011) - Rock       Dave Scott Morgan is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and a stalwart of the sixties Birmingham music scene. He was later to tour for several years as a member of The Electric Light Orchestra with his friend Richard Tandy, with whom he had collaborated in the years before. They reached a particularly creative peak with their album Earthrise. TRACKLIST : Spaceship Earth                           Earth Rise                           Under The Blue / Asteroid                           Starclipse / Purpose                           Escape From The Citadel                       ...

  BRAND X  Is There Anything About?  (CBS,1982) - Jazz fusion       While far from an essential Brand X release, there is still some strong material contained here. "Ipanaemia" is a bouncy jazz-fusion track littered with tasty guitar licks from Goodsall and Collins deft touch on the drums. "A Longer April" is a nice showcase for the emotional sax work of Ravenscroft and Giblin's elastic bass lines, while "Modern, Noisy and Effective" features some soul searching synth melodies courtesy of Lumley...anything but noisy actually. The band gets into a deep funk groove on the upbeat "Swan Song", a nice vehicle for Giblin's muscular bass and Goodsall's guitar licks. The legendary Jones makes his first appearance on this CD with the excellent title track, as he and Collins plow through some intricate rhythms before Lumley and Goodsall join in on the fun on this funky fusion burner. "Tmiu-Atga", short for 'their making it up as t...

  GATO BARBIERI  Last Tango In Paris  (UA,1973) - Soundtrack      So undtrack recordings are a problematic affair. Screen music, unless foregrounded in a bio-pic like Clint Eastwood’s Bird (1988) or in a nightclub sequence like Henry Mancini’s source music for TV’s Peter Gunn (1958), is generally intended to be “subliminal,” to be invisible like a film’s editing so as not to distract from the drama. As a result, most screen music, while designed to italicize the narrative, is also written (and mixed) to be unobtrusive. Still, many scores, including those reviewed below, have, at least for music fans, transcended their original uses to go on to stand-alone lives of their own.       Tenor saxophonist Gato Barbieri’s soundtrack for Bernardo Bertolucci’s controversial Last Tango in Paris (1972) still packs a wallop, sizzling in torrid counterpoint to the steamy on-screen Marlon Brando-Maria Schneider affair. At one extreme, Barbieri’s smoldering ...

  ALLAN HOLDSWORTH  Velvet Darkness  (CTI,1976) - Jazz fusion       Velvet Darkness  is a musical bastard. Holdsworth himself has disowned it as the illegitimate offspring of a recording session that was never paid for or approved. This has not stopped record labels from re-releasing it over the years or fans from praising it. Featuring a mix of fiery fusion instrumentals and acoustic guitar interludes,  Velvet Darkness  is occasionally breathtaking.  TRACKLIST : Good Clean Filth                        Floppy Hat                        Wish                        Kinder                        Velvet Darkness                        Karzie Key ...

  RENAISSANCE  Novella  (Sire,1977) - Progressive rock       That the audience's tastes had changed didn't seem to matter much to Renaissance, who in 1977, undeterred by the musical revolution taking place, released their seventh studio album with an unchanged lineup, following a successful concert season that culminated with the release of the double  Live at Carnegie Hall .      Novella  is indeed another tale that seems to come from the past, almost a re-edition of their debut album,  five tracks opened by a very long suite (  Can You Hear Me?  ) with the piano always in the spotlight and refined arrangements to elevate  Haslam 's singing;  it's pure progressive, as the style of this band eludes by definition any genre label.      Midas Man  that opens the second side is certainly one of the best pieces of the record and of Renaissance's entire production, two intimate tracks for ...

        The Young Rascals (the ‘young’ prefix was dropped when the band members left their teens) initially gained a following in New Jersey around 1965, particularly the Choo Choo Club in Garfield, where they made their debut in January of that year.        Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore  was their first single, and their first American hit.        By mid-1965 they were supporting  The Beatles  at Shea Stadium. but it was  Good Lovin’  in 1966 which gave them their first Number 1 success.        Then in 1967, they recorded what was to be their major hit,  Groovin’,  which also marked a total change of style. It was a record that captured the mood of that spring. The disc signalled the summit of their career and, although they had another Stateside #1 the following year with  People Got To Be Free , they were on the downward path.       1971 brough...