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Jon Hinchliffe

Jon's Album Reviews

Last Modified On 03/11/2004

Occasionally I write reviews of albums for mailing lists. I have therefore started to keep them here to.

Francis Monkman - 21st Century Blues
Motoi Sakuraba - Force Of Light
Renaissance - Tuscany
ELO - Zoom
Scorpions - Tokyo Tapes
Scorpions - Taken By Force
Uriah Heep - Remasters - The Official Anthology
Other Albums

Francis Monkman - 21st Century Blues

When I first got this I hadn't a clue what to make of it. It is a very unusual but interesting album.

Poisonality - The album opens with a very simple riff as the loud theme. Under it there is some terrific guitar and good atmospherics. The track is very long, well 9.42, and by the 4-5 minute I am getting tired of the main riff. But so does Francis and we get a break from it for a minute or so. There is a lot going on in this track and it needs to be played a volume. The vocals are very treated and I haven't a clue what the they are.

Train Dun Gone Crazy - This track starts with a good train rhythm. This is more of a vocal track than the previous one but it is still very treated and difficult to understand. Before listening to the album in detail for this review I would have guessed it was guitar oriented but the are a lot of keys in the background especially a Hammond Organ type sound. The guitar style is very much 70's Rock/Blues based.

Delta Bitstream Blues - Is a heavy blues and I can almost work out some of the lyrics

Another Day - This is a very laid back track and has an additional female vocalist who might be Julia Raithbone. This is mainly a keyboard track until things pick up in the middle. Here the distorted Guitars join in. It is quite symmetrical track in that it then quietens finally ending as it started. The whole album is very odd but this track in particular is.

Heard In Dreams - This one has a riff that I like and kind of reminds me of what Rick Wakeman did for the soundtrack of "Crimes of passion". It's sort of sinister and sleazy but quiet up paced again

21-Bar Blues - This is another slower paced song and definitely a blues. The vocals while treated are a lot clearer and again sleazy to me. The closest thing in my album collection to the main vocal style of the album is a track from ZZ Top's El Loco album called Heaven, Hell or Houston. I guess also Ten Foot Poll.

"At The Court Of The King" - This is a very short atmospheric track

The Four Guitarists Of The Apocalypse (You Got To Admit) - This is possibly one of my favourite tracks. Lots of guitar and Good Hammond in the background. Great stuff.

Harvest Time - This is a more atmospheric song with lots of keys and quiet airy vocals

Rinky-Dink Public School - The humour in the titles of this album really amuses me. This is another favourite of mine and has male and female vocals. I like the addition of the batman riff at one point

Acid Casino - This track continues straight on from Rinky and the first time I missed the change over. The next time however I started the album and was immediately struck by how similar the start is to the Stranglers No More Heroes. As I racked my brains looking for comparisons for this unique style I hadn't thought of them but this album in general is a kind of punky blues. Don't worry though it is very musical. This is another favourite of mine. As usual I am preferring speedy guitar tracks with excellent keyboards

Found In Space - We slow down for another "Harvest" type track. I love the end section of this song

Dispossession Blues / Small Planet Blues - This is another up tempo blues where the guitars are doing the rhythm up front and the keyboards are providing the melody 14.

If Truth - Finally back to a slower more traditional Blues again I really enjoyed giving this album a concentrated listen at a bit more volume than normal.

I can't see it appealing to everyone but if you enjoy albums with lots going on in the mix and an original style give this one a go. I can see me returning to this one a lot. I am pleased I gave it a go.

(Feb 2001 comment - I wish people would give this a go. Sadly you have to buy direct from Francis Monkman so he is relying on word of mouth exposure. If you don't buy it I want get to hear the next CD and I am curious as to what he can come up with. )

Motoi Sakuraba - Force Of Light

I saw this advertised as using lots of keyboards old and new and I must have been in an adventurous mood as something made me decide to order it. I did first I look for reviews and the only one I found put me off a bit as it mentioned the sleeve notes talking about time changes and stuff. It seemed to think it was unnecessarily complex. I decided to order it anyway and I am glad I did. It is a very good album. I am not into prog music as such so it is very hard for me to find good music with keyboards and a solo keyboard player can be even trickier. I have only got into Rick Wakeman and more recently Erik Norlander. Apart from that I can think of no one, unless you count someone like Graham Bond from the sixties Blues/Jazz scene.

Before I move to track level and see what enters my head I should also mention I was put off because this was supposed to be music for games and films. I was worried the music wouldn't stand up on it's own and would be to atmospheric/non music for me. No such problem, each track is proper music. Overall I think it makes me think of the Holst's The Planets pieces Rick guested on. I think the title was Beyond The Planets but I don't recall the main artist.

It is very interesting to see the album has Artist and producer notes. Something Erik Norlander does on his album’s and something which Arjen Lucassen from Ayreon (and the fans) like too. I hope this is a growing trend. Even if the ones here are way to technical for me in places.

The album is keyboard drums and guitar. Sometimes I get the impression the drums are programmed but a drummer is credited, interestingly before the guitarist. The album as a whole is very multi-layered.

Persistence of Hope - This first tracks rhythm and piano playing reminds me of all sorts. Yes and ELP certainly. It has very unusual rhythms and seems a bit Jazzy. There is Hammond, Moog, Piano and lots of other interesting sounds. The notes for this track are the bit the other reviewer commented on. They are classic! "The middle almost classical section, which starts with a diminished scale is put together with a 5/8 + 5/8, (1/8 + 10/16 + 3/8) + (1/8 + 10/16 + 3/8) + 1/8 + 7/16 + 5/8)  × 2, (1/8 + 10/16 + 6/8) structure but when you listen to it,  it really doesn't sound that complex". And it is true. I will ask Erik later what it means!

There is a good hook at the start that goes from general keyboard sound to Hammond and back. Then a moog section happens. There is probably harpsichord to. The Piano is a bit Jazzy but it also sounds a bit Rick like is some of it's runs. There is a nice dirty sounding voice used just before the middle bit that we all understand. Then the middle reminds me a bit of a middle period ELO tune. I can't think what. About 5.20 you think it is all over but no it has just gone quiet and then the piano does the original hook and it gets back to the first section again. I am currently on about listen 8 to this album and I took an instant liking to the album from track one. It is bouncy complex, lots of instrument voices and lots to listen too.

Force To Arms! - Another 5/8 piece apparently. I will have to set the going on my sequencer to get a better understanding of it not that it matters here. To my ears it is just and interesting beat again. I think it is a certain keyboard sound that is reminding me of Beyond the Planets. There is a low range keyboard that reminds me of Rick. Another strong hook line on top with quieter interludes on lighter keyboards. This bit reminds me a bit of Rick's Crimes of passion actually. Then there is some guitar that reminds me of Steve Howe. The Hammond is used on this too. There are Journey type crescendos and decrescendos on one of the voices. Sorry I can't think how to express this perhaps like turning a siren on and off.

A Light To Lead The Way - This is the first track that really makes me think Beyond The Planets. It uses "Ah" voices and harp type plucking. Chordy percussion and uplifting main themes apparently are Sparkling Bright Brass then later strings. There is some really good Moog on this. This is an early favourite track. The backing rhythms are perhaps more Softsword like.

Strive Against The Dark - This is a bit of a chaotic none musical start. Apparently this is completely free rhythm. Oh is that it. It is just a scene setter for the next track

Bulzome Rising - This starts with Hammond, which is used, in a very ELP like way to me. There are the uplifting themes again perhaps on guitar this time. There are some nice guitar treatments in the middle. Then a lower range keyboard part that sounds a bit bubbly. Mmm then a bit of an ELO feel again. Interesting I hadn’t thought of that link before today. I think it reminds me of “The Whale” from “Out of the Blue”. It seems the song is cycling through each of the little sections. Good Stuff

Traveller’s Respite - The notes say this is similar to Bolero with an Oboe sound starting things off. It soon gets extra keyboards with it but at lesser volumes. He also manages get moog to work in this slow paced piece. There is good low-end range on this album. It has to be said the notes are far easier reading after the first song. Towards the end we get "Ah" sounds then it wraps up as it started.

Tides of History - We start off with a flute sound on this gentle piece. It too uses some Ah's. They are more choir like though. There is some good Rick like piano with again a good bass keyboard pattern going on beneath it. The end Ah’s, which are more single person, have a little keyboard part under it, which reminds me of Tubular Bells.

Force On The Move - We get a Marching type feel to this one. Again reminds me of Beyond The Planets. I am very impressed at how many layers there are to these simple main hooks. I wish Rick would tackle something with this depth of instrumentation again. Perhaps he will, if he is moving to film work too.

Sanctity - This was is an really nice tune. Apparently sad and haunting but I never pick up on that sort of thing in music. Again there is a great variety of keyboard sounds from Moog to strings and lots of others I can't label. Actually the initial and ending themes remind me of Children Of Chernobyl from Rick's No Expense Spared

The Lever To Move The World - A faster track to end the disc. The return of the strange beats. The guitar sound is apparently King Crimson like. Lots of Hammond again.

In one of the tunes I have thought a couple of times that something reminded me of something of Rick's Criminal Record but I didn't notice it today.

Overall I really love this album. I wonder if I will get tired of the top hooks being quite so repetitive but I think the depth of the arrangements will keep me going. I highly recommend you give this a go if the sort of thing I am commenting on sounds the sort of stuff you like.

I fully expect I will be trying out something more from Motoi once I have had suitable time to digest this.

If anyone has this or gets it please let me know what you think.

Renaissance - Tuscany

This in an interesting one. There hasn't been a new Renaissance album with Annie Haslam on vocals since about 1985. Actually Time Line seems the latest studio I have and that is P1981. I am surprised.

Knowing another of my heroes Roy Wood had had some involvement with it spiked my interest further. He had previously worked with Annie On Annie In Wonderland and I must confess I had been a bit uncomfortable with the merging of what were to me two different sounds.

Michael Dunford has produced two albums under the Renaissance name, which were OK but had Stephanie Aldington vocals. She is a fine singer but I am sure most Renaissance fans would say Annie has a really special quality to her voice so she is pretty irreplaceable. Interestingly the Aldington albums were written by Dunford/Thatcher as were the original main era Renaissance albums. This album was written by Haslam/Dunford. Betty Thatcher was pretty much a lyricist I think so this you would expect this new album to sound like Renaissance. It doesn't though. All the way through I can't help thinking this is a follow up to Haslam's solo album Blessing In Disguise. That is my favourite of her solo albums so it is the one I recall best. Dawn Of Ananda, which followed Blessing, seemed like a watered down version of Blessing. This album seems more upbeat but still rather tame compared to Renaissance at their peak. Before I listen to the tracks individually my impression is this is a keyboard-based album. There are certainly none of the distinctive Bass parts of old. And I am not sure I can think of any guitar of note. I certainly don't remember thinking anything sounded like Roy Wood had touched it.

Right lets listen in track by Track

Lady From Tuscany - This is a good start to the album. Very Blessing In Disguise though. Michael is playing Acoustic Guitar and can be heard OK but it is the Keyboards that are distinctive to me. Michael also add's backing vocals but they are a bit buried in the mix. I think it is one of the keyboard voices that is making me think of Blessing In Disguise so much. There is a nice keyboard solo. When I saw Annie Haslam solo she had Michael on guitar with her and Mickey Simmonds on Keyboards. They had I think already started work on this album and performed Eva's Pond that night. I don't think I had been that impressed by Mickey (He was using Midi backings live) but he has done a good job here.

Pearls Of Wisdom - Looking at the track credits Dunford only plays acoustic guitar on the album.  He is there but it is very gentle stuff and I suspect it wouldn't miss it too much if it wasn't there. Perhaps I would be surprised there are certainly lots of loud strumming at times on this but mostly the individual note playing is too low in the mix for me to sit up and listen to it. Again it is Annie and Simmonds on Keyboards that make the most contribution to the songs. This song overall is OK but not one that makes me think I like that. It is more a piece I appreciate as part of the whole sound of the album

Eva's Pond - This one is literally Simmonds and Annie alone. I remember Annie saying live she and Michael had written it but he didn't actually play on it. Very strange. Again this is an album track that is nice but not a grabber for me.

Dear Landseer - Former Renaissance man John Tout plays piano on this one but Simmonds is still the main player. I am now focussing in more on what Dunford is contributing. Annie's voice is still top notch. This is the first track with Roy Wood involvement. He plays Bass, though why anyone would ask Roy Wood to guest on an album and then get him to play Bass is beyond me. Especially as it is barely audible. I quite like this one.

In The sunshine - Roy Wood is also on this one. He is a joint Producer with Dunford and Haslam. He is also credited with Bass keyboards and orchestral arrangements. But apart from the Bass so is Simmonds so it is hard to know who did what. This track perhaps sounds fuller so I wonder if that was Roy. I like this one too.

In My Life - I guess I do notice Dunford after all. Being acoustic guitar I am just not as aware of it. This one is a really gentle one again but it is probably one of my favourites on the album. I can't really justify why. It is so simple but I guess I just like Annie's vocal. The Bass is actually a bit more noticeable on this one.

The Race - This one is my favourite of the album and is the only pacey track. Or at least it is noticeably faster than anything else. There is far more to listen too and it is generally far more exciting, which is at list 60% of my key motivation when listening to music. I like the whole of this album but wish there had been more like this on it.

Dolphin Prayer - This track only has Halsam with Trout on Keyboards. Roy Wood adds backing vocals. Prayer is a good term for it. The keyboards are long chords initially although they do get added voices at times. Annie is very choral. And there is only one point I think Woody must have added a low voice (About 2.12 in). I certainly wouldn't claim to know he or any male voice was on the track really. This track is my least favourite on the album.

Life In Brazil - This one actually starts like a Renaissance track. Perhaps Northern Lights. I guess this is quite pacey too. Woody is on percussion on this one. Again a very strange involvement. I would so love to interview him about this. I like this track again. It is so strongly from Annie though. She has been really impressed by fan reactions in Brazil. It is at least her 2nd song with Brazil in the title

One Thousand Roses - The pace drops again and we get another song with two minutes of in my life type vocals. Then it suddenly wakes up and I guess it is fast again. I think it is the keyboard parts on the Race that make it seem so much faster compared to tracks like this. Once we are over the first two minutes this could be another favourite of mine. There is certainly a nice Marillion type keyboard solo. No real surprise there as Simmonds has played with Marillion's Fish. The last minute then ends a bit like the first but it seems a reasonable ending to me. I guess I should be analysing the lyrics more but that only tends to happen with me when they really grab my interest. Annie's vocal style doesn't always help my natural hearing of the words if I am honest. I just played the slow start again and I would never have guessed some of the lines without the lyrics in front of me.

As a counter Balance I have just had a quick play of Time Line the last Haslam Renaissance album and The Other Woman with Aldington on vocals. I certainly prefer this to both of them. I am not sure I can view this as anything but a Haslam solo album but I think it an excellent album all the same. Much better than Dawn Of Ananda, which is a pure solo Haslam album, and slightly disappointed me.

I guess the name is unimportant to a lot of people but it is very interesting to see how various components of Renaissance come together when separated and put back together in a slightly different way. I wonder what Renaissance would sound like if the mid-70's line up were to reform and the old song writing dynamics were restored. Annie has obviously grown a lot in the intervening years and from what I hear here she is now the strongest force in writing. Fascinating. It is such a shame this album is only out in Japan so far. I hope there will be another Renaissance album.

ELO - Zoom

Well this is an unfortunate day for me to be writing my opinion of the new "ELO" album. But I am at the end of my endurance of the disc and I promised to comment to a couple of friends. If I remove the disc from my carousel I will never get to the review so here goes. Feel free to skip this.

I would like to say I am really sorry for the ELO fans that the ELO North American Tour has been cancelled. I know people have booked flights and hotels and they will lose a lot of money because of this. What a shame. A lot of ELO fans are clearly very dedicated I was stunned to hear that tickets prices were $75 dollars and that Ticket agency were taking 20-30% of that. I hope Ticket refunds include the Ticket Agency Fee!

My history of liking ELO goes back to the late 70's. The first non-compilation album I bought was by Queen. I liked it a lot and my Addiction to blowing money on albums clearly started back then. I went through the whole Queen catalogue and then took the brave step of trying a new band. ELO's A New World Record being my choice. I still get a strong memory of being off school Sick and playing Monopoly by myself every time I hear this record. As this was how I got to hear it the first time and it clearly made a strong impression on my mind.  I then bought the rest of the ELO collection and ventured back into the Wizzard and Move despite having tried early Pink Floyd and Status Quo albums and finding them too 60's for my taste. But by about 1980 ELO released Discovery and I was disgusted. My tastes and moved more to harder Rocker and I was probably at my Heaviest phase by then. So for some reason or other I sold all my ELO collection. Within a few years I had got back to the level of heaviness I like now and re bought all ELO I had sold. I got the Four Light Years box set so I even ended up with the awful Discovery again. I have never sold an album 2nd hand again since. I also find it important to keep the albums I dislike most a) to see if I change but b) to see what it is I dislike. The other thing of note is that although I started with a New World Record I actually preferred the older albums. Almost exactly in order of their release. For some Reason I don't get of with Eldorado though So that comes down there with parts of Out Of The Blue I suspect. I am currently waiting for the Remastered ELO collection to come out before I upgrade my ELO collection again.

Also worth mentioning from a "where is this guy coming from" point of is I borrowed ELO Part II's first album from the library and didn't think it sounded ELO enough. But around 1997 I heard they were playing Ipswich and I went to see them and really enjoyed the show. I have subsequently seen them several times since and even like the 2nd album Moment of Truth more than anything post Discovery.

The ELO Part II live set broke me into a lot of the later singles and they are OK. I have subsequently heard most of the later ELO albums but they don't really interest me. They are better and more interesting than Discovery though. I have also never really forgiven Jeff Lynn for dumping the Strings section on Discovery. I was also appalled when they were then bought back in on the Discovery videos.

ELO to me are definitely about strings (and other classical instruments) and Rock combining. In fact at this very moment I am currently enjoying the Wombles Mike Batt's Tarot Suite album because it is a good combination of Orchestra and Rock.

So finally I come to Zoom. I was initially excited to hear ELO were to reform and make and album and then I heard it would only really be Jeff Lynne with studio guests. This didn't inspire my to go out and get the album so I waited and heard clips on a radio broadcast. The more on Vh-1's Storytellers and all this didn't help at all.

Then two friends both said they had it and liked it a lot one offered to lend me a copy. I was certainly curious but not going to pay full price to hear something I expected to be a let down so I accepted.

The artwork certainly looked promising. The clips I heard on the radio hadn't sounded ELO to me so on the first listen I was rather impressed that a couple of songs did sound recognisably ELO like. After that I thought the album OK but I have soon grown tired of playing it. It just doesn't have anything that interests me in it I don't think. Doing a track by Track review normally focuses my mind a bit more so now I will see what I really think of the individual tracks

Alright - This one is one that I had heard on the Radio and wasn't impressed by. It sounded too Travelling Wilbury's, Tom Pretty type 1990's AOR radio friendly rock to me. It is obviously a style that is popular but it is not original and ELO used to be original. Having said this this is probably one of my preferred tracks on the album. The Drums are very monotonous and it seems there is a lot of Guitar for an ELO track. There are no strings (that I noticed anyway)

Moment In Paradise - This is probably my favourite on the album. I like the backing line in the chorus. There are a New World Record type effects here too. Sometimes Jeff's high voice on the line "Moment In Paradise" grates on me. The guitar solo also feels very much like another band to me too.

State Of Mind - Another one sounding very like my limited knowledge of the Wilbury's. The guitar riff feels so wrong to me. This seems to follow Jeff's interest in Rock'N'Roll is king type music. I like people like Dave Edmunds so in theory this should work for me but it just leaves me cold.

Just Of Love - This one has a kind of Eldorado feel to it. It also has some strings at last. This would be a weak take on a 70's album to me. More of an album filler mood changer type piece. It is OK but nothing really grabs me about it.

Stranger On A Quiet Street - The boring drums on these tracks really annoy me. It is rare I notice drums in either a good or bad way so this is disappointing. Another guitar driven song but with a little strings on it. Like on State of Mind I am not too keen on the use of the guitars. It is too sterile or plodding or something. Basically it just isn't the sort of thing I would listen too and it sounds like the sort of stuff I have heard other Radio friendly rock establishment figure do on the radio.

In My Own Time - This one has strings on it and I can imagine it being a quiet track on an Out Of The Blue or New World Record type album. The old sounding tracks are in the style I like least and not a Mr Blues sky or Evil Woman type way. Shame.

Easy Money - Another Dave Edmunds style tunes that doesn't work for me in this Environment. And certainly not for something claiming to be ELO.

It Really Doesn't Matter - This track is like the rest of the album Ok but not really to my taste. I just don't see the point of calling this ELO. If you are going to bring back a name after 15 years surely there should be more continuity between style and players than this. Especially when there has been a band with 3 or 4 recognised ELO player going round keeping the bands name alive all these years.

Ordinary Dream - This one has strings but this just sounds like a John Lennon tribute to me. This one is my least favourite on the album.

A Long Time Gone - Again I get the impression of a quiet song from say a New world Record. It's OK but it is too dreary especially with so many others like this on the album

Melting In The Sun - Back to a Wibury type song. Jeff has clearly spent too long working for others and he has lost all interest in being original or playing to his own classic era. He does use some ELO backing vocal arrangements on this. Perhaps this is why the later era ELO fans seem to really go for the album.

All She Wanted - This one is OK. Much like the rest of the album but probably one of the better tracks.

Lonesome Lullaby - This one makes me take notice. The guitar at the front is interesting. I can't really decide if I like or dislike this one. At least it made notice it.

To me Jeff is playing for himself. That is fine. He and I clearly have different tastes and I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is him effectively killing ELO Part II and then pretending this is ELO. As a Jeff Lynne album I could quite happily ignore this album. As an ELO album he tests me as a fan. Will I buy the album? Yes if I see if for £5-7 pounds sometime but mainly for completeness.

There is of course still hope that I will like it if I play it at a future time but overall this is such a disappointment to me.

Looking at the official statement as to why the American tour was cancelled it says, "ELO wanted to put on a grand Spectacle with massive stage and light show". If this was the case why have the "band" record two TV specials all dressed in black with limited lights and effects? It is not a very good advert is it? Taking this album and the specials into consideration that is the last thing I would have expected from an ELO gig in 2001. This seems to be a back to basics low budget ELO. To re-establish an old act like ELO I suspect you need a strong image that plays on past glories to make people want to attend for the nostalgia angle. I am very disappointed for people like Rob and Lynn who has been putting their hearts into ELO and will feel really frustrated for all the fans that were looking forward to ELO playing again.

I hope some good comes of all this. I even wish Zoom had been a success despite my personal opinion of it. I do feel this album would be more readily accepted after a strong ELO sounding comeback album and tour with lots of classic ELO era members to get people fired up and excited again. You have to wonder what has been going on between Jeff/The Management/ The record Label. It seems surprising that some calculations could be so far off.

Scorpions - Tokyo Tapes

My first Scorpions album was “Animal Magnetism” back in 1980 or so. I really liked that so I got something else. I suspect it was “Tokyo Tapes”. I must have been one of my first Cd's. I think I had recorded it off a friend prior to that but from that date on this has been my favourite Scorpions album. I was really disappointed when I eventually heard “World Wide Live” and even more so when I saw the video, which is not a style I like. “World Wide Live” was good but there was a magic ingredient missing from the album. I never really knew what it was until I saw Uli Roth doing a Hendrix Tribute concert around 1997. Suddenly I realised it was Uli that made this album so special for me. Mathias Jabs who has been lead guitarist ever since has been good but he is so different.

I have all the Scorpions album now that I have finally got my hands on “Taken By Force” , which has eluded me for years. I have to say I have never been a massive fan of the band. I have always found the albums a bit hit and miss. Yet over the years every now and then I have got into an album in big way and it has rejuvenated my interest. My favourite Scorpions albums are “Tokyo tapes”, “Love At Last String”, “Animal Magnetism” and “Eye II Eye” which will no doubt shock some fans and make this review invalid! “Lonesome Crow” has also a special place in my heart because of its weird nature. It is only in recent times I caught up on the Roth era albums none of them have stuck in my brain being any better than any other era. I have even tried Roth solo and again they aren't a patch on this album.

So that's where I come from approaching this album. The first thing to say is if you have the original double CD get the remaster it is a lot brighter overall. I thought it might have lost some of the bottom ended but I honestly don't think it has. I think this remaster is an all round improvement on sound.

In my database I only give this album 4 out 5. I feel that is a bit harsh based on my recent plays so it well be interesting to go through the album track by track.

“All Night Long” opens the disc and is a belter. One of the things that always amused me about this album was that a German band are playing in Japan and yet they are talking and singing to the audience in English. It has to be said that Klaus Meine English was still very poor at this time. In recent years he has become more nasal but at least he pronounces his words better now. This has never bothered me but I know it does a lot of other potential fans.

“Pictured Life” is another good track. It seems it is Uli that does nearly all the leads and Rudolf that sticks pretty much to the backing rhythms.

Backstage Queen - I haven't a clue what the lyrics are for this. It is a shame they are not supplied in the packaging, which has improved on remaster. It is not all it could be but better than the original. This is another excellent track.

Polar Nights - has been dropped from this album and moved to “Taken By Force”. I wonder if it was because it was a track without Klaus vocals at all. It is an excellent track guitarwise at least.

In Trance - Despite the lost of “Polar Nights” we move seamlessly into “In Trance” in fact I even forget “Polar” was missing which is unusual for me. This has always been a favourite of mine. Curiously the crowd have a habit of clapping a song once the get to the first line of the lyric. It seems the intro and opening chords don't mean much to the audience.

“We'll Burn The Sky” is another favourite of mine. It has a nice gentle start and then kicks in a bit before another quiet section. Roth's guitar is played with such feeling. It is interesting to read the track credits and see Roth did little writing. I guess that is why he doesn't work as well for me outside of Scorpions. It's the end of the song, which I find most powerful. This is a wonderful piece all round.

“Suspender Love” starts from the last notes and again is a good piece.

“In Search Of The Piece Of Mind” is next and is sadly the only track from “Lonesome Crow”. This again is rather beautiful piece.

The highlight of the album to me is “Fly To The Rainbow”. This song has everything. The opening is sung by Klaus and is very good then two minutes in everything changes and we get some low guitar chords followed by a gentle section by Roth on guitar. The guitar work is played with such feeling it moves me every time. I can really lose myself to this. At about 4.45 Roth then takes the lead. Again his accent is hard to penetrate so I am not really sure what the lyrics are about overall. At 6.45 the chords get heavier again and then we move into a feedback solo and I am off into heaven. The live gigs I used to see around 1980 always had feedback solos but this is the only time I have every heard one incorporated in to a song so effectively. I couldn't believe my ears the first to I heard it. This song has been a top 50 track of mine every since I heard it. I can play it over and over and just love it at loud volumes. It is really good in headphones too.

Because the set is now on a single disc “He's a Woman, She's a man” is now straight on from “Fly to the rainbow”. It feels a bit quick to me but I am used to having to change discs. I must admit disc 2 has never got as much play as disc one. This one actually starts with a rare solo from Rudolf Schenker. Curiously Uli can be heard very quietly backing Klaus's vocals on this. He is well down the mix though. Again this is a cracking song.

A lovely bit of low feedback introduces “Speedies Coming”. I just so love this range. Another great song with wonderful guitar work.

“Top of the Bill” is OK but it has a drum solo in it so this is why my original Disc 2 is losses out on the playing stakes.

“Hound dog” and “Long Tall Sally” are next and I just don't see the point of them. Scorpions had enough albums out by then and I would like to have heard more original tracks. These last three tracks are definitely the weakest area of the set for me. I would rather have seen these moved off and “Polar nights” kept on.

It seems these main set had now finish and the encore opens with “Steamrock Fever”. Things are firmly back on track now. Great stuff.

We then get “Dark Lady” another song sung by Roth but with Klaus also joining in and actually putting in a very good performance.

Another encore starts with “Kojo No Tsuki”. I have no idea what the original folk song is like but I have always liked this. I wonder how good Klaus's elocution is on this. Roth follows the melody for a nice low bit of guitar it then shifts up. Very good stuff.

“Robot man” closes the album and is a great rocker of an ending.

This is a fantastic album and I highly recommend it. Just for comparison I have just put “World Wide Live” on. Scorpions by this time were definitely more metal with less melodic and emotional touches. Of course even later they come back to my style with albums like “Moment of Glory” and “Acosutica” but nothing gets even close to this album.

PS. The I discovered the lyrics on the offcicial Scorpions website. They should still be in the album.

Scorpions - Taken By Force

For some reason this disc has been out of print for years. I have never understood why and now that I have finally got my hands on it I am even more perplexed. This was the last Studio album to feature Uli Roth on Lead Guitar and it is an excellent all round effort. I guess I have been slightly spoilt in that I have known live versions of a lot of these songs since 1980 and they inevitably are still my favourites. But lets go to track level.

Steamrock Fever - Opens with a Pneumatic Drill, which actually continues through out the song. This is a cracking one paced opener to the album.

We'll Burn The Sky - Is my favourite track on the album and because of events in my personal life I have suddenly realised the lyrics are really quite sensitive and meaningful. I have loved this track live for 20 years and never thought of them so it is a nice bonus. It has a gentle start there are even hints of strings or keyboards. It then kicks in big time for a bit. It then slows down for andr Klaus puts in a sensitive vocal performance. The speed picks up again but not so aggressively. There is some real nice guitar in this section and then we get a really strong ending. Excellent guitar again. Wonderful stuff all round.

I've Got To Be Free - This is the first non-Tokyo tapes track. Klaus's vocals remind me very much of the early era albums on this. He exchanges vocals with I assume Uli who again isn't credited :-( This is an OK track not an out and out stunner but very enjoyable. It has to be said I enjoy the line "I'm not your Bugs bunny and your not my wife" I guess simple things please simple minds.

The Riot Of Your Time - Another new track to me. I probably enjoy this more. It's always fun when a track written look to a future time that is now well in the past (1994/1995). The guitar on this is more interesting again. It was a bit straight forward on the previous track.

The Sails Of Charon - This starts of with some rhythm guitar and then adds some lead. Klaus's voice was so different in this era. I really like it. His voice also works well with Uli's backing. This track passes the time and is Ok but if my least favourite so far.

Your Light - This opens with some good backing rhythms from the guitars. I quite like this one, it is fairly mellow and laid back. I really enjoy the guitar solo too.

He's A Woman - She's A Man - Back to a track I know. The concept always used to amuse me and now it is even more interesting as one of my brothers became my sister. I don't think there is anything objectionable in the lyrics and it is a cracking track. I love the vocals and feedback and the guitar solo. Wonderful stuff.

Born To Touch Your Feelings - This one too has a lyric really suitable for my personal life this week. This seem so strange for a band later best know for "The Bitch is hungry, She needs to Tell so give her inches and feed her well" This is the ballad of the album and I was immediately drawn to it. The ending is very strange. Lots of woman speaking the first verse in different languages. I like this one a lot. Most unusual though

Suspender Love - Is a bonus track and was originally the B-side to "He's a woman She's a man." There is no explanation as to why it didn't make the album. Perhaps it wasn't written. It made the “Tokyo Tapes” set though and is an excellent song. It is quite slow paced here. I think I might enjoy this more because I know the live version so well. I am sure when I am listening I am adding extras from the live version so it is hard for me to be objective on this version

Polar Nights - Originally from "Tokyo Tapes". This one has a wonderful opening. At first I wasn't to disappointed when it was dropped from the main album but hearing it here solo I have really grown to love it. The main vocal is by Uli Roth and I am not struck on it but that opening 3 minutes are fantastic. Actually the instrumental backing through out the track is wonderful. It is just the vocal I am not sure about. Uli is definitely best on his guitar especially on this track.

So as is typical of the Scorpions for me there are a few out and out classics on the album and some less outstanding album fillers. I can certainly see why the songs in the Tokyo Tapes set where chosen. They are the best.

I notice on the web site they have have different image for the front cover. I wonder why? The packaging could be so much better on these remasters :-(

Remasters - The Official Anthology - Uriah Heep

In recent times the affairs of Uriah Heep have been very ably handled by their new label Classic Rock Legends. Unfortunately this time I feel they have made a mistake. Or several.

The album title implies these tracks are remastered originals i.e. Old mixes cleaned up for a new release. They are not and this is easily spotted from the back cover, which states these are new re-mixes, alternative versions and recordings by the current line-up. This still sounds exciting to the existing fan base.

It is impossible to identify the source of the material even in the CD booklet. All that is contained there is an explanation of what the disc is trying to achieve and adverts for the other Classic Rock Legends Heep albums.

What we in fact have here is a mix of the recent live albums re-mixed to lose all the crowd noise and a lot of reverb or Ambience. I haven't checked every track but the ones I have, I have always preferred the originals from the Acoustically or Electrically Driven and the Future Echoes Of The Past sets.

Through no fault of their own Uriah Heep lost control of their back catalogue when Bronze went into Liquidation. Consequently there have been loads of poor quality Anthology sets released that Uriah Heep get paid no money for.

This set is an official release and it supports the band. It shows well that the current line up are not afraid to tackle a lot of material from all eras of the band. This is mainly achieved because of the Acoustically driven set but it is achieved and performed well all the same.

In theory the set is a good introduction to the band but if a beginner wants to get something representative of Uriah Heep get Acoustically Driven and Future Echoes Of The Past in preference to this album. The sound improvements justify it alone and they are both cracking albums.