\n(Strike Force SFE034D)<\/p>\n
Unlike many of his pop contemporaries, Marc Almond has never shied away from portraying art he considers resonant, important, or just plain worthy, and his \u2018Ten Plagues\u2019 song cycle is a case in point. Sung, accompanied only by piano played by Conor Mitchell, with libretto provided by Mark Ravenhill, the work is as stark as its source material.<\/p>\n
Sung in the style of Brechtian cabaret, and set in the portentous year of 1665, it tells the story of a survivor and his journey through the living hell of plague-ridden London. The sombre piano notes of \u2018Spring\u2019 open our piece, soon turning to jittery chords as Marc describes the sealing of the city, to limit the contagion. The poignant image of an encounter with a priest who wants to preach, but has no congregation left stays in the mind long after the cycle is over. Marc\u2019s stark delivery of lines like \u2018Without a Word\u2019 and the desperate protective spell of \u2018Abracadabra\u2019 reflect the depths the population sink to, lacking any hope of a cure.<\/p>\n
The journey to a market, once brimming over with life and business, but now having neither, ironically has piano notes sounding like lapping water, and a comical feel to it, with its commerce-contagion central metaphor.<\/p>\n
Short, stabbing chords, picked out like a bird pecking seeds from the ground, provides the chilling accompaniment to \u2018The Pit\u2019, a meditation on the signs of the plague and those who are unfortunate enough to display them.\u00a0 The piano chords become sweeter later on, a release. On\/off chords turn into lapping water sounds once more, as our narrator finds plague signs on a lover, and in \u2018A New Law\u2019 we find a curfew being introduced, far too late for most it seems, and the mood turns ironically jolly again, as he sings from the point of view of an infected one.<\/p>\n
\u2018Seeing you\u2019 is a sublime tune, as our narrator rises and walks around the city, fires alight everywhere to purify the air. A surprisingly wistful song, even with the image of bodies being tossed into the pit. \u2018The Wig\u2019 has notes scattering like crazed insects across a page, with a tragi-comic story of a vain character who discovers that the hair on their beautiful wig was torn from plague victims, and carries the infection.<\/p>\n
As the victims multiply, (\u2018Three thousand in two hours\u2019) a hermit regrets not leaving the city, and starts to imagine the bleak future as the piano notes unwind like a ribbon. The shocking image of a former lover lying dead in the pit, and of a visitor from the country with no previous knowledge of the contagion, contribute to the oppressive atmosphere of the latter part of the cycle, which plays out like a new dance.<\/p>\n
Besides the CD, a DVD of the live performance at Wilton\u2019s Music Hall is included in this special edition, as starkly delivered in this bare theatre, as the music. Bearing the signs of one perhaps for Marc completists only, it\u2019s time may yet come. BUY HERE!<\/a><\/p>\n (Croydon Municipal CR9012)<\/strong><\/p>\n Taking us on a nostalgia trip with a twist, those dedicated Silly Servants at Croydon Municipal have collected some of the most off-beat versions of 50\u2019s and 60\u2019s TV themes, peppered with bright, period advertising jingles, for their latest CD collection. The art of encapsulating the entire concept of a TV show in a short piece of music may be a rare instance of a required exact science in the otherwise fairly hit and miss world of television.<\/p>\n The sweet and rather suggestive title track is cheekily delivered by Dinah Washington, with a good, beaty feel to it, closely pursued by the standard spy-theme of Malcolm Lockyer\u2019s \u2018The Pursuers\u2019, a full orchestra belting out a marching beat with plenty of rude, brassy horns and twangy guitars.<\/p>\n \u2018Route 66\u2019 is put out with verve, excitement and class, that urgent, compelling beat held down perfectly by John Gregory. Gordon Franks\u2019 \u2018Outbreak of Murder\u2019s shifting, wavering, moody jazz piece has an expertly picked guitar melody, suggestive of the murky alleyways and side streets where villains traditionally make their escape. Sasha Distel\u2019s \u2018Sasha\u2019s Theme\u2019 evokes the cocktail hour atmosphere well, with its glockenspiel, tish-taa cymbals and a little electric guitar for the moderns.<\/p>\n Charles Blackwell\u2019s \u2018Supercar\u2019 is supremely beaty, with low bass guitar and horns rasping out, reminding us, with hindsight, of the Joe 90 theme, some years in the future. The Desperadoes\u2019 \u2018Cambridge Strings\u2019 handles the classic Western formula of galloping drums and cymbals, hell for leather all the way.<\/p>\n It would be a peculiar album where Alan Ainsworth\u2019s, wandering \u2018Gurney Slade\u2019 did not feel incongruous, the bare metronomic beat with haunting flute melody sounding like a theme for a slightly psychedelic spy film. The Ted Heath Orchestra\u2019s \u2018The Beat Way\u2019 has a horn heavy, beaty and exciting feel, followed by two Cha-Cha treatments you\u2019ll want to keep on playing all day for the sheer comic delight of it, the wildly popular \u2018Z Cars\u2019 theme, by the John Warren Orchestra, and \u201877 Sunset Strip\u2019 by Pete Condoli and his Orchestra.<\/p>\n Jerry Allen\u2019s \u2018Lunchbox\u2019 is a jaunty, happy piece, organ backing up the glockenspiel and cymbals, building well, and into Laurie Johnson\u2019s \u2018Las Vegas\u2019, known better to millions of 60\u2019s (and 70\u2019s) kids as the joyous \u2018Animal Magic\u2019, here in its original, irreplaceable form. An excerpt from \u2018Sooty\u2019s Party\u2019 will probably have the listener\u2019s inner child on silliness overload at the sound of those velour animals\u2019 beeps and groans. Popular singer Frankie Laine\u2019s full throated version of \u2018Champion the Wonder Horse\u2019 will evoke memories for many, even though a cover of the original theme tune by the cruelly uncredited Mike Stewart.<\/p>\n John Barry\u2019s presence is always welcome here, and his theme to \u2018Dateline\u2019, (Cutty Sark) has a smooth horn over a choppy beat, the rhythm getting tighter as the trombone kicks in. Alan Swain\u2019s alt version of \u2018Danger Man\u2019 is a revelation, with its black-as-coal drums and wavering flute evoking the menacing air of a Soho, now sanitised.<\/p>\n Likewise, Johnny Dankworth\u2019s \u2018The Avengers\u2019 plays fast and loose with the piece that is practically imprinted on the nation\u2019s DNA, a smooth jazzy piece that is well worth persisting with.<\/p>\n John Gregory\u2019s totally over the top \u2018M Squad\u2019 scores highly here, the horns\u2019 throaty swagger, the confident, attention grabbing drums, and the honking boot sax make this a standout track.<\/p>\n The choice of Steve Stannard\u2019s \u2018Man of Mystery\u2019 (theme from The Edgar Wallace Mysteries) over The Shadows better known top\u2013two strings twanger is a bold move, the clarity and brightness to the guitar notes no less well played. Johnny Keating\u2019s \u2018Sam Benedict\u2019 is a dark horse of a tune, poppy, and with a great bass, a strident tune with rock and roll leanings, reminiscent of \u2018The Prisoner\u2019 in its tenser moments.<\/p>\n Gordon Franks\u2019 \u2018Sid\u2019s Theme\u2019 (from Citizen James) is an unsurprisingly bright and jolly tune with a nod to the Hancock theme, a show James excelled in. Bryan Blackburn and Peter Evans\u2019 \u2018Eggheads\u2019 is a slice of typical braggadocio humour, as our two protagonists impersonate a couple of intellectuals for fun, profit and making out with those kooky beatnik gals. Riotously funny lyrics and segueing into trad jazz at any provocation, a great piece of 50\u2019s silliness. Craig Douglas\u2019 \u2018Chick Shape\u2019 closes, and would be unlikely to win too many prizes for up to date attitudes to the ladies.<\/p>\n You\u2019re going to buy this CD, you know you are, and you\u2019re going to thank me for pointing this way. Cha Cha Cha. BUY HERE!<\/a><\/p>\n Beyond the Darkness: (Bella Casa Casa 14CD)<\/b><\/p>\n Cineastes and soundtrack lovers alike will find plenty to enjoy on Bella Casa\u2019s CD release of select extracts from the work of Goblin, whose four decade long career provided the eerily evocative, morosely moody and spine-chillingly sparse music of countless films by Italian Giallo\/Horror master, Dario Argento.<\/p>\n Starting with \u2018Buio Omega\u2019 (\u2018Beyond the Darkness\u2019) from 1979, the three excerpts run through a clanging guitar main title intro, segueing neatly into a rock and roll beat, road movie style, as if moving up and down the gears of a car. The icy cold piano notes over a \u2018climbing the stairs\u2019 run on \u2018Quiet Drops\u2019 could not be further away from the Caribbean stylings and call and response sequence in \u2018Bikini Island\u2019.<\/p>\n \u2018La Via Della Droga\u2019 (\u2018The Heroin Busters\u2019) theme from 1977 evokes the dark, dangerous alleyways with deft use of bass, tom toms and sharp notes stabbing like a burst of car headlights. The ever faithful \u2018something bad is about to happen\u2019 suspense notes make an early appearance, with synth, clattering and chanting, followed by a tense piece with a little relief later on.<\/p>\n \u2018Patrick\u2019 (1979) has us on more familiar Argento ground, with \u2018Transmute\u2019, high pitched notes over a resounding bass guitar, the keyboards sounding like the glass elements of a chandelier clinking together, \u2018Folie\u2019, an excursion into the white noise spaces between radio stations, untrammelled runs up and down the keyboard, and sudden bass guitar interjections in a mad horseback ride of a piece. \u2018Metamorfosi\u2019s keyboard and sitar windings take us higher and higher, suggestive of rising smoke in some abandoned temple.<\/p>\n \u2018Squadra Antigangsters\u2019 (\u2018Little Italy\u2019) from 1979 opens with an alternate take of \u2018Trumpet\u2019s Flight\u2019, its urgent bass run and fast and funky keyboards come out like a runaway train, the horn breaks suggestive of the high life enjoyed by the criminals, the main theme using liturgical organ that even manages to suggest ill-gotten luxury in amongst the devotional feeling.<\/p>\n \u2018Amo Non Amo\u2019 (\u2018I love you, I love you not\u2019) from 1979 has soothing strings and delicately picked acoustic guitar in its mournful love theme. \u2018Funky Top\u2019s cheerful bounce, winding guitar lick and sexy sax break does its job well, and the title track\u2019s wistful yet cool piano figure is helped along with synth swishes, redolent of a fugitive love affair.<\/p>\n 1980\u2019s \u2018Contamination\u2019 has a nervous bongo intro in \u2018The Carver\u2019, as an urgent piano turns swiftly to a rock bass riff with reeling, frightening chords that still manage to suggest dance rhythms in amongst the cold terrors. \u2018Time Is On\u2019s skeletal glockenspiel, shrieking seagulls and wavering , meandering\u00a0 rhythm leave you breathless, and \u2018Withy\u2019s echoing feel, with manic guitar picking over a weird organ sound provides the most atmospheric piece so far, building tension well, to a little psyche-lite, ending on a tense chord.<\/p>\n \u20181983\u2019s \u2018Notturno\u2019 (\u2018Spy Connection\u2019) has stabbing piano chords over an exciting organ wash, an excellent could\u2019ve-been James Bond theme, taking us into \u2018Bass Theme\u2019, a more stereotypical spy film treatment, with bongos, strings and bass, taking a surprise turn later, into a \u2018hurdy gurdy\u2019 type rhythm. \u2019Landing Strip\u2019s urgent, if sparse piece has some expert feedback, and \u2018Helicopter\u2019 starts with the expected choppy sound, leading into a slow, soothing keyboard piece.<\/p>\n \u2018Phenomena\u2019 (1985) opens with \u2018Jennifer\u2019s light touch keyboard, prettily suggestive of innocence, later introducing tension in a fuzzy psychedelic guitar riff. \u2018Phenomena\u2019s baroque, spiky notes with eerily ghostly singing and rising and falling chords is a standout track, perfectly suited to the classic film of the title.<\/p>\n \u2018La Chiesa\u2019 (\u2018The Church\u2019, from 1988) opens with \u2018Lotte\u2019s macabre feel, suggestive of the presence of a malign spirit, is expertly evoked here, the high piping noises and spidery notes behind, suddenly turn to a hellish maelstrom of drums and organ, running away in fear, horns blaring like banshees.<\/p>\n \u2019Non Ho Sonno\u2019 (\u2018Sleepless\u2019, from 2001) has \u2018Arpeggio\u2019s hard rock feel, short, sharp, punky guitar chords and ghostly keyboards strokes, which later become a deeper, more rounded piece, with a touch of the fearful hidden Marc Almond Ten Plagues A Song Cycle (Strike Force SFE034D) Unlike many of his pop contemporaries, Marc Almond has never shied away from portraying art he considers resonant, important, or just plain worthy, and his \u2018Ten Plagues\u2019 song cycle is a case in point. Sung, accompanied only by piano played by Conor Mitchell, with libretto …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":9285,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[71,74],"tags":[750,1050,1049,305],"series":[],"class_list":["post-6595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","category-reviews","tag-cherry-red-records","tag-goblin","tag-marc-almond","tag-scenester"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6595"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6607,"href":"https:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6595\/revisions\/6607"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6595"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=6595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"TV](\"http:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/TV-IS-THE-THING.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nTV Is the Thing<\/h1>\n
![\"GOBLIN](\"http:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/GOBLIN-Beyond.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nGoblin<\/h1>\n
\nin its depths. BUY HERE!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"