Curved Air retrospective details

(I'm not quite sure how new this is, but I just found out about it, and it looks to be a very good introduction to a very British band, with an essay from Sonja Kristina, so...I'm posting it :-) )

Specially compiled by Sonja Kristina, Retrospective is the most comprehensive and authoritative Curved Air compilation ever issued.

A re-mastered double CD set with an illustrated full-colour booklet (written by respected journalist Chris Welch and containing an in-depth interview with Sonja), the collection features a superb cross-section of material spanning the entirety of Curved Air's illustrious career.

An ideal introduction to a groundbreaking band.

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Curved Air were an instant success when they formed in 1970.

Founder members Darryl Way (electric violin and vocals), Sonja Kristina (vocals), Francis Monkman (keyboards), Pilkington-Miksa (drums) and Ian Erye (bass) were signed to Warner Brothers and their astonishing debut Air Conditioning (1970) was promoted as the first ever picture disc album.

In 1971 they scored a Top 5 hit single with the gritty 'Back Street Luv' and the accessible, yet experimental, Second Album (1971) ably showcased the band's innovative fusion of electronic rock and classical music.

The group underwent several personnel changes during the 1970s.

Later members included legendary violinist/keyboard player Eddie Jobson (Roxy Music, UK, Frank Zappa) and soon to be superstar drummer, Stewart Copeland (The Police).


Disc 1:
1. It Happened Today
2. Screw
3. Blind Man
4. Hide and Seek
5. Rob One
6. Young Mother
7. Back Street Luv
8. Jumbo
9. Puppets
10. Piece Of Mind
11. Whose Shoulder Are You Looking Over Anyway?
12. Melinda (More or Less)
13. Over and Above

Disc 2:
1. Purple Speed Queen
2. Elfin Boy
3. Metamorphosis
4. Easy
5. Dancer
6. Dance Of Love
7. Love Child
8. Woman On A One Night Stand
9. Desiree
10. Broken Lady
11. Marie Antoinette
12. Vivaldi

Bonus tracks:
13. Lambent Spire - Sonja Kristina's MASK
14. Space In Between - Sonja Kristina's MASK
15. Beloved - Sonja Kristina's MASK

Find out more:

http://www.curvedair.com/

http://www.burningshed.com/store/marvinayres/product/35/2314/

In the queue...

As I have done in the past, here's a sampling of what I have been listening to, and what's up next. You may get to hear my thoughts on some of this, so use this as potential teasers for future content...

Marvin Ayres - Eccentric Deliquescence
Oxygene8 - Freak of Chance
The Lizards - Archeology
Days Between Stations - s/t debut release
The Red Masque - Fossileyes
Proto-Kaw - Before Became After
Proto-Kaw - The Wait of Glory
The Enid - In The Region of the Summer Stars
The Enid - Aerie Faerie Nonsense

The rainy weekend now playing...

Yesterday I got home to several packages on my table waiting for me. Each contained several CDs for review. While some of these are certainly not for this site (unless you'd like my thoughts on classic 1980's New Jersey scene hardcore and/or punk), the disc I am playing right now so totally suits the day, my mood, end everything else, that I just had to make a brief mention of it in lieu of a longer review, which I think shall be forthcoming soon.

The artist in question is a gentleman named Marvin Ayres, and the album is titled Eccentric Deliquescence. His press kit describes him as 'orchestral ambient minimalism,' and truer words have likely never been spoken. This is brilliant stuff...if you find Robert Fripp's soundscapes to be a bit too electronic, the more organic tones of Ayres work will be your proverbial cuppa (I prefer my cuppa to be Darjeeling with 2 tsp sugar, no milk, please...and I bet that'd gojust fine with this music). There's cello, violin, piano, otherworldly voices...I almost want to say moments here verge on the sacred, such is the mood that permeates every tone on this album. It's soothing and disconcerting at the same time...I feel at ease listening, yet there's something not quite calm resting uneasily under the gentle currents. I like that conflict. And I can't wait to delve deeper into these musical waters.



Expect a deeper review later, when I can find the words to adequately describe this experience.

MORE INFO:
Marvin Ayres' website
Marvin Ayres' MySpace