Nick Mason.
Fictitious Sports.
(Warners).
**** 4 Stars.
Roping in the avant-garde talents of Carla Bley and Robert Wyatt, with the rock talent of Chris Spedding, Mason delivers an abstract yet tuneful underpinning to these whip-smart songs. Where on occasion the musical path might veer off into the abstruse for some, it’s the deadpan delivery of Wyatt on Siam and Wervin’ that wraps these songs in a classy tapestry of sound and context.
Released as one third of Mason’s Unattended Luggage solo box set, it remains a delightfully quirky debut solo album.
The Pineapple Thief.
Dissolution.
(Kscope).
**** 4 Stars.
As dextrous and musically inventive as any group should be by their twelfth album release, Dissolution finds Bruce Soord’s band continuing their creative roll. Following up from 2016s excellent Your Wilderness, with master drummer Gavin Harrison still driving majestically from the back, Dissolution reveals a dark yet gentle palette of sonic colours.
Soord’s delicate vocals on Threatening War and Uncovering Your Tracks adds an unsettling dimension to the songs musical menace. Steve Kitch’s synths lock in with Jon Sykes bass to add texture and depth, especially on the epic White Mist, whilst Soord’s jaggedy guitar strums to elevate these monumental songs.
With King Crimson and Porcupine Tree’s Gavin Harrison now firmly settled into the fold, TPT have evolved into major players on this mature and agile progressive offering.
Gryphon.
Raindances.
(Esoteric/Cherry Red).
**** 4 Stars.
This 2 CD anthology of complete remastered tracks is taken from Gryphon’s four albums originally released on the Transatlantic label between 1973-75. From opening song Kemps Jig and Midnight Mushrumps to later recordings Opening Move and Raindance, this immersive release documents a band evolving from their traditional English music roots into a seasoned progressive rock outfit.
As original maestros of medieval progressive rock, where Gryphon blew their crumhorn many bands followed.
