Issue 2024-087

The Boxx Orchestra — The Horn Of Plenty

7

Jan Buddenberg

Two years after the debut release of Out Of The Boxx, The Boxx Orchestra return with The Horn Of Plenty. Having found shelter under the passionate wings of OOB records, it is recorded with the same line-up of Jan Boekestein (keyboards), Jos Van Der Zanden (guitars), Ria Mulder (vocals), Kees Schollen (drums), and Walter Hüsstege (bass, soundscapes), and comes in an attractive digipak with artwork and graphic designs by Hüsstege.

The album includes nine compositions that extents the path as taken on their debut. Which comes down to nicely variegated compositions that cover influences of pop, melodic rock and symphonic prog-rock. A style the band themselves describe as "power rock with symphonic influences". A term I still have some reservations about, because, like on their debut, I think the music could use a touch more dynamic oomph.

Daybreak opens proceedings, and very nicely at that. Through the delightful combination of vintage organ and Mulder's voice, this composition successfully transports me back to the joyous 70s when Earth And Fire and Jerney Kaagman were still very much in prog fashion. Elegant melodies, marching rhythms, and a serene atmospheric awakening lead into an accelerated movement highlighted by keys in Eloy style. It's especially the finalising minute-long guitar solo on top of epic and harmonious symphonic melodies that attracts in this song.

Message At The Bleep establishes a similar Earth And Fire connection, to which one of Kayak also comes into view. Creative in storyline ideas and enhanced by an engaging pop feel, this song is a fine illustration that The Boxx Orchestra aim for head and tail compositions focused on melody and emotion. The latter aspect once again provided by Van der Zanden. At the same time, it also showcases the confident growth in Mulder's voice. Rhythmically it's somewhat challenging due to some surprisingly odd-timed drum patterns, but overall it's another fine construed song by Boekestein.

The subsequent Go For The Night follows this with warmth of organ and engaging pop melodies, highlighted by tuneful keyboard play, somewhat in spirit of Saga. It is candlelight time with Simple Love Songs. This ballad brings lovely bass lines and easy comforting melodies with a touch of blues, to which the cautiously building bridge adds gracious hugs of guitar. But I wouldn't go as far as marking it down as prog, because I can easily envision Dolly Parton to have a song like this in her repertoire.

This brief prog-abandoning aspect also applies to Make Me Feel Alive. What it says on the tin, it brings energetic feelings of uplift to which 70s organ and conjures distant Colloseum memories. The acoustic intimacies of I Won't Recover which, perfectly befitting Mulder's expressively strengthened voice, bring sweetened imagery of Diana Ross and Barbra Streisand.

Album closer A Friend accompanies this personalised view up to a point, as it's once again not overly prog-influenced. Originally dating back to 1981 and Boekestein's Argyll days, this is however an excellent closing rocker with a riff reminiscent of Queen with synths and energetic melodies. It makes me wonder when that all-encompassing Argyll retrospective will finally be released?!

The two final songs hears The Boxx Orchestra tastefully return to the 70s prog as exhibited in the first two tracks. In The Horn Of Plenty this leads to melodies supported by slightly improved dynamics than before and bring flavours of Earth And Fire, to which a delicately instrumented impression of symphonic Renaissance is added. Drums do have a tendency to proceed fairly monotonous which takes away some of the songs charm. But on the whole this is another well composed song with a grand indulgent finale featuring great bluesy edged guitar work.

And the last one, One To Fit is where all pieces of The Boxx Orchestra puzzle fall perfectly into place. Starting of with a sumptuously grand overture and restrained melodies filled with elegance of tension and refinement of vocalised drama, this song includes a joyous acceleration into an uptempo bridge, highlighted by smashing guitar work. It also features a lovely movement of subtly harmonious interplay guided by inviting piano that, after a revisitation of intensified themes, ultimately flows into a delectable rocking finale awash with splendid drum rolls and guitar. This is an excellent standout composition that shows promise and potential.

What The Horn Of Plenty evidently shows is that The Boxx Orchestra are moving in an upward trend. There are still a few hurdles to be taken like for instance smoothness in arrangements, dynamic range, and the not yet pointed out curious cutting out of songs a fraction too early during fade-outs. But the overall conclusion is that Boekestein has composed a successful set of attractive compositions that thanks to delightful harmonious musical interpretations and the perfectly befitting voice of Mulder pleasantly entertain. This makes The Horn Of Plenty a nicely crafted and satisfying piece of work the band can be rightly proud of.

Jethro Tull — The Jethro Tull Christmas Album – Fresh Snow At Christmas

7

Owen Davies

The Jethro Tull Christmas album was originally released in 2003, twenty-one years later it has been remixed and re-released as part of a box set package. Tull fans will be keen to find out if Bruce Soord's remix significantly alters the character of the original album. They will also want to know if the inclusion of a previously unreleased The Ian Anderson Band live performance from St Brides in 2006, makes the overall package a worthwhile addition to the IA/Tull discography.

I can offer an opinion about the remix, but unfortunately can say little relating to the merits, or otherwise of the previously unreleased recording, as only the remix was made available for review purposes. Consequently, I am unable to comment about most of the content of Fresh Snow At Christmas.

For those unfamiliar with the original Christmas album, it included a bunch of tunes that were written specifically for the release. These include Birthday Card At Christmas, Last Man At The Party, and First Snow On Brooklyn. It also offered reworkings of several well-known Tull songs such as, Weathercock, and Fires At Midnight. The release also included instrumental arrangements that were based on traditional tunes like God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman and We Five Kings.

Overall, Fresh Snow At Christmas is a tad disappointing in comparison to previous Jethro Tull box sets. There are no new songs dating from the sessions, or unreleased studio outtakes, or demos included in the package. Apart from the St Brides performance of 2006, it does not substantially add to material that has been available before.

Fresh Snow At Christmas is not a part of the Warner brothers Tull remix series that has proved so popular amongst Tull aficionados. It is released by InsideOut Records. At the time of writing this, it remains to be seen whether the dimensions, informative content, or quality of its packaging matches the high standard of the Warner Brothers releases.

Nevertheless, the remix certainly brings a lively sheen to the album. The original mix was pleasant enough, but was arguably a little lifeless. In the new mix, the instruments have a much clearer and precise definition and Anderson's voice has been brought forward, to good effect, when appropriate.

However, despite the remix, some of the instrumental tunes such as, We Five Kings, continue to feel a bit too contrived for their own good. Consequently, some of the instrumentals are rather bland and stilted. This is probably due to how the original album was created.

I seem to remember reading at the time that much of the album was assembled not in the studio, but from the players sending their parts in to Anderson who then assembled everything. Whether this was indeed the methodology is debatable, but if true, it certainly accounts for a perceived lack of spontaneity that can be observed in some of the instrumental material.

The instrumentals of the Christmas album have always appeared to be a bit safe and sterile and the new mix has not substantially altered that perception. This is all relative of course, the arrangements are well-thought-out and the music is skillfully delivered. Anderson's lyrical flute playing is a consistent highlight and Andrew Gidding's finely executed keyboard embellishments imbue the pieces with a Christmas charm and a touch of sentimentality. The tunes just lack the sparkle and creativity that is usually associated with Jethro Tull.

Do they sound better though? Undoubtedly, they do! Subtle and extra details can frequently be heard in the arrangements.

Tunes like We Five Kings, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Holly Herald and Greensleeved are substantially enhanced by the lively mix and as a result they are even easier on the ear than before. The singalong, knuckle warming melodies would not feel out of place in a shopping mall in December.

This in many ways is one of the great selling point of the Christmas album. The mixture of Christmas themed Tull songs and the reimagining of several traditional Christmas tunes is a blend that is designed to appeal to Tull fans and non-Tull fans alike. Certainly, the Christmas album captures many of the stereotypical sentiments and moods of the festive season well. It is pleasantly accessible, thoughtful joyful and playful. It certainly would not cause cantankerous guests to become even more ruffled at the Christmas dinner table, or tempt any Tull haters to search frantically for their ear protectors.

That it has the potential to please a wide-ranging audience and more is a great testament to the skill of Ian Anderson as a composer and arranger. Although some musical aspects of the release might appear to be a little bit too mainstream and possibly cheesy for some Passion Play-loving Tull fans. It is also somewhat debatable whether the albums occasional lapses into lounge bar muzak enhance things much. However, in the context of what Anderson set out to achieve, the Christmas album does a remarkably good job.

The tunes that are perhaps of greatest interest are the ones that were written specifically for the original release. I have always enjoyed their thought-provoking lyrics and have appreciated the skilful songwriting that lies at their heart. The remix of Birthday Card At Christmas sounds subtly different, and I am not altogether sure that it works as well. The most obvious change relates to the chorus. Anderson's vocals have been layered and washed in an increased reverb effect. It perhaps alters the tongue in cheek nature of the tune to add a feeling of menace to words like, "I am the shadow of your Christmas. I am the corner of your smile".

Last Man At The Party is a wonderful tune. It is melodically rich and has a rousing chorus. It would not have been out of place on Rupi's Dance. Its astute observations of family life and Christmas celebrations are certainly sadly often too true. First Snow On Brooklyn sounds even more emotive on the remix. The elegant sweeping sound of the Sturcz string Quartet steps out of the shadows with Soord's help to great effect. (Incidentally, the leader of the quartet, cellist András Sturcz recently participated in Solaris' Martian Chronicles III album.) Until, the remix of the Christmas album I had never really noticed how important the strings were, in reflecting the pathos, and heartfelt reflections of Anderson's lyrics in this beautiful tune.

The re-recorded Jethro Tull compositions of the Christmas album do not sit particularly well, when compared to the originals. However, the remix of Jack Frost And The Hooded Crow is much more dynamic than the original Christmas album rendition. However, when compared to the tune that first appeared on 1988's 20 Years Of Jethro Tull box set, its arrangement is still rather too busy for my taste. The fade out with fluted tints and hints of Bourée and God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman is enjoyable, but is a trite too contrived to be considered particularly inventive. Arguably, though, its little touches like that that give the Christmas album such widespread appeal.

The remix of Another Christmas Song has a noticeably different flavour. In the new mix, the sound of bells is significantly enhanced during the instrumental break at about the one minute thirty-five mark. This fine-tuning, certainly gives the tune an unmistakable chiming extra boost of seasonal charm. The piece is also noticeable for the improved definition and clarity of Dave Pegg's melodic bass and Martin Barre's distinctive guitar that has also been raised in the mix.

Fresh Snow At Christmas certainly is worth purchasing, if you have not heard the now hard to obtain 2009 double release of the Christmas Album And Jethro Tull Live Christmas At St Bride's 2008.

St Bride's 2008 is an enjoyable live performance. It undoubtedly gives an impression of what a Jethro Tull Christmas concert is like. Listeners may probably find that after one listen, or two they will probably wish to skip the readings. The choir sections are likeable but contain no great surprises. It is not possible to make a judgement on whether the sound quality of this portion of the Fresh Snow At Christmas release has significantly improved things. The sound quality of the live performance always seemed quite acceptable on the 2009 release.

However, I am not entirely convinced that if you already own that item; that the remixes and unreleased St Brides 2006 tracks would warrant the expenditure of the box set.

To sum up, and based only on the evidence of the remix of the album and not on the unreleased live performance or its packaging and presentation; Fresh Snow At Christmas offers an enjoyable and sometimes different dimension to the original Christmas album. However, it is probably not an essential purchase, except for perhaps, the most loyal and ardent of Tull fans around the globe.

I do not intend to buy it, but who knows maybe Santa might help, and I guess that all that is left to say is; heh Santa pass us that Box set, will you?!

Duo Review

Kite Parade — Disparity

9

Béla Alabástrom

I already knew within the first few bars that this was going to be one of my albums of the year. Ethereal keyboards soaring gracefully on the thermal streams, reminiscent of Lifesigns, imbued with a sense of urgency. This is prog with a message, swathed in gorgeous melodies, but uncompromising nevertheless. We live in a world of extremes with growing inequality, the chasm between the super rich and the rest yawning ever wider. The disparity of the title is painfully apparent, both globally, with a horrifically skewed distribution of wealth and opportunity, and within our developed societies. As stated dispassionately in the newsreader's commentary in the opening track Fraternal Angels: "The world's 86 richest individuals now own as much wealth as the poorest half of humanity, 3.5 billion people". Writing this on the day the US election results were announced, with a sycophantic victory speech declaring one of these multi-billionaire plutocrats a genius in need of protection, does not exactly inspire hope of positive change.

In keeping with the subject, the cover art displays the two extreme states of the same material: coal and diamonds, base and brilliant. No doubt the great and the good would consider themselves represented by the precious stone, although diamonds are created through being subjected to sustained and extreme pressure, so to my mind there is greater justification for perceiving them as those at the opposite end of the socio-economic spectrum, who retain their integrity and compassion in spite of their straitened circumstances.

Disparity is a concept album, introducing us to a cast of characters of varying degrees of wealth, status and power, each with a unique and authentic voice, and each with a differing perspective, none of which overlap. The individual tracks are vignettes unified by the overarching theme, condensed character studies drawing on familiar cultural archetypes without ever lapsing into caricature or parody, intentional or otherwise. This is a fresh and original approach executed with consummate skill and craftsmanship.

For his third Kite Parade album, Andy Foster has once again collaborated with exceptionally talented guest artists, including Jimmy Pallagrosi on drums and Marcin Pallider on bass, whose contributions add further sparkle to this gem.

And then the guest vocalists. Is This All There Is? is sung to heart-rending and sublime perfection by Christina Booth of Magenta, one of prog's all-time greats. She articulates an all too familiar reality: mere existence as opposed to an autonomous fulfilled life with a sense of agency and empowerment. At the mercy of others, all mental and emotional energy absorbed by the futile endeavour of eking out the means to put the next meal on the table or pay the next bill. Hounded by creditors who refuse to grasp that you cannot conjure up what is not there. A recipe for abject misery, demeaning, draining and inflicting deep psychological and emotional scars. This is the daily grind – in the quite literal sense – laid bare in all its brutality: drab and devoid of hope, leaving no room for creativity or joy. The ballad of the working poor, bone-tired, gnawed at by relentless anxiety, subdued and downtrodden.

The contrast with The World Is Mine could hardly be greater. Here we are presented with the view from above (again quite literally), from the villain of the piece: "Swanky pad looking down at the plebs below". His stone-cold indifference verging on the happy-go-lucky reminded me strongly of Harry Lime's self-serving, completely amoral and vile attempt at justifying his actions in The Third Man: "Victims? Don't be melodramatic. Look down there. Tell me. Would you really feel any pity if one of those dots stopped moving forever? If I offered you twenty thousand pounds for every dot that stopped, would you really, old man, tell me to keep my money, or would you calculate how many dots you could afford to spare? Free of income tax, old man. Free of income tax – the only way you can save money nowadays". This is the it-can't-be-helped mindset at its most repugnant, shrugging off all responsibility.

The lyrics eloquently convey the myopia of privilege, serenely unperturbed by the plight of the less fortunate, who do not impinge on the protagonist's reality in the slightest. To quote from Harry Lime again: "Nobody thinks in terms of human beings. Governments don't. Why should we? They talk about the people and the proletariat. I talk about the suckers and the mugs – it's the same thing. They have their five-year plans, so have I". Such callous and cossetted detachment can only be maintained through never having been forced to witness the anguish and trauma of deprivation from close up. The speculator revels in the accumulation of his vulgar accoutrements, conspicuous consumption as a badge of status, empty hedonism filling the void in his soul. This is an individual convinced of his own superiority and immunity from downturn and hardship. The particular brilliance of this piece is that the music is casually upbeat with an infectious melody, a funky bass line and a 1970s flavour, all mirroring his cynical, carefree and flippant attitude, completely unflappable.

Broken, a perfectly aimed blow to the solar plexus in musical form leaving the listener incapacitated with awe, follows. Once again in marked contrast to the preceding track, this is a song of loss and bereavement, of the despair and disorientation of becoming untethered. Lynsey Ward's luminous and achingly beautiful vocals are quite simply stunning. The keys have an epic quality in spite of the stripped back arrangement with its deceptive simplicity, proving that less can indeed be more, delivering a further highly effective emotional punch. Throughout the album, the distinctive keyboard sounds were redolent of Thomas Dolby (in Astronauts And Heretics, or A Map Of The Floating City, most notably Oceania). A gorgeous saxophone solo dissolves into Lynsey's concluding words, followed by an impassioned guitar solo.

Forgotten Youth summons the nightmare figure of the predatory youth in his hoodie, mugging to feed his addiction, buoyed up by aggression fuelled by the raw impulse to satisfy his cravings: "Got no readies now, again I'm broke, Take your watch and cash 'cos you mean nothing, Fuck you up if you try to resist, Cut you up if you don't hand it over, 'Cos you mean nothing to me". Again, the music expresses the essence of the narrator's psyche, clipped and jagged like the serrated edge of a vicious blade. For all his thuggishness, the youth is more savagely blunt and honest than the businessman about his intentions to extort, with no middlemen permitting a conscience to be hypocritically salved, pleading ignorance.

He attempts to absolve himself, deflecting blame, portraying himself as "a victim of society" in the perennial and depressingly familiar cycle of abuse, having been beaten by his father and neglected by his mother, seeking solace in chemical oblivion. An element of nuance is introduced when he desperately asks for forgiveness as he inevitably plummets earthward from the artificial high. Unlike the speculator riding the highs and lows of the stock markets, who is equally ruthless and determined in pursuing his objectives, yet whose empathy bypass is irreversible: "Read the news, all the blues, and I'm making a killing, All their pain. That's a shame but it's OK". The youth at least possesses some vestiges of remorse, some residual acknowledgement of right and wrong.

After a sumptuous instrumental Is There Hope?, again with echoes of Thomas Dolby and Lifesigns, we come full circle with the two closing tracks. Firstly, Make It Beautiful envisages a radically different path for humanity to follow, exhorting us not to give up hope: "A world where no child ever starves, The homeless find a place to rest, Where weapons leave our teenage streets, Replaced by love for humanity". Listen To The Angels picks up the motifs and lyrics of the opening track without being a simple reprise, changing pace at just after the two-minute mark, building in intensity and power before the climactic admonition: "Listen to the angels, Right now" and the more sombre, goosebump-inducing fade-out.

Andy does not assume the mantle of a fulminating evangelist terrorising his flock into submission with threats of hellfire and brimstone. Nor does he assume the austere yet fervent gaze and combat fatigues of the revolutionary urging his followers forward to the barricades. Disparity adopts a more subtle approach and is all the better for it. Heartfelt and engaging, if anything it is not long enough at 40 minutes. It offers a salutary reminder that the current state of the world is both unsustainable and untenable. Disparity peers into the darkest recesses of our hearts to appeal to the better angels of our nature (to borrow from a more worthy incumbent of the presidential office), confronting us with the uncomfortable question: Change is within our gift, but do we really care enough to act?

MVI (Mark Vickness Interconnected) — I Will Find My Way

8

Owen Davies

I was not familiar with MVI until I read an article about their latest release on the web. This sparked an interest and I contacted Mark Vickness with a view to write about MVI's latest release. He kindly sent me I Will Find My Way and the bands previous release In The Rain Shadow. I am glad that he did because listening to the calming and meditative style of In the Rain Shadow put much of the soothing music of I Will find My Way into the broader context of the band's chosen approach to performance and composition. Added to this, four tunes on his latest release are reworkings of tunes originally found on In The Rain Shadow.

Both albums are highly enjoyable and are highly recommended for anybody who likes reflective instrumental music. There were numerous occasions during In The Rain Shadow and in I Will Find My Way that drew favourable comparisons with the pulsing rhythms and gently elegant style of Oregon.

If you can imagine a classic Oregon sound with a small amount of the identifiable world music influences of Colin Walcott you might to be able to visualise some aspects of the type of music MVI create. However, that comparison, is not strictly correct as several tracks highlight rhythms and structures that might be associated with India, such as Rupak (for Ty) from In The Rain Shadow, and Higher Desert, and In The Rain Shadow Revisited from I will Find My Way.

Notwithstanding the amount of merging of East and West styles, or their absence in some tunes, the music of MVI in both releases certainly has a similar Oregon like ambience and caressing atmosphere. For example, the title track of In the Rain Shadow features a gorgeous Oboe accompaniment which had me reaching for comparisons with Paul McCandless.

In addition to the extensive use of the sweet tones of the oboe, the mood inducing rhythmic use of a tabla and percussive devices in several compositions, including More Hot Apple Stuff reinforces comparisons with Oregon. This notion is also bolstered because, the album features an arrangement of Icarus. This is a tune that was written by Ralph Towner and frequently performed by Oregon over the years, though I do not think that Oregon ever recorded it.

However, MVI's distinctive compositions and range of instruments used ensures that their overall sound is relatively unique. Although both Oregon and MVI, for the most part, share a gentile and transformative tranquil air, there are undoubtedly lots of observable differences.

The tunes of I will Find My Way are carefully and beautifully constructed. They are elegant and captivating. The wonderful quality of the recording ensures that each instrument is clearly defined and the whole release has an abundance of delightful arrangements where all the members of the ensemble, have a part to play in creating the albums accessibly graceful and spacious sound.

Squall begins with an enchanting acoustic guitar passage. However, the opening moments of Cloud Shadows Revisited is equally attractive. Mark Vickness' guitar style is very distinctive, and it is this facet that more than anything that perhaps gives the music a perceptible and a somewhat unique characteristic. Vickness' finger style guitar sound is prominent in several of the pieces, and it frequently builds an intricate foundation that helps the other musicians to excel. His guitar even has a percussive element in the mid-section of Three Bridges.

MVI also use, violin and Cello as an important part of the ensembles rich collaborative sound. This gives the music an earthy and emotionally accessible air. The string sections which embellish and light up proceedings in tunes like More Hot Apple Stuff and during the impressive The Four, are simply fantastic.

The ensembles dynamic range is also enhanced by the melodic puff cheek tones of a sax when the need arises. For example, the subtle and melodious soprano sax playing in the introductory phase of Higher Desert perfectly complements the other components. The excellent tonal qualities, of Dan Feiszli's upright bass gives this piece an atmospheric low-end bounce and his contribution is certainly one of the high lights of this excellent tune.

The album is divided into three parts. These represent the number of musicians who are involved in specific parts of the recording. This sequencing works well. It certainly broadens the palette of instruments that are experienced as the album progresses. Consequently, it also helps to maintain a high level of listener interest over the course of the whole release.

I thoroughly enjoyed I will Find My Way, It is without doubt a perfect accompaniment to evenings spent relaxing warmed by the radiant glow of a log fire.

It is highly recommended for anybody who enjoys soothing melodic instrumental music.