Part Two: Emotional Creatures --- Steve Thorne --- 2007 (Giant Pea)
A while back I reviewed Steve Thorne's album “Emotional creatures, part one” and so impressed was I by it that I promised to review the follow-up. I may take some time to keep my promises, but I always do my best to keep them, so here, some four months later, is the second part, strangely the same title but with the two parts of it reversed, so that it becomes “Part Two: Emotional Creatures”. As I mentioned in the review of part one, Thorne is not a name which will be known to many --- certainly, I had no idea who he was --- not even those among the cognesenti of prog rock, as he tends to keep something of a low profile, but he is able to call on some truly stellar talent for his projects, as indeed he did for the first album.
Thorne's songs all seem to be quite personal and intimate, and he doesn't make a big deal of showing off how well he can sing, or play, surrounding himself instead with people who are exceptionally talented, but so secure in their expertise that they see no need to bedazzle and showboat. People like IQ's Martin Orford, Jadis's John Jowitt and Gary Chandler, Porcupine Tree's Gavin Harrison, Arena's John Mitchell and Marillion's Pete Trewavas, and that's just a few of the star names that play on this album.
A suitably atmospheric opening, with wind sounds, hollow noises and open synth before the first track, “Toxicana apocalypso” gets going with nice sparkly keyboards from Geoff Downes in a very Marillion style, thumping drums from Spock's Beard's Nick D'Virgilio, reprising the slot he occupied on the previous album. Guitar cuts in then and adds to the sound, with taped snippets thrown in here and there. This turns out to be a five-minute instrumental to start us off, and there's a lot of power and drama to it, Downes' keyboards really carrying the track in a very prog-rocklike vein, then evocative guitar pulls in “Wayward”, slowing things down completely, and Thorne's voice cuts through the music like a voice crying in the wilderness. It's a dark, moody song, reminiscent of some of the more sombre work of Porcupine Tree, as Thorne sings
”I was looking on the bright side/ But I was headed down the dirty wayward road.”
Downes again shines on “Crossfire”, this time playing piano on a simple acoustic ballad which bemoans the waste of life brought about by war and conflict. Nice basslines from Tony Levin and Gavin Harrison keep the song tight, with some lovely classical guitar from Arena's John Mitchell and Thorne's tortured voice rising above it all like an angel shaking his head at the pointlessness of what he sees unfolding beneath him on the Earth. “Roundabout” is a slowburner, mean and moody with very expressive keys and some nice little effects filling out the sound. Thorne's vocal is more laidback here, almost lazy, but there's nothing lazy about “Hounded”, with its mid-paced melody, guitar and keyboards meshing in perfect harmony to offer up Thorne's passionate vocal as an example of the man's inestimable craft. Muttering voices in the background add to the sense of unease this track evokes, an ominous tone. It's a long song, not quite the longest on the album but certainly taking second place at just over seven minutes.
Halfway through it kicks into high gear, Gary Chandler taking the solo while the other guest from Spock's Beard, Dave Meroes, works his Rickenbacker like a man possessed. “All the wisemen” is a sharp poke at political figures (George W, anyone?) with a waltzy, 3/4 rhythm where Thorne snarls
”Thank you for tearing that hole in my sky/ And putting that twat on the moon/ Praise be for thirty-six channels of sh1te/ Lounge lizards dance to the tune.” A really nice, Steve Rotheryesque solo by John Mitchell completes the song, then we head into “Great ordeal”, where Arnie Cottrel mesmerises with his mandolin playing in a great folkish tune, acoustic as they come, with more caustic lyrics:
”We got a mortgage on a cardboard box/ Near Brighton Town/ It's by the sea/We'll settle down..”
Two instrumentals follow, both quite short, the first riding in on nineties Genesisesque keyboards and helped along by Chandler's squealing guitar, surf and sea sounds helping to give “6am (your time)” a nice earthy, outdoor feel, with a nice rocky guitar solo that then gives way to soft, mellow keys as the song drifts, Vangelis-like, to its end, being replaced by “Solace”, segueing in seamlessly and continuing the Vangelis melody, with twiddly keyboards and deep booming synth, almost elemental, with a repeated vocal in the background, almost unheard, saying something like “Awaking”, though it's hard to make out the words exactly. The piece is essentially a vehicle for Geoff Downes' keyboard mastery, and though it does come across as something of a showpiece, it's delicate and sincere enough not to make you think that's what it is.
Sounds of nature and gentle keyboard usher in “The white dove song”, D'Virgilo's drums crashing in suddenly and ending the idyll, as Thorne sings and takes the song along on a Beatlesesque melody, with full orchestra behind him – trombones, trumpets, cellos, violas, violins, they're all there --- and a hint of ELO in the organ passage. There are a lot of elements in this song: you can hear snippets of a “Yellow submarine” melody, echoes of “Supper's ready” by Genesis, ELO's “El Dorado” also comes to mind, and it's a very well-constructed song, able to pull all these often disparate ideas together to form a very cohesive whole, which would have made a really good closer to a fine album. My only small criticism is that I would have preferred a more powerful, definite ending, and I think it just kind of fades away, which is a pity.
So who or what are these emotional creatures of whom Steve Thorne speaks, both on this album and the previous? Well, we're told in the closer, “Sandheads”, that they are us. Man, woman, humans, call us what you will, we are the emotional creatures: fragile, quick to anger, quick to fight, slow to forgive, ready to love, always ready to hate. The orchestra are back to provide a dramatic and lush backdrop to this finale, and a beautifully passionate guitar solo from John Mitchell completes the wonder, leading to a really clever and effective closing track, which finally pulls together the closely-interwoven yet separate threads of two albums, tying them all neatly up as the project comes to a close.
I will be delving further into Steve Thorne's catalogue later in the year, hopefully, though those who want more of the same should be advised that the Emotional Creatures project was just that, a project, which Thorne has now completed, and to be fair to the guy, he needs to stretch his artistic muscle --- which is very considerable, based on what I've heard so far --- and strike out in other directions. Nevertheless, on the strength of this project, I have no doubt that whatever he turns his hand to next will be pretty damn good, and I'll be interested to hear it.
TRACKLISTING
1. Toxicana apocalypso
2. Wayward
3. Crossfire
4. Roundabout
5. Hunted
6. All the wisemen
7. Great ordeal
8. 6 am (Your time)
9. Solace
10. The white dove song
11. Sandheads
Recommended further listening: Duh! “Emotional creatures, part one”!