Trollheart

Note: thanks once again to post character restrictions, and my running off at the mouth, this section has AGAIN to be split into two. Sorry about that.
Time to check out the solo career of another musician. The first edition of this section concentrated on Phil Lynott, which in a way was easy, as he only had two solo albums before his untimely death. Our next guest, however, is still very much alive and has produced, to date, eight solo albums, with more no doubt to come. We're going to concentrate on just four of them here, in order to give you an overall view of his body of work, and how it differs --- if at all --- from his work within the band.



Yes, it's that man from the Cars, he of the distinctive voice and the weird looks, and indeed weird name, Ric with a “c” Ocasek. In between guiding the Cars through a successful series of top albums and hit singles during the seventies and eighties, Ocasek has found time to record a slew of solo albums. Are they any good? Let's check them out, shall we?

Beatitude --- 1982 (Geffen)


The debut solo is always the hardest, especially if you've been --- or still are --- in a well-known band. Most of your fans or potential audience are going to buy your new album because they like your band, but that's a double-edged sword, as they are more than likely also going to want/expect to hear the same sort of music that they've liked hearing you play or sing in the band. And as a solo artist, you probably want to make a statement, stand out from your work with your fellow bandmembers and do something a little different. Will your legion of fans accept this? And should you then try to pander to their desires, or go your own way, in the hope they will understand, “get it” and follow you regardless?

“Beatitude” seems to follow the line of least resistance, at least in terms of commerciality, as it opens with a very Cars-like tune, “Jimmy Jimmy”, with thumping bass and handclap drums, and Ocasek's distinctive vocal, a melody which in fact sounds more than a little like “Shake it up”, from the Cars album of the same name; breathy synth, very new-wave. It almost sounds like a song getting ready to get going, which never actually does. No huge departure then, at least at first. Cars fans will be relatively happy: the band could have played this song. Next up is “Something to grab for”, with more guitars whereas the opener was driven by keyboards and synth. Again it's very much a track in the style of the Cars. No bad thing, to be sure, but it would be nice to see Ric stretching his creativity and (god how I hate this phrase, which has become so overused, but it is appropriate here) stepping outside his comfort zone. (Actually interesting, that, as one of his other solo albums is called “Fireball zone”...)

Ric sings, plays guitar and keyboards, and also produces this album, so it's very much his project, though he does call in one of his mates from the Cars, keyboard player Greg Hawkes, to help him out, and in fact Hawkes helps him write one of the songs, though in fairness Ocasek writes every other track on the album himself. “Prove” opens on a spacey, dramatic synth line then gets rather funky with slap bass and dancy keyboards. At least this is not something you'd hear on a Cars album! If anything, it resembles more closely something you might find David Bowie singing, and it's certainly a departure from the norm for Ocasek, the first time he's stepped out of the box and tried something new. There's also some real cool sax on the track, thanks to Deric Dyer.

It's back to the comfort of the Cars then for “I can't wait”, with sampled keyboard and tinkly digital piano, and the use of Linn drum machines throughout the album gives it a very Europop feel, not as soulless as their use on some other artistes' albums comes across, but still it would have been nice to have had a human drummer, even on some of the tracks. Next up is probably the standout, “Connect up to me” is also the longest track, coming in at just under seven and a half minutes, with pulsing bass and slithering keyboards, a nice fast beat, again quite akin to a Cars track, most notably I would say “Looking for love” from “Heartbeat City”, but no worse for its similarities. The synth samples work very well here, and the keyboard sections really are smooth and luxurious, building quite the wall of sound.

I've noticed that the Cars, both as a band and in solo projects, tend to --- borrow, shall we say? --- themes, melodies and riffs for their songs, and here you can clearly hear the opening riff from Joe Jackson's “Is she really going out with him?” in the opening bars of “A quick one”, which is a nice little song with definite Cars overtones but still individual enough to qualify as one of Ocasek's own. The next one up, “Out of control”, is that song I mentioned on which Greg Hawkes co-writes, and it's understandably keyboard-heavy, as both of them play keys, but with a sort of reggae beat and a little hint of Peter Gabriel in there somewhere. Interesting song, in that it more or less maintains the same melody all the way through, with no real verses or chorus.

“Take a walk” maintains and expands on the reggae influence, with keyboards that sound like the effects from an old eighties computer game and a heartbeat bass giving the song quite an infectious rhythm. Another recognisable melody opens “Sneak attack”, that of Billy Joel's “My life”. This time though it's not just the opening, as the basic riff continues throughout the track. It segues directly into the closer, the decidedly weird “Time bomb”. Carried on pulsing, ominous bass and wailing keyboards it moves toward a crescendo, with a good guitar solo, nice to hear after the over-preponderance of keyboards.

So, not a bad first effort, though a lot of it could certainly have been done within the framework of the Cars, but perhaps Ric just wanted more control over this project, or to make it more personal. Either way, I would say a good job, but nothing we haven't heard before really. Which is not a problem, as I see it.

TRACKLISTING

1. Jimmy Jimmy
2. Something to grab for
3. Prove
4. I can't wait
5. Connect up to me
6. A quick one
7. Out of control
8. Take a walk
9. Sneak attack
10. Time bomb

And so it's on to the next in his catalogue, which is in fact his second album, released four years later.

This side of Paradise --- 1986 (Geffen)


Ocasek's second album more or less picks up where the debut left off, with an unashamed rip-off of his own “Heartbeat City”: it's staggering how like the title track to their chart-busting album the opener, “Keep on laughin'” is. I suppose you can't be too hard on him: after all, “Heartbeat City”, and indeed most of that album and previous Cars output, was all written by him, so it's not like he's ripping anyone off, other than himself. It is a little disappointing, however, that there's a lack of originality from the outset.

Roping in more famous musicians for this album, Ocasek recruited the likes of Steve Stevens, Tony Levin and Roland Orzabal to help him create his second solo opus, as well as most of the Cars: Benjamin Orr sings background vocals, Elliot Easton plays guitar and Greg Hawkes reprises his keyboard and bass role from “Beatitude”, as well as again collaborating on one song with Ocasek, to push this album much closer to being a full Cars album than the previous one. “True to you” is another boppy Cars-like song, while “Emotion in motion” is the first ever solo ballad from Ocasek (“Beatitude has none), a lovely little track with a melody which would later surface in part on a track by Nanci Griffith, on her “Storms” album, released two years later.

Again, the album is very keyboard-oriented, with not too much guitar in evidence, despite the fact that there are, including Ocasek himself, six guitarists playing on the album! Not exactly an axe attack, though! “Look in your eyes” has a very Judie Tzuke vibe, with a decent amount of guitar, but despite the fact that this time there is a human drummer, Chris Hughes, the percussion on this track still sounds very mechanical, as if created on a Linn or somesuch drum machine. “Coming for you” is a big, brash, dramatic track with heavy, stomping drums and ominous keyboards, and some rather heavy guitar. Reckon that's our Steve Stevens there: has his sort of style and flair.

“Mystery” brings everything back to synth-pop/electronic with an inoffensive little tune without very much to remember it by, then we're into another standout, and the second ballad on the album. “True love” is a great little song, with many Cars touches, nice keys and samples, good little bass line and some great backing vocals, not to mention a gorgeous Spanish guitar solo. The really weird “P.F.J” --- stands for, would you believe, Pink Flag Joe? --- is very much a Ric Ocasek creation, as he sings ”Pink flag Joe/ With his wealthy lips/ He goes to movies/ That don't exist.”

“Hello darkness” is the one track not exclusively written by Ocasek, the one Hawkes helps him out on, but to be fair you wouldn't know, as it's not that much different to anything else here really. The title track closes the album, and it's a powerful and assured ending, the longest track on the album at just barely over eight minutes, and as such, the longest Ocasek solo song to this date. “This side of Paradise” comes in on gentle, almost Doors-ish keyboards with tom-toms and guitar, loping along at a nice mid-pace, with a really infectious keyboard hook. Some pretty frenetic drumming ensues about halfway through, and the track ends on a nice dirty guitar riff to fade, before there's a reprise of the theme from “True love” to finish off the album.

On balance, although “This side of Paradise” (the album) is better than its predecessor, it doesn't differ from it that wildly, in that most of the tracks could have gone on a Cars album, so we're not seeing any signs of Ric Ocasek suddenly breaking out into other genres or bringing in outside influences. Still, as albums go, and indeed as solo albums go, neither of these can be faulted really. Of course, there's nothing that actually marks them out or makes them stand head and shoulders above any others, but they're at least holding their own.

TRACKLISTING

1. Keep on laughin'
2. True to you
3. Emotion in motion
4. Look in your eyes
5. Coming for you
6. Mystery
7. True love
8. P.F.J
9. Hello darkness
10. This side of Paradise

(Stay tuned for part two, coming right up!)

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According to Wikipedia, what happened next seems weird. After his third album, “Fireball zone”, Ocasek was supposed to release “Negative theater” as his fourth, but for reasons unexplained his new record company refused to release the album in the US, taking only seven tracks from it and getting him to record a further eight, and releasing the result under the title “Quick change world” in the US, the same year as “Negative theater” came out in Europe, which is the only territory in which it was released. I guess artistic control over his project was not in Ric's hands!

Negative theater --- 1993 (Warner)


So here is where we pick up on Ric Ocasek's solo career again. The year is 1993, seven years after “This side of Paradise”, and we can see a big change in Ric's music. The opener, “I still believe”, is a short, keyboard-led intro really, less than two minutes long, and leads into “Come alive”, a heavy, fast, almost punk-like track that hurtles along, and would be reprised stylistically by him on the Cars' original last album (before they got back together again last year), “Door to door”. Ocasek seems to have dispensed with the “guest stars” that populated “This side of Paradise”, though it does seem as if longstanding contributor and Cars member Greg Hawkes is still on board.

The sound is definitely heavier, rockier, more urgent, relying rather more heavily on guitar sounds where his last two albums (at least, the first two, the ones covered above) were more or less saturated with keyboard and synth. Things go poppy, almost dancey for “Quick change world”, the title given by the record company to his previous album, I guess you could say the alternative or US version of this one. It's funky, boppy and somewhat in the mould of Bowie, with good guitar and handclap drums. Pretty damn catchy, to be honest.

“Ride with Duce” is more in the heavy rock mould, a good mid-paced rocker, guitar again leading the way, whereas “What's on TV” is pretty experimental, almost Porcupine Tree in its use of samples, recordings and snippets, but ultimately it comes across as a little laboured. “Shake a little nervous” is more funk, “Hopped up” is a sort of dance/rock crossover, a good fast beat and a decent melody, and “Take me silver” is general pop/rock with some nice guitar and keys.

A short track then based on nice echoey guitar, “Telephone again” lasts less than a minute, and is followed by “Race to nowhere”, the longest track on the album, and a new contender for longest solo Ocasek song, at just over nine minutes long. It's something of an opus, containing several different styles and themes, and coming close to standout track on the album. More keyboard and piano-oriented than previous tracks, there's still some very good guitar going on there. Weird Tom Waitsesque monologue near the end, too. Odd, quirky and very different.

“Help me find America” comes in on some beautiful synth and slide guitar, with a breathy vocal from Ocasek. A slow, majestic, entrancing song. Another contender for top spot. Sort of a cross between Woodie Guthrie and Michael Moore... It's followed by “What is time”, a sort of post-progressive industrial rock/pop track, if you can imagine such a thing, driven by a really funky bass line and some seriously cool organ. Closer “Fade away” is a nice atmospheric ballad with lovely violins and an understated vocal, taking the album out on a gentle note, similar to the way it began.

As a solo album then, this one stands far more apart from Ocasek's previous work, marked definitively as his own output: there's very little, if anything, here that I could see on any Cars album. I suppose in some ways a lot of it is quite experimental, for him, and perhaps that's why Reprise blocked his release of it in the USA. Still seems a strange thing to do. I'm glad he managed to get it released here though, and if you're from the US and haven't been able to obtain this album, I can tell you it is worth it.

TRACKLISTING

1. I still believe
2. Come alive
3. Quick change world
4. Ride with Duce
5. What's on TV
6. Shake a little nervous
7. Hopped up
8. Take me silver
9. Telephone again
10. Race to nowhere
11. Help me find America
12. Who do I pay
13. Wait for fate
14. What is time
15. Fade away

Our last look at his solo career is via his last album, released in 2005. There are of course eight albums in his catalogue, but I wouldn't have the space or patience or time to go through each one individually, so we're taking something of a cross-section of his output to give us an idea of where he is musically as a solo artist. This, then, is his latest.

Nexterday --- 2005 (Sanctuary)


After his disagreements and problems with Reprise records, detailed above, on his fourth album, Ric seems to have gone through a succession of labels for his next three albums, four if you include the Europe-only release, which was on the Warner label. This, his last and so far current album, released six years ago now, is on the Sanctuary label. What this constant changing of labels signifies I don't know: perhaps a dissatisfaction with some aspect of each one as he recorded for them, or maybe he's a hard artist to work with? Could be a number of things, I guess.

At any rate, “Nexterday” opens with “Crackpot”, a low-key mid-paced rocker, with again another “borrowed” riff, this time from Dylan's (well, Hendrix's, really) “All along the watchtower”. Greg Hawkes is once again on board, as is his guitarist from the debut album, Roger Greenawalt, though Ocasek himself as usual plays guitars and keys, and sings, and this time he writes every track himself. A much rockier track than some of the more pseudo-pop/electronica material that has characterised his previous albums, “Crackpot” is a good opener and something of a change of style for Ric, that rocky element retained for “Bottom dollar”, a more Cars-ish song, very in the mould of “My best friend's girl”, while “Don't lose me” kicks the tempo up a gear with a song in a sort of fifties vein, but yet modern enough.

Things get all reggae then for “In a little bit”, reminding me of nothing more than 10CC's “Dreadlock holiday”. Hey, I know I'm noting a lot of comparisons here, but take my word for it, Ocasek and indeed Benjamin Orr on his solo album, is not averse to borrowing the odd melody, chord structure, riff etc. They're usually used well --- they don't rip off full songs, they're rearranged and reused --- but it does unfortunately point to a certain lack of originality. This is a good song all the same, as is “Silver”, a slower, more introspective song with a certain Nick Cave vibe to it.

“Come on” gets things moving again, another Cars-type song, and “Carousel”'s ok too, but the problem I'm having with this album is that, so far, nothing has stood out, nothing has leaped out and grabbed me. The tracks are all good, none great and certainly none that I expect to remember later, unlike the other three albums I've so far reviewed for this section. Running out of steam? Too many changes of labels? Boredom? Ideas drying up? Who knows, but “Please don't let me down” is at least a nice little ballad, but again it could feature on any Cars album. As indeed could the closer, the boppy “It gets crazy”.

As a solo album, from what I've heard of Ric Ocasek's catalogue, this would be the most disappointing in my opinion. It's just basic Cars with a few bells and whistles (and sometimes not even that) --- there are no epic tracks, no quirky pieces, and frankly nothing that grabs the attention or stands out as anything special. Basically, this is as close as Ocasek has come to recording another Cars album.

TRACKLISTING

1. Crackpot
2. Bottom dollar
3. Don't lose me
4. In a little bit
5. Silver
6. Come on
7. I'm thinking
8. Carousel
9. Heard about you
10. Please don't let me down
11. It gets crazy

So, the conclusion then. There's no doubting Ric Ocasek's talent: he is after all the driving force (sorry!) behind the Cars. The trouble seems to be that a lot of the time he seems to be unable to separate his work with the band from his own solo material, and make his own stuff stand out on its own merits. There are of course exceptions, moments where his brilliance and innovation shine through: the title track to “This side of Paradise”, “Help me find America” and “Race to nowhere” on “Negative theater”, and “Connect up to me” from “Beatitude”, but the instances are too few and far between.

Of course, I have only sampled half his repertoire for this article, and there are four albums I haven't touched, but it seems rather unlikely that they are going to reveal anything these four have not, and “Quick change world” is, as mentioned, basically half of “Negative theater”, with the other half admitted Cars-styled songs, so I don't anticipate any huge surprises from that album at least.

There's nothing wrong, of course, with a solo artist carrying his band work into his own material: plenty have done so and very successfully. Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore and Fish from Marillion to name but a few, but then there are those who have forged a totally separate identity through their solo work than that which they presented when with their band. I'm thinking in particular of Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and yes, already-covered Phil Lynott. Listening to their solo albums is generally not the same as listening to them in the band, whether they're still with them or not.

Sometimes we buy solo albums to hear something different, sometimes in the hope of hearing “new material” from the band, as was basically the case with Fish's early albums, and indeed Roger Waters doesn't stray all that far from his work with Pink Floyd on his solo efforts. So there's nothing wrong with it at all. But it would certainly seem that, although he is capable of quite startling musical insights and expressions from time to time, the bulk of Ric Ocasek's solo work appears to be treading the same ground as his material with the Cars.

It's not a bad thing, especially if you're a fan of the band, but then, it's also fair to say that it's less than original.

Next time, we'll be looking at the work of Debbie Harry, and comparing her solo output to that practiced by her within Blondie.

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Random Track of the Day
Friday, September 16 2011

Oh yeah, keep on rockin'! Another heavy track to bring the working week to a close, this is Savatage, from the album “Power of the night”, displaying none of the later prog-rock/metal tendencies that would surface on albums like “The wake of Magellan”, “Streets: a rock opera” and of course in a new incarantion as Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Nothing terribly special about it, a standard metal track, from a very early lineup.

Unusual --- Savatage --- from "Power of the night" on Atlantic



Not a lot to say really. In some ways, the title is misleading, as this track is nothing like unusual. Could have been recorded by any metal band of the time. Doesn't particularly stand out, but it doesn't suck either.

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Ah, class tells! Even twenty-five years later, this song still resonates as one of Queen's best songs from their later catalogue. And a great video too, taking them back to the top of the charts in 1986 with “A kind of magic”.

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Ooh yeah, the worm likes to rock, and there's no mistake! Today's Daily Earworm comes to you courtesy of a real rock classic, the unforgettable beat of the Rolling Stones' “Satisfaction”. Who doesn't recognise that opening riff?

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Random Track of the Day
Monday, September 12 2011

Nothing like starting off the week with a good slice of heavy metal! Today's Random Track of the Day comes from Anubis Gate, a metal outfit from Denmark, from their third album, “Andromeda unchained”, this is “Resurrection time”.

Resurrection time --- Anubis Gate --- from “Andromeda unchained” on Locomotive



This is the first time I've heard these guys, and though most times metal bands from the “top of the world” tend to be black, doom, death or goth, Anubis Gate seem more in the area of what I would term “proper” or perhaps “classic” heavy metal, with the likes of Maiden, Helloween, Queensryche and so on. Good song, good band. Must check further into this album.

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Dear oh DEAR oh dear! Who in their right mind thought this was ever a good idea? Three ladies, unknown before (and after) this, to me at any rate, covering one of the seminal classic rock songs of the seventies, and one of the greatest and most recognisable songs ever. Taking on Blue Oyster Cult's opus “Don't fear the Reaper” would be a big enough task on its own, but when the Alice Band tried to make it all smoulderingly sexy and dangerous ---- yeah, just didn't work.

First, there's the total absence of the signature opening guitar riff. When that's missing, you know things aren't going to go well. Then there's the style it's sung in, sort of cross between pop and folk, with a bit of country thrown in. Drumming that sounds weak and machine-created, a lazy vocal which almost works, weak backing vocals, no guitar solo in the middle … ah, I could go on! But instead, I'll let you decide. Here are the two versions side by side, original first.

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It's always bugged me that there is one Marillion album I could never get into, despite repeated listenings and some real effort on my part. You see, I've been a Marillion fan since 1982, and have followed them from their first release, “Script for a jester's tear” (which still ranks in my estimation as one of the best, if not the best debut albums ever), and have watched them go through lineup changes, changes in musical direction and changes in the way they sell their records. I have never, or had never, up to this album, been less than delighted with any of their releases, never mind satisfied. Disappointment was not a word I associated with Marillion, except in the case where there was to be no new album for a few years.

But their 2007 effort, “Somewhere else”, let me down bigtime. Especially as their last outing, the superlative double album “Marbles”, had been so good and perhaps set me up for a fall. In addition, we had had to wait three years between the release of “Marbles” and 2001's “Anaroknophobia”, with another three years wait for this one. So I was all set to once again revel in the delights of a new Marillion album. I was to find it a huge -- and very unexpected --- disappointment, and so here we are, in the Last Chance Saloon once again, to try to figure out if this album is as bad as I remember, or if it can be redeemed.

Somewhere else --- Marillion --- 2007 (Intact)

I was somewhat disconcerted by the opener, “The other half”. It opens slowly and then builds in an okay way, but okay is not good enough when you're talking about this band. It felt like something was missing, and as I listen again, in a final attempt to get into this album and not have a big gap in my appreciation of Marillion, I feel the same. Followup track “See it like a baby” is pure pop, and not in any way worthy of Marillion, however the third track in is where they really get going, finally, with a lush ballad in “Thank you whoever you are”: great keys as ever from Mark Kelley --- which somehow had been absent, subsumed or muted on the previous two tracks. Excellent and introspective guitar from the ever-reliable Steve Rothery, and a passionate and bittersweet vocal from Steve Hogarth, or “H” as he prefers to be known, lift this track head and shoulders above everything that has come before, and really, it's the standout track. I know that's somewhat disconcerting, so early into the album, and that fear is sadly well founded.

Well, in fairness, there is another great track near the end, but come on! I shouldn't be saying this about Marillion! You may not be a fan, but if you are, you should know that they have had consistently perfect output since 1982, even with the shocking departure of frontman Fish, and the new, energised version, Marillion v 2.0, as it were. But after the sublimity of “Thank you”, we're hit with a truly awful track that can't even claim to qualify as filler: “Most toys” is just lazy, loud rock, with its admittedly interesting message almost completely lost in the cacophony of guitars that just throttles this track. About the only thing I can say about it is that it's short, mercifully short, at just under three minutes, the shortest on the album.

The title track is up next, and although it's a Marillion-respectable length, at just under eight minutes, and indeed a nice relaxing ambient number, I find it lacking in that it sort of comes and goes, without really making any impression on me. Perhaps it's the understated vocal from Hogarth, or the lack of a well-rounded and clear lyrical idea (I still don't really know what it's about), but it just passes me by, and for an eight-minute (almost) song, that's not good. To be totally equitable, I must admit that the playing on the song is up to the high standard I expect of Marillion, with lovely piano from Kelley and soulful guitar from Rothery, gentle percussion from Ian Mosley, but I just don't feel it goes anywhere.

Now, as a dyed-in-the-wool Marillion fan, I feel I should point out that I don't hate this album: there is no Marillion album I hate. But if you asked me to choose my least favourite of their catalogue, there would be no hesitation on my part in pointing to this 2007 album. It leaves a great hole of longing in me, musically. I had waited three long years for new Marillion output, and to be this let down was a huge blow, so much so that I seriously considered not getting the next album. Luckily that did not happen, and I only had a year to fret and chew my fingernails until “Happiness is the road” appeared on the horizon, and although it was not the opus I had hoped, it was far better than this, and went a long way towards re-establishing my faith in the band. You can read my review of it on the first page of my journal, if you're so inclined.

You know, on reflection, the album sleeve is quite appropriate, as I do sort of feel like I'm staring through one of those seaside telescope/binocular things, searching for the band I know and love, looking for the music I want to hear, and finding that I am, in a very real way, somewhere else. Somewhere I don't want to be.

Another long track is next up, “A voice from the past” is again a low-key, understated number, with some really nice instrumentation, but once more I feel it's a little empty. I think one of the main things that upsets me about this album is that it's so laid-back! With the exception of “See it like a baby” and the hateful “Most toys”, the band rarely seem to break a sweat, turning this into almost an easy-listening album more than a rock one, or even a pop one. I'm all for relaxing tunes, but unless the band is known for producing such content, I think a whole album of lounge music is not a good idea. There are some good concepts in the tracks, the playing is as ever excellent; I just feel that it's an album where the band are holding themselves back, not realising their true potential. I mean, compare this to the previous “Marbles”, or even albums before that, like “Radiation” and “Marillion.com” --- there's just no comparison.

“No such thing” is basically the same idea repeated over and over for almost four minutes, while “The wound” does its best to get things going in a harder vein, and to its credit it is a lot closer to the sort of Marillion I prefer, and expect, to hear, not a bad track at all, but again a little lacking in direction. Rothery is right on form here, it must be said. However I think the problem here is that the song is overlong: it doesn't need seven minutes to get its message across, and in overextending itself that message tends to get lost, or at least a little confused.

There are, thankfully, no such problems with the penultimate track, sensibly cut down to less than six minutes (though only ten seconds less). “The last century for Man” is a powerful yet underplayed indictment of the state of the world, almost, but not quite, recalling Marillion's Magnum opus “Forgotten sons”, perhaps more reminscent of “When I meet God” from “Anoraknophobia”. But it's a well-crafted --- almost perfectly so --- song, starting slow and low-key, building in intensity and power to the denoument and then fading away as it began, but this song at least leaves an indelible mark on the mind, and on the heart, and remains in the ears long after the album has finished.

The closer, then, is a mid-paced number that rocks along gently, not quite a ballad but no rocker either, “Faith” starts off with a Simon and Garfunkel-esque acoustic guitar, which accompanies and complements Hogarth's voice perfectly. When the rest of the band come in, near the end, there's a sense of the sort of song that Marillion can write, and that there definitely should have been more of throughout this album. A nice sort of horn piece closes the track and brings the album to an end. It's perhaps ironic that the closing track should be so titled, as this album has sorely tested ny faith in Marillion.

Listening back to “Somewhere else” now, and not for the first time either --- I've tried to get into this album so many times! --- I still feel that it is without question the weakest in Marillion's catalogue. I can perhaps appreciate some of the songs a bit better now (though I still hate “Most toys”!), and perhaps even get to like one or two I previously didn't rate. However, that's not the point.

With a Marillion album, and on the strength of everything I've heard from them prior and since, I expect to be if not blown away then at least have my faith in them vindicated, album after album. Perhaps that's a lot to ask from a band, but up until they released this, I had had no reason to even hesitate in rushing out and buying the new Marillion album. There was no decision to be made: this was Marillion! But then “Somewhere else” hove into view, and shook my belief in the constant excellence of the band.

Since then, as mentioned, I've regained that faith, and of course I will always buy a new Marillion release as it comes out. But even now, and in the future, that little woodpecker of doubt will be tapping at my mind, the niggling, tiny fear that at some point, Marillion will again fall short of the greatness I expect them to achieve, and that they have achieved, consistently. There's a shadow of unease over my appreciation of my favourite band since 2007, and for that reason, I will never quite accept “Somewhere else” as an album to be listened to. It's the black sheep, the orphan child of the Marillion family, and although orphans need as much love as any other child, sometimes it's hard to give that love.

TRACKLISTING

1. The other half
2. See it like a baby
3. Thank you, whoever you are
4. Most toys
5. Somewhere else
6. A voice from the past
7. No such thing
8. The wound
9. The last century for Man
10. Faith

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Trollheart

Some more themed songs seems to be in order, so this time I'm looking at songs that are about, or have to do with, members of the animal kingdom. There aren't as many as you would think, you know! At least, I had to struggle to think of enough for this section. Here at any rate are the best of the ones I came up with.

Taking wing first (see what I did there?) with Prince's number one smash, “When doves cry”.


Staying with our feathered friends for the moment, here's Snowy White, he of ex-Thin Lizzy, with what I believe was his only solo hit, the lovely “Bird of Paradise”.


It's so cool it just HAS to be included! Theme to the cartoon about the most suave and pink cat on telly, it's of course Henry Mancini's theme to the “Pink Panther”.


And keeping with the felines, here's Al Stewart with a seventies classic, “The year of the cat”.


Not a huge fan of Duran Duran, but I did like “Hungry like the wolf”, and it fits in with today's theme, so...


Another from the seventies, this is the Sweet, with “Fox on the run”.


Coming right up to date now, with a track from Robbie Williams' “Escapology”, the often hilarious “Me and my monkey”.


And we couldn't forget Bob Marley. This is “Buffalo soldier”.


Great song from Geldof before he got all mega-famous and preachy, and when the only “sir” he knew was his teacher at school, the wonderful “Rat trap”.


And let's finish up with the mega-smooth Hall and Oates, maybe stretching it a little, but hell, “Maneater” is a great song!


Hey, that wasn't so hard! Next “Variations” will be for Halloween, when I'll be featuring songs all about supernatural beings, ghosties and things that go bump in the night! BOO! Watch for it...

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Paedantic Basterd

Pulp and flattery!?

My good sir, you are not a burden. Keep up the good work. You are a gentleman and a scholar.