Art of the Invisible

Art of the Invisible

ASIN: B000068VCW

Track Listings

1. Long Ago (And Far Away)

2. Absalom

3. Bobo

4. Aleph

5. Invisible

6. Cathedral

7. Book of Sand

8. In Broad Daylight

9. Unvanquished

Tracks:

Invisible Touch
Tonight, Tonight, Tonight
Land Of Confusion
In Too Deep
Anything She Does
Domino (Part One-In The Glow Of The Night/Part Two - The Last Domino)
Throwing It All Away
The Brazilian

Amazon.com

There no doubt exists a school of rock purists who consider Invisible Touch the album where Genesis officially kissed street credibility goodbye and said hello to beer commercial anthems and puppet extravaganza videos. True, perhaps, but on the other hand, it's great to sing along to a good pop song, too. And this record has good pop songs in spades, from rock-solid I'm-not-so-tough-I-can't-cry-style tearjerkers ("In Too Deep," "Throwing It All Away") to zingy, gurgly pop confections ("Land of Confusion," "Anything She Does"). A few slightly more sprawling tracks are also included ("Tonight, Tonight, Tonight," "Domino," and the instrumental "The Brazilian"), but compared to the band's earlier attempt at art-rock opuses, even these feel a bit candy coated. We are talking about 1987, after all. Thin synth lines weren't retro. They just were. And we loved it. --Bob Michaels

Customer Reviews:

Genesis' most successful album in the US is still great 20 plus years on.......2007-06-22

English progressive rockers Genesis released their 16th overall album entitled Invisible Touch in June of 1986.
By 1986, lead singer and drummer Phil Collins was a solo superstar with his 1985 solo album No Jacket Required which hit #1, spawned singles and won him Grammies. Plus had hits with the soundtrack songs "Against All Odds" in 1984 and "Separate Lives" (with Marilyn Martin) in 1985. Plus he produced Earth Wind and Fire singer Philip Bailey's album Chinese Wall (which featured the two Phil's duet Easy Lover) and songs for Adam Ant's Strip album. Keyboard player Tony Banks had done the film score to the Kevin Bacon movie Quicksilver. Guitarist/bass player Mike Rutherford started his side project called Mike and the Mechanics which released its self-titled debut which spawned three singles.
In late 1985, the band plus co-producer Hugh Padgham recorded the follow-up to the 1983 self-titled effort. When the album was released, would fans embrace it or turn its back on the band. Read on and find out.
We kick things off with the chart-topping title track which has one of the best Rutherford riffs I ever heard and is still a great pop number today. Next is the first of two epics "Tonight Tonight Tonight". This track speaks about the evils of drugs and the seedy parts of life and with the drum machine loop, created a masterpiece. The song was released as a single with over FOUR MINUTES chopped from this classic and was another US Top 10 hit. We follow with "Land of Confusion" which was a great rocker. Who cannot forget the video where the puppets of the band and the late Ronald Reagan are dominating the clip. This track was another Top 5 hit here in the US. The album's first side closed with another Top 10 hit "In Too Deep" which was a nice ballad to close the first half.
The driving "Anything She Does" kicks off the album's second half and is an incredibly fun rocker with amusing supermodel-oriented lyrics that are right on the money, and the synth horns on it sound remarkably like the real thing. The video for this was funny and included the late Benny Hill as their head of security Fred Scottle Esquire! Next is the 11 minute plus epic "Domino". The first section "In the Glow of the Night" is wistful and superb. Then the section ends suddenly and we dreamingly then segue into the powerful "The Last Domino" which is killer despite the Simmons drums which slightly date the song. Next is the album's second US Top 10 hit "Throwing It All Away" which was a superb ballad. We then close the album with the atmospheric instrumental called "The Brazilian" which is packed with killer hooks and a wild atmosphere.
Invisible Touch would become Genesis' highest charting album in the US reaching #3 and was also its best selling album in the US with 6 million copies sold in the US alone and it is because the material is superb and has held up. Also, ex-Genesis members Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett had success that year with their albums So and GTR respectively. Invisible Touch is still superb today.
Recommended!

GENESIS ADDS THEIR INVISIBLE TOUCH TO THIS INCREDIBLE ALBUM........2007-05-05

I will be writing a review on the legendary album entitled "GENESIS - INVISIBLE TOUCH" by one of England's pride and joy's. I give you one of Britain's favorite sons, G-E-N-E-S-I-S! "INVISIBLE TOUCH" was originally released in 1986 on Vinyl/LP, Cassette and Compact Disc on the Atlantic Records label which is a Warner Communications Company. As always, if I hear any new additional information concerning this legendary album or the artist, I will edit this review immediately so that you the consumer will get the overall best informative and most accurate review possible.

GENESIS will forever go down in Rock n' Roll history and be remembered for writing and recording some of Rock's most sacred classic anthems ever.
It is now 1985 and a new phase for the band during this point in their career. GENESIS' lead singer, drummer and frontman Phil Collins would continue to enjoy his solo career with the extremely successful "NO JACKET REQUIRED" album released in 1985. His tour would be extremely successful to highly critically acclaim. However, Collins would forever remain loyal to the band that gave him his start and would willingly return to GENESIS and rejoin his fellow bandmates and friends Tony Banks on keyboards and bassist, lead and rhythm guitarist Mike Rutherford. It was now time for the band to head into the recording studio and record the follow-up allbum to the extremely successful "GENESIS" album from 1983. It would be on this next GENESIS album that the band would follow in the same recording atmosphere and tradition as the previous successful album "GENESIS" released in 1983. After a certain period of time went by, the band would emerge and come out of the recording studio with the fully completed acetate and deliver the finished product to their record label and employer, Atlantic Records. Atlantic Records would release the product as the "INVISIBLE TOUCH" album in 1986. In my opinion, the "INVISIBLE TOUCH" album is another true testament of the genius and musical creativity of three extremely talented individuals. The "INVISIBLE TOUCH" album is also a fine fitting tribute to a great band that was truly indeed, far ahead of their time.

It is now time to let the rock n' Roll music of GENESIS to speak for itself and back it up by doing all of the talking musically. The legendary "INVISIBLE TOUCH" album from 1986 begins with the incredible synthesized progressive Rocker "Invisible Touch," the beautifully slow and soothing synthesized Rocker "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight," the breathtaking synthesized Progressive hard Rocker "Land Of Confusion," the beautifully slow and well arranged love song "In Too Deep," the fast and energetic progressive Rocker "Anything She Does," the groundbreaking and beautifully slow mild Rocker turned fast synthesized progressive Rocker "Domino (Part One - In The Glow Of The Night AND Part Two - The Last Domino)," one of the greatest and most powerful love songs ever written that we can all grasp and relate to, "Throwing It All Away" and the beautifully synthesized progressive instrumental song "The Brazilian." May I also add that all three musicians were steamin' and sizzlin' red hot while laying down the tracks for this album. Phil Collins' blistering lead vocals were so powerful and emotional that he takes the songs and music to an entirely different level.

Overall, this is one great album worth checking out and seeking further research and information into especially if you are a hardcore diehard GENESIS fan or a devout music collector. As for all of the curious newcomers and new beginners that are not quite familiar with the sound and music of GENESIS, I would highly suggest that you research the many GENESIS greatest hits compilation albums on Amazon com before you make your final decision as to which GENESIS album(s) that is right for your musical needs and tastes. If you feel that you truly love the music of GENESIS and you want more, then it would be in your best interests to purchase their many other studio albums that are available on Amazon com. Either way you choose, you will have taken a giant step towards owning and starting your very own GENESIS music collection. You can do all of your researching and album purchases either on Amazon com or at your nearest local Borders Books and Music store. If you ever get a chance, buy this album. You'll be happy and satisfied that you did.

I would like to highly recommend purchasing this legendary album to own as a valuable and important part of his or her own personal music collection. This treasure album has already proven to stand the test of time and will always be around to be enjoyed, appreciated and cherished for many years to come, NOW AND FOREVER. This is one great legendary album that no hardcore music fan or devout music collector would want to be without.

In closing, the GENESIS "INVISIBLE TOUCH" album would be released in 1986 to highly critically acclaim. The band would also quickly embark on a new World Tour to promote the "INVISIBLE TOUCH" album in what would prove to be one of their greatest tours yet ever. Following the tour, it was now time once again for the band to take another long rest and hiatus. There would be many other GENESIS albums that are still yet to come and new stories that would still need to be told and written. But that, my fellow readers and reviewers, you will just have to stay tuned and read further more about it at a later date in the near future. GENESIS, at this point in their career, has forever left their place and mark in Rock n' Roll history and will never be forgotten. So here's to you Phil, Tony and Mike. Thanks for the great memories with many more still to come. Keep Persevering. Keep the Faith. And as the saying goes, "AND THE REST IS ROCK N' ROLL HISTORY," need I say more? Thanks for reading my review and I truly hope that you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have truly enjoyed writing it for your reading pleasure. I also deeply hope that all of you will read all of my other reviews in the near future when time permits. GENESIS RULES! Long Live Rock n' Roll. Rock out always and take it easy. Forever in Rock, John L.

Genesis - Overexposed But A Decent Album.......2007-04-11

This album gets regularly pounded by progressive rock fans as the album where Genesis hit rock bottom. I think part of the problem was that the album was so incredibly commercially successful that many of the tracks were played so much on the radio (and MTV) that people just got sick of hearing them. Add to that the fact that two songs appeared in TV commercials (again vastly overexposed), it is easy to see why this album earned the "sell out" tag that many people place upon it. All this being said, I have always liked this album. No, it is not on a par with the band's progressive rock masterpieces of the 70's, but taken for what it is I enjoy most of it. On the negative side the title track "Invisible Touch", "In Too Deep", and "Throwing It All Away" are pretty typical Phil Collins mush, but these songs are still much better than the crap he put out on his solo albums. On the positive side there are some really good tracks on the disc. "Tonight Tonight, Tonight" is a 10 plus minute proggish tune that now is usually thought of as TV commercial music, but listening to the unedited version it is really a strong track. "Land Of Confusion" is another good social commentary song that suffered from massive over airplay. "Anything She Does" is another good pop tune. The album closer "The Brazilian" is a cool instrumental written by Tony Banks. The highlight of the disc (and the most prog oriented track) is the two part 10 minute plus "Domino". I love this song and on the tour it was one of the highlights of the show. As mentioned previously some people really hate this album, and I can understand where they are coming from, but I have always thought it was a decent effort.

The second worst album of Genesis.......2007-02-15

This is an album that I really hate, most of the songs have been heard over an over again, I can't listen to them anymore, I am talking about "Invisible Touch",Tonight, tonight, tonight", "Land of confusion", "In too deep", "Anything she does" and "Throwing it all away"
It's like fast food, you get into it fast, but as soon as you have finish, you begin to feel sick. These songs were instant hits, but they didn't pass the test of time. The only track that I still like is "Domino" part one and two.

One last point, the only other Genesis album that is this weak is "Abacab"
I am wondering how can somebody can give five star to an album like this one ?

GREAT ALBUM WITH A BAD REPUTATION.......2007-02-05

1986, genesis was not purely progressive rock anymore. This album still possesses the basic genesis elements you'll find on trick or wind or duke. The drama, heavy drums, great keyboard sequences, & long songs are still here. By 1986 Collins was a huge name as solo, producer, session player, & of course with genesis. This album carries the rep of complete pop & it's not true. This album & the last (genesis / 1983) has long & short, fast & slow, happy & sad. There are two songs on here that are over 10 minutes (domino & tonight) Genesis definitly retains their progressive roots here in songs like domino, tonight, & the brazillian. they just modernize the theory. You have to change & do different things. Genesis & collins are renound for changing. Everytime a genesis album came out from the late 70s to the early 90s people were surprised, be it impressed or disgusted. Here, collins is using alot of electric drums & is mixing them with acoustic drums especially in songs like tonight & throwing it all away. Although the drum machine is here per usual, phil is playing live & very aggressively. Tony Banks's keyboard patterns are typical but the yamaha piano is pretty much gone in place of longer sustained chords (typical). Rutherford's knack for great rhythm guitar patterns is represented well here especially in domino & tonight. Collins's vocal range is very strong here & shows the depth of his ability as a vocalist. This album produced 5 top 5 hits in 1986-87 & was #1 in us/uk. I can still remember those michelob commercials with genesis doing tonight... Long time ago... This was also the last genesis album until 1991 (we can't dance) which would be their last studio album. This album is in every way a genesis album. it retains the genesis format. There are more poppy songs in 4/4 time but the songs are still complex. Genesis was good for many reasons. The biggest reason was they were good was they could turn a simple pop song into a complex journey. Sometimes simplicity is complexity. Great album...

Average customer rating:

The picture

100 Hymns & Songs of Inspiration

Manufacturer: Castle Music UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Praise & Worship | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00008GEKT
Release Date: 2003-04-14

Tracks:

Love Divine All Loves Excelling - Choir Of Gloucester Cathedral
Father Hear the Prayer We Offer - Choir Of Gloucester Cathedral
Now Thank We All Our God - Choir Of Gloucester Cathedral
This Day, The First of Days - Choir Of Gloucester Cathedral
Stars of the Morning So Gloriously Bright - Choir Of Gloucester Cathedral
God Save the Queen - Choir Of Gloucester Cathedral
Day of Resurrection - Choir Of Gloucester Cathedral
God Rest You Merry Gentlemen - Choir Of Gloucester Cathedral
Of the Father's Heart Begotten - Choir Of Gloucester Cathedral
O Come All Ye Faithful - Choir Of Gloucester Cathedral
Awake My Soul and With the Sun - Choir Of Norwich Cathedral
Thine Arm O Lord in Days of Old - Choir Of Norwich Cathedral
All People That on Earth Do Dwell - Choir Of Norwich Cathedral
Good Christian Men Rejoice and Sing - Choir Of Norwich Cathedral
There Is a Green Hill - Choir Of Norwich Cathedral
Lord of Beauty - Choir Of Sheffield Cathedral
Rejoice Today With One Accord - Choir Of Sheffield Cathedral
New Every Morning - Choir Of Sheffield Cathedral
Lead Us Heavenly Father Lead Us - Choir Of Sheffield Cathedral
O God Our Help in Ages Past - Choir Of Sheffield Cathedral

Tracks:

Morning Has Broken - Choir Of Marlborough College Chapel
Happy Are They - Choir Of Marlborough College Chapel
In Christ There Is No East or West - Choir Of Marlborough College Chapel
Silent Night - Choir Of Marlborough College Chapel
Be Thou My Guardian - Choir Of Marlborough College Chapel
Ye Servants of the Lord - Choir Of Marlborough College Chapel
At the Name of Jesus Every Knee Shall Bow - Choir Of Marlborough College Chapel
To Thee O Lord Our Hearts We Raise - Choir Of Marlborough College Chapel
Behold the Great Creator Makes - Choir Of Marlborough College Chapel
Rejoice the Lord Is King - Choir Of Marlborough College Chapel
Creator of the Stars of Night - Ely Cathedral Choir
He Comes With Clouds Descending - Ely Cathedral Choir
O Little Town of Bethlehem - Ely Cathedral Choir
Alleluya Alleyluya Alleyluya - Ely Cathedral Choir
This Is the Day the Lord Hath Made - Ely Cathedral Choir
How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds - Ely Cathedral Choir
Lord Thy Word Abideth - Ely Cathedral Choir
Jesus Lord We Look to Thee - Ely Cathedral Choir
O Lord Our God Arise - Ely Cathedral Choir
Lord of All Hopefulness - Ely Cathedral Choir

Tracks:

Soldiers of Christ Arise - Choir Of Wakefield Cathedral
Lift Up Your Hearts - Choir Of Wakefield Cathedral
Holy Father, Cheer Our Way - Choir Of Wakefield Cathedral
Maker of the Sun - Choir Of Wakefield Cathedral
O King Most High - Choir Of Wakefield Cathedral
O Praise Our Great and Glorious Lord - Choir Of Wakefield Cathedral
Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive - Choir Of Wakefield Cathedral
We Love the Place O God - Choir Of Wakefield Cathedral
Let Us With a Gladsome Mind - Choir Of Wakefield Cathedral
Give Rest O Christ - Choir Of Wakefield Cathedral
Come Holy Ghost Our Hearts Inspire - Choir Of Truro Cathedral
O Thou in All Thy Might So Far - Choir Of Truro Cathedral
O Christ, Who Art the Light and Day - Choir Of Truro Cathedral
O God Thy Soldiers' Crown and Guard - Choir Of Truro Cathedral
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O Christ Our Hope, Our Hearts' Desire - Choir Of Truro Cathedral
Jesus Shall Reign - Choir Of Truro Cathedral
God of Love My Shepherd Is - Choir Of Truro Cathedral
O Jesu Saviour of Mankind - Choir Of Truro Cathedral
Immortal Invisible God Only Wise - Choir Of Truro Cathedral

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Ride on Ride on in Majesty - Choir Of All Saints - Margaret Street, London
All Glory Laud and Honour - Choir Of All Saints - Margaret Street, London
Come Rejoicing - Choir Of All Saints - Margaret Street, London
God Is Love and Where True Love Is - Choir Of All Saints - Margaret Street, London
Magnificat: The Great Advent Antiphons - Choir Of All Saints - Margaret Street, London
Come, Christ's Beloved - Choir Of All Saints - Margaret Street, London
Children of the Hebrews (Palm Procession) - Choir Of All Saints - Margaret Street, London
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Once in Royal David's City - Choir Of Keble College
God Be in My Head - Choir Of Keble College
O Thou Who Camest from Above - Choir Of Keble College
Judge Eternal Throned in Splendour - Choir Of St Edmunsbury Cathedral
Christ the Lord Is Risen Again - Choir Of St Edmunsbury Cathedral
For All the Saints - Choir Of St Edmunsbury Cathedral
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Christ the Dawn of Our Salvation - Choir Of Eastbourne College Chapel
I Was Glad - Choir Of Eastbourne College Chapel
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind - Choir Of Eastbourne College Chapel
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Praise My Soul the King of Heaven - Choir Of Eastbourne College Chapel

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Stand Up! Stand Up for Jesus! - The Choir of the Abbey School, Tewkesbury
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks - The Choir of the Abbey School, Tewkesbury
O Worship the King - The Choir of the Abbey School, Tewkesbury
O Heavenly Word of God on High - Choir Of The Collegiate Church Of St Mary
Praise to the Lord, The Almighty - Choir Of The Collegiate Church Of St Mary
Jesus Christ Is Risen Today - The Choir of York Minister
First Nowell - The Choir of York Minister
Abide with Me - The Choir of York Minister
Breathe on Me Breath of God - Choir Of Keble College
Rock of Ages - Choir Of Keble College
On This Day, The First of Days - Choir Of Keble College
Jesu Sweet and Mary - Choir Of Eastbourne College Chapel
O Quam Gloriosum - Choir Of Eastbourne College Chapel
Ye Holy Angels Bright - Choir Of Eastbourne College Chapel
O for a Closer Walk With God - Choir Of Eastbourne College Chapel
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Blessed Be the God and Father - Choir Of Eastbourne College Chapel
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Album Description

Full Title - 100 Hymns & Songs Of Inspiration. UK box-set featuring 100 tracks performed by Britain's finest Cathedral Choirs including, Gloucester Cathedral, Norwich Cathedral, Sheffield Cathedral, & many more. Five standard jewel cases housed in a slipbox. Castle Pulse. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

The picture.......2006-12-11

I haven't purchased the CD but the picture of the inside of a church on the cover is not of a British church, like one would assume since it says its a recording of British choirs. This picture is of Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Just thought i'd let you know. I'll be honest; I'm one to judge things by it's cover and if the company took such care to choose a 'British' church for their British choir CD, I'm willing to bet the music is equally well selected... I'm being sarcastic. But I gave the product 5 stars because I didn't want to hurt its ratings just because i'm cynical. But check out the church if you're ever in Montreal, it's truly beautiful... here I'm not being sarcastic.

The Flying Teapot (Radio Gnome Invisible, Pt. 1)

Average customer rating:

Just a collection novelty tunes (and poor ones at that)
An excellent album that was apparently remastered in a back alley
ideas not fully formed
The Formal Start of the Tea Ceremony - Hymns Disguised as Whimsy
Daevid Allen is the George Clinton of Jazz Rock part 1

The Flying Teapot (Radio Gnome Invisible, Pt. 1)
Gong
Manufacturer: Snapper
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Album Description

1973's Flying Teapot is a Gong milestone. It's the first installment in their legendary "Radio Gnome Trilogy" and a transitional point between the underground psychedelia of Camembert Electrique and the artier, more ethereal sound they later developed. Teapot is more visceral, less cerebral than its successors, and the catchy ensemble riffs of Camembert are still present. The arrival of virtuoso guitarist Steve Hillage and synth wizard Tim Blake represented a great leap forward, though. Blake concentrated exclusively on ambient electronic effects and soundscapes a la early Hawkind, leaving harmonic development to the other band members. Hillage's fleet-fingered jazz-rock solos and arsenal of effects upped the musicianship a notch and reinforced the spacy jazz elements already in place. Whether you're able to follow the willfully confusing storyline or not, the elaborate mythological world created by Daevid Allen is loads of fun when wrapped around music as inspired as this psychedelic art-jazz-space rock amalgam. The key players are a group of gnomes from another planet who arrive in a flying teapot (stoner imagery plays heavily in hippie Allen's vision) to save the world (or something). Actually, some surprisingly intellectual/philosophical messages were contained in the trilogy, leavened heartily by the irrepressible Allen's healthy sense of humor. Charly. 2004.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Edition of the 1973 Release from Group Led by Daevid Allen, the First Part of What was to Become Known as their "Radio Gnome Invisible Trilogy". The Album is an Avant Garde Collection of Sound Effects, Jazzy Improvisation and Comic Vocals, all Displaying the Group's Sense of Humour and Wacky Approach to their Music. "The Pot Head Pixies" and "The Witch's Spell" Are Perfect Examples of their Unique Musical Style.

Customer Reviews:

Just a collection novelty tunes (and poor ones at that).......2006-06-16

I've read the praise- space jazz, counter culture masterpiece, quirky absurdist humour. Sounds interesting on paper but this album is in reality nothing more than a collection of novelty tunes interspersed with pointless sound effects and lame instrumental "noodling". "Neil" from the British comedy series The Young Ones released an album of 60s and 70s hippy tunes called "Neils Heavy Concept Album" which was a spoof. You may have heard the song Hole In My Shoe from that album. Imagine an album containing much worse versions of that and that prety much sums up Flying Teapot by Gong. I'm pretty open minded about music and enjoy most forms, but this remains one of the worst albums I've ever had the misfortune to purchase.

I admit I did laugh out loud a few times at just how pathetic this album could get, but even such lowbrow humour moments aren't enough to make me give this anything other than 1 star.

Spinal Tap was a spoof of heavy metal bands. Sounds like most hippy bands of the early 70s didn't actualy require anyone to parody them.

An excellent album that was apparently remastered in a back alley .......2006-05-13

Gong's first release for Virgin Records was released in 1973 and marks Pt. I of Daevid Allen's masterwork, the Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy. The other albums in the trilogy include Pt. II Angels Egg (1973), and my personal favorite, Pt. III You (1974). Sadly, Daevid Allen left Gong after the You album, taking his hilarious and seemingly magical world of protagonist Zero the Hero, Pot head pixies, octave doctors, crystal machines, and the like with him.

The six tracks on this great album range in length from 1'51" to 11'52" and feature an excellent blend of synth heavy space rock, space whispers, really silly (and fun) absurdist humor, prog rock rave-ups, jazz rock, and all around excellent individual and ensemble playing. Speaking of which, although this lineup is not the classic Gong lineup featured on Angels Egg and You, all of the band members are excellent and a few of the elements that made those later albums incredible are in place. Specifically, newly acquired guitarist extraordinaire Steve Hillage and synthesizer player Tim Blake had signed on. In fact, Tim Blake's spacey VCS3 and mini moog synthesizer work really makes this album work for me and he is highlighted on the short synth piece The Octave Doctors and the Crystal Machine. In addition to bandleader Daevid Allen (guitars, vocals) and space whisperer/Welsh poet Gilli Smyth, former Magma bassist Fancis Moze, Didier Maherlbe (saxophone, flute), and excellent drummer Laurie Allen played on this album.

OK, now for the bad stuff. Although the music on this album is incredible, the 2005 remastering effort by Charly is simply atrocious and it appears that Flying Teapot may have in fact been remastered in a back alley. The cover art is "pixelly" and grainy and it appears that the cover art may have been simply scanned from "Joe's copy" and then edited by someone who did not have a clue as to what they were doing. Even the inner photos appear to have been scanned and are also grainy and "pixelly". In fact, one of the images appears to have been borrowed from the remastered version of Angel's Egg issued by EMI. The sound quality is also terrible, and has all of the texture and dynamic range you might expect from a beat up cassette tape (made in 1973) being played on a cheap, portable tape recorder at a distance of 300 meters. Specifically, the overall sound is low and muffled, and there are points where there is severe distortion.

I will not however, let the clowns over at Charly ruin this fantastic album for me and I will still give this album a five star rating in spite of it all. For those of you that are not as forgiving and cannot overlook these problems, I would strongly urge you to look around and track down another version.

All in all, this album is highly recommended along with Camembert Electrique (1971), Angel's Egg (1973), and You (1974). Just avoid any of the lousy versions issued by Charly.

ideas not fully formed.......2005-09-24

to my dissapointment, not everything by the original daevid allen era gong is indispensable. this is radio gnome invisible pt. 1 with the finest space rock lineup anyone could hope for but the final result of this album comes of sounding like a tentative rehearsal where in many places allen scats some of the songs' improvisations and their arrangement lacks coherence and development. instrumentation is limited to supporting the vocals and chants and rarely gets the opportunity to expound any ideas or feel each other out. in the end, daevid allen displays some infectious song writing ability but it appears that the new members just weren't ready to record yet. this is steve hillage's first appearance for gong but you wouldn't know it as his guitar is barely noticeable. things change remarkably for the next albums 'angels egg' and 'you' which are two of the greatest psychedelic albums ever recorded.

The Formal Start of the Tea Ceremony - Hymns Disguised as Whimsy.......2005-08-14

This is the start of the "Radio Gnome Trilogy" in which Daevid Allen and Gong lay out the full mythology of the Planet Gong and the Pothead Pixies. Calling this "jazz-rock" is completely misleading though it certainly has elements of both. It is the first fully formed expression of the unique sound developed by Gong and used by Daevid and the band to convey profound thoughts in a very silly and beautiful manner. Profoundly psychedelic, this is music intended to be listened to in an altered state, and it is designed to fit together with the following two parts of the trilogy ("Angel's Egg" and "You"...both equally essential). Buy all three albums - program them into a CD changer - prepare your head and don headphones - then get ready for a journey you will never regret. This IS "Lafta Yoga" - Electric Dharma. Hare hare London Bus!!!"

Daevid Allen is the George Clinton of Jazz Rock part 1.......2004-11-26

Strong statement to start a review I know, but here are the reasons. Both Daevid and George held large groups of disparate and talented musicians together for several years, gave them alternative names, and got them to buy into their own unique vision of the world. Both visions included fictitous characters acting out complex plots using a unique language and imagery. Both created music that broke down barriers between established musical forms and molded the pieces into something new and undefinable. Both are very funny men (in more ways than one you could say).

Flying Teapot is part one of the Radio Gnome trilogy of albums (Angel's Egg and You are the others).This is the album that introduces us to Zero the Hero and the Pothead Pixies and includes stories of inner/outer space travel in flying teapots and encounters with wicked witches. With only a handful of very long tracks you need to sit down and get involved for the first couple of runs through, but after a while Steve Hillage's guitar and Blomdido Bad de Grasse's sax will hook you into the hypnotic mantras of "Zero the Hero", "The Pothead Pixies" and "Flying Teapot". After that all resistance will be futile and you'll find yourself chanting "I am, you are, we are crazy" along with everyone else. There are only a couple of weaknesses with the whole thing, but of the trilogy, this is the most straight ahead and rock based. Start here and work through Angel's Egg in to You. It could change the way you look at, well, everything really.

Angel's Egg (Radio Gnome Invisible, Pt. 2)

Average customer rating:

I Have Seen The Way, and it is is OILY!!!
Very well played space rock with a sense of humor
Excellent remaster

Angel's Egg (Radio Gnome Invisible, Pt. 2)
Gong
Manufacturer: Caroline
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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You
The Flying Teapot (Radio Gnome Invisible, Pt. 1)
Camembert Electrique
Fish Rising
In the Land of Grey and Pink

ASIN: B0002WS3RS
Release Date: 2004-12-28

Tracks:

Other Side Of The Sky
Sold To The Highest Buddha
Castle In The Clouds
Prostitute Poem
Givin My Luv To You
Selene
Flute Salad
Oily Way
Outer Temple
Inner Temple
Percolations
Love Is How Y Make It
I Never Glid Before
Eat That Phone Book Coda
Other Side Of The Sky (Single Version)
Ooby-Scooby Doomsday Or The D-day DJ's Got The D.D.T. Blues
Love Is How Y Make It (1973 Vocal Mix)
Eat That Phone Book Coda (Early Version)

Album Description

Remastered reissue of the second installment in the Daevid Allen & Gong trilogy, originally released by Charly in 1973. Includes previously unreleased bonus tracks. Details TBA. Virgin. 2004.

Customer Reviews:

I Have Seen The Way, and it is is OILY!!!.......2006-07-08

A TON of fun - superbly executed and clearly remastered sounds!!

This is like early Pink Floyd - if Sid had remained in the group!
This is like King Crimson WITHOUT the technical chip on Fripp's shoulder - (...must...play....faster....)
This is like Zappa on mescalin!

This is post-Floyd psychedelia of a 'very high' calibre ;-)

Very well played space rock with a sense of humor.......2006-04-24

This excellent 1973 release by Gong was the second installment in the Radio Gnome Trilogy. The lineup on this album is absolutely classic Gong and includes Tim Blake (VCS3 and mini-moog synthesizers); Pierre Moerlen (drums); Mike Howlett (bass); Daevid Allen (guitar, vocals); Didier Maherbe (woodwinds); Steve Hillage (guitar); and Gilli Smyth (space whisper, vocals). A great deal of the music on Angel's Egg is very spacey, which is driven largely by Tim Blake's atmospheric synthesizer work, along with Gilli Smyth's cosmic and heavily-echoed "space whisper". On the other side of the coin however, is some seriously virtuosic drumming by Pierre Moerlen and alternately spacey and heavy guitar work by Steve Hillage. Bassist Mike Howlett is no slouch either and his thunderous playing really drives everything along. As a general rule, this band was always comprised of superb musicians and their ability to swing from jazz rock, to space rock, to spacey free-form and back again always impressed me. In addition to virtuosity, this music exhibits the quintessentially whimsical Canterburian sense of humor, which is expressed through the surreal and "dadaist" lyrics of Daevid Allen. EMI did a great job of remastering this album, and the 14 page booklet features liner notes that "explain" the premise underlying the Radio Gnome Trilogy (up through Part II at least), and discusses topics including the Planet Gong; Master of the Spheres; Octave Doctors; Pot Head Pixies and the like. In addition to the original album, there are five bonus tracks including a single version of Other side of the Sky, the outtake Ooby-Scooby Doomsday or the D-Day DJ's got the DDT Blues, a vocal mix of Love is How Y Make It, and an early version of Eat that Phone Book Coda. Overall the bonus tracks are OK, and with the exception of the excellent Ooby-Scooby, do not add too much to the original album. Fortunately, EMI did not use copy control technology on this album, so playback problems should not be an issue. This album is very highly recommended along with Magick Brother (1970); Camembert Electrique (1971); Flying Teapot (RGI Pt. 1) (1973); and You (RGI Pt. 3)(1974).

Excellent remaster.......2005-07-06

Like most of Gong's albums, this has been released on CD a number of times. The CD's have varying sound quality. They weren't horrible, but they weren't great. This remaster has excellent, beautiful sound. It really brings out the atmosphere of the music.

The original album was 45 minutes long. 15 minutes of extra tracks have been added, bringing the CD to just under 60 minutes. I don't think that any of the bonus tracks are all that great. They aren't bad, they just don't make it worth buying this if you already have an older copy.

This remaster has a nice 8 page booklet, containing the lyrics and all the info on Gong and the Pot Head Pixies. The only thing missing is the blue artwork that was on the inside of the gatefold of the original LP cover.

This is just another great Gong album. It has some of the spaciest and wildest music of any of the Gong albums. It also has a number of great songs. While it is very spacy, it is also very coherent and holds together well. The only downside is that there are a few short silly songs.

This album is as good as You, but somewhat different. There are more songs, and they are a bit shorter than what is on You.

Gong released 3 albums in the 1970's dealing with Radio Gnome Invisible and the Pothead Pixies (Flying Teapot, Angel's Egg and You). In all, Gong released 5 to 7 albums in the 1970's (depending on how you are counting) before splintering. The leader of the band, Daevid Allen left, and the remainder became a jazz fusion band.

Throught the eighties, Allen would reform the space version of Gong, and the jazz version got renamed Pierrie Moerlen's Gong. The jazz band disbanded in the eighties.

Allen reformed Gong permanently in the late nineties, and the band has put out a number of studio and live albums. They are all very good. The last three studio albums have carried on the story of the Pot Head Pixies.

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Long awaited debut from a GREAT guitarist
adam rogers debut recording

Art of the Invisible
Adam Rogers
Manufacturer: Criss Cross
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Nine Stories Wide

ASIN: B000068VCW
Release Date: 2002-07-27

Customer Reviews:

Long awaited debut from a GREAT guitarist.......2003-10-08

This album is like a world in itself. Great compositions displaying a very wide range of good musical taste from Adam Rogers. To me this confirms the impression I have got from listening to Rogers playing with David Binney, Scott Colley, Chris Minh Doky, Michael Brecker, etc, that means he is a truly innovator in the big field of jazzguitar. His lines represent the perfect match between knowing the tradition and pointing ahead. Original modern lines, as well as his innovative guitar-technique,using alot of sweeping combined with extremely legato picking.

On this record also Edward Simon contributes with some amazing piano-playing, soloing elegantly end expressive on complex and harmonic advanced tunes. The band in itself really sounds like a band that has been playing together alot, with good communication between the players, Clarence Penn builds very well up on Adam Rogers and Edward Simons solos.

If you like jazzguitarists or if you simply like to listen to good improvising players play well together buy this record!

adam rogers debut recording.......2002-10-26

Adam Rogers is a wonderfully fluid guitarist, able to weave intricate lines on either electric or acoustic guitar with ease. His harmonic sensibilities and sound have been influenced by Pat Metheny, John Abercrombie, Jim Hall, and classical music, which he studied in depth for several years at Mannes. Although he's adept at throwing in modal or blues figures at times, he's not a slave to the Montgomery/Green/Benson/Burrell lineage that too many guitarists of late have been mining to death.

All but one tune on this disc is an original. The original numbers gives us an opportunity to really see into the mind of the musician. While the influence of classical music is noticeable on some cuts at least two of Rogers' tunes are a little too similar to Kurt Rosenwinkel, probably the most distinctive jazz guitarist on the planet right now.

Tracks:

Nel Dolce Dell'oblio
Sweet Bird
If Music Be The Food Of Love
There's Not A Swain
What Can We Poor Females Do?
Music For A While
Rossignols Amoureux
La Flute Invisible
Rossignol, Mon Mignon
Ciel, Aer, Et Vens
La Mi Sola, Laureola
Al Amor
Del Cabello Mas Sutil
Chiquitita La Novia
Sonata For Flute And Piano: I. Allegro moderato
Sonata For Flute And Piano: II. Adagio
Sonata For Flute And Piano: III. Allegro poco moderato
Bird-Song
Lo! Here The Gentle Lark

Amazon.com

Before Kathleen Battle became a diva of monstrous proportions, she was a musical talent of intelligence and delicacy. This recording reminds us of the charm and brilliance of her innate talent. Her light soubrette is an enchanting compliment to Rampal's magical flute, as they weave the musical fabrics of Handel, Rameau, Saint-Saens, and Bishop. A shining example of excellent musical camaraderie is given by accompanists Garrett, Newman, and Ritter. Battle's voice and temperament are a lovely fit for Purcell's docile melancholy. The listener is also granted such juicy treats as two pieces by Albert Roussel and four delectable Catalonian morsels by Fernando J. Obradors. Sheer beauty. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

Kathleen Battle: The Best Soubrette/Lyric Coloratura Soprano.......2004-05-06

I got this CD as a replacement of a damaged CD of Cecilia Bartoli's latest release "The Salieri Album". Even though Cecilia Bartoli's coloratura mezzo soprano is somewhat overbearing, it can never compare, or outdo Kathleen Battle's Soprano, which is hailed as from 1985's Time magazine "The best Lyric Coloratura in the world", and it shows in this recording. Handel's Sweet Bird is an example: excellent vibrato rolling, almost bird-like, and the coloratura in that piece is magnificent. I really got it for the Spanish art songs, and her Spanish is just as good as her perfect German. But the last selection "Lo! Here the Gentle Lark", is the shining piece. The coloratura, the High notes (I think that those are High E's that she's always known for) are just up there. I wish for her to release another recital/concert CD.

Sound Quality Warning.......2000-10-26

I am a Battle fan. That being said, I think it fair to warn those listeners who are accustomed to high quality recording, that the sound on this cd is disappointing. High notes are somewhat shrill, and the overall recording sounds muffled. And for those of us who dont particularly relish live recording, the not too infrequent coughs, dings and asstd sounds from the audience are distracting.

Real listening pleasure.......2000-03-22

I do not have a large classical/opera collection. This recording is one that I have had for about four years. It remains for me an uplifting experience. Ms. Battle and Mr. Rampal are magical together. The accompanists provide support beautifully. The stars, however, are the real deal--a mix of voice and instrument that is light and transcendant. One really gets a sense of being part of the audience at Lincoln Center that day. Tremendously enjoyable.

Average customer rating:

Second time's the charm

Invisible Means
French Frith Kaiser Thompson
Manufacturer: Diablo Records UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

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Live, Love, Larf & Loaf
Sweet Warrior

ASIN: B00004RGLC
Release Date: 2000-05-02

Tracks:

Peppermint Rock
To The Rain
Lizard's Tail
March Of The Cosmetic Surgeons
Suzanne
Quick Sign
Begging Bowl
Kalo Takariva - Requiem For Maurice Halison
Invisible Means
Loch Lomond
The Book Of Lost Dreams
Days Of Our Lives
The Evening News
The Nearsighted Heron
Now That I Am Dead
Hunting Sunsets
Killing Jar

Album Description

Second album from one of the most bizarre supergroups from 1990.

Customer Reviews:

Second time's the charm.......2006-10-13

The second album from the cult "Supergroup" of John French (Captain Beefheart), Fred Frith, Henry Kaiser and Richard Thompson is nearly as catchy and consistent as its predecessor. Opening with Thompson's "Peppermint Rock" which features a stumbling drum beat and the chiming guitars of John French's "To The Rain" "Invisible Means" is a mixture of genres. "Now That I Am Dead" by John French and Donna Blair French continues the humorous vein that began with the band's bizarre cover of "Surfin' U.S.A." It's a highlight and was later adopted by Thompson for performance in some of his shows.

Thompson's mini-rock opera "March of the Cosmetic Surgeons" out does Pete Townshend for humor and clocking in at less than six minutes doesn't wear out its welcome. The traditional "Loch Lomond" gets a nice rocking interpretation while the album closes with Richard Thompson's disturbing and powerful "Killing Jar".

I keep hoping that this quartet might get together and release a third album. You never know quite what to expect from these talented musicians.

Average customer rating:

Brilliance undermined by foolishness
Get the Remastered version instead.
Gong - 'Angel's Egg(Radio Gnome Invisible,Part 2' (Caroline)
Daevid Allen is the George Clinton of Jazz Rock part 2
Try a drop of psychedelic

Angel's Egg (Radio Gnome Invisible, Pt. 2)
Gong
Manufacturer: Blue Plate Caroline
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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You (Radio Gnome Invisible, Pt. 3)
The Flying Teapot (Radio Gnome Invisible, Pt. 1)
Fish Rising
Camembert Electrique

ASIN: B000000HTZ
Release Date: 1990-07-23

Tracks:

Other Side Of The Sky
Sold To The Highest Buddha
Castle In The Clouds
Prostitute Poem
Givin My Love To You
Selene
Flute Salad
Outer Temple
Inner Temple
Percolations
Love Is How You Make It
I Never Glid Before
Eat That Phone Book Coda
Ooby-Scooby Doomsday Or The D-Day DJ's Got The D.D.T. Blues
Bonus Track 1

Customer Reviews:

Brilliance undermined by foolishness.......2006-03-13

As was popular with the times, these insanely talented progressive groups simply caved in to their drug induced frenzy's to fill out alot of their "themes", like the so called gnome trilogy of which I could care less about..All I know is when Hillage and company set out to put down some intrumental intellegence, almost always without the aid of the grating vocalist, it soars like anything an enlightened musician would put down..

Get the Remastered version instead........2005-07-06

Like most Gong albums, Angel's Egg has been released on CD a number of times. Some of the versions even have a different cover. The different versions have varying sound quality. Some of the older CD's are not so bad and some are.

But, there is a new remastered version that has excellent sound. That is the one to get. It also has 3 bonus tracks and a nice booklet.

This is just another great Gong album. It has some of the spaciest and wildest music of any of the Gong albums. It also has a number of great songs. While it is very spacy, it is also very coherent and holds together well. The only downside is that there are a few short silly songs.

This album is as good as You, but somewhat different. There are more songs, and they are a bit shorter than what is on You.

Gong released 3 albums in the 1970's dealing with Radio Gnome Invisible and the Pothead Pixies (Flying Teapot, Angel's Egg and You). In all, Gong released 5 to 7 albums in the 1970's (depending on how you are counting) before splintering. The leader of the band, Daevid Allen left, and the remainder became a jazz fusion band.

Throught the eighties, Allen would reform the space version of Gong, and the jazz version got renamed Pierrie Moerlen's Gong. The jazz band disbanded in the eighties.

Allen reformed Gong permanently in the late nineties, and the band has put out a number of studio and live albums. They are all very good. The last three studio albums have carried on the story of the Pot Head Pixies.

Gong - 'Angel's Egg(Radio Gnome Invisible,Part 2' (Caroline).......2005-07-05

Originally released in 1973,looks to be the fourth Gong lp.In my humble opinion,'Angel's Egg' is SO much better than their 'Flying Teapot' disc(see my review).Top of the line French progressive space rock.Get it while the getting's good.I've played this CD quite a few times over.It's THAT good.Tracks here I found to be nothing short of true brilliance were the fabulous opener,the way-out-there "Other Side Of The Sky"(w/Gilli Smyth's breath-taking over-the-top vocals),"Prostitute Poem",two cuts where flutist/saxist Didier Malberbe is allowed to shine "Flute Salad" and "Oily Way",plus "Outer Limit I","I Never Glid Before"(stunning guitar solo,Steve Hillage)and the ONLY Gong tune I've never cared for,"Eat That Phone Book",Nonetheless,'Angel's Egg' is still a great catalog title to own a copy of.Highly recommended.

Daevid Allen is the George Clinton of Jazz Rock part 2.......2004-11-29

If you want to know why I start this review with a statement like that, have a look at the reviews for the "Flying Teapot" album - which is part one in a trilogy of albums Gong put it in the early 70's. "Angel's Egg" is part 2 and takes the characters and themes introduced on "Flying Teapot" a few steps further. This album utlises a wider range of music and as such is more complex and rewarding than its predecesor. Everything from Indonesian klungkungs and english pub sing-alongs, combine with the band's highly rhythmic and hypnotic space rock to produce one of the most unique recordings of the 70s. Tim Blake really comes into his own on this one and his spacey synthesizer work still sounds fresh and inspired 30 years after it was recorded. This is no mean feat considering how ugly the synthesizer became in the later 70's and 80's.

The real beauty of this record is that it avoids the usual traps of a lot of 70's progressive concept albums by treating the central "story" as something more dreamlike and disconnected than relying on a begining, middle and end. Imagery is used more than a plot and if I was to point to a record which is genuinely "psychedelic" then this would be one of the first I'd aim at. I have read peripheral stories about the band, and apparently this was recorded in a wood at night using mobile equipment and if you listen hard enough on headphones you can hear owls and other animals in the background on occasions. I've personally never done this but if you want to have a go then good luck. It's probably true and it gives you an idea of how much a product of its time it is.

The best tracks are obviously the most structured and highlights are "Outer temple", "Oily way" and the closing "Eat that phone book coda", which is worth it for the title alone. The whole thing is one out of the box though and is a perfect add on to "Flying Teapot". If you get both then you might as well check out "You" as well. It's all unique entertainment.

Try a drop of psychedelic.......2004-06-16

"angels egg" to me truely is a great gong record, it combines every element which makes the band so interesting in to one superb soundscape. From the sheer beauty of "flute salad/oilyway" to the proto dance gamelan epic that is "love is how you make it". When many of the songs start you cant helpbut raise a smile and nod your head as the infectious funky hooks flow over you. Allen's quirky breathy husk adorns many of the eccentric guitar hooks in unison as the band jerk around in their typically silly way. The hippie ideals that allen makes use of in his lyrics are ofte dismissed as meaningless now, but i cant help but be inspired by, "ooby scooby doomsday", possibly the best pollicical song ever. Another dimension i love about gong, is their ability to seemlessly switch from the most abstract synth space jam to an intricate funky hook that sound as if it wre recorded in a Parisian brothel on mushrooms. Humour is the key to gong, their music is lighthearted yet still the work of complete genius. The clear production on this album is also very plaesing on the ear and the band certainly sound at their most "in tune". Yes there are meandering tracks, but every gong album's a journey and every journey has uncertainties. The drumming on this album is also incredible and, the whole sound is propelled along by this jazz drumming style. to sum up....psychedelic jazz rock with infinate humour and definately music to smoke a bowl to.

Average customer rating:

Reworks: Brain Salad Perjury
Lake & Palmer Emerson
Manufacturer: Invisible Hands
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Drum & Bass | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000793WO
Release Date: 2003-07-21

Tracks:

Re-Works One - Fanfare 2003 [Golden Jubilation Mix]
Re-Works Two
Re-Works Three
Re-Works Four
Re-Works Five
Re-Works Six
Re-Works Seven
Re-Works Eight

Tracks:

Re-Works One - Fanfare 2003 [Extended Golden Jubilation Mix]
Humanoid
Inside Out
Plastic Flowers
Palmstone

Tracks:

Fanfare 2003 Remix [Digger's Mix]
Fanfare 2003 Remix [Earth Loop Mix]
Fanfare 2003 Remix [Public Order Mix]
Fanfare 2003 Remix [The Pilgrim Mix]
Fanfare 2003 Remix [X-Ert's Esoteria Mix]

Album Description

This album is a triple CD set in a lavish clamshell box & includes a booklet featuring an essay by noted music journalist Nigel Williamson. Re-Works itself is a double album, & disc three is a compilation of remixes of the band's landmark anthem, 'Fanfare For The Common Man'. 18 tracks in all. Invisible Hands Music. 2003.

Album Details

A Three Disc Set Primarily Focused on Different Mixes of "Fanfare for the Common Man" plus a Few Other Newly Recorded Tracks that Featured all Three Original Members. As Keith Emerson is Quoted, 'never Mind the Bollocks as Fanfares,funfairs and Affairs Come Together in a Celebratory Drum and Bass Remix Classic. As Maestro Aaron Copland (The Original Composer of the Piece) Tells Us all to Release It, who Am I to Disagree?'. The Booklet Includes an Extensive Interview with the Keyboard Whiz.

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music