SPLORE - BACKSCATTERING

Available on Blue Matter

The Bevis Frond singer/songwriter/guitarist Nick Saloman and producer/engineer Dave Palmer settled comfortably numb into Palmer’s studio and started riffing on some tunes, which slowly morphed into the album to hand. Never one to leave a good thing on the cutting room floor, Nick and Dave agreed to expand their material across three sides of vinyl, presenting us with more than 70 minutes of heaviosity, sprinkled with a little help from their friends, including Paul Simmons and Louis Wiggett from the Frond, Nick’s daughter Debbie (see our Debbie & The Millbanks review), and Simmons’ partner Eliza Skelton from The Desperate Ones (whose wonderful album 1906 is also reviewed here). Hold on for some heavy rock, krautrocking grooviness, spoken word bits, reggae, and soundtrack vibrations a la De Wolfe Library music and Saloman and Simmons’ former radio show The Scene, which typically began with an instrumental appetizer. And don’t leave until you’ve fully digested the 25-minute title track!

     To prepare you for said extravaganza, we open with the 11-minute ‘Il Pirata’ by “Nick Valenti & The Latins”! (I may have misheard the announcer welcoming us to our dinner music) A little synthy swashy shuffle to ease you through your aperitif, ‘Il Pirata’ is a headswirling, romantic, groovy slice of Italian library music perfectly suited for a ‘70s film montage. And once you fall under its spell, 11 minutes may seem like an hour - or you’ll wish it was! And if you love psychedelic sitar headswirling music, ‘The Beaver’ is right up your alley, although I must admit the spoken word bit was a little distracting - trying to follow the plot distracted from that groovy background music. ‘Dev Geet’ might be the better go-to track to assuage your sitar fetish!

     ‘Knot Garden’ is a short, sweet Baroque minuet that wouldn’t have been out of place on the Barry Lyndon soundtrack. ‘Norman Speaks’ and ‘Guava River’ feature spoken word drop-ins popularised by acts like Big Audio Dynamite to comment on the music or serve as linking devices between tracks like a radio DJ back (or forward) announcing the next selection. Debbie Wileman steps up to the mic for a sultry saunter through ‘You Are The Light’ and I have to agree with Saloman’s assessment that this should be the next Bond theme! Why should Lulu and Carly Simon, let alone Shirley Bassey have all the fun!

     Saloman flexes his muscles (and fingers) for the ominous ‘English Wire’, which morphs nicely into a synthy krautrock groove a la Kraftwork and Tangerine Dream. There’s more library music afoot for ‘Anthem #4”. I’m sure there’s a producer out there somewhere who’d love to get his or her hands on this for their next multiplex spectacular. Frond bassist Louie Wiggett takes the vocals for ‘Come Home Melody Moon’ which is exactly what I would have expected a 21^st century Beatles track to sound like. Get Macca on the line; he might need one more track to finish the new album!

     Which leaves us alone to contemplate our navels and drift off to 25 minutes of headbanging, wall rattling gloomy, doomy scrunch of the title track. Saloman is no stranger to lengthy jamfests - he issued a compilation called The Long Ones, ‘Tangerine Infringement Beak’, Right On (Hippie Dream)’ and ‘The Shrine’ are in the 20 minute range, and he tossed all caution to the wind and released an entire album’s worth of ‘Homemade Traditional Electric Jam’ across nearly 45 minutes of the third disc of the triple album White Numbers. This one breaks up the potential monotony of a half hour guitar solo [eh?! - Phil] by injecting spoken word bits a la ‘The Shrine’, adding some spacey, sci-fi synth for a proggy, krautrock diversion, and then breaks out the big guns for some fiery-fingered fretwork that would do Jimi proud. The key is to develop a blueprint to play in, sort of a musical sandbox, and then lead your mates on a wild ride that they can pick up the groove and put their own improvisational skills to work. ‘Backscattering’ circles around to its main theme several times, like jazz masters at play, then veers off for toedipping in several genres to keep pulling us back in if we start to nod off. Eliza Skelton’s flute solo about halfway through is a floating, meandering fluttering flower of ingenuity that soars heavenward but never leaves the atmosphere, always anchored by the dreamy clatter back on Earth. Cue the Theremins to pick up the baton and send our minds back into the ionosphere to check out the galactic temperature before Saloman returns for a final blast of Herculean finger-stretching and you’d swear Jimi never left the building. There’s not much more to add - you’ll just have to experience the thrill ride yourself.

(Jeff Penczak)

DEBBIE & THE MILLBANKS

Available on Blue Matter

The vinyl reissue of Neon Classic by Debbie Duveen & The Millbanks drops the original title (and one track) and shortens the band’s moniker, but still contains the same hippity-hop power pop ear candy and will hopefully reach a wider audience fifteen years on. Readers will certainly recognize Miss Duveen (neé Saloman, now Wileman) from the then-15 year old’s exuberant performance as Petrocat (backed by dad Nick Saloman) at Terrastock 3 in London in 1999. She’s recorded a few albums since then (one as Hex and a 100th birthday tribute to Judy Garland in 2022), but her power pop chops, songs by Mr. Saloman and backing by Saloman and his Bevis Frond cohorts Paul Simmons, Ade Shaw and Jules Fenton make this a treat for the ears and a welcome addition to your library.

     Debbie’s musical timing doesn’t fall far from the tree, with Nick’s trademark catchy melodies to the fore and the usual strong backing from the Frond. Nick always dropped a few bangers into his albums, but concentrating them all into a single album spotlights his way around a pop tune, and Debbie’s voice is up to the task with a sparkling delivery perfectly suited to the upbeat melodies. ‘Got A Lot On My Mind’ is the perfect opener, grabbing you from the opening notes with its jangly guitars and snappy backbeat, and ‘Jennifer Jayne’ doesn’t give you time to get off the dancefloor for a well-deserved breather and a cool refreshment. Debbie’s discography has often featured her bluesy wail and the soulful, sultry swagger of ‘Bored, Tired & Disgusted’ will please her Garland fans. Johnny Wallace’s sexy sax solo is the cherry on top of this treat.

  ‘Contact With Air’ is another change of pace, a slinky ballad with ethereal backing that builds to an explosive outburst of emotion. But don’t nod off just yet, for ‘Don’t Belong’ will raise the hairs on the back of your neck while urging fist pumping and a bit of pogoing. There’s a bit of a Pat Benatar vibe at play on this rocker! ‘King Rat’ seems destined for her Garland shows, theatrical and a tad over the top, but the girl group groove of ‘Girls About Town’ is another charming winner, as is the tender lullaby ‘He’s Just Like You’, advice a parent might offer a discouraged son or daughter who’s having some relationship difficulties.

     I also hopped around the room throughout the beat-heavy ‘The Love of ‘99’ - Fenton and Shaw are a formidable rhythm section on this one! ‘Eyes Stay Closed’ combines all the best elements of Debbie’s emotional, torchy vocals, the Frond’s subtle backing with a little jazzy touch, and a fine solo from Paul to wrap up the album on a perfect, albeit tad melancholic note. If you missed the album first time around, don’t let this opportunity slip away again.

(Jeff Penczak)

THE DESPERATE ONES - 1906

Available on Blue Matter

Another archival resurrection from the wonderful Blue Matter label, this one was previously only available as a download from Oh Roy! Records in 2012 (the oblique reference to John Prine’s label noted!). Boasting a new cover and slightly different track listing - the nearly 10-minute version of Jacques Brel’s ‘My Death’ perhaps dropped for space limitations and ‘The Model’ (not the Kraftwerk song) replaced with the previously unreleased ‘Disgrace’, this is a welcome chance to experience this haunting, eclectic acid folk collection with cinematic and Morriconiesque overtones, even if you managed to grab the original.

     The collaboration between Eliza Skelton and Bevis Frond guitarist Paul Simmons is dedicated to Eliza’s father Roy (perhaps best known as the voice of the Daleks in Doctor Who) who passed away shortly before its original release. Skelton’s vocals throughout are expressive and operatic with occasional gothic embellishments adding an eerie effect, introduced effectively on opener ‘The Murder Book,’ which features the first of several violin solos from Mike Simmonds. ‘A Thousand Days’ is the perfect soundtrack for a stroll through the woods on a misty morning, with chirping birds, rippling guitar and keyboard effects from Simmons and David Bramwell respectively, and hints of Trees and Mellow Candle vocalists Celia Humphris and Allison O’Donnell (Eliza’s sister Sam contributes additional vocals to enhance the atmosphere). It’s a beautiful eye-opener for a melancholic autumn morning.

     Simmons blows a mean harmonica to announce ‘The Slippery Slope’ and the bluesy train whistle wail is soon followed by snarly, dirty-ass guitar grunge and Skelton’s alarmist vocal will shake you out of your previously relaxied morning reverie. A bit of syncopated Frippertronic guitar acrobatics a la ‘Larks’ Tongues In Aspic’ adds a nice wink for discerning musicologists! The delicately whispered ‘Dog Years’ features one of Skelton’s finest vocals (ably abetted again by sis Sam) - you can almost hear her crying through the cracked delivery, and Simmonds adds another weeping violin solo to enhance the mystic, melancholic mood.

     The almost spiritual ambience of ‘Blood Moon’ is another attention grabber - this is not an album you put on at parties, rather a personal approach with a loved one or dear friend will inspire conversation while Skelton purrs softly in the background. Simmons softly-stroked backing is another soothing element on this album highlight. And after enjoying ‘Tongue-Cut Sparrow’ I’ve decided the world needs more glockenspiel in its music! Thanks for the revival Eliza! O’Donnell’s recent releases were another signpost for me until I remembered most of my favourite albums of hers were released AFTER this one. Fans of both artists should act appropriately. Kudos once again to Simmonds’ frantic, swirling violin solos.

     I must admit to preferring these intimate navel gazers to the more rawkish workouts, but you may still enjoy the swampy crawl through ‘Vermilion,’ Skelton at times freaking me out with her Nina Hagen-meets-Diamanda Galás shrieking. The band pull out all the stops on this one - crunchy drums, throbbing bass, wailing harmonica, scuzzy, wah-wah-ing guitar, and Skelton out-Banshee-ing Siouxsie! Thankfully ‘Dream Of The Nightjar’ returns my heart to its normal rhythm and I can let my mind wander across the acoustic guitar backing, echoed vocals, and dreamy atmosphere. Next we’ll swagger through the Old West of ‘Astronomy’, all wah-wahs, dusty boots, screeching guitars, and Morriconiesque soundscapes on this barnstorming cover of the Thin White Rope desert rock classic (In The Spanish Cave, 1988). The new track, ‘Disgrace’ is a welcome addition to the canon and a perfect fit into these surroundings. Glockenspiel, flute, rolling guitars, delicate vocals…I’m glad they dug this one out for the reissue. But that title is still a mystery to me!

    Note: If you don’t think digital music is all that bad, you might want to spring for the CD, which contains several bonus tracks. This review is based on that version.

(Jeff Penczak)