Sky 2015

It is a hefty box in every sense: 13 CDs, supplemented with two DVDs, accompanied by a gorgeous hardcover book and a variety of tchotchkes, including a poster that traces the twisted family trees and time lines of the band and, just as helpfully, replicas of legal documents that explain why the group didn't retain rights to its recordings for years…

Clive Nolan and his Neo-hard rocking companions return for the eighth Arena album in twenty years, `The Unquiet Sky', taking inspiration from (without being a direct interpretation of) M.R James' short story `Casting the Runes'. It's easy to see why the ghostly tale of supernatural intrigue and occult mystery from 1911 would appeal to Mr Nolan, and the album reveals plenty of the sleek and heavy symphonic rock with poetic lyrics that the British band is known for. The previous disc `The Seventh Degree of Separation' was a divisive and somewhat controversial release for a new line-up of the group that now included vocalist Paul Manzi, a transitional album that saw them adopting a more streamlined hard rock/metal sound. But long-time fans of the group will be pleased to know that, while there are still similarities to that previous album here and there, the much-loved symphonic atmospheres the band was known for are given more focus again, meaning a better balance of these two qualities together to create a truly sublime Arena work.

David Torn is a hardcore looper. He's been creating loops in his music since well before most people ever heard of the term (20+ years). Not only does he do it on studio recordings, he does it in live situations, looping not just himself but other bandmembers! Given that, it's a bit surprising that Only Sky is his first truly solo recording: just Torn, guitar, and loops (plus a bit of oud on one track). Although there's a hovering ambience to all these pieces, this isn't new agey ambience: the pieces are sometimes ominous or uneasy with Torn producing guitar-like tones and very un-guitar-like tones and sometimes manipulating the loops in a not-so-subtle way. He alternates between song-oriented pieces like "Spoke with Folks," which approaches Frisell-y Americana, and more abstract ones like "Was a Cave, There…," with sounds like balloon squeals and ray guns giving way to some serious loop manipulation…

Barrence Whitfield & The Savages - Under The Savage Sky (2015) {Bloodshoot Records BS230}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 258 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 85 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 36 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2015 Bloodshoot Records | BS230
Rock / Rock & Roll / Rhythm & Blues / Rockabilly / Soul

Since the mid-'80s, Barrence Whitfield has dedicated his life to reminding people that rock & roll and rhythm & blues are not separate but equal institutions, but healthy branches of the same tree; on-stage or in the studio, Whitfield howls vintage R&B tunes with the fury of a hot-wired rock band, and belts out vintage-style rock with a healthy portion of swagger and soul. In Whitfield's world, it's all loud and furious, and makes you want to dance, and really, who doesn't want some of that in their life? After a detour through other projects, Whitfield resurrected the Savages in 2011, and 2015's Under the Savage Sky, the group's third album since returning to duty, stands proudly alongside mid-'80s landmarks like Dig Yourself and Ow! Ow! Ow! as a master class in souped-up and full-bodied roadhouse rocking.

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the next release in the continuing series of reissues of the entire catalogue by the legendary classical rock band Sky. Formed in 1979, Sky brought together the worlds of rock and classical music in a highly successful and inspiring way. This Esoteric Recordings edition has been newly re-mastered and includes a companion DVD of Sky at Westminster Abbey, (the first ever DVD release of this classic concert). The original album artwork is fully restored and the booklet features a new essay.