Duncan Mackay is a sadly forgotten British keyboardist who recorded two solo symphonic prog rock albums back in 70s along with few disks together with such little known bands like Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel & 10cc, while in 80s he joined Camel to record "Nude"…
This double disc more or less collects the entire recorded material of The Explorers. For the uninitiated, Explorers were a band project featuring Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay of Roxy Music which surfaced after the disbanding of Roxy Music in 1983. Think of it as a Bryan Ferry-less Roxy. The trademark sax assault and classy oboe playing of Andy Mackay and the economic but always tasteful guitar textures of Phil Manzanera are there, but the emphasis is on songs. The vocalist/third member is James Wraith, whose voice is a stylish cross between Ferry and Saga's Michael Sadler(somewhat). They did two albums, 'The Explorers' and 'Manzanera & Mackay'. Musically it continues in the post-Avalon Roxy direction, and if you liked 'Flesh + Blood', this is your ticket: soulful and well-crafted pop songs with atmosphere and professionalism.
Duncan Mackay is a British composer, singer, arranger, and keyboard player who has recorded three solo albums. On this, his second solo album, has moved slightly away from the Keith Emerson imitations that permeated his first album. Slightly, because the Emerson sound still appears. On the first track, Witches, a somewhat Spanish sounding symphonic proc piece, Mackay plays Emerson-like riffs on a honky-tonk tack piano, similar in sound to keith's in Benny The Bouncer. Acousic piano appears throughout the album, with Mackay providing obvious Emerson-influenced sounds.
Most obvious are Spaghetti Smooch, which sounds very much like a reworking of the main sections of Tarkus, played in 7 instead of 10, and Time Is No Healer, which owes a lot to Take A Pebble…