For many years, psych/prog band The Syn’s recorded output totalled a couple of rare 7” singles. Although much loved by collectors, these recordings remained elusive throughout the 80s and 90s, all too rarely spotted at record fairs or in second hand record shops. As an early vehicle for Yes men Chris Squire, the historical value of the discs was perhaps greater than their monetary value, but they often seemed shrouded in mystery to those who discovered Yes much later. Thankfully, Umbrello Records came to the rescue in the mid noughties when they reissued The Syn’s four original 7” sides along with other period rarities and other recordings, and even though their ‘Original Syn’ compilation was terribly titled and looked cheaply packaged, it would be an invaluable collection filler for those lucky enough to grab the limited edition release.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
New editions of Twelfth Night archive releases confirmed
As the autumn begins to take a hold, the temperatures drop and the evenings start to draw in, it feels like 2021 is already beginning to bid us goodbye somewhat prematurely. Much like a fraught 2020, the year hasn’t always felt entirely positive, but here’s some good news from the Twelfth Night camp.
YES – The Quest
‘Heaven & Earth’, the twenty first studio album from Yes, seemed to spend most of its natural life lurking under a cloud of negativity. The last recording to feature founding member Chris Squire and the first to feature vocalist Jon Davison, it was criticised for “not being proggy enough”, “sounding like a lightweight Yes tribute band” and worse. None of the criticism was especially warranted. ‘Heaven & Earth’ featured some lovely sounds; tunes that featured lots of Yes hallmarks blending with a few poppy flourishes to create an almost spiritual and reflective piece.
RITCHIE BLACKMORE’S RAINBOW – Memories In Rock II
When Ritchie Blackmore announced his intentions to return to rock music with a reformed Rainbow in 2015, understandably, the press and the fans got excited. At that time, it had been a couple of decades since the legendary guitarist had recorded anything resembling the hard rock music that had given him worldwide fame. Since calling time on a new version of Rainbow in the mid 90s, he’d been more interested in medieval and folk styles – something which brought him cult success with his partner Candace Night, resulting in eight albums under the Blackmore’s Night banner. Some fans enjoyed this new phase in his career; others hoped he’d return to his roots. With each passing year, that seemed unlikely, so it’s no wonder the decision to resurrect Rainbow got almost everyone all agog.
Listen: Miss Georgia Peach shares free download of solo material
The past year has been pretty kind to Miss Georgia Peach. Her early work with The Short Fuses gained a reissue, the 2018 EP from Beebe Gallini reached a new audience thanks to being picked up by the folks at Rum Bar Records, and she’s also found time to record a new full length with the band (the equally excellent ‘Pandemos’).
On top of that, she’s also dipped back into the archives for a couple of solo tunes which are now being offered as a download on a “pay what you want basis” (which, obviously, can be a free download if you’re that way inclined). Genre-wise, they’re not in the same ball park as Beebe Gallini, but both tracks serve up a familiar vocal and that will certainly be enough for a lot of people to (re)approach these recordings with a keen interest.