Tag Archives: Derek Walker

Is Paul Simon Homeward Bound?

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Lennon, Dylan, Alice, Jesus – and Who Else?

Greg Laurie, Salem Books This read-in-a-day book is very enjoyable, if you are interested in the spiritual side of rock – but be prepared for a highly subjective view. From the title, I was expecting an in-depth look at the … Continue reading

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Understanding Pope Benedict XVI

In 2010, with Pope Benedict XVI coming to the UK, I interviewed award-winning film-maker Mark Dowd, whose Benedict: Trials of a Pope was being shown on BBC1 and BBC2 in advance of the visit. I wanted to know what he … Continue reading

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Breaking Up Badly – The Banshees of Inisherin

I know that plot is important, but sometimes art’s atmosphere or style draws me in and leaves a bigger impression. I vividly remember the day in my teens when I discovered the Titus Groan / Gormenghast novels and was hooked … Continue reading

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Steve Hackett – Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out

Seconds Out: You could probably guess the sound and quality of this album with some 95% accuracy, even if you haven’t heard it. Hackett has spent a quarter century specialising in recreating the best of his former band Genesis’ songs, … Continue reading

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Held by Trees – Finding Solace

Over my life, I’ve witnessed the evolution of how people reproduce other’s music. When young, it was either orchestras playing classical pieces or choirs singing popular songs, often from musicals. As I began to buy records, the cheap copies came … Continue reading

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John Smith on Hillsong: Money, Sex and Power. Part 1: Prosperity Gospel.

It’s a very ordinary name for an extraordinary man. Rev Dr John Smith, Founder-in-Chief of God’s Squad Christian Motorcycle Club, was a one-off. Likened to John Wesley on a bike, he was a minister to the marginalised – but he … Continue reading

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Solace – a Place to Unwind

This ambient, instrumental album, brilliantly-pitched as a successor to Mark Hollis’s latter Talk Talk work, is far more than a tribute.

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Yes- The Quest

The pioneering prog rockers’ first new album in seven years stands above much of their later work. This is a subtle reinvention and a worthwhile addition to the canon.

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Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh – the Sea Maiden

This is the way to do traditional Irish music. The 28-minute EP Thar Toinn/ Seaborne shows a wonderful sense of restraint, and its simplicity means that there are no distractions from its key features: Nic Amhlaoibh’s voice, the strongly Celtic … Continue reading

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Waterboys – Good Luck Seeker

Fisherman’s Blues this certainly isn’t – but it’s exhilarating, just the same.

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Revisiting This Planet

This is what happens when one of the biggest-selling artists in Christian music reworks the genre’s first landmark album. Kevin Max treats us to a re-imagined version of Only Visiting This Planet.

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Hackett, Steve – Under a Mediterranean Sky

We may not be able to travel the Mediterranean at the moment, but Hackett gives us an impressionistic tour with this acoustic-and-strings project as he continues to broaden his scope. I often find it fascinating to hear an artist’s work … Continue reading

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Molly Tuttle – …but i’d rather be with you

This is very decent for a lockdown stopgap. Label: Compass RecordsTime: 10 tracks / 39 mins Last year I was completely bowled over by Tuttle’s début album When You’re Ready. I noted that, “There are no fireworks here, just beautifully, … Continue reading

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Iona – 30 Years of Groundbreaking Music, oh, and Saving the Odd Life

Nominating the best UK Christian band of the last 40 years is clearly a subjective matter. U2 almost qualify, but are mainly Irish, so don’t quite count. Delirious? also had chart success, but largely on the back of keen churchgoing … Continue reading

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Covering some Classics: Morse, Portnoy and George excel.

There seem to be a few covers albums out recently – a few included on this blog. Is this release the best of the lot?

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Steve Hackett – Selling England by the Pound and Spectral Mornings Live at Hammersmith

Achievement can dull ambition, and most successful musicians slow down after a while. Not Hackett. He is as keen to make great music now as ever, as his 2019 album At the Edge of Light shows. But he also knows … Continue reading

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Kate Rusby: Handed Down Songs

There are two big questions here: how old does a song have to be to be classed as a folk song? And how should you approach a cover – be faithful to the original or make it your own?

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A Proper Double Album – Dreamland

Is Dan Whitehouse the David Bowie of folk? His voice often has the same timbre. He also has a similar sensitivity to moods, strong songwriting talent and flippant approach to genre, letting songs find their own sound, rather than force … Continue reading

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Gigspanner – a Cert for Best-of-2020 Folk Album Lists.

There are times when ‘big’ is highly relative, and that applies to Gigspanner, the trio formed by ex-Steeleye Span veteran Peter Knight. Its Big Band version still only has six members.

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