Richard Ashcroft - Alone With Everybody (Verve frontman 2000)

He experienced what could have been a traumatic blow to his inventiveness and creativity as a musician but ex-Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft is fresh. He has moved on from the effervescent prettiness of his former band to make music for himself — something the Verve might have done somewhere in time, but it wouldn't have been so honest or stripped as this solo jaunt, Alone With Everybody. Another look into the shoegazing mind of this singer/songwriter, this record is not a comeback.

Ashcroft is optimistic, hauntingly spellbound on the album opener "A Song for the Lovers." It is a signature love song, flowing with its illustrious string arrangements and simple brushing percussion. His drawl is naturally smooth and one cannot help but to be pulled into the seductiveness behind his words. "Brave New World" and "You on My Mind in My Sleep" are also songs that can carry emotion to another level, weighing in on something surreal. He also gets poppy with a sarcastic twist on the trippy groove "New York," and the twangy sounds of "Money to Burn" clap alongside folk-rock guitar riffs. Richard Ashcroft is still tastefully infectious.

He still believes that music has a soul — with or without his former band. He is certainly a rock star and a believer in love, death, musical spirituality, and individuality. That is what made the Verve a great rock band in the first place, but Ashcroft's superior drive to do something real only makes him and his music more endearing. He is looking ahead, not wishing for past adventures. He celebrates life, pure and simple.

AMG Review by MacKenzie Wilson

Tim Booth & Angelo Badalamenti - Booth And The Bad Angel (Alternative/ Indie 1996)

The project consists mostly of Tim Booth's vocals and lyrics washing over layers of Angelo Badalamenti keyboard and orchestra treatments, with trippy rhythms and some intriguing guest performances fleshing out the structure. Fans of the first Suede album will be pleased to hear prodigal guitarist Bernard Butler serving as supple ligaments for five tracks, especially taut on the assertive "Heart" and relatively cutting "Butterfly's Dream" (James producer Brian Eno and Badalamenti on background vocals). There's nothing overly challenging here, in fact, some of it is annoyingly lightweight, but Booth and the Bad Angel makes for an overall pleasant confectionary of influences, moody pop, and melodic, cocooning atmosphere.

AMG Review by Roch Parisien

Echo & the Bunnymen - Live in Liverpool (2006)

Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant shaped Echo & the Bunnymen's dreamy post-punk into something timeless. Their 1997 reincarnation sparked new life for the band, and McCulloch and Sergeant have maintained their strong appeal of passionate rock & roll. On a live setting, they're charming and their first proper live album, Live in Liverpool, proves that. The duo have a weird musical madness together, and they're comfortable with it. The two night stint captured August 2001 at Paul McCartney's Liverpool of Performing Arts, McCulloch's romantic brood and Sergeant's riveting guitar work are at its best. It's a merry collection of cult classics ("Seven Seas," "The Killing Moon," "Never Stop") and new material ("SuperMellow Man," "Eternity Turns"), but a homage to the band itself. The psychedelic bombast of "All That Jazz" is slick and savvy. Songs from the Crocodiles album take on that tone, but with a signature lust and a sneaky intensity. "Over the Wall" brings that side of the band to the forefront. In a live setting, it's eerie and alluring. "Rescue" and "The Cutter" soar with lush guitar riffs and McCulloch's warm vocals illustrate something primitive. "Nothing Lasts Forever," from 1997's Evergreen, is a sweet sign of age, but it's also graceful. McCulloch and Sergeant are fond of what Echo & the Bunnymen have become. Two nights churning out fan favorites and band mainstays in their hometown makes it much sweeter.

AMG Review by MacKenzie Wilson

Babe Ruth - Que Pasa (2007)

Que Pasa is the sixth full-length studio album by UK hard rock act Babe Ruth. The album was released in 2007. That´s 31 years after their last album release Kid's Stuff (1976). Drummer Ed Spevok is the only remaining member in the lineup from that album, but the four other members in the lineup on Que Pasa are not unknown to fans of the band. It´s the four original members from the debut album First Base (1972) who has returned. So in addition to Ed Spevok we have Jenny Haan on vocals, Alan Shacklock on guitars, Dave Punshon on keyboards and Dave Hewitt on bass. With a lineup like that I had high expectations to the music.

The album soon turns into quite the disappointment though. The music is professional enough but I think the songs on the album lack power and bite. Jenny Haan doesn´t quite sound like her own rock mama self anymore either and that´s a big minus in my book. She sounds a bit tired to be honest. The songs while being technically well composed lacks what made the early albums by the band so enjoyable: Attitude. There are 14 tracks on the album which is way too many with music like this, so that´s another problem IMO. My mind simply wanders because I´m not entertained all the way through. To call this a hard rock release is probably a bit misleading too as it leans more towards commercial pop/ rock music than actual hard rock. There´s even some atrocious rap vocals featured on the album. The few progressive elements on the old albums that justify Babe Ruth´s inclusion on PA are not present on Que Pasa.

All in all this is a big disappointment and a weak comeback album from Babe Ruth. As the production is of a good quality, the songwriting acceptable ( but uninspired) and the musicianship good too I´ll give Que Pasa a 2 star rating. My personal enjoyment with the album is very low though.

UMUR from progarchives.com

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. 4 Dear Life ( 6:45 )
2. Que Pasa ( 5:03 )
3. Sun Moon And Stars ( 5:50 )
4. Mother Tongue ( Part 1 ) ( 2:18 )
5. Apache ( 1:47 )
6. Mother Tongue ( Part 2 )
7. Doncha Wanna Dance ( 5:28 )
8. Break For The Border ( 5:33 )
9. Killer Smile ( 5:30 )
10. 4 Letter Word ( 5:32 )
11. The Blues ( 7:34 )
12. Mexican Millenium ( 3:04 )
13. Santa Anna ( 2:10 )
14. Mexican Millenium ( 0:36 )

13th Floor Elevators - His Eye Is On The Pyramid

To put this into proper context, this double-disc Roky Erickson compilation is a double- disc, 32-cut collection that documents Erickson's tenure with the 13th Floor Elevators. Those who are indeed collector's of the influential psychedelic band's material have everything already, the only convenience is that this is in a single package and leaves off some of the real dross, although there is some here. There is a great version of Bo Diddley's "Before You Accuse Me," taken from a 45, and a fairly clean-sounding of "Pictures (Leave Your Body Behind)," and the acoustic "Dust." Of course it opens with "You're Gonna Miss Me" (what did you think, it wasn't gonna be here?) The problem with this set is that it's on Charly, who do fine reissues except for sound. Their CDs are always muddy, for the most part, and this is no exception. Still, as hard as some of this music is to find readily, it may be worth the investment because the tunes themselves are, for the most part, amazing.

AMG Review by Thom Jurek

Beau Brummels - 1966

While it has gotten a bum rap in the wake of their subsequent masterpieces, the San Fran-based Beau Brummels major-label debut -- simply titled Beau Brummels 66 -- includes a dozen solid remakes of concurrent pop, folk, and rock tracks. The lineup consisted of Ron Elliott (guitar/vocals), Sal Valentino (vocals), Ron Meagher (bass/harmonica/guitar/vocals), Declan Mulligan (guitar/harmonica/vocals), John Petersen (drums/vocals), and for a brief time Don Irving (guitar), who filled in for Elliott. In an era marred by marginal (at best) cover bands, the Beau Brummels reveal considerable talents as interpreters of other people's hits -- although none of these selections are destined to surpass the originals. Of the three Beatles-related entries, the Paul McCartney-penned "Woman" -- which Peter & Gordon took into the Top 20 -- is the most appealing. The delicate baroque arrangement serves the storyline well and the combo's natural penchant for effortlessly adopting the British Invasion style ultimately contributes to the authenticity of this version. They arguably one-up the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man" by including Bob Dylan's alternate verses. Paul Simon's "Homeward Bound" is treated sensitively, but the intimacy is lost once the robust choir chimes in during the chorus. One rather unanticipated gem is the dark menacing overhaul of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'." With creepy minor chords crawling through the song, it has a sense of foreboding that isn't easily dismissed. In the same vein, the update of Sonny Bono's "Bang Bang" takes on an ominous mantle of uncertainty. Less convincing are the Beau Brummels' spin on "Play with Fire" from the Rolling Stones songbook, while "Louie, Louie," "Hang on Sloopy," and the inconsequential "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter" uniformly detract more than they add to the proceedings. In short order, Elliott and Valentino would reestablish themselves as the creative force behind the unit and reappear with the highly lauded Triangle (1967) and Bradley's Barn (1968) platters.

AMG Review by Lindsay Planer

Roky Erickson - Casting The Runes (Live)

1. The Wind And More

2. Night Of The Vampire

3. Mine Mine Mind

4. For You

5. Youre Gonna Miss Me

6. I Walked With A Zombie

7. I Love How You Love Me

8. Dont Shake Me Lucifer

9. Blody Hammer

10. Stand For The Fire Demon

Beacon Street Union - The Clown Died in Marvin Gardens (East Coast Psychedelia 1968)

The Clown Died in Marvin Gardens is an original statement by a Boston group who was musically superior to Eden's Children and Ultimate Spinach, but not as focused as the Remains, the Hallucinations with Peter Wolf, or the emerging J. Geils Band. Where national groups like the Peanut Butter Conspiracy may have been misguided and sputtered with no direction, vocalist John Lincoln Wright developed into a first-rate songwriter and a country singer with a purpose. Hearing his work on highly experimental tunes, like the title track or the impressionistic "May I Light Your Cigarette?," is true culture shock. "The Clown's Overture" seems pointless, yet "Angus of Aberdeen" is inspired and a bright spot in the morass that was the Bosstown Sound. The rave-up version of "Blue Suede Shoes" is great, the guitar funneled through effects and brimming with excitement. Therein lies the problem with this album and this group. The most structured piece is a Carl Perkins cover, while "A Not Very August Afternoon" feels like a song wanting to belong to some hippie movie that was never made. Where the Chocolate Watchband rocked with authority, the Beacon Street Union are feeling their way through the times, the business, and their music. "Now I Taste the Tears" is some jazz-folk piece gone psychedelic. It is dramatic and creative, but misses the mark. "Baby Please Don't Go" takes the pluses and minuses and stretches them past 16 minutes. This is not "Sister Ray," the explosive grunge invention that thrust the Velvet Underground into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, nor is it the decadence of the Doors' "The End." It's a jam trying to be something more. While the Fifth Estate delivered a tremendous album of well-crafted pop and Moulty & the Barbarians delivered two striking hit singles, the very talented crew who were the Beacon Street Union needed a little more time in the incubator. Producer Wes Farrell should have nudged them into a more commercial direction and brought more accessible material to their attention. John Lincoln Wright is a major talent, and had he the right direction this early in his career who knows what kind of chart action he could have enjoyed. The tragedy of The Clown Died in Marvin Gardens is that it could have been so much more.

AMG Review by Joe Viglione

Beacon Street Union - Eyes Of The Beacon Street Union (East Coast Psychedelia 1968)

The Eyes of the Beacon Street Union is a highly experimental album released around the time of the Bosstown sound. Much better than first albums from Eden's Children and Ultimate Spinach, the disc, however, lacks direction -- and cohesion. Vocalist John Lincoln Wright has the same look that he sports 23 years later on his 1991 Honky Tonk Verite CD, including his trademark cowboy hat, but the similarities between these two albums stop there. The Eyes of the Beacon Street Union is garage rock and psychedelia, and it is a trip. Where Orpheus opted for the serious pop of "Can't Find the Time," producer Wes Farrell includes a recitation by the late Tom Wilson, producer of The Velvet Underground & Nico, acting very avant-garde: "Look into the gray/look past the living streets of Boston/look finally into the eyes of Beacon Street Union." Well, Wilson did a decent job with the V.U., but he's no Crazy World of Arthur Brown screaming the immortal line "I am the god of hellfire." The band immediately dips into "My Love Is." resplendent in Robert Rhodes' (aka music attorney Robert Rosenblatt) best ? & the Mysterians keyboard sound, very cool '60s backing vocals, and guitars that are straight from the Psych Out film soundtrack. In fact, this song would have fit perfectly on that album along with the Seeds and Strawberry Alarm Clock. Had Wes Farrell kept the band on this track, the album might have more collectability. "Beautiful Delilah" is too novel to keep the momentum going, and "Sportin' Life" is lounge blues. Side two fares a bit better; "Speed Kills" and "Blue Avenue" are classic '60s psychedelia, a far cry from John Lincoln Wright's Sour Mash Boys, and amazing that it is the legendary Massachusetts country artist singing. "South End Incident" refers to the South End of Boston, which has become quite trendy, but in the day Jonathan Richman, Moe Tucker of the Velvet Underground, and George Thorogood would play that part of town -- on the same bill! The music to the song might be an old blues riff, but the body of the work is "Heartbreaker" by Grand Funk Railroad, and one wonders if Mark Farner had this album and perhaps nicked this vamp a few years later? The Eyes of the Beacon Street Union slightly misses the mark, but must be commended for its original approach to this genre. The album cover looks like some history textbook that mistakenly got pressed by Mad Magazine. A mushroom next to an atomic bomb's mushroom cloud ought to tell you enough about MGM's packaging. A hit single and less cluttered album cover is what these musicians deserved, but what they have is, next to the album Listening by the band of the same name and the hit single from Orpheus, the best work from the Bosstown sound.

AMG Review by Joe Viglione

Echo & the Bunnymen - Me, I'm All Smiles (2006 Live)

Whereas 2002's Live in Liverpool captured a glorious homecoming show for the band, Me, I'm All Smiles ends up being more of a celebration of their nearly 30 years together than a fantastic live album. Touring in support of 2005's Siberia, Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant are spot-on throughout this 19-song set at Shepherds Bush Empire in London. McCulloch's signature swagger is a bit more slinky and lazy with age; his vocals are less dramatic, so live rarities such as "Going Up," "Villiers Terrace," and "With a Hip" come off flirty and fun. Newer tracks such as "Stormy Weather," "Of a Life," and "In the Margins" are equally enjoyable, but it's the thunderous delivery of "Scissors in the Sand" that proves the Bunnymen have still got it. However, there are few moments of greatness, despite some skilled playing, especially from Sergeant, who steals the spotlight from McCulloch more than a few times. Nine of the songs included here are also featured -- and done better -- on Live in Liverpool. Purists might disagree, but Me, I'm All Smiles isn't a must for most fans' collections.

AMG Review by MacKenzie Wilson

The Teardrop Explodes - Wilder (1981 Alternative/Post Punk)

Despite the flux they were going through, the Teardrops somehow got it together to record the heavily-hyped Wilder, which unlike its predecessor did nothing in terms of sales or smash singles, outside of the semi-successful shimmering keyboard/crunch of "Passionate Friend." This isn't for lack of talent on the band's part, and the trademark kicky arrangements and horns appear throughout. However, unlike the joyous outpourings of Kilimanjaro, Wilder sounds distanced. Cope doesn't come across as the lead singer so much as he does someone singing with the music, ironic given that he wrote everything on this album. As a subtler pleasure, though, Wilder offers up some good stuff, with more cryptic compositions and performances throughout, while Clive Langer takes over full production after only doing a few on the first album. Strangely, some performances sound like where Sting eventually took the Police on Synchronicity, musically if not vocally, like the layered attempts at tribal drumming on "Seven Views of Jerusalem." More measured, sometimes stiff songs like "Falling Down Around Me" make the overall mood more fragmented, while some of Balfe's keyboards sound like they're only there just because. When it connects, though, Wilder rocks just fine. The concluding track, "The Great Dominions," is one of Cope's all-time best, with a sweeping, epic sense of scope and sound. The angular funk of "The Culture Bunker" has both some fine guitar and a sharp lyric or two on Cope's part -- the Crucial Three he refers to was his bedroom-only act with Ian McCulloch and Pete Wylie. Other high points include the moody synth shadings on "Tiny Children," where Balfe's work comes through best of all, and Dwyer's generally sharp drumming throughout, keeping the beat well.

AMG Review by Ned Raggett

The Teardrop Explodes - Kilimanjaro (1980 Alternative/Post Punk)

Armed with trumpeters Ray Martinez and Hurricane Smith who add soaring flourishes and energetic blasts throughout, on Kilimanjaro the Teardrops explode in a torrent of creative, kicky and often downright fun songs that hotwire garage/psych inspirations into something more. Steering clear of ham-handed attempts to be commercially "new wave" while at the same time sounding young, bright and alive, the foursome go happily nuts with great results. Cope is already a commanding singer and frontman; his clever lyrics and strong projection result in a series of confident performances, whether his trading lines with himself on the motorik chug of "Sleeping Gas" or his yelps on "Books." For all the bad energy between himself and Balfe, the two sound like they're grafted at the hip throughout, the latter's keyboard washes and staccato melodies adding the fun, nervy vibe. Dwyer's spot-on drumming keeps the pace, while both guitarists, Finkler and his replacement Gill, don't drown the band in feedback to the exclusion of everything else. One listen to many of Gill's pieces, on songs like "Poppies," and Cope's oft-stated claim that early U2 was trying to rip off the Teardrops and other Liverpool/Manchester groups makes sense. Though it was assembled from a variety of different sessions Kilimanjaro still sounds cohesive. Perfectly hummable choruses, great arrangements and production and Cope's smiling vibe all add up with fantastic results. The sweet romance of "When I Dream" closes out this entertaining debut.

AMG Review by Ned Raggett

Jimmy Page/Robert Plant - No Quarter (Great Release 1994)

Ever since Led Zeppelin parted ways after the death of drummer John Bonham, fans were clamoring for the mighty band to reunite. This willfully ignored both the vital contribution Bonham gave to the group's mystique and Zeppelin's woeful one-off reunion at the 1985 Live Aid charity concert, but the legend of the band was so strong, reunion rumors reached a fever pitch whenever vocalist Robert Plant or guitarist Jimmy Page had a new album in the stores. In 1994, following Plant's moody, misunderstood 1993 album Fate of Nations and Page's widely lambasted collaboration with Whitesnake singer David Coverdale, the two quietly reunited to record a concert for MTV's then-popular acoustic concert series Unplugged. Page & Plant interpreted the Unplugged moniker rather liberally, bringing in a full orchestra, mandolins, and a hurdy-gurdy among other instruments, and Page turned to an electric guitar on occasion. Nevertheless, the "unplugged" setting did give the duo an opportunity to gracefully back away from the bombast that was assumed to be Zeppelin's stock-in-trade; after all, it would have been very hard to do "Whole Lotta Love," "Dazed and Confused," or "Trampled Underfoot" in this setting. Instead, this gives them a chance to dive into the moodiest material, trading heavily on the folk, blues, and world music that gave Led Zeppelin a richness unheard in their heavy rock peers. This might not be what some diehards were expecting from a reunion, but it was a gutsy move from Page & Plant, and the ensuing album, No Quarter, has aged remarkably well. That's not to say that it's timeless music, or a latter-day comeback on the level of Bob Dylan's Love and Theft, but this is ambitiously atmospheric, restless music by musicians not content to rest on their laurels. They do draw heavily from their past, but these new versions of classic Led Zeppelin songs sound reinvigorated in these new arrangements. At times, this means that the songs are given rather drastic reinterpretations -- "Nobody's Fault but Mine" brings the brooding undercurrent of the original to the surface, "Four Sticks" sounds livelier in this spare setting -- while other tunes sound similar to the recorded versions but are given spirited readings ("That's the Way," "The Battle of Evermore," "Gallows Pole"). Between these revived Zeppelin numbers are a few new songs, all ambitious and solid, fitting right into the vibe of the album; even if they don't match the older tunes, they're respectable and gain strength upon repeated listens. As good as much of No Quarter is, it isn't necessarily the kind of record that invites those repeated listens. At its core, it's an experiment, the sound of two middle-aged musicians looking back at their groundbreaking work and finding both sustenance and inspiration there. That makes for fascinating listening, both upon the first spin and a return play several years later, but it doesn't necessarily make for an album that's played all that often. [Upon its original 1994 release No Quarter contained 13 tracks. Several years later, it was reissued overseas, adding the previously unreleased original "Wah Wah" as a bonus track. Upon the album's tenth anniversary, it was reissued in the U.S. with "Wah Wah," plus the previously unreleased "The Rain Song," which took the place of "Thank You," which was cut from the album on this reissue. Finally, the 2004 reissue retitled the original "Yallah" as "The Truth Explodes."]

AMG Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Serpent Power - S/T (1967 Psychedelia)

The only album released by this San Francisco group, The Serpent Power is a good example of the ways in which the "San Francisco sound" had coalesced into a recognizable trend by 1967: music set to beat poetry, a combination of bluesier rockers and wispy, folk-influenced tunes with male and female harmonies, and meditations about drugs all date the album somewhat, but the songs themselves are quite good, with excellent band interplay and nice electric guitar work. The heavier songs pack a good punch, while the lighter songs set a very airy, flowing mood, the epitome of what was then becoming known as "flower power". The Serpent Power is most noteworthy, though, for the inclusion of the last track, "Endless Tunnel," which was one of the first successful fusions of eastern-style song structure and philosphy with western instruments and rock sensibilities. This sort of raga-rock had been tried earlier by San Francisco's Great Society, and, of course, the Beatles, but never had it been taken to such extremes on record, clocking in at over 13 minutes. The only other rock songs with similar ideas and effect were the Butterfield Blues Band's "East-West" and the Doors' "The End," both released a year earlier. The album's liner notes include excerpts from the poetry of the band's leader and songwriter, David Meltzer.

AMG Review by Alex Stimmel

Babe Ruth - First Base (Classic Rock 1972)

First Base was British hard rock group Babe Ruth's biggest success, both in terms of popular and critical acclaim. This LP defined an interesting junction between hard rock and progressive rock. The two driving forces behind this album were guitarist Alan Shackloc, who wrote most of the material, and vocalist Janita Haan, who came out as the perfect balance between Janis Joplin and Robert Plant. The album contained "The Mexican," the band's classic song which also includes a theme by western soundtrack composer Ennio Morricone ("Per Qualche Dollaro in Piu"). Other highlights include the powerful rock number "Wells Fargo," the sweet-and-sour "Black Dog" (with nice piano work by Dave Punshon), and a surprising rendition of Frank Zappa's "King Kong." The strings and oboe arrangements in "The Runaways" don't work as well, but at least they don't get pompous. With its long songs (six to eight minutes) and lush arrangements, First Base seduced both the hard rock and the progressive rock crowds. The album cover was painted by Roger Dean, who illustrated many Yes albums.

AMG Review by François Couture

Robert Fripp & the League of Gentlemen - God Save The King (1985 Progressive Rock)

The League of Gentlemen was an instrumental group organized by Robert Fripp in 1980 featuring, in addition to his guitar, Barry Andrews on organ, Sara Lee on bass, and Jonny Toobad on drums, replaced by Kevin Wilkinson. This is their first album. It includes spoken word excerpts by Fripp's spiritual advisor, J.G. Bennett, and remarks about the music business by various unidentified people, sometimes heard over the music. That music is uptempo rock for the most part, dominated by Fripp's often jarring guitar parts, although some calmer pieces recall his ambient efforts.

AMG Review by William Ruhlmann

And Also The Trees - Green Is The Sea (1991 Alternative/Indie Rock)

As a solid introduction to the Trees' recorded career over ten years time, Horizon fulfills its brief intention, covering all A-sides and a good chunk of the B-sides the band released (excluding some live tracks). However, it does have more to offer for the hardcore Trees follower as well, not least of which is demonstrating how much the band integrate literary elements into their dark, involving music. Among the various flipsides are "There Was a Man of Double Deed," based on an old folk rhyme, "The Renegade," quoting from the story of the same name by Albert Camus, and "There Were No Bounds," inspired by Aldous Huxley's Time Must Have a Stop. Of course, it's not just words but music, and the band provide the same tight mix of art and rock on all the tracks, a mix which defines their album work. As for the A-sides, a number of album tracks are featured without change, while others appear in slightly different remixes, including Robert Smith's "The Pear Tree" mix and "The House of the Heart." The extra bonus for the hardcore fan would be the inclusion of two key non-album A-sides: "Shantell," the band's stately debut, already captured the blend of moodiness and lyrical focus on rural, folk-tale settings, and "The Critical Distance" is a surging blast of the Trees at their most forceful. Though somewhat hard to find at the present time, this album is both a perfect starting point for new listeners and a necessity for longtime fans.

AMG Review by Ned Raggett

And Also The Trees - From Horizon To Horizon (1992 Alternative/Indie Rock)

A brief blast of an upbeat brass section leading off a Trees' album? Stranger things have happened, and even though it's but another synth touch courtesy of longtime producer/collaborator Tibenham, it gets Green going well. "Red Valentino," the full opening song, treads the now-familiar musical and lyrical territory with just a little bit of a different verve and touch as a result. As it happened, Green later proved to be the last Trees' album in their long-established darkly rustic/mythic style; already the changes to the more Continental/jazzy sound of their immediate future creep in. The more elegant keyboard-led feel from Farewell carries over here as well, sometimes combining with the newer vibe perfectly, as with "The Fruit Room," a low-key, wonderful charmer that shifts to a boulevardier style with accordion and a gentle swing part of the way through. Perhaps most notably for the album, Justin Jones' trademark guitar sound disappears for songs at a time, instead favoring cleaner musical lines, as with the crisp work on the late-night groove of "The Woodcutter," though the old reverbed strum crops up at points, as on the suitably theatrical "Blind Opera." Simon Jones' voice is, as always, powerful, deep, and dramatic, while Nick Havas and Steven Burrows generally play on a much more subtle, intricate level than before, demonstrating clearly that though the focus is rarely on their work, the two have always contributed greatly to the Trees' sound as it has changed and evolved over the years. Crammed with standout tracks -- "The Dust Sailor," "Mermen of the Lea," and "Jacob Fleet" are but three more fine examples -- Green is yet another Trees triumph.

AMG Review by Ned Raggett