Rubystorm Records  [Release Date: 11.11.13]

For a pair of musicians whose day job involves being in one of the top tribute bands around, it must be very difficult to break free of the constraints of that musical straight-jacket and decide not only to write your own material but also release that material as a full-blown progressive rock concept album.

But that is exactly what Pete Riley (keyboards) and Andy Nixon (guitar) – cornerstones of the Pink Floyd tribute band Dark Side Of The Wall – have done and to great effect too as this is nothing short of a triumph.

Inspired by Riley’s childhood memories of his grandfather Cpl. Robert Wilson’s experiences in the trenches, the album’s central theme is the juxtaposition of the harrowing experiences of the rank and file World War 1 soldiers with the relative comfort of the officer class and unforgivable indifference of the politicians.

It would be very easy to slip into the cynical Blackadder view of the war, but the subject matter has been handled with the utmost respect and sincerity to produce a work worthy as a tribute to all those who served and fell, especially so in this year of remembrance.

That the album has countless Floydian moments is inevitable given the band’s alter-egos – it must be hard-wired into their musical psyche – and with the opening keyboard swells of opener ‘Rain Pt.1’ you could be forgiven for thinking this is the best album Pink Floyd never made.

But think again.

This is all their own work, and during the course of the album’s fifteen tracks the band emerges, butterfly-like, from its musical chrysalis to produce a piece of work chock-full of memorable moments and peerless musicianship.

The theme of rain occurs throughout the album in both in a meteorological and musical sense as the band paint the picture of life in the wet and how the ordinary soldiers fell like rain on the battlefield.

There are highlights and poignant moments everywhere – the atmospheric title track, the cinematic melancholy of ‘Anywhere Else But Here’ segueing into the crunching riff of ‘Path Of Reason’, the charming acoustic riff and chiming electric guitar on the Echoes-like ‘Rain Pt.2’, the central theme appearing again in ‘Rain Pt.4’ this time with a hundred voice choir.

For me though, there is one moment that encapsulates the whole work.

At the beginning of ‘One Hundred And Twenty’ the keyboard intro is exactly the same as ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ but just as you expect Gilmour’s ‘da da da daaa’ a bugle cuts in with The Last Post – so unexpected yet so apposite it would bring tears to a glass eye.

Taken in the round, ‘Rain’ is a stunning piece of work that manages to be both respectful and sensitive to the subject matter without any of the cloying sentimentality that often permeates this type of work and, perhaps just as importantly, without sounding like mere Floyd clones.

A big ask, yes, but Freedom To Glide have carried it off with their own musical credibility intact.

*****

Review by Alan Jones

 

---

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

Next session: Sunday 19 January

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

---

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

---

Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)

---

---

Popular (last 10 days)

---