Album review: CURVED AIR – The Curved Air Rarities Series Volume 1 – Tapestry Of Propositions

CURVED AIR - The Curved Air Rarities Series Volume 1 - Tapestry Of Propositions

Curved Air Records [Release date 05.08.16]

We live in age when every album, every gig, seems to be heavily choreographed. With albums pieced together and artists not necessarily sharing the same studio, or even continent, and gigs fixed to a lighting sequencer or backing track and with little scope for spontaneity.

The first of the ‘Curved Air Rarities’ series reiterates that there are some bands out there prepared to push the envelope, especially in the live situation. Whether you want 15 different versions of their 1970 piece ‘Propositions’ (topped and tailed by Sonja Kristina’s intro and reprise) is a moot point but fans may be interested if only to pick out their favourite rendition. OK, if you’re asking, the second “Norway improv” is pretty definitive.

The improv sequence itself is essentially jazz fusion and if you were to listen to this album end to end you would definitely have to be under the influence of something, when you might even forget that you were listening to the same piece.

Compiled by the band’s keyboard player Robert Norton, the idea is that the band never play the improvisation the same way on different nights. If we get multi variations on a theme the album is also subject to subtle variations in recording quality, presumably taken from the desk and not subject to the rigours of multi-track location recording.

For this reason the album has an element of very good bootleg quality and is really capturing the moment. Not a click track in sight and a testimony to the band’s wonderful musicality and – in particular – Kirby’s guitar prowess. Recorded in 15 different locations during the years 2013-14 it also bears witness to this band’s great revival in recent years. ***

Review by David Randall

David Randall presents ‘Assume The Position’ on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio every Sunday at 22:00 GMT.

Curved Air play A New Day Festival on Saturday 6 August and Cambridge Rock Festival on Sunday 7 August.

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

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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 3 November 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 29 October 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)