Album review: ROCKING HORSE MUSIC CLUB – Circus Of Wire Dolls

September 27th, 2022 by alanjones

Plane Groovy Records [Release date: 16.09.22]

Third trip into the studio for American “progressive” rock band Rocking Horse Music Club following their EP ‘Everywhere Is Home’ from 2018 and their tribute to Genesis fretmeister Anthony Phillips ‘Which Way The Wind Blows’ from 2019.

‘Circus Of Wire Dolls’ is that phrase (dreaded by most music fans) a concept album – but not only that, a “Rock Opera” (I thought we were done with these – Ed.) telling the story of a man who creates a miniature circus out of wire, string and cloth (yes, really) and how the characters reflect his own life.

It has to be said, that for this odyssey they have piped on board some of the great and good of the rock world – Ms. Amy Birks, Tim Bowness (No Man) and Chris Difford (Squeeze) as singers and David Cross (King Crimson), Kate St. John (Dream Academy) and Steve Hackett stalwarts John Hackett and Rob Townsend to add their instrumental clout.

It’s prog Jim, but with so many other influences at play – The Beatles, Beach Boys, art/glam rock and 1980’s New Wave are all here but by far the predominant influence is that of musical theatre and your enjoyment of this particular ‘circus’ depends on whether musical theatre moves you in mysterious ways.

This is the road that Welsh proggers Karnataka have taken recently and, for me, is a distinctly retrograde step.

The album is a sprawling double disc set stretching things out to 22 tracks and is one of those that would have been so much better as a single album – but, here we are.

There IS a lot of good stuff here with exemplary musicianship throughout – opener ‘Prologue:Riverside’s organ swells and chorus-pedal guitar is a good start, the title track’s insistent guitar riff has a Mike & The Mechanics vibe, the more proggy and excellent drumming of ‘Senseless Sky’, the almost punk ‘It’s Not About You’, the RPWL-esque ‘Face Of Rain’, the all-round excellence of ‘0300’ and the instrumental penultimate track ‘Circus Waltz’ which gives David Cross (violin) and Rob Townsend (sax) a chance to shine.

The bum in the custard moments concern the musical theatre, which, if you’re not into it, becomes somewhat irksome – ‘Packed Up’ mirrors the aforementioned Karnataka, ‘Every Show Must End’ has the Les Miserables nonsense of every spoken line being sung, ‘Burn’ could be The Lion King and ‘Will You Be My Downfall’ a Rice/Lloyd-Webber extravaganza.

Two tracks to avoid completely are ‘House Party At Jack’s’ (?) and the nausea-inducing turgid schmaltz of ‘All Shall Be Well’.

The apposite closer sums up the paradox here – ‘Coda: Slide Down The Cellar Door’ – is it rock? Is it a musical? In the end the jury’s out.

In summary – well worth a listen, but, like Meatloaf, a bit too verbose and occasionally cloying for the real rock fans – and probably a bit too rocky for the musicals audience.

Some great playing on it though. ***

Review by Alan Jones

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

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 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.

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 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)