Album review: GORDON GILTRAP & PAUL WARD – The Last Of England

January 2nd, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

On Sunday 15 January 2017 at 18:00 GMT David Randall chatted to Gordon Giltrap on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, with tracks from the new album.

GORDON GILTRAP & PAUL WARD - The Last Of England

Angel Air Records [Release date 20.01.17]

Gordon Giltrap? Where do you start? This veteran performer has been treading the boards since the late 1960s when his first album appeared on the Transatlantic label. Since that time with successive solo albums, a dalliance in the 1970s with electric prog rock and any number of collaborations, the watchword has always been musical quality and brilliant guitar playing. Oh yes and that tune called ‘Heartsong’.

Gordon’s latest enterprise places his acoustic guitar against the rich orchestrations of his latest collaborator Paul Ward. Paul who? He met him at a car boot sale in the 1980s soon realising that Paul had been a fan since childhood.

Fast forward 30 odd years and the duo have created a superb, pastoral, album of lush acoustic and orchestral textures. The first seven pieces are related and collectively called ‘The Brotherhood Suite’ and inspired by the pre-Raphaelite art Giltrap viewed in – amongst other places – Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

The remainder of the set includes a mixture of tunes commissioned by or dedicated to friends and family.

Ward’s arrangements are never intrusive but always complementary giving an extra dimension to Giltrap’s solo guitar. It’s evident a lot of thought has gone into this aspect, and the informative liner notes highlight the mutually shared inspiration. Fairport’s Rick Sanders adds violin to the closing piece – and standout – ‘A Promise Fulfilled’.

A great way to usher in 2017 and Angel Air’s 20th anniversary. *****

Review by David Randall

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

Archive review (Reissues, 2013)

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)