Album review: OCTOBER TREE – The Fairy’s Wing

 

 

 

(Canvas Productions, 2012)

If there’s one thing in life that really gets up my nose it’s indulgence. Self indulgence is bad enough, but pandering to somebody else’s indulgence is just plain wrong.

And this is what has happened here. Greg Lounsberry, erstwhile leader of prog-lite October Tree decided to include his wife Tammy in the decision making process for the new album. “I want to make an album about fairies” was the apparent reply.

Now, rather than just giving her a bitch-slap and telling her not to be so stupid as no-one, anywhere is going to be interested, he indulged her and went off and wrote an allegorical novella about said fantasy creatures and ‘The Fairy’s Wing’ is the musical result.

What is really unfortunate is that the album is actually quite good with good song structures and excellent playing throughout – think Marillion with a female vocalist.

However, it doesn’t matter how good the music is, you just cannot escape the subject matter of the lyrics which are simultaneously both fatuous and risible. Track titles such as ‘The Ogre’, ‘Into The Glade’ and ‘Cult Of The White Witch’ give a flavour of the nonsense within and unless you have a real connection with mystical dwarves, witches, fairies and other such drivel, the album quickly becomes tiresome.

Like I said, it is a real shame as there is much to admire about the music – perhaps next time they could write about war, peace, politics, sport, love, poverty, anything other than fairies, and perhaps next time it might be worth a listen.

Incidentally the novella is available on Kindle if you really have both time and money to burn.

*** (for the music)

No stars (for the subject matter)

Review by Alan Jones

Alan sequences “The Eclectic Mix” third Sunday of the month on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio


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.

Josh Taerk Sunday Sessions 2024

Latest session: SUNDAY 26 MAY

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

Josh Taerk Summer 2024


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 26 May 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 28 May 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 10 June 2024

BASTION ROSE (Epictronic Records)
VOODOO RAMBLE Midnight Ride (indie)
BYWATER CALL As If (indie)
ESCAPE THE PARADIGM Cold (Curtain Call Records)
DEFENCES Gold In The Dark (indie)
BRAVE RIVAL Fairytale (indie)
MOJO ACES Old Crow (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 10 June 2024

09:00-12:00 NESTOR Teenage Rebel (Napalm Records)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 MIRACLE MILE East Of Ely (indie)


To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to an X (Twitter) account

Please note that as at 12.06.24 the X/Twitter embedded timeline appears to be broken. Please click the text link until this is resolved.



Popular (last 10 days)


Please log in/register