Share the post "Album review: 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.
Latest session: Sunday 14 April
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 7 April 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 2 April 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 15 April 2024
ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)
Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)
To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to a Twitter account
Popular (last 10 days)
Share the post "Album review: CURVED AIR – The Curved Air Rarities Series Volume 1 – Tapestry Of Propositions"
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections
