Album review: TED & MAJELLA – Divine Timing (Ted Turner, ex-Wishbone Ash)

TED & MAJELLA - Divine Timing

www.tedturnerandmajella.com [Release date 21.12.20]

Ted Turner is best known as the one time original guitar slinger in Wishbone Ash with whom he remained until 1974 and then on and off until 1994.

Ted reappeared in 2018 together with his partner Majella and released an essentially chill-out collection of tunes, evidently inspired by their own love for both each other and the wider environment in general. Two years later, Lockdown and pandemic have given more reasons to become reflective and reassess our values. Ted & Majella are right there with us.

If it all smacks a bit of modern day Hippie-dom, remember Turner has always had a head for the wider global issues and after his first spell with Ash took himself off around the world to work things out for himself.

The grooves continue here punctuated by Turner’s bluesy guitar tones and enhanced by Majella’s vocals. ‘Twin Soul’ features the two vocalising in what is an innocuous pop song that could have been written at any time since the 1960s, ditto ‘Wild Is The New Safe’, whilst ‘Like Never Before’ returns to the more spiritual and introspective themes perfectly in tune with 2020.

The closer ‘Flow’ perhaps best sums up their brand of “new age soul” and whilst the soft soulful grooves are persistent throughout it’s the song ‘Gone Too Far’ that provides excellent contrast, a fleeting respite maybe, but a damn good one.

If listeners are expecting another ‘The King Will Come’ they will be disappointed, Ted has mellowed and it ain’t 1972.

So go online, order the patchouli oil, dig out the bong (or, perhaps more realistically, a favourite tipple), and slip into unalloyed contemplative bliss. Ted & Majella provide the perfect soundtrack. ***1/2

Review by David Randall

Album review (Better Together, 2018)

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)