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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
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