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Cherry Red [Release date: 25.11.22]
The logistics: Wind of Change comprises 4 CDs, 5 hours of music and 49 tracks.
No doubt many will look at compilations like this one and think you just cannot maintain the quality level over so much material. Well, WOC proves that you can. It’s not like they’ve compiled a bunch of B sides, or tracks that got left on the cutting room floor. This is the real deal, from Procol Harum’s majestic ‘Grand Hotel’ to Yes’s magnificent live version of ‘Starship Trooper’; from ELP’s off-the-page-grandiosity version of William Blake’s 18th century poem ‘Jerusalem’ to John Martyn’s funky ‘Dreams By The Sea’, taken from his Solid Air album, (voted by Q magazine into its top 100 albums of all time.)
1973 was the year, it seemed, that all the underground/progressive rock stars aligned. Yes, the terminology changed to “Progressive” Rock to make the genre sound user friendly and up to speed with fast moving times (This was the year of : The “Cod” War; IRA bombings in London; Two Colliery disasters, Lofthouse and Markham ; 1.6 million workers go on strike: Times they were a changing).
It’s not all big names. There’s a decent quota of bands and songs who should have been big but – and stop me if you’ve heard this one – were in the wrong place at the wrong time, got stiffed by the label/management, or got some such shitty hand dealt by fate. Kevin Ayers, Renaissance, Edgar Broughton, Rare Bird, Curved Air, Budgie, Gong and so on. Truly a rich vein of homegrown rock in a burgeoning genre of popular music.
Badger absolutely fitted that bill. Here was a band with a considerable pedigree. Formed by ex Yes keyboard man, Tony Kaye, and David Foster, who had worked with Jon Anderson, pre Yes. They were joined by Roy Dyke, ex Ashton, Gardner and Dyke, and by Brian Parrish, ex Parrish and Gurvitz, (which later evolved into Frampton’s Camel).
These were four first class musicians, with songwriting skill and a substantial track record.
The energetic, hard rocking ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ comes from the first of the band’s only two albums. Allmusic gave the album 4 out of 5 stars.
Standout track ‘Wind Of Change’ gave this 4 CD compilation its title, but unfortunately doesn’t appear here.
And that’s but one of the numerous bands spotlighted on this anthology.
And of course, many big names are here – Family, Traffic, ELO, Caravan, Manfred Mann’s Earthband (a great cover of Dylan’s ‘Father Of Day’), Hawkwind, Al Stewart, Camel, Pete Sinfield (with ‘Still’ featuring Greg Lake), and more.
They provide the glue that holds this collection together, but are often outshone by bands who weren’t favoured by fortune, but leave a lasting legacy nonetheless.
Paschal Byrne’s light touch digital remastering gives the tracks just enough of a shine for the here and now. *****
Review by Brian McGowan
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.
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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 19 November 2024.
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OFF LIGHTS Love You Sober (indie)
THUNDERMOTHER Dead Or Alive (AFM Records)
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