The original line-up of Renaissance was: Keith Relf (guitar, vocals), Jim McCarty (drums, vocals), Louis Cennamo (bass), John Hawken (piano) and Keith's sister, Jane Relf (vocals). The band was formed in the Spring of 1969 and just a year later it was falling apart. Through various personnel changes, the band quickly morphed into a second…Read more Out of the Mist
3-Piece Suite
Mid-winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Short days. Too cold to go out much. So let's pass the time curled up on the sofa and listen to some music. Here's a short playlist taken from my latest Spotify Release Radar. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2aZ3sl0wRJB4Y3N7BxzeUf?si=b43206d7e12d4c90 The first piece looks forward to the month ahead. It probably won't be any warmer…Read more 3-Piece Suite
Wild Grey Ocean
If your name is Fender, it would be hard not to be a musician. Fortunately, Sam is a rather good pianist, guitarist, singer and songwriter. In fact, he is one of the biggest stars in the pop/rock/indie style around today. And he deserves to be. This song came up on my Spotify Release Radar last…Read more Wild Grey Ocean
Panopticom
One of the artworks in the Panopticon Sculpture Trail, Lancashire, UK Panopticom? Is that a word? And, if it is, what could it mean? Well, 'pan', as a prefix, is the Greek for 'all'. 'Optic' is also Greek, and it refers to the eye. So, perhaps, a panopticom is a device that sees everything. But,…Read more Panopticom
Graham Costello’s Strata
Head and Cloud Strata, Geoffrey Key Here we are at the start of another year. What, I wonder, will it bring? It's dangerous, of course, to make predictions, but I'm going to stick my neck out and say that Graham Costello's Strata will turn out to stand head and shoulders above all the other bands…Read more Graham Costello’s Strata
I Believe In …
Sunday is the target day for a regular Crotchety blog post. This year, though, the fourth Sunday in December falls on Christmas Day, and I will have other things on my mind. Quite apart from the present giving and the usual festive meal with the family, there is also a funeral on the near horizon.…Read more I Believe In …
Goodbye Treadmill
Sometimes, everyday life feels like a perpetual treadmill. Faceless people stream by, burdensome responsibilities pile up, events are never under your control. But you must keep going; if you don't, you will fall, suffering injuries to both body and pride. If the engine powering that treadmill is your job, retirement must seem like the end…Read more Goodbye Treadmill
Changing Earth
It can't have escaped your notice that the Earth is changing. The greenhouse gases that we are pumping into our atmosphere are warming the planet, and nowhere is that effect more striking than at the poles. If you want to bring peoples' attention to the problem, you mount an expedition to the polar regions, where…Read more Changing Earth
Monsieur MÂLÂ
Spotify delivered an early Christmas present this week. Down at number 28 in my Release Radar playlist, there was a track called Sahara Spring by Monsieur MÂLÂ. In these cold, damp, early winter days, there could hardly be anything more incongruous than a Sahara Spring, but the music warms the heart like a glass of…Read more Monsieur MÂLÂ
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis of Narcissus, Salvador Dalí As a teenager, when other kids my age had photos of their favourite football team on their walls, I had a poster of Metamorphosis of Narcissus above my bed. It was the first example of surrealist art I had seen, and I found it fascinating. The composition is striking and…Read more Metamorphosis
Crotchety Man 