Kew. Rhone. - Greaves/Blegvad

**JKL2000** · 12-04-2015

Having a first listen to this - man, what an album! It's amazing what a little brass can do for an album. Such a cool combination of RIO, Jazz, and more I guess.

I know I'm late to the table on this one...

I somehow didn't realize how great Carla Bley is.

**rcarlberg** · 12-04-2015

Yeah, visit "Fictitious Sports" next if you haven't already.

**polmico** · 12-04-2015

Originally Posted by JKL2000

and more I guess.

Humor, wordplay, theatrics.

This is a fun album.

**Mister Triscuits** · 12-04-2015

Originally Posted by rcarlberg

Yeah, visit "Fictitious Sports" next if you haven't already.

I'm a particular fan of Tropic Appetites.

**JKL2000** · 12-04-2015

Originally Posted by rcarlberg

Yeah, visit "Fictitious Sports" next if you haven't already.

That I know from way back. I never loved it, but I should probably try it again as it's been 30 years or so!

At the time I didn't even know who Robert Wyatt was, so it might be a good idea to listen again... Actually, maybe I did know who Robert Wyatt was, but I hadn't heard much of his work.

**kenschwartz** · 12-04-2015

in my opinion, the key to "fictitious sports" (which i love) is to NOT go into it with the "a solo album from someone from pink floyd" attitude. love gary windo's work on the album.

**Mister Triscuits** · 12-04-2015

Originally Posted by kenschwartz

in my opinion, the key to "fictitious sports" (which i love) is to NOT go into it with the "a solo album from someone from pink floyd" attitude.

True, because it absolutely isn't. It's an "album that someone from Pink Floyd put his name on so it might actually sell a few copies for his pals."

Hey, how about that Greaves & Blegvad?

**JKL2000** · 12-04-2015

Originally Posted by kenschwartz

in my opinion, the key to "fictitious sports" (which i love) is to NOT go into it with the "a solo album from someone from pink floyd" attitude. love gary windo's work on the album.

Yeah, I did sort of view it that way back when I got it, but I was just a kid! I wasn't entirely ready for it - I mostly just liked "I'm a Mineralist," which is probably a common newbie attitude regarding that album.

**flytomars** · 12-05-2015

I had the same thing with FS, right now it is my favourite floyd related album

And Kew Rhone rulezz! Of course.

**Scrotum Scissor** · 12-05-2015

Kew. Rhone is one of the most thoroughly *intelligent* rock/progressive records I know of. This work is truly and sincerely a classic case of the "multiple levels and layer" complex; the music and lyrics both. And I rarely heard a more rewarding and fulfilling stew of chamber-jazz sensibilities with genuinely intricate rock features.

Great, great album.

**JKL2000** · 12-05-2015

Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor

Kew. Rhone is one of the most thoroughly *intelligent* rock/progressive records I know of. This work is truly and sincerely a classic case of the "multiple levels and layer" complex; the music and lyrics both. And I rarely heard a more rewarding and fulfilling stew of chamber-jazz sensibilities with genuinely intricate rock features.

Great, great album.

And yet rather accessible!

**Mister Triscuits** · 12-05-2015

Does anybody else notice a similarity between "Apricot" on this album and "Bad Alchemy" from Desperate Straights? Blegvad (I assume) plays that same off-beat muted chord lick in both.

**Scrotum Scissor** · 12-05-2015

Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits

Does anybody else notice a similarity between "Apricot" on this album and "Bad Alchemy" from Desperate Straights?

Interesting parallell. I only know that "Bad Alchemy" remains one of my very fave *songs* (as opposed to *pieces*) from the whole Henry Cow spectrum. There's some truly serious musical insights at play in writing that.

For those who (for whatever absurd reason) might not have heard:

**arturs** · 12-05-2015

I agree with all the praise here about Kew Rhone. Stone classic.

What also fascinates me about the record is how timeless it is. I love HC and Slapp Happy, too, but you can clearly tell they are from the 1970s. But not KR. It could have been recorded yesterday. And I've been saying that for 20 years.

**mkeneally** · 12-05-2015

Similarity between Bad Alchemy and Apricot is unsurprising given that Greaves is the composer of both. John Greaves (who wrote all the music on Kew. Rhone.) is surely one of the great largely unheralded composers of serious "rock" music - the music on this album is SO beautiful, haunting, layered, rewarding etc etc.

**Trane** · 12-06-2015

Originally Posted by flytomars

And Kew Rhone rulezz! Of course.

Some day, I'm going to have to fill that gaping hole in my musical wanderings

**Progbear** · 12-06-2015

I kind of go both ways on this album. Some days I love it and think it’s one of the most brilliant things ever. Other days I find it to be the most pretentious, hipster-y, pseudo-intellectual “oh my, aren’t we clever” pile of post-graduate BS ever. I think it depends on my mood. I really have to want to hear this one!

That said, I’m more likely to go for the Slapp Happy/HC stuff if I need a Blegvad/Greaves fix. I really need to look into Greaves’ solo works more. I also have the Lodge album featuring Blegvad and Greaves, which like Slapp Happy is very poppy (though in a late 80s way this time) and has Blegvad’s usual bizarre “thinking too much” lyrics. I guess they were going for airplay with this album, but I can’t imagine any radio station going for such odd songs! Maybe college radio. Even the title (Smell of a Friend) seems to be designed to turn radio execs off! Blegvad’s brother Kristoffer is the lead singer on most of the album (Lisa Herman sings here, too, as does Greaves).

I’ll second the recommendation for delving deeper into the Carla Bley catalogue. As previously stated, Tropic Appetites is a superb place to start.

**Kavus Torabi** · 12-06-2015

An absolute favourite of mine and, curiously, a fairly recent discovery particular as Henry Cow and it's satellite groups and various offshoots have formed a large part of my listening for a couple of decades.
In fact it was on this very site that I first heard about this album.

My reaction upon the first listen was 'Where have you been all my life?'.

Apricot is a particular favourite. Yes, similar vibe to Bad Alchemy. One of those tunes, along with Strayed, in which Blegvad seems to have, to these ears at least, a little of the Lou Reed about him.

**bondegezou** · 12-07-2015

John Greaves is just awesome. I think his 1995 Songs is his best solo album, in which he re-visits various pieces.

Henry

**flytomars** · 12-07-2015

Originally Posted by bondegezou

John Greaves is just awesome. I think his 1995 Songs is his best solo album, in which he re-visits various pieces.

Henry

Have you heard his recent "Verlaine Gisant"? It is amazing!
A very warm recomendation to anyone following the HC satelites.

P.S. I met Greaves at one of the Crimson shows (Klaus Blasquiz also attending

) and asked him if there are going to be some more Verlaine shows,
He said they are working on it but obviously it is a very big project so nothing is guranteed...

**Kcrimso** · 12-07-2015

Originally Posted by flytomars

Have you heard his recent "Verlaine Gisant"? It is amazing!

That is a great album!

And Kew Rhone is of course brilliant. I only discovered it last year. The best "new" vintage album for me in years!

**Prehensile Pencil** · 12-08-2015

One of my faves, forever. In case nobody has mentioned it yet: For those unawares that Peter recently compiled a book of KEW RHONE, here's a link. I've yet to get it myself, so can't comment. But it looks potentially great. And the two of them (John and Peter) are always masterful, especially together.

http://www.colinsackett.co.uk/kewrhone.php