DAVID GILMOUR — Luck And Strange (2024) Blu-spec CD2 | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Luck and Strange is David Gilmour's fifth solo record and only his third of the 21st century. The Pink Floyd guitarist clearly understands his life's privilege; he has made some of rock's most memorable music, toured its biggest stages, and been named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He could easily coast along for the duration of his career. Instead, he has continued to tour, collaborated widely, advocated for numerous just causes, and donated the money from selling his home and guitars to charity. If he wants to make just one album per decade, he's earned the right. Appearing nine years after 2015's Rattle That Lock, Luck and Strange brings together a supporting cast that's both fresh and familiar, and also familial. To produce, he sought a more contemporary presence, Charlie Andrew (Alt-J), to augment veteran players like Guy Pratt (bass) and Steve Gadd (drums). Additionally, his daughter, singer and harpist Romany Gilmour, plays a significant role here and even takes the lead on standout "Between Two Points," a cover of the Montgolfier Brothers' 1999 dream pop song. As on all his records since the '90s, Gilmour's wife, Polly Samson, serves as lyricist and direct collaborator. The overriding tone of Luck and Strange is ruminative, though not overly melancholic, with richly imagined songs that explore uncertain futures ("A Single Spark"), nostalgia ("Sings"), marriage ("Dark and Velvet Nights"), and a generation's halcyon days (the title cut, which is built around a pre-existing 2007 jam with late Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright). The arrangements, which frequently include orchestral and choral elements, feel fresher and nimbler than on his previous set, balancing out some of the album's introspection. And the youthful presence of Romany's (as well as his son Gabriel's) vocals is a boon, lending to the largely collaborative feel. Still, it's undeniably a Gilmour album, woven through with the elegant, lyrical guitar playing and haunted vocals that are his signature. Timothy Monger
Tracklist :
1.    David Gilmour–    Black Cat 1:32
Guitar – David Gilmour
Music By – David Gilmour
Piano – David Gilmour, Roger Eno
Synthesizer – Rob Gentry
2.    David Gilmour–    Luck And Strange 6:56
Backing Vocals – David Gilmour, Romany Gilmour
Bass Guitar – Guy Pratt
Drums – Steve DiStanislao
Electric Piano, Electric Organ [Hammond] – Richard Wright
Guitar – David Gilmour
Lyrics By – Polly Samson
Music By – David Gilmour
Percussion – Adam Betts
Synthesizer – Rob Gentry
Vocals – David Gilmour
3.    David Gilmour–    The Piper's Call 5:15
Backing Vocals – David Gilmour, Gabriel Gilmour, Romany Gilmour
Bass Guitar – Guy Pratt
Djembe – Adam Betts
Drums, Percussion – Steve Gadd
Guitar, Slide Guitar, Ukulele, Bass [Höfner Bass], Electric Organ [Farfisa Organ] – David Gilmour
Keyboards, Synthesizer – Rob Gentry
Lyrics By – Polly Samson
Music By – David Gilmour
Vocals – David Gilmour
4.    David Gilmour–    A Single Spark 6:04
Backing Vocals – David Gilmour, Gabriel Gilmour, Romany Gilmour
Bass Guitar – Tom Herbert
Drums, Percussion – Adam Betts
Guitar – David Gilmour
Lyrics By – Polly Samson
Music By – David Gilmour
Piano, Synthesizer – Rob Gentry
Vocals – David Gilmour
5.    David Gilmour–    Vita Brevis 0:46
Harp – Romany Gilmour
Music By – David Gilmour
Slide Guitar – David Gilmour
6.    David Gilmour With Romany Gilmour–    Between Two Points 5:46
Backing Vocals – David Gilmour, Romany Gilmour
Bass Guitar – Guy Pratt
Drums – Steve Gadd
Guitar, Keyboards [Additional Keyboards] – David Gilmour
Harp – Romany Gilmour
Lyrics By – Roger Quigley
Music By – Mark Tranmer
Percussion – Adam Betts, Steve Gadd
Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizer – Rob Gentry
Vocals – Romany Gilmour
7.    David Gilmour–    Dark And Velvet Nights 4:44
Backing Vocals – David Gilmour, Romany Gilmour
Bass Guitar – Guy Pratt
Drums – Steve Gadd
Electric Organ [Hammond] – Rob Gentry
Guitar, Electric Organ [Hammond] – David Gilmour
Lyrics By – Polly Samson
Music By – David Gilmour
Percussion – Adam Betts, Steve Gadd
Vocals – David Gilmour
8.    David Gilmour–    Sings 5:14
Backing Vocals – David Gilmour, Romany Gilmour
Bass Guitar – Guy Pratt
Drums – Steve Gadd
Guitar, Bass [Höfner Bass] – David Gilmour
Lyrics By – Polly Samson
Music By – David Gilmour
Percussion – Adam Betts, Steve Gadd
Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizer – Rob Gentry
Vocals – David Gilmour
9.    David Gilmour–    Scattered 7:33
Bass Guitar – Guy Pratt
Drums – Steve Gadd
Guitar, Piano [Leslie Piano], Bass Guitar, Keyboards – David Gilmour
Keyboards, Synthesizer – Rob Gentry
Lyrics By – Charlie Gilmour, David Gilmour, Polly Samson
Music By – David Gilmour
Percussion – Adam Betts
Piano – Rob Gentry, Roger Eno
Vocals – David Gilmour
– BONUS TRACKS –
10.    David Gilmour With Romany Gilmour–    Yes, I Have Ghosts 3:50
Electric Organ [Farfisa Organ] – Rob Gentry
Fiddle – John McCusker
Guitar, Vocals, Samples [String Samples], Programmed By [Programming] – David Gilmour
Harp, Vocals – Romany Gilmour
Instruments [All Other] – David Gilmour
Lyrics By – Polly Samson
Music By – David Gilmour
Samples [String Quartet Sampling] – Damon Iddins
11.    David Gilmour–    Luck And Strange (Original Barn Jam) 13:59
Bass Guitar – Guy Pratt
Drums – Steve DiStanislao
Electric Piano, Electric Organ [Hammond] – Richard Wright
Guitar – David Gilmour
Music By – David Gilmour
Credits :
Arranged By [Orchestral And Choral Arrangements Written By], Conductor [Orchestral And Choral Conducted By] – Will Gardner 
Choir – Ely Cathedral
Chorus Master [Choir Master Ely Cathedral] – Neil Porter-Thaw
Conductor [King's Ely Singers Conducted By] – Neil Porter-Thaw
Contractor [Soprano and Choir Fixer] – Kate Huggett
Music Director [Organist And Director Of Music At Ely Cathedral] – Edmund Aldhous
Violin [Leader], Contractor [Strings/Brass Fixer] – Kirsty Mangan
Vocals [Additional Vocals] – Kate Huggett (tracks: 3, 4), Will Gardner (tracks: 3, 4)

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO — Transiberiana (2019) FLAC (tracks), lossless

In 2014, Italy's prog legends Banco del Mutuo Soccorso hadn't recorded a studio album in two decades. They were planning one when founding vocalist and songwriter Francesco di Giacomo was killed in a car accident. Given the impact of the tragedy, there was no reason to think that they'd ever release another. But that was before fans found out about Di Giacomo's instructions to keyboardist/composer Vittorio Nocenzi after seeing Tony D'Alessio sing with Scenario: "Before I die, mark him as a hypothetical substitute for the band." Nocenzi did exactly that. The loosely conceptual Transiberiana is the first studio offering of new material from Banco in 25 years. Nocenzi penned it with his son Michelangelo and explains in the liner notes that the recording is the band's "autobiographical journey." D'Alessio may not possess the sheer charisma that Di Giacomo did, but he acquits himself beautifully. He was a lifelong fan of the band, and Italian prog in general, before joining. Nocenzi hired a slew of new players to fill out the lineup, with Filippo Marcheggiani and Nicola Di Già on guitars, Marco Capozi on bass, and Fabio Moresco on drums. Nocenzi continues to hold down the keyboard chair and sings backup.

Musically, this is wildly ambitious. The group's sound has naturally evolved, but it pays no heed to modern production values. The album's sound is analog. The number of styles the band move through on Transiberiana is quite astonishing -- they take deep dives into modern prog, avant-garde, atmospheric and experimental rock, classical, jazz, and even have an AOR moment or two. Opener "Stelle Sulla Terra" is almost suite-like in construction. It commences with a three-note circular keyboard vamp with jagged synths coming in to add a pulse, then alternates between quickly shifting time signatures, pastoral passages, and finally, D'Alessio's balladic vocals. As the music turns itself inside-out, colliding and dove-tailing through metallic futurism, Zappa-esque arpeggios, and riff-enhanced rock, he responds with recitative shouting and crooning. "La Discesa Dal Treno" offers dreamy piano and powerful guitar riffs before fierce lead guitar runs that underscore passionate vocals, while a tender jazz piano melody adds tension and later, balance. The synth in "Lo Sciamano" sounds like Vangelis and Keith Emerson struggling to inhabit the same body before King Crimson-esque guitars and thrumming drums add heft, and a rootsy acoustic piano delivers blues chords and post-bop arpeggios as D'Alessio croons. "Il Grande Bianco" begins with a guitar pattern reminiscent of '80s-era King Crimson (think Discipline and Beat), with horn and string sounds emerging overture-like to introduce the first part of the melody. Over its six minutes, it travels through prog and classical music, harmonious cinematic tropes, and knotty, cascading prog. The set closes with two bonus cuts, live versions of two Banco classics cut at 2018's Festival Prog Di Veruno -- "Metamorfosi" and "Il Ragno" -- which reveal this version of Banco can hold their own on-stage. Transiberiana is far better than almost any fan would expect from a band continuing their exploratory quest for musical discovery and expansion more than 25 years after their last effort. 
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
 Tracklist :
1.   Stelle Sulla Terra    (6:05)
1a.    La Partenza    
1b.    Cavalli Sull'altopiano    
1c.    Perche', Perche', Perche'    
2.    L'imprevisto    3:31
3.    La Discesa Dal Treno    (6:17)
3a.    Fermi Ed Agitati Come Tende Al Vento    
3b.    Come Nell'Ade    
4.    L'assalto Dei Lupi    5:37
5.    Campi Di Fragole 3:34
Lead Vocals – Vittorio Nocenzi
6.    Lo Sciamano    3:59
7.    Eterna Transiberiana    6:18
8.    I Ruderi Del Gulag    6:05
9.    Lasciando Alle Spalle    1:52
10.    Il Grande Bianco    6:33
11.    Oceano: Strade Di Sale    3:38
– BONUS TRACK –
12.    Metamorfosi (Live)    9:40
13.    Il Ragno (Live)    5:37
Credits :
Arranged By [Arrangiament] – Filippo Marcheggiani, Michelangelo Nocenzi, Nicola Di Già, Vittorio Nocenzi
Artwork – Cristiano Longhi, Link Design, Milano*, Stefano Mattiozzi, Valentina Mazzella
Keyboards [Additional Keyboards], Programmed By [Loops Programming] – Michelangelo Nocenzi
Lyrics By – Francesco Di Giacomo (tracks: 12, 13), Paolo Logli (tracks: 1 to 11), Vittorio Nocenzi
Music By – Michelangelo Nocenzi (tracks: 1 to 11), Vittorio Nocenzi
Performer [BMS Are], Bass – Marco Capozi
Performer [BMS Are], Drums – Fabio Moresco
Performer [BMS Are], Fortepiano [Pianoforte], Keyboards, Backing Vocals – Vittorio Nocenzi
Performer [BMS Are], Lead Guitar [Lead Guitars], Backing Vocals – Filippo Marcheggiani
Performer [BMS Are], Lead Vocals – Tony D'Alessio
Performer [BMS Are], Rhythm Guitar [Rhythm Guitars], Acoustic Guitar [Acoustic Guitars], Balalaika – Nicola Di Già

CAMEL — Stationary Traveller (1984-2009) RM | Serie Camel SHM-CD Paper Jacket Collection – 11 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although Stationary Traveller is a concept album, it musically falls into line with its predecessor The Single Factor, which found Camel trying to refashion themselves as the Alan Parsons Project. Where The Single Factor suffered from Camel's attempts to write pop hooks, Stationary Traveller finds the band breaking down the barriers, opening up their relatively concise songs with long, atmospheric instrumental passages. The album's lyrics, which were written by Susan Hoover, is about the divided Berlin and its political, emotional and physical divides. Often, the lyrics and music – which work as individual entities – don't quite work together, since they follow different emotional directions, yet the record remains a worthwhile listen, especially since it features Andy Latimer on pan flute. Daevid Jehnzen
Tracklist :
1.     Pressure Points 2:10
Instruments [All Other], Mixed By – Andy Latimer
Synthesizer [Fairlight], Mixed By – Haydn Bendall
2.    Refugee 3:49
Accordion – Ton Scherpenzeel
Drums – Paul Burgess
Piano, Bass, Guitar, Vocals – Andy Latimer
3.    Vopos 5:31
Bass – David Paton
Keyboards – Haydn Bendall, Ton Scherpenzeel
Keyboards, Guitar, Piano, Vocals – Andy Latimer
4.    Cloak And Dagger Man 3:55
Bass – David Paton
Drums – Paul Burgess
Keyboards – Ton Scherpenzeel
Twelve-String Guitar [12-string], Electric Guitar – Andy Latimer
Vocals – Chris Rainbow
5.    Stationary Traveller 5:35
Drums – Paul Burgess
Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Bass, Panpipes – Andy Latimer
Grand Piano, Keyboards – Ton Scherpenzeel
6.    West Berlin 5:10
Drums – Paul Burgess
Grand Piano, Keyboards – Ton Scherpenzeel
Guitar, Bass, Vocals – Andy Latimer
7.    Fingertips 4:29
Bass – David Paton
Grand Piano, Organ [Korg] – Ton Scherpenzeel
Saxophone – Mel Collins
Vocals – Andy Latimer
8.    Missing 4:22
Keyboards – Haydn Bendall
9.    After Words 2:02
Grand Piano – Ton Scherpenzeel
10.    Long Goodbyes 5:17
Bass – David Paton
Drums – Paul Burgess
Grand Piano – Ton Scherpenzeel
Guitar, Flute – Andy Latimer
Vocals – Chris Rainbow

HALIE LOREN — They Oughta Write A Song ... (2008-2011) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    They Oughta Write A Song 3:04
Lyrics By – Halie Loren
Music By – Larry W. Clarke
2    A Whiter Shade Of Pale 4:21

Lyrics By – Gary Brooker
Music By – Keith Reid
3    Blue Skies 3:34
Written-By – Irving Berlin
4    Autumn Leaves 3:48
Written-By – Jacques Prévert, Johnny Mercer, Joseph Kosma
5    Fever 4:05
Lyrics By – Otis Blackwell
Music By – Eddie Cooley
6    God Bless The Child 6:11
Lyrics By – Billie Holiday
Music By – Arthur Herzog, Jr.
7    My Rainbow Race 3:24
Written-By – Pete Seeger
8    Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps 2:19
Lyrics By – Osvaldo Farrés
Music By – Joe Davis
9    How Should I Know 3:56
Lyrics By – Halie Loren
Music By – Larry W. Clarke
10    Summertime 5:05
Lyrics By – DuBose Heyward
Music By – George & Ira Gershwin
11    I Don't Miss It That Much 2:47

Lyrics By – Halie Loren
Music By – Janis Carnes, Rick Carnes
12    The Dock Of The Bay 4:49
Lyrics By – Otis Redding
Music By – Steve Cropper
13    As Time Goes By 4:34
Written-By – Herman Hupfeld
- Bonus Live Tracks From "Stages" -   
14        Free To Be Loved By Me 3:27
Lyrics By – Halie Loren
Music By – Rick Chundacoff
15    I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For 5:44
Written-By – Adam Clayton, Dave Evans, Larry Mullen, Victor Reina
16    Danger In Loving You 3:19
Lyrics By – Halie Loren
Music By – Larry Wayne Clark
17    Sunny Afternoon 3:27
Written-By – Raymond Davis
Credits :
Bass – Mark Schneider
Drums – Brian West
Piano – Matt Treder
Trumpet – Tim McLaughlan
Vocals – Halie Loren 

FOURPLAY — Let's Touch The Sky (2010) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It would be incorrect to say that not much has changed Fourplay's sound since they began recording together in 1991. That said, while these musicians -- who were all successful artists individually -- have continued to evolve, as a group they've stayed remarkably focused on what they do best: play elegant, seamless, contemporary jazz with a light sexy groove. Keyboardist Bob James, drummer/percussionist Harvey Mason, and bassist Nathan East have remained constants but guitarists have come and gone: Chuck Loeb replaces Larry Carlton (who originally replaced founding member Lee Ritenour) for Let's Touch the Sky, Fourplay's 11th recording. James' title track composition kicks things off with a breezy Brazilian groove before strings paint an airy, almost cinematic backdrop. Loeb's "3rd Degree" ups the funk quotient with some hard-grooving guitar, ever-present rolling breaks by Mason, and some knotty synth work. His "Above and Beyond" provides the kind of guitar-led group interactive euphoria usually associated with Pat Metheny. Mason's "Pineapple Getaway" has irresistible synth and Rhodes work by James, but it's Loeb's stellar guitar work that makes this Caribbean-flavored groover one of the set's finest moments. "Gentle Giant," written by James in memory of Hank Jones, features a stellar upright bass solo from East. There are three vocal tracks on the set as well. East takes one on his "I'll Still Be Lovin' You," and Anita Baker lays down a fine one on her reading of "You're My Thrill." The most remarkable one is the deeply soulful, warmly expressive take of Cecil and Linda Womack's "Love TKO" by Ruben Studdard, with some excellent atmospherics provided by James and Mason. Fourplay's formulaic approach is firmly intact on Let's Touch the Sky and the band is firing on all cylinder, making this a fine entry in 2010's contemporary jazz oeuvre. 
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1.    Let's Touch The Sky 5:23
Written-By – Bob James
2.    3rd Degree 5:07
Written-By – Chuck Loeb
3.    More Than A Dream 5:03
Written-By – Harvey Mason
4.    Pineapple Getaway 5:53
Written-By – Harvey Mason
5.    I'll Still Be Lovin' You 5:18
Featuring – Nathan East
Written-By – N. East
6.    Gentle Giant (For Hank) 6:00
Written-By – Bob James
7.    A Night In Rio 5:57
Written-By – N. East, T. Keane
8.    Love TKO 4:31
Featuring – Ruben Studdard
Written-By – C. Womack, E. Noble, L. Womack
9.    Above And Beyond 6:31
Written-By – Chuck Loeb
10.    Golden Faders 7:08
Written-By – Bob James
11.    You're My Thrill 4:47
Featuring – Anita Baker
Written-By – J. Gorney, S. Clare
Credits :
Bass, Vocals – Nathan East
Drums, Percussion – Harvey Mason
Guitar – Chuck Loeb
Keyboards – Bob James