STORMS OVER LONDON TOWN

At about five years ago I witnessed a Mostly Autumn performance during a Dutch progrock festival. I was blown away by one of their guitar players who sounded like the second coming of David Gilmour! Soon I discovered the strong link between Mostly Autumn and Pink Floyd. On this live CD you can enjoy that very Floydian inspired guitarplay.

The first set delivers many bombastic and harder-edged songs: Out Of The Sky (beautiful Floydian slide guitar), Broken Glass (mid-tempo with fiery electric guitar layers), Answer The Question (heavy guitar riffs and pleasant piano play), Black Rain (powerful R&R guitar work, high pitched female vocals and a fiery guitar solo) and Never The Rainbow (bombastic featuring a swirling organ - and a biting guitar solo). Then the atmosphere turns into mellow in Distant Train with dreamy flute and a compelling wah-wah drenched guitar solo. Some other songs contain the emotional sounding Uillean pipes and the distinctive Mostly Autumn sound: bombastic and compelling featuring duo (male and female) vocals and Floydian guitar play (great soli at the level of Gilmour in Evergreen and Storms Over Still Water). The final track is the dreamy The Spirit Of Autumn Past (Part 1) with fragile work on electric guitar and piano along wonderful folky female vocals.

Mostly Autumn makes very melodic and accesible progrock, I love the tension between the folky part (bagpipes, flute, acoustic guitar) and bombastic prog with great Floydian guitar work. I am sure this live CD will please many progheads!

I found myself being slightly disappointed with this CD, not for the material it contains but more for what it doesn't. It is afterall the recording of the official launch of the Storms over still water album, so it was a suprise to find it only contains five of the eleven songs from that album. It also contains six of the bands other songs, which (with one exception) are already available on other live albums by the band.

Getting down to the CD itself, it is however a fine recording of some of Mostly Autumn's best material. Opening as does the Storms album with the excellent 'out of the green sky', followed by the very catchy rock anthem 'broken glass'. Two of the band's epics 'evergreen' and 'distant train' are also included and performed immaculately, along with a new pair in the shape of 'carpe diem' and 'storms over still water'. Another great version of 'never the rainbow' has also been included.

The album also features some special guests including Olivia Sparnenn's (of Breathing Space fame) fantastic singing and Chris Johnson, both of whom will later feature as regulars. plus backing vocals from Rachel Jones (ex Karnataka) the guitar of Ben Matthews (Thunder) and Troy Donockley (Iona) on various Celtic style instruments.

A very good live album which I would recommend to anyone, just wish it had more of the Storms album on it.

It is effectevly a storm that fell down on the mythical Astoria, in London on that evening of June, 4th, 2005.

MA, had just released their excellent studio album "Storms Over Still Waters". Much harder than their previous records and definitely their best studio album ever. MA will start their set with the same two opening numbers. "Out Of The Green Sky" is very good while "Broken Glass" is really too loud and noisy.

"Black Rain" is almost heavy, and longer than the studio version. It doesn't have its sensibility : just hardish. While "Carpe Diem" was one of the very few prog folk songs from "Still Waters" and is greatly rendered here. The title track, "Storms Over Still Water" features a great guitar solo during the second part.

"Answer The Question"as well as "Distant Train" (an instrumental track) come from their average album "The Passengers". On top of this, those numbers were amongst the weakiest ones from it.

Three great old songs (although one is reduced to its first part - "The Spirit Of The Autumn Past"). The mood again is very aggresive (almost Blackmorian guitar solo, Made In Japan like, really) during "Never The Rainbow" while "Evergreen" is somewhat quieter (except the great finale of course).

There is also an unreleased album track (to my knowledge) featured here, to raise the fan's interest (you should read, to sell more) : "Finlandia". Don't expect anything great form it : it is a pure Celtic instrumental. MA released several of this type throughout their career and none could be of interest to my ears.

On the front of live albums, MA has been extremely (too) prolific. Most of these live albums were featuring almost the same set list. At least, with this one, there is a little more variation. It is just a pity that MA plays so loud at times, it affects their music which is usually on a softer edge.

I usually considered that MA studio albums were too long; but for once, I would say that this live effort is too short. They might have extended it a bit and integrate two or three great additional songs. I would have rated it a little higher. Three stars for this pleasant moment.