PRIVATE PARTS & PIECES VI - IVORY MOON

While being a top shelf 12 string acoustic guitarist, Ant's piano playing is not nearly as accomplished and interesting, and while he uses keyboards to excellent effect on many of his recordings, this solo piano effort is easily lost among his works, perhaps his least noteworthy effort. For Ant fans only.

Anthony Phillips is well-known as an acoustic guitar player. On Rutherford's first solo effort, he used to play keyboards and played them very well. On PP&PVI, he plays exclusively the piano. Unlike John B, I am rather enthusiastic about the solo compositions compiled on this record and find them very enjoyable. Anthony Philipps focuses on the melody rather than on the virtuosity and the result is phenomenal for an artist who used to play the guitar in his previous solo works. The music proposed by Anthony is brilliant and never boring and should appeal to fans of romantic music à la Debussy.

This is Anthony Phillips' first solo piano album (he made a second one a few years ago, called Soiree), and it is one of his best solo albums. Maybe Genesis fans, and even Anthony Phillips fans, don't buy easily an all piano album, but the record consists of strong compositions.

The style I would decribe as chamber music. Intimate, delicate music, without fast playing and no emotional outbursts. The emotions are subtle. The record sounds gentle, though never dull. All the compositions on the album are good, even the bonus track. No mediocrity when it comes to the compositions!

References to classical composers? That is a difficult question. I cannot find any strong similarities to wll known classical composers. What I can say: the record has some romantic / impressionist influences, but there is something "English" in it, but it's hard to put the finger on it. Also echoes of Genesis are to be heard, especially in the second part of Basking Shark.

If you look at the last song, which wasn't on the original LP, but was added on the later CD release, you see that it's called "Let Us Now Make Love", and maybe you remember that there was a track like that on the first Genesis Archive Box (Vol. I: 1967 - 1975). This is the same track, but on solo piano, and it is wonderful even without the vocals. If you can picture that, you have a bit of an idea how the album sounds.

If you're an explorative prog fan, and you like Anthony Phillips, and you think you may like a solo piano album, then I would strongly recommend you this album, because of the strength of its wonderful compositions. The Suite Sea - Dogs Motoring is the strongest track, but all the tracks have the ability to grow on you.

The motto for this album might be 'Anthony Phillips likes to play piano'. Initially being a well-crafted guitarist with personal approach to the instrument, he started to study piano in early 1970s. Surely it had to end up with something sooner or later. And finally, in 1986 Phillips released a piano album. No it was not his first experience with piano at all, he often used piano and other keyboards in his arrangements before. But this time he did an entire album of piano pieces. The track list includes even two long suites, one being multi-part. Of course Phillips' performance on piano is excellent, but another obvious thing is that piano is not his instrument. He's a guitarist, and there's nothing to be done. Sometimes it sounds like he plays piano thinking that he plays guitar. As a result, 52 minutes of Anthony Phillips playing piano is slightly boring, though every track is of undoubted interest. Nevertheless, many thanks to Phillips for releasing Ivory Moon. It's another side of his diverse creative personality. Yes it's easier to enjoy Back To The Pavilion or Twelve, but on the other hand, I think that listening to Ivory Moon brings me up as a listener.

Tickling the ivories till the moon comes up

Anthony "Ant" Phillips is best known as a guitar player (and, of course, particularly for being the guitar player of Genesis in the early 70's, prior to Steve Hackett). But what few may know is that he is actually also a very competent keyboard player, which is well demonstrated on the present recording of piano pieces.

This music was composed between 1971 and 1985 and features Ant on the grand piano, pure and simple, no other people are involved and no other instruments can be heard. Ant even produces the album himself. This is an album that falls wholly in the Classical music category and it has nothing to do with progressive Rock. Rick Wakeman has more than a few similar albums.

As a demonstration of technical prowess, and even of the ability to compose in (a) certain style(s), this album is exemplary, and I don't mean to say that it is of low quality considered as a Classical album. But personally I just don't enjoy it very much. Even if I do love the sound of the piano, hearing it for a whole album straight becomes a strain on the ear in this case.

This is an album strictly for Anthony Phillips completionists and perhaps for those who have a special interest in Classical piano music. Anyone else is best advised to stay away.

An improvement over three last albums and also a surprise to find Anthony Phillips mastering piano to new levels. He is not a composer or player a la Wakeman or Banks that are more refined and elegant but nevertheless, AP has enough taste and confidence to take his conventional listeners by surprise.

In his playing style, AP mainly used right hand to create melodies and the left one is accompanying, so a traditional approach.

Influences are, unlike in the classical guitar, set in late Romantism or French school. The first suite has greatly varied pieces with the third one being the most memorable and joyous. The fourth part is more reflective. "Winter's Thaw" is a rich long track but exceeded by "The old house" in its length and dynamic range.

One of the better efforts by AP and a standout piano album.