Iona’s Dave Bainbridge Releases 4th Solo Album “To The Far Away”

Despite all the traumas and uncertainties of 2020, it turned out to be a very busy year for Dave Bainbridge. As well as producing the epic 17 CD “Book of Iona” box set celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Iona, Dave contributed in various degrees to new albums by Kimmo Porsti, Cronofonia, Downes Braide Association, Lifesigns, Nick Fletcher, Glass Hammer, Celtish and Strawbs. However, in between all this activity Dave was also taking time out to put together the concept and music for his 4th solo album, “To The Far Away.”

Iona fans might recognize the title as a quote from the lyrics of the song “Edge of the World” from “Beyond These Shores” and there are definitely parallels in the themes of the two albums. “Shores” recounts the ancient story of St Brendan’s epic voyage across the Atlantic ocean, whilst “To The Far Away” tells a more contemporary story of lovers on opposite sides of the Atlantic ocean, separated for many months by the global pandemic. Both albums, however, end on a note of optimism. Brendan finally returns safely home, whilst our contemporary lovers are finally reunited after an epic trip across the same ocean.

The album’s 71 plus minutes of music draws upon the Celtic, progressive, rock and classical influences that have permeated Dave’s music since he started composing at the age of eleven and which he honed during his years with Iona and through his previous solo and many collaborative releases. Featuring his usual array of keyboards, guitars and assorted acoustic instruments, Dave also assembled a fantastic group of supporting musicians to bring the project to life:
Sally Minnear (Lord of the Dance / Celestial Fire) - Vocals  
Iain Hornal (Jeff Lynn’s ELO, 10CC, Three Friends, solo artist) - Vocals
Troy Donockley (Iona / Nightwish / The Enid / Maddy Prior) - Uilleann Pipes, Whistles, Voices Jon Poole (Cardiacs / Lifesigns) - Bass Guitars
Frank van Essen (Iona / Martin Garrix) - Drums, Violins & Violas
Jonas Pap (Epica, Cronofonia) - Cello
Nigel Cameron (Celtish) - Whistles
Julie Cameron-Hall (Celtish) - Violin
Martin Nolan (Iona) - Whistles  

Dave collaborated with acclaimed Canadian/Irish poet Lynn Caldwell on the album’s lyrics. “I’d read some of Lynn’s work and immediately felt that she would be the person to help me organize and bring an emotional focus to my thematic and lyrical ideas for the project. It was a hunch that paid off and I’m absolutely thrilled with what she came up with. Lynn, her husband Martin Nolan and friend Una Ní Cheallaigh were also able to put together the haunting Irish Gaelic lyrics, sung by Sally, which I’d wanted to include on several tracks.”  

Dave continues: “As with many artists and composers I know, 2020 was a bittersweet year. The complete shutdown of venues left us without places to play and income, but also paradoxically gave us the time and space to write, record and bring to fruition projects we may not have otherwise got around to finishing. For me it was especially bittersweet as I was due to be married at the end of March 2020 to Sharon, my fiance from Baltimore, on Cruise to the Edge, with my friends Neal Morse officiating and John Young (Asia/ Scorpions/Lifesigns) as best man. Not only was that plan put on hold, the abrupt shutdown of flights into the USA meant that Sharon and I were torn apart for 8 1/2 months. The thematic ideas behind ‘To The Far Away’ encompass thoughts, feelings and ideas I experienced, largely when I was doing my daily runs and walks on the rural country lane on which I spent so much time between March and October 2020.”

“As the music for this album evolved, I realized that the main emphasis was firmly on melody. Melodic lines and riffs that will hopefully stay with the listener, reflecting the emotions and sense of place in which I was immersed, as the seasons moved through spring, to summer and finally the rich colors of autumn under the vast skies of the Lincolnshire landscape. In some ways this is probably my most personal album to date and I hope that, as well as capturing some of the heartache of the time, it also leaves the listener with a sense of hope and optimism, that in the end, love will triumph.”

Despite being released late in 2021, “To The Far Away” still sneaked into a number of Best of 2021 Polls: No. 1 Best Album, Album of the Month, Cover Feature, iO Pages Magazine (Netherlands) No. 2 Best Album of 2021 Progressive Rock Central
No. 2 Best Album of 2021 Esther’s Rock Blog
No. 2 Best Album of 2021 Scotland Rocks Radio
No. 6 Best Album of 2021 Amarok Magazine (France)
No. 13 Best Album of 2021 Sonic Perspectives
Album of the Month Radio Xymphonia
In addition, Dave was voted 3rd in Prog Magazine Readers Poll Best Guitarist of 2021

Here’s what the press has raved about Dave Bainbridge’s “To The Far Away”:

“In my opinion, this is his best work ever! I hear great, uplifting, melodies, wonderful playing and excellent singing.” - Paul Rijkens iO Pages

“Absolute sonic perfection!!!” - Chris MacIntosh WCWP Radio New York

“If you remember the band 'Iona' you will love this album. It's a masterpiece of Celtic Prog Rock.” - Nigel Cameron - Celtish

“To The Far Away, just might be, well - the best thing he’s ever done – and with his years of output that’s saying a lot… A brilliant balance of vocal and instrumental tracks, To The Far Away will thrill and delight fans of both Celtic and ‘traditional’ prog-rock, and anyone open to more adventurous realms of music in general…If you’re a fan of Iona, Dave Bainbridge’s solo work, Celtic prog, classic prog-rock – whatever!  You need this.” - Bert Saraco - tollbooth.org

“‘To the Far Away’ is a wonderful journey of the mind, full of captivating music throughout. This album is one of the best albums of 2021. It is definitely in the top ten progressive rock albums of the year…Please get this album, relax and enjoy the journey. Every song is captivating and full of the kind of music that made Iona famous.” - Professor Mark, Progressive Rock Central  

“To get straight to the point, the music is of great, if not exceptional, class…the melodies Bainbridge presents us on this album are of very great, I repeat, very great beauty…It seems as if Dave has found the balance between say Celestial Fire (the symphonic) and the Celtic influences...There are not only great guitar solos on this record, but also wonderful keyboard moments...the more you play ‘To The Far Away,’ the better it gets. I could go on and on, but I think it is clear that lovers of atmospheric symphonic music have a pearl in their hands with this album. This is hashtag #heavenly.” - Jacco Stijkel - www.progwereld.org

Dave Bainbridge “To The Far Away” was released on Dave’s Open Sky Records label & distributed by Gonzo Multimedia, the album is available in 5 formats:
*DIGITAL DOWNLOAD 24 bit wav files
*SINGLE CD
*2CD WITH BONUS DISK featuring over an hour’s worth of alternate mixes, demos and previously unreleased tracks recorded exclusively for this release
*2CD AS ABOVE, SIGNED BY DAVE
*LIMITED EDITION DELUXE PHOTO BOOK featuring the 2CD version, accompanying A4 size hardback book of 123 of Dave’s evocative landscape photos, 6 postcards of Dave’s photos & a signed and numbered certificate.

To purchase: www.musicglue.com/iona

For more information: www.davebainbridgemusic.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Folk/Prog Rock Review: Dave Bainbridge-Celestial Fire

Release Date:  24^th November 2014

Label:  Open Sky Records

Website

This is an interesting release for review, as I have recently reviewed the live Iona release, and Dave is a member of that particular band. This is the second solo release by Iona’s co-founder, Dave Bainbridge, following on from Veil of Gossamer (2004) and is titled Celestial Fire. The impetus for Celestial Fire comes from the excitement and exhilaration Dave received when listening to his early musical heroes, including, Yes, Gentle Giant, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Curved Air, Clannad, Deep Purple, Mike Oldfield and many more.

The sound of Celestial Fire encompasses an array of soundscapes, Celtic, progressive, spiritual and folk rock, and according to the press release, “a larger than usual dollop of what some might term progressive rock type musical adventuring.”

As Celestial Fireis a solo album, there are many excellent musicians making guest appearances across the album. Dave plays, 6 and 12 string guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, piano, organ, keyboards, autoharp, finger cymbals, Darbukka (Middle Eastern drum), Chimes, Indian leg bells, beer shaker, tambourine and, if that wasn’t enough, contributes to the backing vocals. The guests include, and I will only mention a few of the 19 musicians involved, Colin Leijenaar (drums, mellotron choir), Randy George (bass), Damien Wilson and Joanne Hogg (vocals), Troy Donockley (Uilean pipes, various whistles), David Fitzgerald (tin whistle, flute, Chinese flute, and soprano, alto, tenor, baritone saxophones) and Frank van Essen (string ensemble, solo viola, solo violin).

Celestial Fireis a 10 track album with a playing time of around 74 minutes. There are four tracks with running times in excess of 10 minutes, with the title track, “Celestial Fire” the longest at 15:22 minutes and the other tracks fall into the 6 minute or under category. The two shortest tracks are linked, track 1 and track 9, “Heavenfield” and “Heavenfield Reprise” lasting 1:10 and 0:46 minutes respectively.

The opening track, “Heavenfeld” (1:10) has a very Celtic feel to it with the Uilean pipes very prominent playing a haunting theme, which only lasts for just over a minute but is an excellent beginning to the album.

The Title track “Celestial Fire” (15:22) starts with a band tour-de-force, including some stinging guitar work, driving the track from the start. As the starting sound fades into some background atmospheric sounds, a female voice is heard away in the distance, before becoming richer and more powerful. The male and female voices join leading into a passage of superb acoustic guitar and keyboards. If it is possible for a track to merge the elements of rock while retaining a dream-like state at the same time, this track does just that. Uilean pipes continue the Celtic soundscape with a slow, almost somber passage which evolves back into the rock area again. There is more time for the excellent guitar work to be given a little spotlight. The track moves effortlessly between the out and out rock style, with amazing duets, to the more atmospheric passages throughout its 15 min length and is the type of track that demands the replay button get pressed.

 

“See What I See” (6:03) continues the rock/atmospheric scenario before “The First Autumn” (4:03) arrives as a haunting ballad fronted by one of the guest female vocalists.  Track 5, “For Such A Time As This” (10:30) is another of the extended tracks, with piano introduction, interspersed with soaring guitar and full band “chunks,” which instantly brings the ears to attention. Touches of the fusion and jazz/rock associated with the Mahavishnu Orchestra (circa Birds of Fire) pepper this workout and there is a superb, if unexpected, acoustic passage to calm the driving rock which then returns to carry the track out.

“Innocence Found” (5:48) returns to the very Celtic sounding soundscape but replaces the Uilean pipes with guitar and is another hauntingly atmospheric piece of magic. The 13+ minutes of “Love Remains” revisits the jazz/rock arena and even hints at Yes styled guitar passages, throws in ethereal vocalizations and majestic synth passages as it ebbs and flows, with the guitar passage around the 10 minute mark being simply stunning, prior to the full blooded outro of the track. 

“In The Moment” (14:20) is a superb track, filled with atmosphere, as the track builds, edging at times toward the sound of Iona, and seems to undulate along for the opening 5 minutes before a rougher, more powerful style takes over, including some excellent keyboard work. Around the 9 minute point the track moves into a rockier context, with the guitar soaring above all, before there is a keyboard passage which just “nails it.” After looking as if the ending was going to be building up and then out, the sound drops away and the ending is very gentle.

“Heavenfield (reprise)” (0:46) is just that and flows into the last track, “On the Edge of Glory” (3:05) which features those Uilean pipes, and is a haunting track, stunning in its simplicity. The sound builds around the 1:30 minute point with harmonized vocals augmenting the melody of the pipes. This is an unbelievably poignant ending to what is a stunningly amazing album.

Take one excellent musician/composer, add the Celtic foundations of Iona, allow the artist to expand into prog rock and jazz fusion areas at times, surround said musician/composer with an amalgamation of skillful musicians as support and you have produced Celestial Fire, a stunning album that you should not hesitate to add to your collection. 

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Celestial Fire, For Such A Time As This, On The Edge Of Glory

Tracks:
Heavenfield
Celestial Fire
See What I See
The First Autumn
For Such A Time As This
Innocence Found
Love Remains
In The Moment
Heavenfield (reprise)
On The Edge Of Glory

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

February 2, 2015

Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk