I have been listening to the Song Gardeners music from track to track since last year. Every time I hear a song from these wonderful artists it just melts the day away. All I hear is great music and the most pleasing and soothing voices you can imagine.
"Reveal" is their latest offering. So far this is my favorite. Everything about it just soothed my soul. These two ladies have it together. What was once a trio is now a duo. It looks like they have carried on without missing a step with their presentation and sound.
I also appreciate the gorgeous cover art. The message I get from that colorful cover is that nature and humans are interlocked, we are one. And that my music loving friends is a fact, and the reason we need to take better care of Mother Earth.
One listen to this track will have you hooked because it is a true to life "Reveal" of music and lyrics with tremendous power and meaning. If you are looking for one thing today to make you smile and give you a universal feeling of hope, then listen now!
The Song Gardeners is a musical duo from the San Francisco Bay Area featuring singer/songwriter Corrie Dunn (vocals, piano, guitar), singer/songwriter Mary Gospe (vocals, guitar, percussion).
Their original songs are filled with positive, empowering messages and beautiful harmonies.
From across the waters in Nottingham, England, arises a band that’s name derived from the period that saw a boom of rock & roll exhilaration after Elvis Presley broke through the doors of the genre. The band was launched officially in 1967 but, Ten Years After spent the first six years solidifying their group members and working out the band’s kinks. Heavy touring through the first 5 years was the first lead to their growing success. And, though the band suffered splits, and a less-than-stellar album, Ten Years After ultimately resurrected themselves within a new rise to success even 40+ years later.
The album A Sting in the Tale has now been re-released with live tracks to bring the band’s power to life in full force. “Land of the Vandals” starts the album out with a rising tide intro that for a rock record, keeps a soothing but steady-handed tone throughout. “Iron Horse” describes someone with the capacity to outperform those around them with every move he makes. Then, we arrive at “Miss Constable” where he sings of a blood-sucking woman who Is not only seemingly abusive but too, is never happy with how things are around her and the person that stands beside her. The guitar solo in this track offers a sense of levity to how dark the song is overall.
“Up In Smoke” really blows a hole in the listener’s heart. If you could look the definition of blues up in the dictionary, this song would be sitting right underneath. The singer speaks of how it’s too late to save him from the woes that have allowed him to arrive at this point in his life. It is overly apologetic but, sadly he knows that there is still no one listening, even at the very end. “Retired Hurt” is kind of somber like the prior track however, with a constant beat behind it and the fact that it sounds like the first-step process of life admissions, the song does not depress listeners entirely. Rather, it is a song of acknowledgment, even if the singer is still questioning what to do next.
“Suranne Suranne” is love slipped away. Although, with the subject matter being should’ve, would’ve, could’ve, it is a fun changeup from the album so far. If only the woman knew who the singer was, would things have been different? “Stoned Alone” is a cool piece, that depicts a relationship starting and ending all within the same breath and now the singer is left in his emotions (now heightened) alone. “Two Lost Souls” is the most fun and free-spirited track on A Sting in the Tale. Its up-tempo, action-movie-car-chase-styled tone brings levity and funk to the rest of the blues-smothered tracks.
“Diamond Girl” is a reminiscent song of this girl who is ideal perfection that sadly either does not stick around or slips out of the singer’s sights and life completely. It sings of this ideal perfection of a person that many dream up but few, if any, could ever find in life; especially since we are all flawed, to begin with. “Last Night of the Bottle,” “Guitar Hero,” and “Silverspoon Lady” all keep a constant pace to end out the record. “Silverspoon Lady” is a strong way to complete the album as the singer announces that this overly entitled-minded woman will not take advantage of this man and “will not get the best of him.”
So, to include the four live tracks, one of the tracks being a lead hit single that blasted the band to top success off of the album A Space in Time. As stated through one of the band’s press releases, it’s certainly true that “you put it on…you can’t just listen once.”
Gregg Keniston - MuzikMan.net Staff April 1, 2021
Tracks: 01. Land of the Vandals 02. Iron Horse 03. Miss Constable 04. Up in Smoke 05. Retired Hurt 06. Suranne Suranne 07. Stoned Alone 08. Two Lost Souls 09. Diamond Girl 10. Last Night of the Bottle 11. Guitar Hero 12. Silverspoon Lady 13. Land of the Vandals (Live) 14. I’d Love to Change the World (Live) 15. Silverspoon Lady (Live) 16. Last Night of the Bottle (Live)
In a stunning, full-color book, author Anthony Garone details a 22-year journey of transformation in mastering the intricate complexity of “Fracture” - described by composer Robert Fripp as “impossible to play.”
“Anthony Garone’s ‘Failure to Fracture’ is a success story.” – Robert Fripp
Watch Robert Fripp praising “Failure to Fracture”:
When progressive rock band King Crimson released “Starless and Bible Black” in 1974, very few recognized the astonishing virtuosity captured in the album’s 11-minute instrumental capstone, “Fracture.” Three minutes into the piece, guitarist Robert Fripp begins a quiet, non-stop barrage of notes called a “moto perpetuo” an Italian term for “perpetual motion.” Fripp’s moto perpetuo requires intense right-hand string-skipping, and picking capabilities only a handful of guitarists around the world possess.
Musician Anthony Garone was challenged by his father to learn “Fracture” in 1998. As a 16-year-old who practiced guitar six or more hours every day, he could not understand why he could play other technical pieces of music, but not “Fracture.” Over the years, he published blog posts and videos about his efforts. Garone kept working in isolated frustration until he enrolled in a week-long guitar instruction course led by Fripp in rural Mexico in 2015. That week was transformative.
It was in Mexico that Garone learned the mechanics of Fripp’s very unique right-hand technique. To properly play “Fracture,” Garone had to re-learn how to play guitar, sit, stand, and breathe. It would also require meditation and a new way of using his body.
Following many months of back-to-the-basics guitar practice, Garone re-trained himself to play guitar, playing a single open string for two hours a day across several weeks. In 2016, he was finally able to play small pieces of “Fracture” without any pain or frustration. He documented his progress on his Make Weird Music YouTube channel in a series called “Failure to Fracture.” The videos garnered hundreds of thousands of views and praise from Fripp himself, who wrote “Fracture is impossible to play, cf. Anthony Garone.”
“Failure to Fracture” captures Garone’s transformative 22-year journey. The story begins with his time as a teenager developing a friendship with guitar hero Steve Vai in 1996. It ends with video performances of both “Fracture” and the even more difficult “sequel” composition, “FraKctured,” written and performed in Fripp’s own New Standard Tuning. It is a book about achieving the impossible, overcoming one’s limitations, and retraining the mind and body.
In March 2021, Fripp stated on YouTube: “Anthony Garone is a man who has just written a book about to be published on ‘Failure to Fracture.’ Anthony has spent 22 years failing to play ‘Fracture.’ Actually, he’s done a pretty good job. Anthony’s failure is so well-achieved in my book, it’s a success.”
More praise from fellow Crims and chums:
“The best story of the long path of craftsmanship I have come across.” - Trey Gunn, former member of King Crimson
“This book is a game changer. It delivers a detailed insight into a ‘secret’ world that is hardly ever being discussed in popular culture.” - Markus Reuter
“The insight in this book goes beyond simply learning to play an impossible song... it provides a roadmap for how to live your best life.” - Gabriel Riccio
Guitarist, author and composer Anthony Garone pens a compelling story of transformational failure after failure followed by a final victory: the ultimate performance of one of progressive rock’s most challenging and complex songs.
In a stunning, full-color book, author Anthony Garone details a 22-year journey of transformation in mastering the intricate complexity of “Fracture” - described by composer Robert Fripp as “impossible to play.”
“Anthony Garone’s ‘Failure to Fracture’ is a success story.” – Robert Fripp
Watch Robert Fripp praising “Failure to Fracture”:
When progressive rock band King Crimson released “Starless and Bible Black” in 1974, very few recognized the astonishing virtuosity captured in the album’s 11-minute instrumental capstone, “Fracture.” Three minutes into the piece, guitarist Robert Fripp begins a quiet, non-stop barrage of notes called a “moto perpetuo” an Italian term for “perpetual motion.” Fripp’s moto perpetuo requires intense right-hand string-skipping, and picking capabilities only a handful of guitarists around the world possess.
Musician Anthony Garone was challenged by his father to learn “Fracture” in 1998. As a 16-year-old who practiced guitar six or more hours every day, he could not understand why he could play other technical pieces of music, but not “Fracture.” Over the years, he published blog posts and videos about his efforts. Garone kept working in isolated frustration until he enrolled in a week-long guitar instruction course led by Fripp in rural Mexico in 2015. That week was transformative.
It was in Mexico that Garone learned the mechanics of Fripp’s very unique right-hand technique. To properly play “Fracture,” Garone had to re-learn how to play guitar, sit, stand, and breathe. It would also require meditation and a new way of using his body.
Following many months of back-to-the-basics guitar practice, Garone re-trained himself to play guitar, playing a single open string for two hours a day across several weeks. In 2016, he was finally able to play small pieces of “Fracture” without any pain or frustration. He documented his progress on his Make Weird Music YouTube channel in a series called “Failure to Fracture.” The videos garnered hundreds of thousands of views and praise from Fripp himself, who wrote “Fracture is impossible to play, cf. Anthony Garone.”
“Failure to Fracture” captures Garone’s transformative 22-year journey. The story begins with his time as a teenager developing a friendship with guitar hero Steve Vai in 1996. It ends with video performances of both “Fracture” and the even more difficult “sequel” composition, “FraKctured,” written and performed in Fripp’s own New Standard Tuning. It is a book about achieving the impossible, overcoming one’s limitations, and retraining the mind and body.
In March 2021, Fripp stated on YouTube: “Anthony Garone is a man who has just written a book about to be published on ‘Failure to Fracture.’ Anthony has spent 22 years failing to play ‘Fracture.’ Actually, he’s done a pretty good job. Anthony’s failure is so well-achieved in my book, it’s a success.”
More praise from fellow Crims and chums:
“The best story of the long path of craftsmanship I have come across.” - Trey Gunn, former member of King Crimson
“This book is a game changer. It delivers a detailed insight into a ‘secret’ world that is hardly ever being discussed in popular culture.” - Markus Reuter
“The insight in this book goes beyond simply learning to play an impossible song... it provides a roadmap for how to live your best life.” - Gabriel Riccio
Guitarist, author and composer Anthony Garone pens a compelling story of transformational failure after failure followed by a final victory: the ultimate performance of one of progressive rock’s most challenging and complex songs.
Los Angeles, CA - The wait is finally over, friends, ‘70s classic rock legends Cactus, known to fans around the world as The American Led Zeppelin, have released their high-flying new album, Tightrope, on all formats today! Founding member and drum legend Carmine Appice, leads this dynamic quintet that includes longtime Cactus vocalist Jimmy Kunes, new lead guitarist Paul Warren (ex-Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Joe Cocker), who also co-wrote and co-produced the album, Randy Pratt on harmonica, and James Caputo on bass, through a dozen newly recorded tracks that strike a delicate balance between powerful, driving rockers and more complex, heady cuts. The band filmed a slick performance video for the title track, which offers one of the album’s most killer and memorably groovy hooks.
Appice had this to say about the song, “‘Tightrope’ is one of my favorite songs from the album. The drum and bass groove plus the cool guitar riff rock!! Cool melodies on top make this is a great Classic Heavy Blues Rock track. I love it!!!”
Tightrope is now available on digipak CD, a deluxe 2LP set with a gatefold jacket and colored vinyl, and of course on digital platforms everywhere courtesy of Cleopatra Records!
Track List: 1. Tightrope 2. Papa Was A Rolling Stone 3. All Shook Up 4. Poison In Paradise 5. Third Time Gone 6. Shake That Thing 7. Primitive Touch 8. Preaching Woman Man Blues 9. Elevation 10. Suite 1 & 2: Everlong, All The Madmen 11. Headed For A Fall 12. Wear It Out
