An infectious feeling of happiness that weaves itself through the album, like some golden thread, leaving the listener inspired, & wondering where these guys have been until now. Very rich at times, & like anything of abundance, it needs to be handled correctly. I found myself compartmentalising aspects of the music, & gaining pleasure doing so.
The Listerners, is frightfully challenging, when I first heard it I had to stop it & take a breather. At first, I came away irritated & angry, as I wandered around the apartment, scratching my head, wondering what on earth was happening to me. Then it suddenly hit me, like a man snapped out of his revere; this is brilliance. My irritation immediately changed to one of sadness; why hadn`t I written it, or even had any meaningful part of it, other than, as a critic ? Challenging is not the appropriate word, but it is the truth. A magnificent song, conjuring up apparitions of spooks & ghouls from other worlds, that really have no part of London life, or do they ? It keeps the listener challenged, & that`s what makes it so special.
Edith Was An Opportunist. Who`s Edith, I got to know ? She`s in pain. She`s opportunistic, & vulnerable, & that`s too much for any red blooded male. I know Edith, I know a thousand Edith`s, & everyone of them has broken my heart, & I want every one of them back, so that I can do it all over again. This does not help me, it makes me want to go the nearest bar & give my heart away, again. One should never expect a person to hear lyrics as rich as those, & not feel a pain that`s emotionally laundered, not in one sitting anyway. Although, I did manage to take some comfort from the woman`s profile on the back of the album cover. I needed to assume that this was Edith, yet it did nothing to ease the inner feelings of pity I had for myself upon hearing the song. Like some hopeless romantic watching his Goddess leave the bar on a Saturday night with some loser again. Wanting to, needing to, feel the pain of unrequited love, over & over. Why oh why ? This song attempts an answer, but I`m not sure I want hear it. It`s relentless in its potency, & I feel a fraud.
Like the morning after, Cold & Stony Grey, sums it all up . Edith has been & gone. I feel her presence weaving in & out of this album. She`s too close, too near, holding the mirror up, showing me my shadow, & that`s why I run from her. That`s why I sit & watch her, from a bar stool, in some godforsaken bar in Chelsea. Only she can turn a man into a voyeur of this type. Which is why Cold & Stony Grey is so personal, so damn personal. I love it. I know it`s that feeling again, & it hurts. It hurt`s so bad, yet I continue with the self-flagellation that knows no bounds. None.
Track five, just blew me away. Filling A Hole, was just what I expected from you. A solid, laid back, good beat, full of quality drumming. No nonsense, & a ` going to work` attitude, that affected me just enough to make me feel guilty about not playing any more. But, at least it was a distraction. A way of catching my breath, & taking stock of what I was hearing, & the emotion it was tearing up in me. The path this album was taking me on made me consider that maybe I`m walking someone else`s route, or was this really my own ? Either way, it`s too late to get off now. I`m in for the duration, & I could only hope that time would be good to me. But the songs might left me with an incoherent background for my thoughts. Will I, can I come back from this ?
Transmission For A Vanishing Man. The second part of the Listerners ? Something in London is watching me. It`s clear. With lyrics such as these though I am in no doubt that I am being watched by a larger presence, but I am not at all sure if it`s aliens; its Brent Thorley. What a singer. His vocal range really comes through on this, man. Up until now, his presence seemed like a closely guarded secret between the chosen few, but he whams through with some kind of benediction upon his flock. The man has arrived &, at last, I feel absolved of all my sins.
Introduction To Part Two, just like the intermission break from a late sixties blockbuster, it gave me the space to reflect upon what I was percolating. The flutes, oh the flutes, how wonderful it was to see an old friend on such a profound journey. It gave me the courage I needed to continue on. Edith had hit me hard, & I deserved every bit of it, & now this welcomed ally had appeared to walk with me a little. Sadly, though, it was too little, before I knew it he was gone. Alone again or, someone once said; I never felt more affiliated with that statement as I did hearing the lyrics of this song, right now.
You Take The Hard Line, & then, Share The Wine, was almost like easing me back into the journeys path. Putting back me on the straight & narrow. Naturally, had it been 1968, this would of been the start of side 2. I needed to continue holding a hand, certainly not Edith`s, but someone I could rely upon, & this did it for me. It grooved me, made me comfortable, made me feel as though I had learnt something. I needed more, & this was the route I had to take. Share The Wine, sat with me, prepared me for the rest of the voyage only The Listerners go to. Was I becoming one of them ?
the first feeling that introduced itself was that these guys are cool. They appreciate a man who journeys with them, & takes notes. I could tell by the first few bars that the second half was going to be emotionally easier to contend with. Although, as Jung once said; " when the cracks appear, it is the beginning of the end ", but I can`t afford to be cautious, I am embracing this & not thinking about endings, I want more & more. It`s superb, & I love it. It`s passionate, & leaves me feeling everything is worth fighting for, even Edith.
Are You Sorry You Followed The Wind ? I added the question mark, as there was not one on the album cover, but am I being presumptuous here ? Who cares, the music is great, & that`s all that matters, right ? No, because if it was, I would not be starting to feel sad that the album was coming to an end. I felt a parting, & like the little boy inside of me, I began to feel let down. I still wanted more. My journey with The Lancashire Hustlers was ending, & I hadn`t prepared.
" It`s not fair ", the boy cried, as his kite was swept away by the wind on the common without him attached to the end of it. Just like the boy, I am beginning to feel like the master of my own movements again, & I don`t want to be. I want to continue on, feel more, be contained by the music. I have been educated by these guys, & now they are abandoning me ?
Some Mothers Favourite, reinforces that the journey is at an end. The symbolism of the words, hits me like a violent slug of whiskey in a glass. I was being denounced, & it still feels unfair. As each second of the last song passed, all I had left to hang onto was the reprise. I had to face up to myself once again, & I began to feel bare, naked, shockingly transparent. After all it`s been such a rich & varied trip.
Reprise. She`s been there all along. I knew my demons would be hard pressed to leave me. The album is challenging, but that what makes me want to come back for more. I felt needy, open, vulnerable, but is this not why good music is desirable ? Are we not all like Edith, trying to get on, make something happen, anything, but at the expense of our own autonomy ? Are we not all a receptacle for another persons pleasure ?
The Lancashire Hustlers are here & I hope for a long time yet. They hit you where it hurts, & then do it again, yet it`s not out of violence, but of sheer determination. They need to be heard, not just by anyone, but those that deserve it. Edith put me in an untenable position, I wanted to blame someone, anyone, but myself. I didn`t want to take responsibility for myself, but she made me. They made me. I matured, like the boy on the moor, all in a time frame of about thirty minutes &, like a baptism of fire, it was worth every minute of it.
This album is tops, & well worth listening to. Once in a while something likes this comes around, & needs to be taken seriously. Ian & Brent have really poured heart & soul into it, & it`s not wasted either. There is no phyrric victory here, this is real & passionate. They have made it happen, & It`s a lesson in sheer focus & drive.
