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Martin Orford - Classical Music And Popular Songs

Artist:	Martin Orford
Title:	Classical Music And Popular Songs
Label:	Giant Electric Pea GEP CD1026
Length(s):	49 minutes
Year(s) of release:	2000
Month of review:	[01/2001]

Line up

Martin Orford - lead and backing vocals, flute, mandolin, bagpipe chanter,
keyboards, piano, Takamine acoustic guitar, orchestration
Gary Chandler - rhythm and electric guitars
Steve Christey - drums
John Jowitt - bass
David Kilminster - acoustic and lead guitars
John Wetton - lead and backing vocals on 2
Paul Cook - tambourine on 2, drums and percussion on 8
Michael Holmes - lead guitars on 5
Tony Wright - saxophone on 4
Peter Nicholls - lead vocals on 8

Tracks

1)	The Field Of Fallen Angels	6.26
2)	A Part Of Me	5.14
3)	Quilmes	3.02
4)	The Days Of Our Lives	6.15
5)	Fusion	5.05
6)	The Final Solution	5.59
7)	The Picnic	1.21
8)	The Overload	5.20
9)	Tatras	5.30
10)	Evensong	5.10

Summary

Time for a solo album Martin Orford must have thought after his solo performances here and there and yes, finally it has come off. Featuring many of his fellow band(s) members a jokingly collection of popular songs and classical music. Or is it?

The music

The Field Of Fallen Angels introduces the album with Orford's flute opening in a sad and peaceful way, in the vein of Iona. Then the song takes a turn for the more bombastic with guitars and keyboards and the vocals of Orford. The music may remind some of Jadis here, not surprising in view of the line-up on this song. A very nice, rather commercial sounding track with some good twists in the vocal melodies and some church organish soloing in the middle. After a nice bridge power returns to the music with Jowitts bass and some bagpipes. Next track, sung by John Wetton is an AOR piece with melodic guitarwork, but as you can imagine rather straightforward and catchy. Quilmes is something else entirely, playful and rather quick, melodic piano playing with classical influences abound. After a while the music gets an air of Nolan's first Strangers On A Train record. Like it says in the booklet, The Days Of Our Lives is a simple song. If A PArt Of Me was the catchy part of AOR, I guess this is the ballad part. The melody is quite good, but a bit on the mellow side, but a grand guitar solo at the end. After the instrumental prog of Fusion (old, but some IQ references to be heard even at this early date) we come to The Final Solution. This is a plodding, accessible piece with lots of vocal harmonies. The song seems to be a bit too slow. After the short The Picnic, we come to The Overload, which is a song left over from the Subterranea sessions. The track takes its time getting underway would have fitted well on there. The vocals are by Pete Nicholls. The song gets more going later on, being on the somewhat percussive side, with doubled vocals, some heavy guitars and repetitive keyboards. Tatras was also present on Wetton's Nomansland. At first I always think I will be hearing My Baby Treats Me Right etc., but the track takes a different track quite soon. A very good instrumental ranging between sadness and grandeur. A slow rustic opening we find with closer Evensong

Conclusion

An album which I found easy to like. The material is not as proggy as some people might possibly want it, but the mixed bag does contain something for everyone: instrumentals, neo-prog, classical themes, AOR, IQish material and even some prototypical progressive. Compositions are all okay and in some cases, e.g. Tatras, the result is particularly good. IQ fans are musically obligated to obtain this disc and also fans of Jadis might want to take a listen.