New album from Godfrey

[Mikey]

Note we're in the Other bands section

New album from Robert John Godfrey
 
Presenting an album of romantic music for piano and orchestra accessible to all, yet wholly uncompromising in its content.

Of the eight compositions, some are rooted in Robert John Godfrey's past containing themes and motifs to which he has often returned.

Pre order incentive: The first 1000 pressings only will contain a special bonus track of Jason Ducker and Robert John Godfrey together in an arrangement of The Prize Song from Wagner's "The Mastersingers of Nuremberg". Jason has been creating and refining his role for the past year and conjours an emotional and remarkably operatic voice from the guitar.

The raison d'être for this album is to raise the needed investment for The Enid. This will provide the means by which this 21st Century incarnation of the band with a new generation of dedicated young players can have the future and stability they so richly deserve.


Tracklisting:

Rhapsody
Romance
The Mirror Of Love (Re-worked)
The Art Of Melody (Re-worked for piano)
Prelude I
Prelude II
Prelude III
Legend
Prize Song from "The Mastersingers of Nuremberg"

Release: Valentine's Day 2012.

[Trapezium Artist]

From the stunning lack of responses to Mikey's earlier email in this thread, I venture to guess that most Frost*ies are not big fans of The Other Godfrey's band, The Enid. My tastes are broad enough to encompass their bonkers pomp and circumstance, however, so I went to see them over the weekend at De Boerderij (remind me to tell The Amazing Wilf one day that he constantly murders the pronunciation on The European Perspective: it's Berder-eye, not Border-idge   ).

I already posted this on The Enid's forum, but rather than type this all again, I'm cutting and pasting: hope that's ok. There's a link to some piccies at the bottom.

A first-time post from a long-time (albeit sporadically so) fan of The Enid. I must admit that I spend a lot more of my music spare time on the Frost* forum ...

Nevertheless, I was at De Boerderij, my "local" progressive rock venue, to Saturday to see The Enid and RPWL. It was the first time that I had seen The Enid live since, err, about 1983; indeed, just a quick google reveals that it was May 1st, 1983 at the Edinburgh Playhouse and (I was surprised to discover), IQ were the support: I was under the impression that I've never seen them live  

Anyway, even though The Enid's set this weekend was somewhat curtailed by the festival nature of the proceedings, I thought they put on a very good show. Exactly the kind of multi-climax symphonic rock I was expecting, full-on pomp and bombast interspersed with quieter interludes.

When RJG started talking about the tortured history of the band with vocalists, saying that they had finally found one after many a year, I must admit that my first reaction (from a position of pretty much total near-term ignorance re: the band's personnel changes) was that he was referring to Max, who I thought did a spot-on job with Space Surfing earlier in the set. From the way RJG then introduced Joe, I got the distinct impression that was to be his first live performance with the band, although I understand from this forum that that's not quite the case.

Regardless, I thought Joe did an excellent job: he clearly has a huge vocal range with a lot of expression, and to some extent I can see the Freddie Mercury comparisons. That said and without meaning to be negative at all, I'd probably go with Joe channeling Mika channeling Freddie, if you get my drift. If nothing else, Joe looks a lot more like Mika than Freddie ...  

As for his dancing, sure, it's a bit different for The Enid perhaps, but didn't distract me from his singing or the music in general, so it's fine with me. I think it's a matter of contrast, to some extent: with RJG behind the keyboards, Dave behind the drums, Max behind his keyboard and laptop, and Nic behind his vast array of kit (!), the only other person out front is Jason, and although he's a fine guitarist, he's not exactly bopping around. So, things are pretty static on stage, against which Joe's moves do show up a bit. But again, I'm all right with it: for me, it's all about the music.

So, I very much enjoyed the gig and will perhaps try to get to see a fuller set this summer.

Finally, as there were many of us taking pictures down the front (always easy at the very friendly De Boerderij), I thought I'd share some of mine with you:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/markmccaug ... 824111167/

If you'd like any of the full-res versions, just let me know.