Gadzooks! Has it really been over a month since the last posting on HFoS?
I suggest somebody pulls their finger out and gets a proverbial wriggle on… That would be me then.
Just to let you know, HFoS hasn’t died, nor the bloke what does the writing. It will, in fact, return shortly. Largely because this backlog of Esoteric reissues in need of review, isn’t getting any smaller.
Jeffman, writer of this here HFoS blog, has developed a temporary fault. Normal service will be resumed, once we’ve found the manual and figured out how to reboot him. This may take a week or two.
Back again. Yes, despite the best efforts of an aircraft hangar’s worth of booze and a blossoming addiction to Mike Oldfield’s ‘On Horseback’, HFoS has made it through yet another Christmas.
King Crimson react to the news HFoS survived another Christmas
This year I’ve resolved to beat the post-seasonal hangover by remaining drunk, which, thus far, has proved to be an agreeable tactic… Pay no heed if my eyes glaze over or I lose my train of thought mid
As is customary this time of year, I will be making one or two rash promises, none of which I have any intention of adhering to. So we might as well get those out of the way first.
2012 will see a new look website and a raft of new features, as well as the return of some old ones.
There, pretty much the same as last year, minus the enthusiasm.
Sincere apologies to those who took the trouble to post comments over the past week. A security issue meant that HFoS had to undergo surgery. Unfortunately the last week’s worth of contributions were casualties that, sadly, didn’t make it through.
Thanks to all the commentators, on what was an unusually busy week, for taking part. Sorry your efforts have been lost to the digital sawbones.
Two items of Pink Floyd news hit the headlines last week… Yes, two! Quite remarkable for a band whose ability to entertain all but ran dry following the departure of Syd Barrett and the release of their second album, 1968′s A Saucerful of Secrets – though 1970′s Atom Heart Mother and 1975′s Wish You Were Here do have their moments.
In the first bit of news, Roger Waters’ current 2011 touring of his criminally overrated snorefest The Wall, threw out a surprise for those fans who’d paid to see it at the O2 arena on Thursday night and somehow managed to stay awake. For only the second time in 30 years, he was joined on stage by the surviving members of Pink Floyd. Former adversaries, Dave Gilmour and Nick Mason.
Now, thankfully, I wasn’t there, but I can imagine it to have been a smug burying-of-the-hatchet type moment, accompanied by the musical equivalent of an overdose of Mogadon. Apparently, Nick Mason played a tambourine.
feature, news, occasional musings, prog rock, psychedelic rock
For those of you that read these nonsensical ramblings on a regular basis and – dare I say it? – enjoy the incessant stream of barely coherent jibber-jabber that spills from my keyboard, you may be interested to learn that Head Full of Snow has once again ventured beyond the confines of HFoS Towers to grace another publication with our carelessly chosen words.
As before, it is Record Collector magazine (March 2011) that is the beneficiary of what passes for wisdom within these hallowed halls, with an article penned by my good self, detailing the brief existence of 60s psych band and Bill Wyman proteges, The End.
Trilbies at the ready, for now we are two. Yes, Head Full of Snow is now officially into its third year.
Somebody informs ELP that HFoS will be around for another year
The more eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that yesterday was in fact the anniversary of this date, but it’ll come as no surprise to anybody who visits regularly to learn that we forgot.
Oh dear! It would seem the frankly insane predictions I made for Head Full of Snow’s future at exactly this time last year have failed to bear the promised fruit. Pretty much as I anticipated.
Soft Machine reacts to HFoS’s broken promises (image source)
Instead, as opposed to moving away from a format based exclusively on reviews, we have slid further in that direction than ever before. HFoS punted the odd interview here and there in 2010, along with the occasional vid, but it was pretty much reviews that ruled the day.
This year, we have decided to do nothing as reckless as making plans for the future. Whatever will be, will be. Maybe there’ll be a return of the long defunct Who is/Are and Cover of the Week features, as hinted at last year. There probably won’t, but who knows?
For those who like their progressive rock to be pompous, oppulent, lavishly overloaded and thoroughly overblown (you had me at pompous), the following press release may be of interest:
Airing: Saturday 4th September 2010. 10am (Repeated Friday 1oth September. 10pm)
Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson, two of the keyboard giants of the classic progressive rock era, have recorded a rare interview together for Planet Rock Radio.
If you’re a glutton for punishment, visiting here on a somewhat regular basis, but find that two or so posts a week are not quite enough, then you could do worse than rushing out and purchasing a copy of this month’s Record Collector magazine.
That would be the June 2010 issue. The one with a photo of Keith Richards at the height of his powers on the cover.
Along with an extensive feature on the making of The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street (Not, as most would have you believe, their best album ever), there’s also a three and a half page article on Zoot Money’s psychedelic troupe, Dantalian’s Chariot, written by, of all people, yours truly.
For those of you who visit here regularly (yes, both of you), expecting a weekly mixture of nonsense, clear bias and unconstructive criticism, I can only apologise for the threadbareness of the site of late.
Illness has struck at HFoS Towers, rendering the principle scribe bereft of what little faculties he had remaining.
Here’s a rarity for you.
‘Losing You’ is a psychedelic-edged track from little known rock act Blue Beard, who are so arcane, in fact, that their album never got beyond test pressings.
It’s taken from the recently released compilation Looking Towards the Sky, which collects together the psychedelic, prog and folk rock output of the UK’s indie label, Ember Records, between 1969 and 1972. Needless to say it’s obscurity heaven with acts so deep underground, you’ll need Steve Austin implants to hear them.
It would seem that Head Full of Snow is one year old this very day. That makes us six months older than my own shouty daughter.
Jeff Lynne and the Idle Race boys react to the news HFoS is one year old
365 days may have passed since the first proper posting here, but as I promised at the start of the year, we shan’t be doing anything to celebrate.
Good news for anybody taken by the psychedelic stylings and off-the-wall showmanship of mad-as-a-shrews-hatbox Arthur Brown, as February 22nd 2010 sees the release of a 2-disc deluxe edition of 1968′s self-titled The Crazy World of Arthur Brown.
Yes, the good people at Esoteric have given the one and only album by this iconic, psycho-delic rock band the royal treatment, delivering a remastered version of the original album and a host of extras, such as alternate mixes, a BBC session from 1968 and rare single tracks, including the wonderfully anarchic piss-take of the peace and love movement, ‘Give Him a Flower’ – “Don’t ‘it ‘im wiv a bottle, Give him a flower”
2010. It may be January 5th, but the Christmas decorations are still up at HFoS towers, and the festive spirit will not wear off until at least April. But enough of that. The New Year brings a new decade, and inevitably more of my nonsense.
Jethro Tull look forward to another year of HFoS
2010 marks the official first birthday of Head Full of Snow, February 8th last year being the hallowed date when all this started with a wee profile of lost psychedelic popsters and brief Beatles’ protégés, Focal Point.
To celebrate this momentous occasion we’ll be doing absolutely nothing. Should you wish to wear a sparkly hat or release a party-popper into the wild on said date, you’re more than welcome.
Which brings me to the intentions for Head Full of Snow into 2010.
The BBC reports that rare footage of a Syd Barrett-led Pink Floyd, playing on Top of the Pops, has been unearthed and will be shown for the first the time in 42 years.
Image courtesy Capitol/EMI Archive
The damaged film stock, on 1 inch, reel to reel tape, was discovered in a private collection and has been restored to a state where it can once again be viewed.
Esoteric Recordings continue their sterling crusade of reissuing remastered psychedelic and progressive rock albums of the 60s and 70s.
So as the leaves brown, the air gets colder and the door slowly creaks shut on 2009, what’s crackling away in the Esoteric fireplace, lined up for a November release?
‘I’ve Got a Feeling’ this Christmas is going to be one made in heaven for the weathered Beatles fan, ‘Yes it Is’. Following on from a veritable ‘Helter Skelter’ of Beatles business to coincide with the 40th anniversary of their split – including the complete digital remastering of the Fab Four’s backcatalog, as well as the first official venture into the world of video gaming with The Beatles Rock Band – ‘Yesterday’ it came to the attention of Head Full of Snow that The Beatles Box of Vision is to be released in the UK in time for the festive period.
Whereas, generally, ‘Happiness is a Warm Gun’ , true happiness can only be achieved by ‘Something’ such as this book/display case combo – the type which makes you want to scream in its general direction, “I’ve ‘Got to Get You into My Life’”…
… But crap punning aside, this really looks to be one for the collector, boasting three components that will leave a Beatles enthusiast foaming at the mouth.
Just a quick announcement from the editorial staff here at HFoS towers that next week is officially declared Procol Harum Week.
Kicking off tomorrow, Head Full of Snow is dedicating itself to the innovative progressive rock act that will, unfairly or otherwise, forever be associated with one song, ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’.
As mentioned on Friday, there’s not only a new album by barking mad, 70′s progressive space rockers Gong, out on 21st September 2009, but they’re also embarking on a UK tour in November; featuring sometime Soft Machine member and founder of the group Daevid Allen, along with former core members Steve Hillage, Gilli Smyth, Mike Howlett and Miquette Giraudy.
Gong formed in 1968 during the Paris student riots, giving birth to a wealth of weird and wonderful albums, overflowing with psychedelic and progressive flavours, most notably the Radio Gnome Trilogy, of which the new album 2032 is to be the next installment.
All This and More, a four-disc Procol Harum compendium has been announced by Salvo Records as part of their 40th anniversary reissue campaign.
To me, just from the scant information at my fingertips, it looks to be a dead cert for the Christmas list.
Following on from the August and September release schedule for prog rock reissue merchants, Esoteric Records, October continues in earnest with the following CDs possibly of interest to Head Full of Snow readers.
First up is the reissue of Genesis keyboard-noodler, Tony Banks’ 1979 debut solo album A Curious Feeling. Released at a time when the rot that was Phil Collins had truly set in, this solo outing retains a feel for the early progressive sound of that once proud band. Further details of A Curious Feeling can be found here.
Recent Comments