Mojo
Jim Irvin 01.07.09
A Victory For Common Sense
Stackridge
****
A Victory For Common Sense
HELIUM
Cult act who opened and closed the first Glastonbury festival reform 40 years on.
From 1969 these Bristol-based outsiders swam against the tide with fabulous animals and giant onions in Beatle-flavoured prog fairytales and Zappa-like instrumentals, Perversity, ever-changing line-ups and inconsistent recordings scuppered their breakthrough. Even hardened whimsy fans struggled with the final album, 1976’s Mr Mick, a confusing rock opera in which one character was a cotton reel. But now the original frontline (bar fiddle player Mike Evans) reconvenes. Their trademark adversity to modernity is maintained by a genteel waltz about homesick soldiers, but the sense of tapping into something profound which only comes with experience is strong: every song has moments of stirring beauty. Andy Davis’s deliciously resigned Lennonish voice and James Warren’s unique, boyish tone blend better than ever on the sensuous ‘Long Dark River’ and pastoral ‘England To Return’, while lengthy Floydy closer, ‘The Day The World Stopped Turning’, goes straight into their top three tunes. Quite splendid.
Jim Irvin
****
A Victory For Common Sense
HELIUM
Cult act who opened and closed the first Glastonbury festival reform 40 years on.
From 1969 these Bristol-based outsiders swam against the tide with fabulous animals and giant onions in Beatle-flavoured prog fairytales and Zappa-like instrumentals, Perversity, ever-changing line-ups and inconsistent recordings scuppered their breakthrough. Even hardened whimsy fans struggled with the final album, 1976’s Mr Mick, a confusing rock opera in which one character was a cotton reel. But now the original frontline (bar fiddle player Mike Evans) reconvenes. Their trademark adversity to modernity is maintained by a genteel waltz about homesick soldiers, but the sense of tapping into something profound which only comes with experience is strong: every song has moments of stirring beauty. Andy Davis’s deliciously resigned Lennonish voice and James Warren’s unique, boyish tone blend better than ever on the sensuous ‘Long Dark River’ and pastoral ‘England To Return’, while lengthy Floydy closer, ‘The Day The World Stopped Turning’, goes straight into their top three tunes. Quite splendid.
Jim Irvin
The Times
Peter Paphides 11.07.09
A Victory For Common Sense
Stackridge
A Victory For Common Sense
****
Though a small, loyal fanbase made their reunion a viable concern, wide-scale re-evaluation eludes the Bristol prog-pop combo who opened the first Glastonbury Festival. This cockle-warming studio return out to change that.
The weather of time has sculpted some beautiful lines into the Lennon-esque harmonies of frontmen Andy Davis and James Warren, most notably on the floating Floydian languor of ‘The Day The World Stopped Turning’ and the poignant ‘Lost And Found’. (Helium)
A Victory For Common Sense
****
Though a small, loyal fanbase made their reunion a viable concern, wide-scale re-evaluation eludes the Bristol prog-pop combo who opened the first Glastonbury Festival. This cockle-warming studio return out to change that.
The weather of time has sculpted some beautiful lines into the Lennon-esque harmonies of frontmen Andy Davis and James Warren, most notably on the floating Floydian languor of ‘The Day The World Stopped Turning’ and the poignant ‘Lost And Found’. (Helium)
