Now the CD is finally out there we have decided to add a page of comments and reviews. If you have anything you would like to say about the CD please use the contact page and we will put it up. We will, of course, moderate the comments and in the 'corporate speak' world we have all been forced into, we reserve the right to chose what appears on this page.
So here are the first two.
'The CD Has Landed! :-) It dropped through my door this morning, matey. I have to say, I'm impressed with the Royal Mail for being able to deliver a package addressed to the Psychedelic Birmingham Tourist Board, and it actually reaching me! :-) I'm just listening to the CD now. The CD is brilliant! The opening track is as good as anything Pink Floyd came up with on Wish You Were Here. And I love the CD packaging too! Was it expensive to produce the CD with the gatefold sleeve and the lyrics insert? I love the melody in the verses of Harpies. The intro to Happy has a Led Zep feel to it and then it morphs into Gilmour's Floyd. This is such a gorgeous LP. I love it! But my fave has to be last track. It's the song Dave Gilmour has yet to write. It's absolutely ace!'
(a quick note here. Damien is an excellent singer / songwriter. I have know him for some years and at on point I referred to his home town, Manchester, as Psychedelic Birmingham. It has stuck.)
'Blimey, Roy, this new album is terrific!! So glad i bought it. I particularly love Blank Moments...and This Torch ...excellent songs and great music. Well done all!! I am sorry i've missed your gigs (mostly due to ill health or builders ...sometimes both!). Hope to see you soon.'
Hearing Roy's and Steve's vocals again - they haven't changed much at all (is that a compliment - only you can decide...). And we both commented that he is a damn good guitarist.
It was a bit strange to hear 'Harpies' and 'Blank Moments' sounding oh-so-familiar but slightly unfamiliar. Strange - but good.
Hearing things that sound familiar but not, and things that sound unfamiliar but not and trying to work out where you've changed what you're doing and what's different about it was interesting. And I don't think that you've changed a lot over the years (this is not a bad thing, btw) but are still making sounds that are accessible and rocky but just - a little - odd.
Oh hell's teeth, I'm not very good at this critique thingy! How about - yes, I enjoyed it and will listen to it more than once!
Mous (ex Dogwatch / Last Post Lighting person)
I like the cd a lot. I think it's very strong both musically and lyrics-wise. Some of the 'tunes' eg The Rage, Blank Moments and This Torch are very evocative of certain emotional states, and many of the lyrics are, also.
I guess that's the intention of the 'Skeleton Key' idea?....that the songs, although technically one person's experience, are universal (unless you're brain dead and/or have had a very sheltered existence).
And, lots of the lyrics are actually poems, I think, which would work with or without music ...lovely, unusual rhyme schemes. Very pleased to have bought it!
Dianne Granger
1, 2, 3 go! That Legendary Wooden Lion have a new CD out called Writing in a Skeleton Key and I’ve been giving it a good listen. I should say that although unknown to me they have in fact been around in some form or other since the early seventies, even playing the Windsor and Watchfield free festivals, so we’re not talking about a bunch wet behind the ears. And nor do they sound it. 10 tracks on the CD all played with an assurance that comes with experience and with song writing skills to match. Their style is a bit harder to put the old finger on. Think 70’s power pop a la The Motors..? Nope.. not passionate enough, New Model Army perhaps.
You see what we have in the main, is a set of upbeat rousing rock/pop songs. Take track two Sulphur and Heat, a song about well, staring death in the face, which is a catchy little number sung in the style of football hooligans. Don’t get me wrong; I loved it. In fact the chorus has been playing in my head for the past week. There is, however, also a lot of reflection going on here, they are men of a certain age after all. Bitterness, anger and regret usually make for impassioned music an d it’s certainly the case here. The tempo does vary from time to time; take Blank Moments for example, a cheerful little ditty about those wasting time by doing nothing. Fair enough but to be honest I long for the chance of doing nothing.
I also have to mention how amazingly presented the CD is. It comes in a gate-fold digi thingy with a booklet featuring lyrics, bio and pics. The artwork too is something special and is indicative of the care put into the product as a whole. Not that I’m recommending the CD on the strength of the sleeve. I’d happily recommend it on the strength of the content though. My mate gave the opinion that it was “geezer prog” and although I wouldn’t use that term myself I can see where he is coming from. Good passionate music from a bunch of guys whose hearts are firmly on their sleeves.
Sound Awesome June 2011