Short Reviews [Rocking Horse Music Club - 2019 - "Which Way the Wind Blows"]

Formed back in 2008, Rocking Horse Music Club comprise Brian Coombes (producer, songwriter, instrumentalist), Justin Cohn (singer, songwriter, guitarist), Patrik Gochez (singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist) along with session musicians Eric Wagley (drums), Myron Kibbee (guitar), Mike McAdam (guitar), and Brenden Harisaides (bass). I first came across Brian when he was a member of Tristan Park, and I reviewed two of their albums back in the Nineties (both featured in TPU Volume 3). Since those days he has built a reputation as a producer, being nominated for some Emmy’s, as well as being in Rocking Horse Music Club. The concept behind this album was to pay a tribute to Anthony Phillips, and they worked with him to bring together a selection of songs from the first three solo albums, ‘The Geese & The Ghost, ‘Wise After The Event’ and ‘Sides’. It is always a brave thing to attempt, providing a tribute to another musician when they are so well-known, but the trick is to make the songs their own while still having them recognisable. To assist in that mammoth task, they brought in some rather well-known and not so well-known musicians to help out. These include Steve Hackett (guitar), John Hackett (flute), Nick Magnus (keyboards) and John Helliwell (clarinet/saxophone). On top of these guys there are also Kate St. John (oboe, a founding member of Dream Academy), Noel McCalla (vocals, who was of course lead singer on Mike Rutherford’s first solo album, ‘Smallcreep’s Day’, and I remember seeing him front MMEB), Steve Anderson (guitar, currently in The Room and ex-GLD, but I will always think of him as being in Sphere), Evelyn Cormier (vocals, 2019 American Idol Finalist) and Caroline Carter (vocals, Caroline is a former Miss New Hampshire. As a vocalist, she won the talent competition at the Miss America pageant in 2017). So quite an interesting mix of people, all working together on an interesting mix of songs from one of the most important musicians ever to come out of the UK. According to my list I have 26 Anthony Phillips albums at home, plus another six he recorded with other people, and what I have always enjoyed about his music is that although he will always be thought of with a 12-string guitar in his hand he has also encompassed so many other styles. My youngest daughter and I often play ‘Private Parts and Pieces X – Soiree’ in the car, and there is not a guitar in sight! There are times when the music comes over as quite Floydian (just listen to the wailing vocals on “Nightmare”), and it is always dramatic. With different musicians being involved, it does mean there are times when one song does not really flow with the ones either side, but that really is nit picking, as the album is a delight from start to finish. Hopefully, it is an album which not only fans of Phillips will come to, but people who just want to hear great music who themselves may then decide to go and find the originals. The album artwork is a delight as well, bringing together different elements, and the result is something which Phillips’s fans really need to discover. The arrangements are lush as opposed to delicate, but there is still plenty of space and movement, and is something to be savoured.