Alan Reed : Live From The Razors Edge

2018 Red Dwarf Recordings CD UK 56:35Mins

https://reddwarfrecordings.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/AlanReedMusician/

My Rating (Geoff Penn) 80/100

: Red Dwarf Recordings are issuing a selection of Alan’s solo material as well as some Pallas classics recorded at performances carried out with his newly assembled band “Alan Reed & The Daughters of Expediency” UK tour during 2017. Alan of course is best known for his role as a vocalist with the neo-progressive band “Pallas” and it no secret that his separation from that long term twenty year plus band association was due to complications over working arrangements being thwarted by geographical distance. Such a shame as to what it might have been because Alan has emerged with oodles of fresh material and an exciting new band in which to operate, perform and strut his stuff. In fact, an interesting quote from Alan states “the album captures the infectious energy of a band enjoying every minute, I’ve never had so much fun on stage!’”

It is important to note here that the musicians in the “Daughters of Expectancy” line up are completely different from those utilized on Alan’s album “Honey on the Razor’s Edge”

Undoubtedly one can sense, from this live album, a hugely electrically charged atmosphere with some great vocals from Alan Reed and instrumentally tight support from his band as they together delve into the forays of neo-progressive rock delights. The music embraces throughout the nine tracks combinations of nice melodic fluctuating swaying keyboards mixed together with both penetrating guitar riffs and delightful full on harmonic lead guitar exchanges. Even though there are no tracks of epic proportions on this album, the structure of the music, in true progressive rock fashion, is subjected to many vigorous and spirited changes of direction. It is altogether a nice change, these days of mostly metal influenced output, to get back to what I consider to be beautifully melodic song-based progressive music with style and panache. Delightful too is the use of many choral keyboard effects and (dare I say this) a kind of Scottish inflexion to parts of the music not un-similar to the sound of “Big Country”.

Summary: A nice return to a truly British sounding Neo Progressive Rock full of harmony and style.

Artwork: A big let down being quite boring and hardly imaginative,

Tracklisting:

1: Begin Again, 2: For the Greater Glory, 3: My Sunlit Room, 4: Razor, 5: Sanctuary,

6: Kingdom of the Blind, 7: Never Too Late, 8: The Other Side of Morning, 9: Crown of Thorns,

Alan Reed & The Daughters of Expediency are:

Alan Reed: Vocals, 12-string, bass pedals

Tudor Davies: Keyboards