Jonathan Downes is a naturalist, cryptozoologist, author, editor, filmmaker, poet, novelist, activist, journalist, composer, and singer-songwriter, best known for being the Director of the Centre for Fortean Zoology. On top of all of that, I am so pleased to be able to call him my friend. Somehow, we got in touch with each other more than a decade ago, and I have been writing for his wonderfully eclectic Gonzo Weekly magazine pretty much ever since. If that were not enough, Jon also encouraged me to pull together my writings on progressive rock and he published them on Gonzo Multimedia (which I think means I am on the same label as Rick Wakeman etc.).
In a world of ‘straights’ and conformity, Jon is a proud hippie who wheels to the beat of his own drum, whether that is with his theories on zoology, his wonderfully anarchic CFZ shows on YouTube, the really rather wacky Gonzo Weekly magazine (which originally started off to publicise the label remember), or his albums. Jon makes his music because he must, not for any expected commercial success (his album prior to this sold all of 11 copies) and is incredibly personal. For him, it is the words which are important, then the music, then the singing itself, and I can imagine someone who does not know him would find this a very strange album indeed. Even for those of us who love the ageing Devonian miscreant, some may find this a little difficult to listen to, just because it is so personal. A while back, Jon lost his wife Corinna, to whom he was absolutely devoted, but her illness was long-lasting and when she finally passed away it was in many ways a relief to all her knew her. This allowed Jon to throw himself into his work and it is only now that he realises, he had not allowed himself to grieve, and is suffering because of that. This album contains many references to Corinna, and he has also brought into this his friend Mick Farren, another huge champion of the counterculture scene.
Jon is one of the most interesting people I know, and I never tire of talking to him, listening to him, reading his words, or watching him on YouTube. I know that will have heavily influenced my thoughts on this album, as while not truly essential I love all of it, although I am sure many others will not feel the same. It is certainly worth checking out on Bandcamp, as if nothing else this is completely honest and totally from the heart. If you are looking for massively produced highly melodic performances then look elsewhere, but if you want to hear someone sharing their soul, then this is it.
Rating: 7/10
