|
Released : 2001
Label : Headline Music (Hi-Note)
Catalogue number : HDL 505
Total playing time : 65’34"
|
Tracklist:
Isle of Eight / Total Eclipse / Return to the Nothern Wasteland
Musicians:
Colin Masson : electric, acoustic and classic guitars,
12-string guitars, bass, flutes, keyboards, percussion, trombone and
drumprogramming
Cathy Alexander : vocals, keyboards
Ryan Masson : environment sounds
|
Firmly rooted in the classical folk tradition Colin
Masson (who is also a member of the folk band The Morrigan) has
used his multi-instrumental strength and inspiration to spread over
three lengthy tracks. The occasional use of recorders certainly
highlights the atmosphere of this album. Add to this the typical guitar
style and you immediately land yourself in the Mike Oldfield back
garden. Although the drums are programmed, they rather sound OK, which
doesn’t happen a lot in these cases. Colin’s acoustic guitar
playing, combined with the use of the recorder, certainly creates a
medieval feel to the music. After Cathy Alexander’s (also from The
Morrigan) guest vocal, the title track speeds up, unleashing freaky
guitar sounds. Towards the end it’s as if Gordon Giltrap steps in to
help a hand. In fact I can easily see myself in rural England enjoying a
good pint of the local brew and a ploughman’s lunch whilst this music
keeps me amused.
There’s a mixture of Bert Jansch, Gordon Giltrap and John Renbourn
to be found in the acoustic intro for "Total Eclipse." Once
again the fragile nature of the music is extra underlined by introducing
sparse recorders. "Return To The Northern Wasteland" starts
with sequencer loops and dark sounds as if thunder and black rainy
clouds are packing over the Masson flagship. This Colin Masson solo
album sounds as if the best bits out of Tubular Bells, Hergest
Ridge and Ommadawn have been mixed together and spiced up
with extra folk elements. Isle of Eight
is a nice album that sadly will not sell millions of copies as there
will always remain a big gap between Masson and the real Mike Oldfield!
Reviewed by : John 'Bobo' Bollenberg |
