Guest
“No sophomore jinx here: on their second album, Gracious truly hits its stride. The first half of the album is a four-part suite, “Super Nova.“ After its Floydian opening instrumental, the band launches into the bleak “Blood Red Sun“; with a dystopic narrative of environmental holocaust and its martial drumbeat, it's an ideal complement to King Crimson's “21st Century Schizoid Man.“ Strange, then, that this should lead to “Say Goodbye to Love,“ an effectively weepy guitar ballad of lost romance and tear-jerking harmonies. It's on the second half of the album, though, that Gracious hits escape velocity. On “.“ the band shifts effortlessly from a groovy clavinet jam to a bouncing barrelhouse piano in the verse. “Blue Skies and Alibis“ is a prime example of Martin Kitcat's Mellotron technique; powered along by Cowderoy's graceful guitar, smoky vocals, and a lush piano progression worthy of Joe Jackson, it's one of their most enduring tracks. A truly undervalued gem, This Is... Gracious! sat on the shelves for two years after completion before being issued; it's a shame that it was to be last anyone heard from the band for the next two decades. “ - by Paul Collins 1. Super Nova 00:00 1.a. Arrival of the Traveller 00:00 1.b. Blood Red Sun 04:05 1.c. Say Goodbye To Love 10:41 1.d. Prepare To Meet Thy Maker 14:07 2. . 21:33 3. Once on a Windy Day 28:39 4. Blue Skies and Alibis 31:52 5. Hold Me Down 36:50 Buy it: Gracious is: Alan Cowderoy - Guitar, Vocals, Percussion Paul Davis - Lead Vocals, Percussion Martin Kitcat - Keyboards, Mellotron, Percussion, Vocals Robert Lipson - Drums, Percussion Tim Wheatley - Bass, Vocals, Percussion If you are a band member or are involved with this record and don't want people to see/hear this, please contact me via comments or Google message and I'll remove it. There's no need for flags. I do not own any copyright nor have anything to do with the band or their label. Just spreading their music/job.
