Air - Moon Safari
****
Commercially and critically massive, the French duo's debut owes many of its sales to being a classic chill-out or come-down album. Refreshingly though, it's not made with ambient 90s keyboards but with squelchy 70s synths and moogs and a boingy bass guitar sound. With such instrumental music, there is always a fine line between music and muzak and, although Air probably stray the wrong side of this line at times, Moon Safari is still an excellent and relaxing listen. Highlights include the two main hits Sexy Boy and Kelly Watch The Stars along with the lengthy opening instrumental La Femme D'Argent where keyboards build around a melodic bass riff and Ce Matin La with its Bacharach-esque trumpet. Less successful are the two collaborations with singer and lyricist Beth Hirsch which are rather bland musically and lyrically. Although Moon Safari has probably been a little over-rated, it's still an excellent, unwaveringly calm album - ideal for the right moments and well worth a place in any collection.
Released - 1998
Acquired by me: 25.12.02 - Present (Nicole)

Arthur, John – Keeper Of The Furry-Throated Wyverns, The
****
John Arthur has been a regular performer on the London acoustic circuit for 20 years and more.  In that time, he has played countless solo gigs as well as fronting various bands such as Fancy Footwork (which also featured Big Brother 2007 contestant Carole Vincent) and two incarnations of The Badges (the latter version featuring the author on bass).  Although he is an excellent, idiosyncratic solo performer, I think it’s fair to say that John often felt slightly at odds with the introverted singer-songwriter scenes.  A Who-influenced rocker at heart, he switched from acoustic to electric guitar about four years ago, playing and singing live over self-made backing tapes of full band arrangements.  Once John had recorded these highly arranged backing tapes he just needed to add lead vocals and the main guitar part and hey presto, he had the full recording of a song.  Repeating this arduous process for 27 more numbers, mastering, artwork and production later and finally we have The Keeper Of The Furry-Throated Wyverns, a double CD.
In keeping with John’s live move towards the electric guitar, The Keeper is rockier than his previous solo albums Spiderman, Randomonium and The Vicissitudes Of Graham The Art Student.  There are virtually no keyboards on The Keeper nor the occasional brass and woodwind that adorned previous LPs but instead plenty of electric guitar supported by acoustic, bass, a variety of percussive instruments as well as John’s distinctive lead and harmony vocals.
A few tracks from John’s previous LPs have been re-recorded for The Keeper, presumably so that he can play them in his new live format.  Highlights for me of these re-recordings are the definitive versions of My Parents and Edmund Blunden.  Another previously recorded track, Who Made Me? now includes a one minute spoken intro on which John philosophises the song’s central question.
Although there are a few previously recorded songs on The Keeper, the majority of tracks on the double LP are new.  Highpoints among these for me are the deliciously sinister I Shrink Heads and John Harrison with it lovely madrigal-like mid-instrumental sequence.  The title track, an eccentric prog-influenced fantasy tale is also very good as is I Don’t See Why, a protest against unfairness which John first performed live in his Fancy Footwork days.
At 28 tracks long, The Keeper is a lot to take in and I look forward to discovering more about the other tracks as I play the LP more often.  Copies of the album are available via johnarthurhewson@btinternent.com or 020 8521 5323.  It is a fine record by an excellent distinctive singer-songwriter and I would recommended it to anyone who likes the louder sides of The Who or Paul Weller, strong melodies and harmonies and thought provoking philosophical lyrics.
Released:  2008
Acquired by me:  6.08 – from John