ABEL GANZ : THE LIFE OF THE HONEY BEE & OTHER MOMENTS OF CLARITY

The Life of the Honey Bee And Other Moments of Clarity
One Small Soul
Arran Shores
Summerlong
Sepia And White
The Light Shines Out
One Small Soul (Radio Edit)
One Small Soul (Remix)

Label : Abel Records

Release Date : 2020

Length : 55:13

Review (ProgWereld) : Abel Ganz is een Schotse band die al actief is vanaf de jaren '80, zeg maar de lichting Marillion/IQ/Pendragon. In de beginjaren was het neoprog wat de klok sloeg en brachten de Schotten regelmatig platen uit. In de jaren '90 met "The Deafening Silence" nog één plaat en vervolgens bleef het lang stil. De terugkeer in 2008 met "Shooting Albatross" werd goed ontvangen. Met "Abel Ganz", alweer uit 2014, werd het neoprog geluid ingeruild voor een meer gevarieerd palet aan muzikale stijlen. Naast (neo)prog, ook bijvoorbeeld invloeden uit folk, klassiek en jazz. Met "The Life Of The Honey Bee And Other Moments Of Clarity" wordt deze ontwikkeling voortgezet. Dat betekent dat we volop kunnen genieten van gevarieerde, aangename en sfeervolle muziek. In het begeleidend schrijven excuseert de band zich er haast voor dat de plaat maar 46 minuten duurt. Zelf vind ik dat absoluut niet nodig, want het gaat om de kwaliteit van de muziek en niet om de kwantiteit. De meeste progliefhebbers zullen graag lezen dat er op deze cd twee epics staan die ruim boven de tien minuten klokken. De vier kortere songs hebben bovendien ook genoeg te bieden. Er is veel te genieten in de muziek van Abel Ganz. Met het titelnummer begint de cd direct met één van de epics en geven de Schotten hun visitekaartje af. Relaxte prog met Genesis-invloeden en raakvlakken met een band als Big Big Train. Heel mooi vind ik het instrumentale folkgedeelte dat het nummer 'breekt' en een heel andere wending weer geeft. Alsof je plotseling in een Schotse pub bent beland. Deze melodie wordt vervolgens afgewisseld met prog in de Genesis-stijl, en daarna keert Abel Ganz terug naar het relaxte begin. Het tweede nummer, One Small Soul, is een prachtige rustige song met een zalige melodie. Heel mooi is ook de samenzang tussen zanger Mick Macfarlane en zangeres Emily Smith. Macfarlane heeft een wat hese stem die goed bij de muziek past. Muzikaal is het genieten met fraai toetsenspel en een fijne gitaarsolo. Vakmanschap. Daarna volgt het korte instrumentale nummer Arran Shores, dat gedomineerd wordt door de akoestische gitaar. Het is mooi maar beklijft niet. Wat wel een hoogtepunt is, is het prachtige Summerlong. Dit nummer is wat te vergelijken met One Small Soul. Frank van Essen (onder andere bekend van Iona) zorgt voor een gevoelige, zinderende viool die de muziek nog een extra lading geeft. De naam Big Big Train komt weer in mij naar boven. Ook qua sfeer. Wederom is er een vleug(je) Genesis te horen. Summerlong is uitstekend uitgewerkt en ligt heel prettig in het gehoor, zonder dat het perse heel toegankelijk is. Sepia And White is de tweede epic van deze plaat. Het nummer is meer traditionele symfo. Na een wat druk begin met orgel, gaat het tempo een flink stuk terug en ontvouwt zich een rustige mooie melodie. Het lekker symfonische middenstuk is weer wat heftiger, voor Abel Ganz begrippen dan. Daarna keren de toetsen terug en begint vervolgens een fijne finale, emotioneel en melancholiek. Waarbij ik zelfs aan Talk Talk moet denken. "The Life Of The Honey Bee And Other Moments Of Clarity" eindigt met The Light Shines Out. Een bijzonder fraaie song. Op het moment dat ik deze recensie schrijf, doet de herfst zijn intrede en The Light Shines Out is daar de ideale soundtrack voor. Het nummer kent de nodige popinvloeden. Vergelijk het een nummer van bijvoorbeeld Sound of Contact of Riversea. Het stukje hoorn in het midden van het nummer is zeer fraai. Evenals One Small Soul en Summerlong is ook The Light Shines Out heel aangenaam om te beluisteren; een warme deken vol melancholie. Ik vind het altijd nogal tricky om als tag 'jaarlijstmateriaal' erbij te zetten. Toch heb ik dat wel gedaan. Het moet wel heel raar lopen als "The Life Of The Honey Bee And Other Moments Of Clarity" niet in mijn persoonlijke top 10 over 2020 komt. Ik vind het een heel sterke plaat, gevarieerd en sfeervol.

Review (The Progressive Aspect) : Let's face it, 2020 has been a totally CRAP Year. it will not be remembered fondly by most and will be the cause of much sadness for too many. In times like these we really need special things in our lives. We instinctively seek what is enjoyable and engaging, but we also yearn for art that expresses some of our deepest emotions. and somehow Abel Ganz have managed to achieve both in this truly remarkable album. This is a perfect synthesis of music and theme in which the band 'explore our relationship with memory and loss' through finely crafted but intuitive songs in a beguiling musical journey. It has been six years since their previous well-received self-titled album, which remains one of my most favourite albums of all time (yes, really!). Indeed, drummer and producer for this album, Denis Smith, has revealed that the band honestly believed that eponymous album would be their last so they threw everything they had at it, and were very pleasantly surprised at the positive reaction it received in some quarters. However, they had no material left to commence a new recording (a mistake he assures us they have not done this time as they have kept some material back for a much quicker follow up - which is a GOOD thing.) Nevertheless, if it takes six years to produce something with such quality and resonance then let them take as long as they need! It is evident that this is a real labour of love, with great care and attention paid to the impeccable sonic production by Smith, perfectly mixed by Simon Vinestock (who has worked with the likes of Texas, Blur, Robert Plant and Simple Minds), and skilfully mastered by Jacob Holm-Lupo. Abel Ganz have clearly lavished significant time and love (and quite some money I would presume!) on this album in so many ways, and this has been repaid with a product which shines out with sheer class. Quite aside from the music, the artwork is truly lovely. They seem to understand the whole package needed to present their art. The opening title song perfectly captures the essence of what works so well for Abel Ganz on this and their previous album. They have an uncanny ability to meld different styles of music together in one song with transitions as smooth as silk, giving us an eclectic mix of folk, progressive rock, Americana, Celtic tinges and even hints of jazz - and somehow it all fits together seamlessly. Abel Ganz have wisely sought out other skilled contributors and this track features Alex Paclin with a very distinctive Chromatic Harmonica, evoking a nostalgic feel right from the start. Fiona Cuthill on fiddles and recorders later adds a whirling and folky atmosphere, which interplays intoxicatingly with a volcanic organ from Jack Webb. This epic track is effectively departing guitarist Davie Mitchell's farewell gift to the band, as he wrote most of the song, tellingly contributing Nashville acoustic guitars and a smokey solo late in the piece. That's the way to exit a band - leave them a cracking song! The 'Steely Dan-esque' feel of the finale is conveyed deftly by the smooth vocals of Mick Macfarlane, underlined by an atmospheric closing sax solo from the wonderfully named Snake Davis. One Small Soul takes us in a different direction musically, although maintains the same feelings of reminiscence tinged with regret, but ultimately infused with a sense of renewal: "There's a glimmer, a Shimmer, A Speck of a Truth Trying to Grow unhindered by Youth, A Realisation that all is not Lost" Mick Macfarlane sings warmly and duets sweetly with the renowned Scottish folk singer Emily Smith in a simply gorgeous song. New guitarist Dave King solos subtly on electric guitar and Jack Webb's piano tastefully underpins the piece, supported by Stephen Donnelly's fine double bass play. David King seems to have fitted straight into the band and he lays down his introductory calling card with a short but delightful guitar solo instrumental, Aaran Shores, where one can almost feel the breeze over the waters. Summerlong feels like one of those half-remembered dreams as you wake, with Jack Webb's gentle piano framed beautifully within a lush but not overly sweet string arrangement by Frank Van Essen. Macfarlane's evocative and emotional voice is brittle and captivating in this wistful song full of melancholic reminiscence, leavened with yearning hope. Just when you feel like the album may be in danger of sinking too far into sentimentality, Abel Ganz kick open the doors with Sepia and White. The opening section absolutely rocks like a fat one! Apparently bassist Stephen Donnelly is responsible for writing this outstanding intro which is filled with funk and really grooves along. all I know is that it put a massive smile on my face and made me want to get up and - dare I say it - dance! Fear not, brave readers, I restrained myself as no-one wants that, real or imagined. This multi-part piece yet again demonstrates Abel Ganz's intuitive ability to slide smoothly from one genre to another. A soulful vocal interlude showcases Macfarlane's warm Scottish voice reminiscing, before King takes up the melody on electric guitar and new keyboardist Alan Hearton lays down a brief but sinuous synth solo. The band then develop the theme more powerfully with King (and maybe Mitchell, it's not always clear) leading the band into heavier territory, backed by Webb's Hammond B3. A synth and piano interlude with vague echoes of Supertramp subtly curves us in a new direction. "I Remember you, Always too far off, Sepia and White, I Remember you, Holes in my Memory, Am I wrong or right?" The music swirls and recedes like a dream or distant memory, so perfectly conveying what the band describe as 'the liminal space between a fading "what was" and an anticipated "what is to come"'. This evocative musical photograph ends with a wall of sound and chiming guitars powerfully recapitulating and building on the earlier memorable motif. Denis Smith is worthy of special mention here for a couple of reasons - his drumming swings with aplomb between funk, pastoral, rock, prog and almost ambient styles, and it's always right on the nail and perfectly suited to the mood. Additionally, sonically, Sepia and White is a particular triumph for Smith's pristine and sensitive production skills. The love he has for this music shines out with the skill and care he has applied to this wonderful song, and indeed the whole album. There have been a few great songs already in a good year (for music at least!) but this is my song of the year so far, and I am doubtful it will be surpassed. After such multi-faceted drama this beautifully judged album ends the journey with an appropriately atmospheric closing number in The Light Shines Out. Signy Jakobsdottir provides subtle congas and percussion whilst David King switches to keyboards and drum programming to show his versatility. This also gives Denis Smith the opportunity to move off the drums and come to the fore with a smouldering and delicate lead vocal, with more than a hint of fellow Scot Paul Buchanan of The Blue Nile (another GOOD thing!). Marc Papaghin on French horn and Stevie Lawrence with some elegiac low whistle add to the idiosyncratic, other worldly but warm quality of this piece. The song and album seemingly fade away with Smith wistfully intoning the chorus, before a curious Peter Gabriel-esque subtle '80s funk rhythm inserts itself as the unexpected but very cool coda. Abel Ganz have had a strange and intermittent career, starting out as a neo-prog band in the early 1980s (featuring Alan Reed, later of Pallas and solo) followed by long periods of inactivity. However, with their Shooting Albatross album in 2008 and much more prominently with their two most recent releases, Abel Ganz have completely reinvented themselves. They have also managed to somehow capture musical lightning, as it has most certainly struck again, at least matching and possibly surpassing their last brilliant album. They ignore the usual cliched 'Prog' tropes and styles, indeed, they seem unrestrained by any boundaries or rules of instrumentation or styles they are willing to fashion and mould into their unique brand of music - it certainly ain't 'Prog'! But it is expansive, imaginative, intuitive, emotional and utterly captivating. The Life of the Honey Bee and Other Moments of Clarity will definitely deserve to be regarded as one of the best albums of 2020. It seems clear that its themes are deeply rooted in personal experience for the band. and yet they have also created a piece of work which has great power to resonate emotionally with all those who hear it. I have no qualms in saying that The Life of the Honey Bee and Other Moments of Clarity certainly touched my heart, and at the same time it compelled me to smile. and don't we all need something like that right now?

Review (ProgArchives) : The Life of the Honey Bee and Other Moments of Clarity is only the seventh studio album from Abel Ganz, veterans of the 1980's prog scene, this owing to a long hiatus which ended in 2008 with the excellent Shooting Albatross, although given that this is only the third since then, this is not exactly throwing works out at pace. This is a shame, because this new work is really very good. The band are well and truly on the pastoral side of progressive rock, and those who enjoy thoughtful and emotional music will find a great deal to enjoy here. The overarching theme is one of memory and loss. The title track opens proceedings clocking in at over 12 minutes long. It is a gentle affair, and sets the scene for all that is to come. Mick Macfarlane is a soothing presence on vocals, whilst there is plenty of room for solo artistry to shine, with a nice violin solo and an extended Dave Mitchell guitar piece. Altogether mesmerising, it draws you into the work as a whole before you really know that you are there, and therefore succeeds tremendously. With the "symphony of wings" lovingly described, there is a brief saxophone solo of virtuosity to close the track. What follows is enough to melt the coldest heart. Duetting with Macfarlane on One Small Soul is the gorgeous voice of Emily Smith, and this is pure melancholy set to music. Jack Webb's piano literally cries, and the whole track has a bluesy warmth to it. Quite wonderful, and a highlight of 2020 for me. Arran Shores, named after the Isle of Arran, home to a particularly fine distillery, is a short and emotional acoustic instrumental by David King. Close your eyes, and you are there, and, again, a piece of music which sets a mood perfectly. Summerlong is that rare beast, an intelligent piece of music which evokes an emotional response and means whatever the listener wants to take from it. For me, the reality of my love and I spending lazy and hazy days together. The opening, dreamy, sequence morphs into a more "traditional" synth passage set against a symphonic backdrop, before we return to the lovers reminiscing. Really rather lovely and evocative. The opening passage of the longest track at over 13 minutes long, Sepia and White, really hits you after this, because this is a rocker featuring a thunderous bass line by Stephen Donnelly. Normal service is, however, resumed with a gentle piano and the main passage intersperses this with guitar with feeling, and the colour of sepia keys, before building into a classic prog rock wall of sound. Lyrically, the I, I Remember You closing passage is wonderfully intelligent, marking the passage of time and long lost love to wonderful effect accompanied by some marvellous fret work and those bass pedals working overtime overseen by a guiding organ. The album closes with The Light Shines Out, the most overtly Celtic influenced track, with vocal duties taken on by drummer Denis Smith, who adds some nice drum machine work here as well. The track reminds me a great deal of some of the better tracks on Gabriel's Ovo, including the vocals, and the wonderful thought of nicotine clouds takes one back to smoky, hazy, bars of yore. This really is a wonderfully enjoyable record, and a tribute to some wonderful musicians who have stood the test of time. Very highly recommended, and an excellent addition to any collection.