31-03-2019, 18:11
JOHN ILLSLEY ~ Coming Up for Air
![[Image: 811KqJNXfqL._SS500_.jpg]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/811KqJNXfqL._SS500_.jpg)
If you’re not disinclined to a Dire Straits hangover you’ll enjoy this solo release by one of the founding members – no mistaking that sound, albeit it well matured, which as I’m sure I’ve mentioned before (more than once) gives pause for thought in terms of influence. Unfortunately, IMHO, the dire part is Illsley’s vocals. They were always a little on the sketchy side, teetering between different enough to be interesting and therefore forgivable, and not actually good enough to carry an entire album; he’s almost more spoken now than sung and it’s a pity because there are some lovely songs on the album – seven in all, two I could have done without. He has a limited range and a sort of hushed yet gruff voice – sometimes it works, sometimes not. He’s helped out now and then by backing singers which goes a distance towards shoring him up on the vocal front – recorded at MK’s studio and with the assistance as well as inputs of Guy Fletcher.
Listening to the lyrics on this album, specifically those on "Double Time", I think the cover art is to do with life passing by in a blur and a caution to stop and take some time to smell the roses/coffee every so often (or the canals, lol!). Some of those fuzzy light shapes on the bridge look like treble clefs to me, but I could be mistaken.
Spotify listen, and I probably would have picked the title track but that’s not available, so going with the only one that is - the opener – “Old Amsterdam” …
If you’re not disinclined to a Dire Straits hangover you’ll enjoy this solo release by one of the founding members – no mistaking that sound, albeit it well matured, which as I’m sure I’ve mentioned before (more than once) gives pause for thought in terms of influence. Unfortunately, IMHO, the dire part is Illsley’s vocals. They were always a little on the sketchy side, teetering between different enough to be interesting and therefore forgivable, and not actually good enough to carry an entire album; he’s almost more spoken now than sung and it’s a pity because there are some lovely songs on the album – seven in all, two I could have done without. He has a limited range and a sort of hushed yet gruff voice – sometimes it works, sometimes not. He’s helped out now and then by backing singers which goes a distance towards shoring him up on the vocal front – recorded at MK’s studio and with the assistance as well as inputs of Guy Fletcher.
Listening to the lyrics on this album, specifically those on "Double Time", I think the cover art is to do with life passing by in a blur and a caution to stop and take some time to smell the roses/coffee every so often (or the canals, lol!). Some of those fuzzy light shapes on the bridge look like treble clefs to me, but I could be mistaken.
Spotify listen, and I probably would have picked the title track but that’s not available, so going with the only one that is - the opener – “Old Amsterdam” …
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson
