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Hi everyone. Stacey-Lynn here, just letting you know that in case you're one of the very few who's wondering where this month's edition of “Journal News” has gone --- yes, you over there, in the corner, trying to pretend it's not you! --- I'm here to let you know that there won't actually be a March edition, as we're all getting fitted for our dresses for the big show coming up on Saturday.

That's right: you thought we'd forgotten, didn't you? Well we haven't, and Saturday marks the first ever Annual Polly Awards ceremony. Laura, Alicia, Helen, Li-Chang and I will all be there, handing out the awards for what we've judged to be the best music we've heard in 2011. It's sure to be a glittering night, a gala event, so make a note to join us, this Saturday, March 24, right here at the Playlist of Life.

See you there!

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The edge of all I know --- Gwyllion --- 2009 (Black Bards)


Now here's something interesting! A band from Belgium whose name is taken from the name of an old Welsh fairy tale. Hmm. A gwyllion, according to Wiki, is an ugly female spirit that likes to mislead unwary travellers. Sounds nice, huh? Of course, like many creatures of folklore, gwyllions were said to be vain, and if one entered your house in disguise and was treated with the proper respect, it would do you no harm. So that makes this band a prog rock band then, yes? Well, no. Not according to the website Encyclopaedia Metallum, which describes them as “symphonic power metal”. Yeah, they're fronted by a woman, so expect the inevitable Epica/Nightwish/Within Temptation/Insert band name here comparisons.

Worryingly, this being their second album and having been released three years ago now, there seems to have been no recent activity by this band. EM describes their status as “on hold”, and their MySpace page is so up-to-date that it has a “teaser” video for this album! So where are they, and what are they doing? Or have they broken up? They seem to have received rave reviews, toured, and looked ready to break out, but no-one seems to know where they are now.

More importantly though, what's their album like? Well, it only has nine tracks, and none of them are super-epics, the longest being six minutes. It opens with “In silence enclosed”, with a suitably dramatic start, heavy keyboards, choral vocals, not too much of the guitar --- as yet --- that comes powering in as we head into “Entwined”, and we hear the voice of Annelore Vantomme for the first time. Seems she wasn't around for the first album, which I haven't heard, but she certainly adds something to the sound here, even if her voice is perhaps not as strong and commanding as I would prefer. Heavy fast guitar from Steve Deleu and Martijn Debonnet, with the sound pretty much built on the keyboard orchestrations of Joris Debonnet, which I'm going to assume means he and the guitarist are brothers?

It's a powerful start, with plenty of dramatic keyboard, but no real hook as yet I can hang onto, but this is only the second track, so let's not write them off just yet. Annelore's voice gets a bit more powerful and operatic as the song nears its end, then we're into “Void”, a guitar-driven rocker with thunderous drumming from Wouter Debonnet (another brother?) and some male vocals added by, I think, his brother Martijn, who is the only one other than Annelore credited with any vocals. Interesting juxtapositioning of the vocal styles, though not as harshly different as the likes of Leaves' Eyes or Within Temptation. Nice piano piece from Joris as the song slows down to allow Annelore to really show off her vocal prowess, but only for a moment before it all crashes back into high gear and takes off again on the twin guitar rails.

Another nice piano solo there before the end, then “Rage” makes that seem like plodding along, as it hurtles along at breakneck pace, almost too fast in places. Great piano work from Joris --- you'd wonder how his fingers can move that quickly! Well, if I had much hair left I'd certainly be headbanging to this! It all takes a break about three minutes in for a nice harpsichord-sounding solo and some slightly less frenetic guitar, kind of medieval in its way, then it speeds back up again as it goes crashing towards the ending. “Beyond goodbye” starts off on what sounds like a twelve-string guitar, some steady bass and slow percussion, Annelore's voice nice and clear, then the guitars crash in but it's a million miles removed from “Rage”, much more restrained if still loud and heavy. I wouldn't call this a ballad, no, but it's certainly the slowest and most laidback track on the album so far. Some lush keyboard backing helping to create the soundscape, though the guitars of Martijn Debonnet and Steve Deleu really drive this song, which does help Gwyllion, on this track at least, to stand a little apart from the plethora of female-led power metal and symphonic metal bands.

“The night awakes” has a very Scottish/marching to war feel about it, again slower than “Rage” --- though what could match the speed of that track? --- though still heavy and powerful. Kind of puts me in mind of Thin Lizzy's “Emerald” in places. One thing I haven't really heard yet, rather surprisingly, is a good guitar solo from either of the guys. Or a keyboard one, come to think of it. Maybe that's a good thing, as no-one wants to showboat, just concentrate on doing the best job for the band that they can. Still, a guitarist who doesn't solo..?

There's a lot of seventies prog, well, updated seventies prog to “Closure”, with heavy organ from Joris, a rattling drumbeat and chugging guitars, and a really effective piano melody line, which again sounds quite harpsichordal. It's the longest track, and Annelore really gives her voice its head (as it were) on this song, her lungs certainly capable of delivering a powerful vocal punch. Nice sort of “Smoke on the water” riff, too, with the twin guitars really getting into a Lizzy vibe as well. Good stuff. Rolling keys from Joris keeps things going, then it all ramps up again as it hits into the last minute, but it finishes disappointingly abruptly, which I think ruins the ending.

Thought we were getting a ballad there, as “A thousand words” opened with violins and strings, but it quickly kicks into life and launches into another power rocker, not as fast as “Closure”, to be sure, but still nowhere near a ballad. Nice dramatic punch to it though, and then the album ends with “Angelheart”, which opens on beautiful soft piano and could very well be the ballad I've been waiting/hoping for. Would certainly be a nice way to end the album, which hasn't really taken much in the way of a pause for breath all through its length.

Okay, well we're almost halfway through now, so I'm going to go out on a limb and label this the ballad. It seems to feature only Joris and Annelore, and is really nice and laidback, a lovely sort of coda to all the mad frenetic metal that's been going on, and it's without doubt a real vehicle for both Annelore's voice and Joris's excellent and flawless piano playing. A lovely end to what, it has to be said, is a fairly generic album. Not bad, but nothing terribly special.

The problem is that there are so many of these power/symphonic metal bands around now, and so many with female singers, that many of them do sound very similar. There's nothing to really mark Gwyllion out from the others out there, and nothing to raise them to the levels of the likes of Nightwish, Edenbridge or Epica. But that said, they're not a bad band, just not one that leaves you with any sort of indelible memory of them after the music has faded.

The question remains: have we seen the last of this band? Unfortunately, having now listened to their album, I have to say that I'm less bothered whether we have or not.

TRACKLISTING

1. In silence enclosed
2. Entwined
3. Void
4. Rage
5. Beyond goodbye
6. The night awakes
7. Closure
8. A thousand words
9. Angelheart

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Let's have a classic from the repertoire of the Cars, shall we? This is “My best friend's girl”. Not literally, you understand. The worm doesn't have a girl. Or a best friend. Or a friend...

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HI there US: sorry for the late comment, but as you can see I have been/am exceptionally busy, what with Irish Week and now the Pollys to get ready for!

I love Crime of the Century but my two favourites on it will always be the title, and closing track, and "If everyone was listening". I love the way it's so quiet and restrained compared to the rest of the album (big heavy piano chords, loud voices, heavy guitars etc); it's a little island of calm in an ocean of powerful, loud, and exceedingly great music. Just love the juxta on that.
Be interested to read your comments on Mister Ocasek indeed...
Thanks (blush!)
Yeah, I wanted to make sure to avoid just doing the usual Maiden/Saxon/Leppard thing, though Saxon will feature in the third part. I intend to give coverage to bands who may not be automatically linked in most people's minds with the NWOBHM, but who were nevertheless a central and important part of it, and I think PM fit this bill. They were pretty damn good, weren't they?
AW I must say didn't impress me that much, but then it's not about what I like or don't like, as you'll see when I cover Venom in part 2! It's about doing the most comprehensive coverage of the era that I can, and that means including all bands --- ALL bands --- that I can, who were instrumental or important to the movement.
I only ever heard two songs from Trespass, those being "One of these days" and the far superior "Stormchild". I just loved that: heard them both on the "Metal for muthas Vol II" album, but could never find anything more on them. Finally tracked down a CD of their music, looking forward to listening to that once I get a free moment.
I remember Riot (didn't one of their albums have a white seal on the front? Like, seal as in animal?) and recently reviewed Anvil's "Juggernaut of justice" --- they've still got it!

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Not that often you hear the fiddle being used in pop music, but this is a song to lift the soul without a doubt, from the Bluebells, this is “Young at heart”.

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I spent a lot of my long-vanished youth either listening to music or watching TV, having no social life to speak of. These days it's pretty much the same, and I've noticed that there's quite a lot of decent music in television programmes, whether it's incidental music, opening or closing credits or themes. We've already done this a few times already, so here's another selection.

This is the great opening theme to “True Blood”, by Jace Everett.

Something I've only just recently got around to watching, and it's pretty good, is Showtime's “The Borgias”. This is the opening theme from it.

A favourite show from my youth, running again on the Challenge TV channel, it's “Blockbusters”.

And another of my favourite shows, hilarious at times, this is the theme to “Storage wars”. Anyone help me out? Is it “Not in all this town/Nothing owns this town” or what? I can never figure it out, and the fact that he says “You know what I'm talking about!” and I don't makes it all the more annoying!

One of the great recent cop shows, starring the incomparable Tom Selleck, this is the short opening theme to “Blue bloods”.

Something of a flop, another show that kind of wandered around in a circle a la “Heroes”, short but powerful and dramatic music though to “The Event”. Never found out what the event was...

THE quiz show from my youth, revamped for the twenty-first century, they take no nonsense and pull no punches on “Mastermind”! And your chosen subject is the Austro-Hungarian Empire, 1880-1894. Uh, yeah... Powerful, dramatic music though that left you in no doubt this was a serious show. “Have I got news for you” it's not!

And something that is NOT serious but IS hilarious is MTV's new mockumentary “Death Valley”. If you haven't seen it yet, catch it. If you like “Cops” style shows mixed with zombies and vampires, you gotta be there! With a huge chunk of almost “Airplane/Police Squad” deadpan humour thrown in. Class!

We all know this one!

And finish up with the theme to the Buffy spinoff, almost as successful and a show that made a star of David Boreanaz, of course it's Joss Whedon's “Angel”.

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About time I got this section underway. Each month I'm going to try to remember certain artistes who died during that month, tell you a little about them if I can and feature a few of their songs or some of their material. Of course, unfortunately people die every day and musicians are no different: death comes to us all whether we rock a stadium of fifty thousand people or live our lives out in obscurity as a struggling writer, whether we produce the biggest artistes of the decade or sweep the streets or drive a taxi or keep the world safe for others. And that means that every month in every year someone connected to the world of music likely died, so that it's unlikely I would ever manage to cover everyone who has passed away over the years.

So if I miss someone out, it's generally because I didn't know them, or their music, or don't consider they were a big enough player for their death to have impacted anyone reading this in 2012. If that seems callous or failing to give credit where it's due I apologise, but I have to draw the line somewhere and if I tried to mention every single musician who has ever died then I would never get away from this article, and the rest of the Playlist of Life would fall into disrepair.

So, with that in mind, here are the more well-known or important or influential musicians and people connected with the music biz who died in March. My thanks to BITTER SUITE BAND: official website! for the information.

Serge Gainsbourg (1928-1991)
Interestingly, Serge was born on April 2 and died on March 2 1991, at the age of 62. We only know him outside of France for his steamy duet with Jane Birkin, “Je t'aime.... moi non plus”, which basically introduced a whole generation of horny young lads to the idea of sex and scandalised the record industry when it hit the number one spot in the UK in 1969. Apparently he was a huge star in France though, and his death almost precipitated a day of national mourning. Serge died of a heart attack.

Dusty Springfield (1939-1999)
Born Mary O'Brien, Dusty had a long and glittering career, with many solo single hits. She also contributed a song to the James Bond movie “Casino royale” and had a hit with a duet performed with the Pet Shop Boys on “What have I done to deserve this”. Her biggest hits though were “You don't have to say you love me” and “I only wanna be with you”. Dusty died of breast cancer on March 2, 1999, having also been born, like Serge Gainsbourg, in April.


Danny Kaye (1913-1987)
Beloved of children's movies, an actor and singer much in the style of Gene Kelly but with more of an emphasis on the “Peter Pan” ideal, Danny was born David Daniel Kominski and became famous for his title role in the movie “Hans Christian Anderson”, as well as “White Christmas” and “The five pennies”. A singer and dancer, consummate actor, well-liked and respected by his peers, Danny died on March 3 1987 of a heart attack.

Glenn Hughes (1950-2001)
Don't panic, Deep Purple fans! It's not that one! This Glenn Hughes was a member of Village People: he was the biker, and probably quite annoyingly to him, his character became forever interlinked and identified with gay stereotypes, as Glenn himself was not gay. You could identify hom on the Village People records --- should you have some reason to listen to them! --- as he was the deep, bass voice in the group. He died March 4 2001 after a long battle with lung cancer.

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Legendary composer of such classical works as “Peter and the wolf” and the by-now-well-known “Montagues and Capulets” from “Romeo and Juliet”, which among other uses serves as the theme to the TV show “The Apprentice”. Prokofiev died on March 5 1953.

Patsy Cline (1932-1963)
Most famous for her song “Crazy”, Patsy's life was made into a movie, “Sweet dreams”, in which her role was taken by Jessica Lange. Patsy, born Virginia Patterson Hensley, was one of the trailblazers for women in country music, the first female solo performer to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, ten years after her death. She died in a plane crash at the age of only 30, on March 5 1963.

John Belushi (1949-1982)
Best known as one half of the cult band the Blues Brothers, John was brother to actor James, and a great friend of Dan Aykroyd, whom he partnered in the band. After achieving success outside the confines of “Saturday Night Live”, the Blues Brothers became a huge hit, eventually spawning a massive cult movie (which I never got) and making the two guys even bigger household names than they already were. John died of a heroin and cocaine overdose on March 5 1982.

John P. Sousa (1854-1932)
Composer best known for the march “Stars and stripes forever”, which has become one of the great nationalist themes of the USA, and also serves as the tune against which the popular football chant “Here we go, here we go, here we go!” is sung, wherever drunken soccer fans meet (!), sometimes without any need of soccer! John had the sousaphone named after him, after having pointing out the need for one. He died of heart failure, March 6 1932.

George Formby OBE(1904-1961)
Born George Hoy Booth, Formby became the man known for introducing hatred of the ukulele to millions, through his use of the instrument in many films, with his catchphrase of “Turned out nice again” equally annoying. However, it must be allowed that he was, at the time, one of Britain's foremost comedians and best-loved actors and singers, and he entertained the troops during the war. George died of heart failure on March 6 1961.

Nelson Eddy (1901-1967)
One of the very first crossover stars, Eddy began his career in opera but crossed over into the world of pop music, also starring in many musical films. He had three separate stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and died shortly after being stricken while onstage, March 6 1967. A cerebral hemorrhage was the cause found for his death.

Tommy Vance (1941-2005)
Radio DJ much beloved by rockers, Vance hosted a rock show on radio which was one of the only ones to feature hard rock and heavy metal, and as such gave airplay and thereby exposure to many of the new bands coming up during the emergence of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). Born Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston --- no wonder he changed his name! --- he regularly topped polls of favourite radio Djs and was seen as almost as big a star as some of the bands he promoted, an almost impresario of his day. He died of a stroke on March 6 2005.
Divine (1942-1988)
Born Harris Glenn Milstead, Divine was one of the first truly outrageous pop performers of the eighties, coming up around the same time as Culture Club were introducing the world to another singer who would become much more famous than Divine ever was. Very popular in Europe, Divine had several hit singles, of which the two he is most remembered for are “Walk like a man” and “You think you're a man”. He died in his sleep of suspected heart failure, March 7 1988.

Adam Faith (1940-2003)
The man who would not give up! Three times he tried for chart success, and it was indeed third time lucky for the man who was born Terence Nelhams-Wright, though the final success came about, bizzarely, when he played a pop star in a movie! After that, he had over twenty hit singles, changing his name along the way of course. He died of heart failure on March 8 2003.

Mike Starr (1966-2011)
Legendary bass player with Alice in Chains, Mike Starr, born Michael Christopher Starkey, also helped form the rock supergroup Sun Red Sun with Black Sabbath's Ray Gillen. He died March 8 2011 as a result of a massive prescription drug overdose.

Notorious BIG (1972-1997)
Real name Christopher Wallace, he began rapping as a youth but balanced this with a life of crime which would eventually lead to his own death. His first recorded material as a rapper was released under the name Biggie Smalls, later changed to Notorious BIG when he hit the big time. After the gunning down of his former friend, Tupac Shakur, which many believed was at the behest of Notorious BIG, he himself was shot while in his SUV on a promotional tour. Though it was never conclusively proven, the theory and general accepted idea is that his execution was in retaliation for having ordered the death of Shakur. He died on March 8, after having been shot several times, the hospital staff unable to save his life.

Brad Delp (1951-2007)
Influential singer and the voice behind American rock band Boston, it's his voice you hear on their iconic hit “More than a feeling”, and think wow, how could he hit such high notes? But that's one of the things he is most remembered for, having such a high register. He committed suicide a few months before he was due to be married, leaving a note saying how lonely he was. Tributes poured in after his death, acknowledging and demonstrating how respected and admired he was throughout the rock world.


Andy Gibb (1958-1988)
Despite being a brother to Robin, Barry and Maurice, Andy Gibb did not join them in the Bee Gees, preferring instead to carve his own musical path. He had some limited success, with three number one singles in the seventies, but his popularity soon faded and he had his last hit in 1981, after which he turned to acting. But perhaps due to his lack of real, sustained success, put up against his older brothers' enduring classics, he turned to cocaine and died on March 10 of myocarditis, a virus brought on by the indulgence in the drug, which inflames the muscles of the heart. He was only thirty years old.

Danny Joe Brown (1951-2005)
Lead singer and lyricist with southern boogie band Molly Hatchett, he died from a combination of diabetes and the resurgence of a previous stroke. He had only just left the hospital an hour previously, having spent four weeks there recovering. He died at home on March 10 2005.

Charlie Parker (1920-1955)
Immortalised by Clint Eastwood in the film “Bird”, Charlie Parker is one of the most influential musicians jazz has ever seen. He collected numerous awards, had countless tributes made to him and made an indelible impression on just about every musician since who has come into contact with his music. He died of lobar pneumonia and a bleeding ulcer while watching television, March 12 1955.

Yehudi Menuhin, OM, KBE (1916-1999)
Without question one of, if not the most famous violinist of the twentieth century, he died of complications arising following his contraction of bronchitis, March 12 1999.

T-Bone Walker (1910-1975)
Born Aaron Thibeaux Walker, he was one of the true blues originals, so influential in fact that Jimi Hendrix based much of his stage persona upon that of Walker --- playing his guitar behind his back, with his teeth, etc. He was the first one to truly push the lead guitar forward as a proper instrument, and essentially the first blues lead guitarist. He died on March 16 1975 of bronchial pneumonia following his second stroke.

Herb Cohen (1932-2010)
Manager, record producer and publisher, Cohen had artistes like Linda Ronstadt, Alice Cooper, Lenny Bruce and Tom Waits on his books, and collaborated with Frank Zappa, whom he not only managed but essentially discovered, in setting up record labels. He also managed the huge Montreaux Jazz Festival. He died on March 16 2010 from complications due to his cancer.
Jermaine Stewart (1957-1997)
Singer who achieved some chart success in the eighties with songs like “We don't have to take our clothes off” and “Get lucky”. He died of liver cancer, attributed to AIDS, on March 17 1997.

Paul Kossoff (1950-1976)
Legendary guitarist with classic rock band Free, his most iconic and recognisable work of course is on “All right now”, Free's huge hit single. After they split, Paul spent time playing with other bands and found his work as a session musician in great demand. He worked with, among others, John Martyn, Jim Capaldi and Mike Vernon. He died of a heart attack brought on by drugs consumption, March 17 1975.

Clarence Leonidas “Leo” Fender (1909-1991)
The man who founded the Fender Musical Instrument Company, which of course produced the iconic guitar which is still used and loved by guitarists all over the world today, the Stratocaster, as well as the Telecaster and other guitars. He died of complications brought on by Parkinson's Disease, March 21 1991.
Dan Hartman (1950-1994)
Starting his career as a keyboard player and later guitarist, as well as a songwriter, it was ironically disco that would provide Dan Hartman his only solo hits, with three number ones, the two most famous of which were “Instant replay” and “Relight my fire”. He died on March 22 1994 of a brain tumour caused by AIDS.

Harold Melvin (1939-1997)
With his band, the Blue Notes, Harold led the way in the Philadelphia soul movement, and scored big hits with “If you don't know me by now” and “Don't leave me this way”, the latter of which provided a springboard to the career of the Communards, and reintroduced Harold's music to a younger generation. Simply Red's cover of “If you don't know me by now” was given a gentler, more respectful treatment, whereas the Communards turned his yearning, passionate and soulful plea for another chance into a synth-drowned, drum-machine-strangled dance hit. Harold died, having suffered a stroke from which he never fully recovered, March 24 1997.

England Dan (1948-2009)
Born Danny Wayland Seals, the brother of Jim Seals from Seals and Croft, he changed his name to England Dan and had his biggest contemporary hit with his friend John Ford Coley, when they recorded “I'd really love to see you tonight”. Their only hit, it led to the split of the duo and Dan went on to become a big country star, scoring eleven number ones. He died following treatment for mantle cell lymphoma, March 25 2009.

Ludwig von Beethoven (1770-1827)
I don't really have to say anything here, do I? Actually died of exposure to lead poisoning, an accidental side-effect of treatment his doctor had arranged, March 26 1827. Almost two hundred years later, his music is still played, enjoyed, loved, copied and studied.

Ian Dury (1942-2000)
Stricken with polio as a child, Ian Dury did not allow this to stop him from becoming one of the leading figures of the British punk and new wave rock movement of the seventies, penning such immortal classics as “Hit me with your rhythm stick” and “Sex and drugs and rock and roll”. He became a champion for many new artistes coming up, including Madness, and something of a godfather of punk rock. He is still cited by many artistes today as one of their major influences. He died of cancer March 27 2000.

Maurice Jarre (1924-2009)
Father of electronica supremo Jean-Michel, Maurice became most famous as a film soundtrack composer, and scored well over thirty films, as well as TV work, most notably his haunting score for the miniseries “Jesus of Nazareth”. He died of cancer on March 28 2009.

Mantovani (1905-1980)
Like James Last, you could pick up just about any instrumental album featuring renditions of popular songs, TV and film themes or classics and there would be a good chance it had Mantovani's name on it. Born Annunzio Paulo Mantovani, he was an Italian conductor who became popular and then famous during World War II, both on the radio and live in concert. Mantovani became quite well-known in the charts, his treatment of classic love songs and film themes earning him hits; one of his albums and one of his singles both getting to number one. He died in a care home on March 29 1980.

Carl Orff (1895-1982)
German composer most famous for “Carmina burana”, of which the piece “O fortuna” has been used and overused in film, TV and advertisements, but (sadly) is most closely associated these days with the show “The X-Factor”. Orff has been accused of being if not actually a Nazi then a sympathiser, or at best an apologist: he seems to have been untouched by the general “cleansing” of intellectuals by Hitler at the beginning of World War Two, and is even said to have refused to help his friend, Kurt Huber, who was about to be betrayed to the Nazis as one of the leaders of the resistance movement The White Rose. However, these stories are unsubstantiated and not agreed upon. Orff died on March 29 1982, and although a cause of death is not given, it's logical to assume that, at age 86, it was from natural causes.

Andy Hallet (1975-2009)
Best known for his role on TV's “Angel” as Lorne (originally The Host), Hallet was responsible for much of the song content in the show, as his character was supposed to be able to read a subject's mind through their singing. His status on the show was originally as a guest star, but that was later upgraded to full member and he featured in the opening credits to the last two seasons. Hallet died of congestive heart failure on March 29 2009.

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