Thursday 18 October 2012

DMJGH 16: po90 - JitTers


DMJGH is an excuse for me to wander through very old to fairly recent albums and put them to a general attention again. DMJGH, means This One You Should Have Heard, but then in Dutch. This week I was struck by the news that Andy Tillison had to dismantle yet another version of The Tangent. For those not knowing him, A.T is a highly talented musician, who gave us many epic songs with the Tangent, but keeps on struggling to live on his beautiful music in these times of downloading, copying and no sales. If you then also operate in our beloved small circle of progressive music, things only get that bit harder to get by.

This is not about The Tangent, but his other (dismantled?) band po90, or Paralel or 90 degrees.I missed this bands output in the 90's, but got their can of worms collection, which is highly recommendable. This album is from some years ago and should be heard indeed. Here we have a collection of songs going from uptempo instrumental Interlude, through more epical material, partially french lyrics (who in English are showing his usual social engagement). What I like most is that po90 shows an aggressiveness sometimes dearly missed by prog bands.

Highlight for me is the semi-cover The Dock of the Abyss. (Sittin' on the dock of the Bay) Here you shout along with the protest lyrics, and working in the raw material mining world (non european of course) I could explain the why's of replanning the reopening of Coal mines that were closed under Tatcher regime. Today this is overruled by new realities anyway. But what a song, and how I hope that Mr. Tillison can find a band and continues playing live.I did see him only once (and listened very carefully) and could see performers that need to be seen live after hearing the CD.

So here I sit in yet another airport lounge looking outside at the leaves turned yellow and brown, while bands continue to dismantle. Almost getting an autumn blues I shall head for a Bock bier and count on talent to survive, and talent on display here is plenty.

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