WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO - 2018
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Loot in the bag, attention very quickly turned to the next Breezy album. Although it would be just short of a year before anything new came out. The 21st, Breezy, studio album was just over 12 months in the making. As usual, a few tracks, started out life as extensions of the previous albums. Bits and pieces of music had been discarded throughout the process and these would be revisited, over the first month or so of production. The main beneficiary of this process was track 3 "The harbinger" which subsequently, despite a couple of name changes, became the first new track on the album, having originally been intended for the 2016 album "All that glitters...
Further tracks slowly trickled through right up until August of 2018, when Showboat became the final track to be started. Once finished this would make a 16 track final album, meaning 3 tracks would ultimately be cut from the finished album, but their story will not end there.....
Artwork this time would be predominantly red, a colour that had not featured on too many Breezy albums. The sleeve artwork would this time feature a distorted image of the man himself!
Further tracks slowly trickled through right up until August of 2018, when Showboat became the final track to be started. Once finished this would make a 16 track final album, meaning 3 tracks would ultimately be cut from the finished album, but their story will not end there.....
Artwork this time would be predominantly red, a colour that had not featured on too many Breezy albums. The sleeve artwork would this time feature a distorted image of the man himself!
1. Give up the ghost: Track 1 on a Breezy album, often begins with a long intro, this is no exception. This time the intro is made entirely of FX and sampled spooky voices. Eventually, the drums begin and we're off, into an up-tempo track.
Whilst the track itself references ghosts, it wasn't originally meant to be quite so literal. My local pub used to sell a pale ale, made by a local brewery, called "Ghost" which I was somewhat partial to. Sadly, the pub stopped serving it and I had to "Give up the ghost"
Whilst the track itself references ghosts, it wasn't originally meant to be quite so literal. My local pub used to sell a pale ale, made by a local brewery, called "Ghost" which I was somewhat partial to. Sadly, the pub stopped serving it and I had to "Give up the ghost"
2. Incognito: After the euphoric nature of the previous track, "INCOGNITO" brings us down with a bump. A brooding bass line, sombre piano riff and a gentle melancholic pad. The track, sort of, has a lyric which ultimately didn't get used.
"Wherever you go"
"I will follow"
"But you won't know"
"Incognito"
"Wherever you go"
"I will follow"
"But you won't know"
"Incognito"
3. The harbinger: The harbinger, traditionally, a signal that something else is coming. The track starts off in calm and gentle beginnings, then around the 30 second mark, we have the first warning - NUR - NUR - NUR-NUR-NUR. Something is coming, but what? You'll just have to keep listening.
The track, in its early state, was earmarked for the 2016 album "All that glitters..." the tribal-esque drum/percussion arrangement has been kept.
The track, in its early state, was earmarked for the 2016 album "All that glitters..." the tribal-esque drum/percussion arrangement has been kept.
4. Quit your jibber jabber: A change in style for track 4, which has almost a rap/hip-hop vibe to it. In the mix here we have the little nonsensical vocal sample, this is the "jibber-jabber", a nod to what I think is quote from Mr-T. The track is missing a gospel choir, any body know one?
5. Romp: Uptempo dance track, this one has all the synths, sequences, pads & kickdrums you could shake a stick at. An extended version of this track appears on "Without any further ado: Some further ado"
6. Trepidation: The tempo drops right down again for this one. Right from the start there is a sense of suspense and intrigue, you could say "Trepidation" funny that!
7. The madness within: This track is all about the creative process of music making, including everything from song title to visualisations to promotion. It's about having an idea, being strong enough to commit to it and go through with or alternatively, being strong enough to change it, adjust it. Not know when to stop, while in turn knowing when to stop.
The intro is purely the start of the idea, then comes the heavy big beat drum section as the cogs begin to turn. The horns represent the glow, "This is good! I like this!" Then a tiny little synth appears this is the flow, everything is moving, ticking along nicely until...… the cogs stop! The idea is still there, niggling away, then BOOM, off we go again, creative juices in full flow, a climax, a frenzy and then calm. Done, smashed it!
The madness within.
The intro is purely the start of the idea, then comes the heavy big beat drum section as the cogs begin to turn. The horns represent the glow, "This is good! I like this!" Then a tiny little synth appears this is the flow, everything is moving, ticking along nicely until...… the cogs stop! The idea is still there, niggling away, then BOOM, off we go again, creative juices in full flow, a climax, a frenzy and then calm. Done, smashed it!
The madness within.
8. All over it: Again we change the mood, with a mellow little chilled out number. Steady drum/perc with a little clap going on in there. We also have what sounds like a xylophone and then some 70's style disco strings. Bit of a mixed bag of components but the effect is a very different sounding piece of Breezy music.
9. An uncertain outcome: Once more the tempo drops and again we head into the grey area of uncertainty. Is this R&B, is it downlbeat? Chillout? The outcome is most definitely uncertain or is it? The jury's out!
Another track with a lyric idea, in the style of the Pet shop boys, about wearing purple in an area of London?
"In Pimlico, Pimlico
In indigo
Wearing indigo in Pimlico"
Hmmmm….
Another track with a lyric idea, in the style of the Pet shop boys, about wearing purple in an area of London?
"In Pimlico, Pimlico
In indigo
Wearing indigo in Pimlico"
Hmmmm….
10. Showboat: Back to the cray-cray for this one! A fusion of all sorts of things. We have builds, crashes, synths & sequences, a galloping bass. The song breaks down and then builds right back up in a crescendo of everything that has gone before. Just showing off really. A remixed version appears on "Some further ado".
11. Corruption: Once more we darken the mood, with a sinister sounding track. Dark pulsing bass sets the tone, add in some synth and a simplistic drumloop/percussion arrangement.
12. Running amok: Drum 'n' bass! An area rarely frequented on recent albums, but it was about time. So without any further ado....
13. Petty fog: The final track, often an experimental offering and this album doesn't disappoint. Very experimental in its use of FX and unusual noises, a nod to where we came in with "Give up the ghost" Slowed down synth and drum track, including a slow tapping hi-hat, brings the album to a close, or does it??
WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO
(Some further ado) - 2018
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