Anthony Reynolds - A World of Colin Wilson

  by Dixie Ernill

published: 9 / 8 / 2012

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Review

Anthony Reynolds is a fine songwriter and has been responsible for some impressive albums over the last couple of decades under a variety of monikers (Jack and Jacques being the most recognized ones, but more recently he has recorded under just Anthony and his own name). Songs like 'Wintercomesummer', 'Cinematic', 'Lolita Elle', 'The Disappointed'and 'Be My Next Ex-Girlfriend' are truly great tracks worthy of many people's top one hundred all time favourites and are readily available on his 'Life's Too Long 1995-2011' compilation, a must for even the most casual of listeners. His new project, however, is a massive departure. In short he admired the work of writer Colin Wilson to such an extend that he travelled to his house in Cornwall a couple of times in 2003/4 to record him discussing some of his works and views on life and over the following eight or nine years put music to these recordings to create a kind of spoken word album. It is only that I am a big fan of Reynolds' work that I have managed to listen to the album in its entirety more than once as I find it a very challenging experience. Bands such as Tindersticks and Spearmint have successfully put narratives to music, but in truth 'A World of Colin Wilson' is in the main a collection of weird noises and samples of Colin Wilson saying things and for me it just doesn't work and may be it's a project too far for the talented songwriter. There are a couple of chinks of light in the shape of 'The Colour and Light Around Me' which starts as a pleasant hum and strum and develops into an early 90's Ibiza come down track, and 'Keats...Shelley...Eliot...' that is also reasonably melodic. Unfortunately, even taking into account the above 2 tracks, I would find it extremely difficult to recommend this album to even the most ardent of Reynolds.

Track Listing:-

1 Why Life Fails Us
2 Just Gone Past Dusk (on the Way)
3 Why We Maker Life Difficult on Ourselves
4 Suprised By Joy
5 The Hill
6 New York Ozone Memory
7 Life is All There Is
8 Cornwall
9 The Colour and Light Around Me
10 Keats... Shelley... Elliot

Band Links:-

http://www.anthonyreynolds.net/
http://anthonyreynolds.bandcamp.com/
http://www.pledgemusic.com/artists/ant
https://twitter.com/AJFReynolds

Label Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/RocketGirlRec
http://www.rocketgirl.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/rocketgirlmusic