Duncan Browne: 
 
The following titles are missing in the GEP: 
Duncan Browne -- Duncan Browne  [1972 on RAK records] 
Songs of Love and War [1994 on Zomart records, released after his death in 
1993] 
 
Here are my reviews of his albums: 
 
"Give Me Take You", vitually overlooked when it was released, is one of 
those lost gems, which is luckely rereleased on CD. 
It's fragile beauty with lots of warm acoustic guitars and dreamy vocals 
will appeal to those who care for classical influenced acoustic prog. rock. 
I think it's his best; although carefully recorded on a low budget, it 
sounds like what prog rock would have sounded when it would have been made 
in the previous century, very charming and delicate. 
It's also worth mentioning, that after  Keith Emerson of the Nice heard 
this album, he asked him to arrange the choir bits on their version of 
"Hang On To A Dream", which he did in the mode of the choral work of his 
own album. 
 
After this album there was a long silence, which was interrupted when he 
made a more commercial album for RAK records, and even had a small hit with 
"The Journey" . 
 
After Metro he restarted his solo career with the "Wild Places", where he 
shone again. 
With a great band behind him, he excells in songwriting and guitar playing 
which sometimes reminds me of Steve Hackett, who is also capable of mixing 
classical style fretwork with Rock. 
 
The following album "Streets Of Fire" was a further extension of the style 
he had created. 
Especially the instrumental parts showed his enormous talent as guitarist 
and arranger, but there were no hits, and so this was his last "normal" 
solo record. 
 
Up till his death in 1993 he recorded lots of music for theatre and 
television and was also working with Colin Blunstone, Nick Magnus [former 
member of the Steve Hackett Band] and Nic Potter [ Peter Hammil and Van Der 
Graaf Generator] on a new album which in his own lifetime never saw 
daylight. 
From these sessions, was posthoumesly released, the beautifull "Songs Of 
Love and War". 
Although it sometimes reminds me of Allan Parson, this album is much more 
sophisticated than that, it's highly romantical , and at times, 
especially in the instrumental sections; unearthly beautiful. 
I treasure it. 
 
 
 
Fairfield Parlour      "From Home To Home" 
 
The only album from this neglected group is a real surprise; Medieval folk 
crossed with early sympho rock, lots of acoustic guitars, flutes and some 
distant moogs, together with beautiful harmony vocals create an original 
sound, somewhere between Syd Barret, Magna Charta and very early Genesis. 
Pity though that they only made one record, and could not fullfil the 
promise of even better things to come. 
 
 
 
Refugee 
 
Prog. rock at it's most complex, far better than Keith Emersons's Nice. 
After a while you even begin to like the unusaul voice of the singer. 
Highlight is the mind blowing "Rio Grande" which is the most dynamic prog. 
rock song I've ever heard. It's about twenty minutes long and starts with 
the sound of echoing French horns with birds all around and accumulates in 
a breathtaking journey through the ravines and the top of the mountains, 
gliding up and down, as if you were on the back of a giant eagle. 
Thrilling !. 
 
 
Hopefully you can do something with these reviews, if so, please let me 
know. 
 
Since yesterday I am also on the digest list, so this is my 
 HELLO  TO EVERYBODY ON THE LIST   too. 
 
Chris v/d Wijk         Buitenpost       Netherlands 
 
dijkstrs@worldonline.nl 
 
------------------------------ 
--- 
 * OFFLINE 1.58 * Gravity: it's not just a good idea, it's the law! 
--- FidoPCB v1.4 [ff238/x]
---------------