Search - McDonald and Giles :: McDonald and Giles

SISTER ALBUM TO CRIMSON'S IN THE WAKE OF POSIEDON

r-devic-saint | Pittsburgh, PA | 12/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"AFTER TOURING AMERICA WITH KING CRIMSON IN 1969 FOR THE CLASSIC IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING, MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST IAN MCDONALD AND DRUMMER MICHAEL GILES LEFT THE GROUP TO PURSUE THEIR OWN VISION. TWO YEARS LATER, AFTER OVERSEEING PAINSTAKINGLY EVERY DETAIL, THIS LP ARRIVED. IT MIRRORS CLOSELY CRIMSON'S SOPHOMORE EFFORT IN THE WAKE OF POSEIDON, WITH THE EXTENDED COMPOSITION "BIRDMAN"'S LYRICS WRITEN BY CRIMSON'S PETE SINFIELD IN 1968, AND "FLIGHT OF THE IBIS", NEW LYRICS PLACED TO POSIEDON'S "CADENCE AND CASCADE". FURTHERMORE "TOMMOROW'S PEOPLE" IS A REVAMPED VERION OF A SONG OF CRIMSON EMBRYO GILES, GILES AND FRIPP. MICHAEL GILES AND IAN MCDONALD PLAY ALL THE INSTUMENTS ON THIS DISC WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BASS GUITAR BY FELLOW CRIMSON AND G,G, AND F ALUM PETER GILES AND A GUEST APEARANCE BY STEVE WINWOOD ON "TURNHAM GREEN". WHILE THE CONNECTIONS WITH CRIMSON ARE MANY THE CD IS MUCH LESS FORBODING, AND IN MANY WAYS MORE WHIMSICAL. TOGETHER POSEIDON AND MCDONALD AND GILES ARE TWO HAVES OF A CLASSIC ALBUM AND ANY FAN OF CRIMSON MUST OWN THIS HARD TO FIND GEM. MCDONALD AND GILES NEVER TOURED TO PROMOTE THIS LP AND THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE FOLLOW-UP. MCDONALD WAS TO RETURN TO CRIMSON FOR THE RED ALBUM AND BECAME A FOUNDING MEMBER OF FOREIGNER. INTERESTING MCDONALD AND GILES HAVE REFORMED 30 YEARS LATER ALONG WITH PETER GILES AND CRIMSON ALUM MEL COLLINS AS 21ST CENTURY SCHIZIOD BAND AND ARE TORING AND WRITING NEW COMPOSITIONS."

A GREAT LISTEN

paul marsh | paddington, queensland Australia | 07/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"originally bought this on vinyl, being a fan of king crimson, and couldnt resist the cd purchase. Eclectic album offering many different sounds and moods. Certainly anyone who likes early Crimson, i see no reason why they wouldnt love this as well. Track 1: Suite C and track 5: Birdman, are great and long melodic pieces, with different parts to the songs changing the mood throughout. Track 2 Flight of the Ibis almost has a bit of a beatles white album feel about it, and that mood continues through trakc 3 Is she waiting, a predominantly gentle acoustic guitar and vocal piece,with lingering piano. track 4: tomorrows people gets back to more crimson rythyms..very Michael Giles on drums with saxes and flutes infiltrating...ithink a little like LIZARD..crimsons third album..upbeat and cheery song. The highlights for me though is track 5: Birdman..{ie with many including pieces}.thiS track is 21.40mins long and is worth the purchase of this album alone. strikes me as sort of a floyd/crimson blend this one and i love it. a blend of many sections that flow easily the highlight being a gorgeous melodic theme that really sets it apart and is listenable over and over and over again....THOROUGHLY AND UTTERLY RECOMMENDED"

A very much overlooked masterpiece

Robert Cossaboon | The happy land of Walworth, NY | 06/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You really have to dig deep in record stores and look far and wide on internet sites to find this album by ex-King Crimson members Ian McDonald and Michael Giles. It's totally worth the hunt. Far from being a half-baked Crimson rip-off, this album is, to use a much overused monicker, EAR CANDY!! Right from the getgo with the Turnham Green Suite, you get ushered through so many tempo changes your head will spin; by that song's end, you are left happy, and Fantasia-like. Then the mood quiets a bit with Flight of the Ibis, M&G's version of Cadence and Cascade. Is She Waiting is a quiet, piece of comtemplative love. Your attention gets jerked back with Tomorrow's Children, a hippy-like piece that chugs along like a cheerful, broken clock. Things close down with the side-long Birdman Suite, easily one of the best pieces of progressive rock ever recorded. Here, the duo pull out all the stops and just take you away with them into the sunset. After listening, you will appreciate just how much McDonald and Giles really contributed to the first inception of King Crimson--and you will wonder at why they never made anymore music this good together."