Metamorphosis
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Written by Elaine Samuels except where noted
Annie Parker, Mike Hislop, Elaine Samuels, Alan Barwise, Gavin Jones
'Fire & Magic' tour concert at Leatherhead Theatre, 2010
Clip | Track | Description | Composer | Length |
Metamorphosis |
About a rabid monster (pictured on the front cover artwork) consuming the planet but a change takes place... Hear this whole title track on Spotify
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7m 15s |
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Dragonfire |
About an evil dragon which terrorises a walled city, which has long forgotten the danger. Hear this whole track on Spotify
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5m 57s |
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Bourree |
An instrumental featuring Annie on flute and Mike on bass. |
J S Bach |
4m 22s |
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Lady Eleanor |
One of our favourite covers, which has rich harmonies and wonderful violin and saxophone playing on our version plus an extended instrumental ending. |
Lindisfarne |
8m 32s |
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All Fall Down |
A bouncy song about needing to make changes to cope with life. |
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4m 42s |
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Siren Song
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An epic about taking risks and following your dreams (the lure of the Siren song), feeling lost and alone but carrying on in the hope that you might reach the place you wanted to be. This song has, at times, very subtle and then really rocky moments, which feature a rare electric guitar solo from Elaine). |
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8m 22s |
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Best Days |
A bouncy song about getting out and enjoying life. |
3m 47s |
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The Hunger |
A dark, rocky song about addiction and the cravings. |
5m 10s |
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Erin Shore / Forgiven Not Forgotten |
Another favourite double cover with Annie playing whistle and incorporating some original reels towards the end. |
Corrs |
6m 07s |
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Before Midnight |
A sultry, "doomsday clock" song, with a laid back blues feel, featuring the grim reaper and the four riders of the apocalypse as well as Annie playing saxophone! |
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5m 53s |
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I'll Always Love You |
A favourite of the original songs already recorded on the "Dance of Life" album but given a more rocky treatment with the current, excellent band line-up. |
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4m 24s |
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The Chain |
A favourite, rocking crowd pleasing, cover of ours with a tremendously exciting, extended end instrumental, which even has Elaine playing electric guitar! |
Fleetwood Mac |
6m 0s |
Live You Tube Performances from the Album Launch Concert
May 23rd, 2009, at Central Studio
Track |
Link |
Metamorphosis |
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I'll Always Love You |
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Before Midnight |
Album Reviews
Reviewer | Review |
Alan Clayson, of "Clayson and the Argonauts", for "Beat Magazine" (likely to be published in the Autumn issue 09)
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Well-received at all manner of festivals over the summer, much of this West London-based quintet's
appeal lies in a confident breadth of expression that betrays lively imaginations at work, whether in minor
details like drummer Alan Barwise's quick-witted be-bop passage during a 'Bourree' that escapes the orbit
of that by the early Jethro Tull; an engrossing bass solo by Mike Hislop in the same number - or via the
more in-yer-face talents of singing guitarist Elaine Samuels, who, as well as composing eight of the
thirteen tracks, also designed the front cover.
Originals such as 'Best Days' - an uplifting secular hymn - lengthy 'Siren Song and, containing the
collection's catchiest hook-line, 'I'll Always Love You' stand as tall as revivals of items by Fleetwood Mac,
The Corrs and Lindisfarne. Moreover, regardless of content per se, the musicianship at any given interval
is often eye-stretching. You will be able to appreciate this most immediately in the poignantly breathy
flute obbligatos of multi-instrumentalist Annie Parker and the electric violin of Gavin Jones, who is
capable of transporting the group into the realms of Flock and It's A Beautiful Day on what still remains a
fabulous modern folk-rock album - and one that could attract a more mainstream audience.
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Sean McGhee
And here is the actual review from Sean - as published in the July August 2009 issue of Rock'N'Reel
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Hello Elaine
Love the band album. What a step up. Great production, great vocals and a
really together and inventive band. Well done!
Sean
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Keith Ames |
Led by West London composer and chanteuse Elaine Samuels, this five piece folk-rock outfit’s impressive line-up also boasts Annie Parker, the fine flautist and saxophonist. The title cut features a memorable fiddle motif, courtesy of Gavin Jones, as it relates a tale of environmental decay and rebirth. Green issues are a speciality of Elaine’s songs and many of the lyrics here subtly refer to our present predicament and hope for a cleaner world. However, these concerns are tastefully balanced by splendid cover versions of Lindisfarne’s melancholic Lady Eleanor, the Corr’s Erin Shore and Forgiven Not Forgotten, plus Fleetwood Mac’s classic, The Chain. Highly enjoyable. |
This album was recorded by engineer, Ian Jackson, at Airplay Studio. We wanted to record our new songs and a few covers and older favourites which we had either not recorded before or have been transformed by our excellent, current band line-up. The recording was largely live, which has given the solos and duels between Annie (flute / sax / whistle) and Gavin (electric violin) a really exciting feel. Engineer, Ian, has done a stirling job, since this is an excellent quality album. The original lyrics can be found in the CD booklet and the front cover artwork, an acrylic on canvas, was produced specially for this album by myself.
Elaine Samuels
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