A Year in the Life and Death Of...
2016 in Review
2016 in Review
The only certainty in life is death and the pop and rock world of 2016 saw more than its fair share of the latter, including a hard-to-accept amount of truly outstanding and legendary talent who now leave the timelessness of their music as their epitaph.
From the well-kept secret of David Bowie’s illness that made his January 10th death hard to believe and release of his final album Blackstar two days earlier (on his birthday) all the more poignant to the tragic loss of George Michael at only 53 twelve months later, the year was filled with the passing of not just greats but giants of the music world.
More than a dozen major names whose significance, influence, impact and contribution cannot be done justice with words alone were lost in 2016. Beyond the lost musical presence of David Bowie and George Michael, Glenn Frey, George Martin, Prince and Leonard Cohen all passed in a year where the list of music world notables lost to age or illness was a long one, including Maurice White (Earth, Wind & Fire), Merle Haggard, Scotty Moore (Elvis Presley), Toots Thielemans and Phil Chess (record producer and co-founder of Chess Records).
And where one came another seemed to follow – George Michael’s Christmas Day death was preceded on the 24th of December by the passing of Status Quo’s Rick Parfitt; twelve months earlier, on the 28th of January, there was the extraordinary same day loss of Jefferson Airplane/ Starship guitarist (and Airplane co-founder) Paul Kantner and Signe Toly Anderson (another Airplane co-founder and the band’s original singer).
Two of the biggest ever names in progressive rock were lost in a musically connected double blow when Keith Emerson tragically took his own life in March followed nine months later by the news of the passing in December of his old prog partner and ELP band-mate Greg Lake.
Lake, like David Bowie, had kept his battle with cancer a well-kept secret outside of his closest friends and family.
Not that the music field had sole claim to the Grim Reaper’s calling in entertainment losses.
There were many other big names that passed including one of Britan's most loved comediennes and finest comic writers Victoria Wood and the large cinematic presence of Alan Rickman.
The death of Carrie Fisher on the 27th December followed by her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds, the very next day, was a tragic and devastatingly sad end-of-year summation of the 2016 losses.
But for all the "tribute to the life of" pieces in 2016 there was the positivity of great music that never dies and the birth of a whole host of excellent rock, blues, progressive, rootsy and traditional based releases.
British blues rock was the genre that featured most on FabricationsHQ through 2016.
The year saw strong or outstanding studio albums from The Brew, Rebecca Downes, Laurence Jones, John Verity, Red Butler, Robin Trower, Aynsley Lister, Ben Poole and Stevie Nimmo to name but nine of around two dozen British bluesworthy releases, along with King King's outstanding Live CD/ DVD, the CD audio of which was lifted from the highly charged, highly emotional and packed out King King show at Glasgow's 02 ABC.
There was also a studio album released by a band called the Rolling Stones (you may have heard of ‘em), who went back to their rootsy, blues covers beginnings for Blue and Lonesome.
The critically acclaimed album wasn't just their first studio release in eleven years, it was also the natural successor to their first three, primarily covers, UK album releases – with fifty years of added experience.
From the well-kept secret of David Bowie’s illness that made his January 10th death hard to believe and release of his final album Blackstar two days earlier (on his birthday) all the more poignant to the tragic loss of George Michael at only 53 twelve months later, the year was filled with the passing of not just greats but giants of the music world.
More than a dozen major names whose significance, influence, impact and contribution cannot be done justice with words alone were lost in 2016. Beyond the lost musical presence of David Bowie and George Michael, Glenn Frey, George Martin, Prince and Leonard Cohen all passed in a year where the list of music world notables lost to age or illness was a long one, including Maurice White (Earth, Wind & Fire), Merle Haggard, Scotty Moore (Elvis Presley), Toots Thielemans and Phil Chess (record producer and co-founder of Chess Records).
And where one came another seemed to follow – George Michael’s Christmas Day death was preceded on the 24th of December by the passing of Status Quo’s Rick Parfitt; twelve months earlier, on the 28th of January, there was the extraordinary same day loss of Jefferson Airplane/ Starship guitarist (and Airplane co-founder) Paul Kantner and Signe Toly Anderson (another Airplane co-founder and the band’s original singer).
Two of the biggest ever names in progressive rock were lost in a musically connected double blow when Keith Emerson tragically took his own life in March followed nine months later by the news of the passing in December of his old prog partner and ELP band-mate Greg Lake.
Lake, like David Bowie, had kept his battle with cancer a well-kept secret outside of his closest friends and family.
Not that the music field had sole claim to the Grim Reaper’s calling in entertainment losses.
There were many other big names that passed including one of Britan's most loved comediennes and finest comic writers Victoria Wood and the large cinematic presence of Alan Rickman.
The death of Carrie Fisher on the 27th December followed by her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds, the very next day, was a tragic and devastatingly sad end-of-year summation of the 2016 losses.
But for all the "tribute to the life of" pieces in 2016 there was the positivity of great music that never dies and the birth of a whole host of excellent rock, blues, progressive, rootsy and traditional based releases.
British blues rock was the genre that featured most on FabricationsHQ through 2016.
The year saw strong or outstanding studio albums from The Brew, Rebecca Downes, Laurence Jones, John Verity, Red Butler, Robin Trower, Aynsley Lister, Ben Poole and Stevie Nimmo to name but nine of around two dozen British bluesworthy releases, along with King King's outstanding Live CD/ DVD, the CD audio of which was lifted from the highly charged, highly emotional and packed out King King show at Glasgow's 02 ABC.
There was also a studio album released by a band called the Rolling Stones (you may have heard of ‘em), who went back to their rootsy, blues covers beginnings for Blue and Lonesome.
The critically acclaimed album wasn't just their first studio release in eleven years, it was also the natural successor to their first three, primarily covers, UK album releases – with fifty years of added experience.
Internationally there was a peppering of outstanding blues based materials; Joe Bonamassa never fails to deliver these days and he certainly didn’t disappoint with Blues of Desperation.
But with Smokin’ Joe’s talent, the perfect sounding board partner in producer Kevin Shirley and working/ writing with some of the best writers in the Nashville blues business, there would be a public enquiry if he didn’t deliver, quite frankly.
For sheer, unfettered vibrancy and an album that isn’t so much blues rock as blues rawk look no further than South African musician Dan Patlansky and IntroVertigo, one of a number of quality International releases that included Openness from Germany’s Henrik Freischlader Trio, Canadian Colin James and his trad. blues coves album Blue Highways and Force of Nature, the perfectly titled, Mike Vernon produced debut album from vocal powerhouse and native New Yorker Sari Schorr.
But with Smokin’ Joe’s talent, the perfect sounding board partner in producer Kevin Shirley and working/ writing with some of the best writers in the Nashville blues business, there would be a public enquiry if he didn’t deliver, quite frankly.
For sheer, unfettered vibrancy and an album that isn’t so much blues rock as blues rawk look no further than South African musician Dan Patlansky and IntroVertigo, one of a number of quality International releases that included Openness from Germany’s Henrik Freischlader Trio, Canadian Colin James and his trad. blues coves album Blue Highways and Force of Nature, the perfectly titled, Mike Vernon produced debut album from vocal powerhouse and native New Yorker Sari Schorr.
All that said, considering how under the radar they are in comparison to the stature, audience numbers commanded and big budget of the Joe Bonamassa’s of the world, Albany Down knocked it out the park with third album The Outer Reach; it stands tall as FabricationsHQ’s favoured blues rock based release of 2016.
For all the shades of blues that featured on FabricationsHQ there was still a lot that slipped through the net; but not to worry, there are a number of excellent, dedicated blues based websites and blogs out there, one fine example being fellow Scot and rock and blues fan Iain Cameron's Blues Enthused blog site.
For all the shades of blues that featured on FabricationsHQ there was still a lot that slipped through the net; but not to worry, there are a number of excellent, dedicated blues based websites and blogs out there, one fine example being fellow Scot and rock and blues fan Iain Cameron's Blues Enthused blog site.
2016 was also a great year for rock, from the infectious hooks and hard melodic pop of Cheap Trick’s Bang, Zoom, Crazy...Hello (their most successful album since dining in the Lap of Luxury
some twenty-eight years previous) and the heavyweight Glenn Hughes album Resonate (his best solo work to date) right through to the newer kids on the rock block including Inglorious (self-titled debut), The Temperance Movement (second album White Bear) and Bad Touch (second album Truth Be Told).
And then there’s the reunions or reformations that are done for the right reasons, which tend to result in the right stuff in the studio – after decades away the Dan Reed Network and Lucifer’s Friend produced two outstanding albums in Fight Another Day and Too Late to Hate, respectively.
Of those still to release full-length product or with EP offerings under their belt, FabricationsHQ was particularly drawn to the Broken Witt Rebels (who won Best Rock Act at the inaugural Unsigned Music Awards), Mason Hill (a Scottish quintet that could well become a modern-meets-classic rock force to be reckoned with) and Nine Miles South.
The latter, who mix grungy heavy rock with blues and country, caught the attention of FabricationsHQ across 2016 with their self-titled 3 track EP, an excellent set in Glasgow as support to progressive metallers Dorje and their last single 'Bones,' which takes a slower and darker southern approach to proceedings...
some twenty-eight years previous) and the heavyweight Glenn Hughes album Resonate (his best solo work to date) right through to the newer kids on the rock block including Inglorious (self-titled debut), The Temperance Movement (second album White Bear) and Bad Touch (second album Truth Be Told).
And then there’s the reunions or reformations that are done for the right reasons, which tend to result in the right stuff in the studio – after decades away the Dan Reed Network and Lucifer’s Friend produced two outstanding albums in Fight Another Day and Too Late to Hate, respectively.
Of those still to release full-length product or with EP offerings under their belt, FabricationsHQ was particularly drawn to the Broken Witt Rebels (who won Best Rock Act at the inaugural Unsigned Music Awards), Mason Hill (a Scottish quintet that could well become a modern-meets-classic rock force to be reckoned with) and Nine Miles South.
The latter, who mix grungy heavy rock with blues and country, caught the attention of FabricationsHQ across 2016 with their self-titled 3 track EP, an excellent set in Glasgow as support to progressive metallers Dorje and their last single 'Bones,' which takes a slower and darker southern approach to proceedings...
My home county of Ayrshire has been fighting well above its musical weight for years (fair to say Biffy Clyro did all right for themselves) with a whole range of artists delivering everything from rootsy folk and more contemporary singer songwriter stylings to melodic and hard pop, indie acoustic and alt rock.
But it’s not just the Ayrshire acts – the county hosts a number of music events and festivals throughout the year with two being particularly significant in 2016 – for very different winding down and starting up reasons…
The Darvel Music Festival, hamstrung over the last few years by local budgetary cuts but bolstered by solid fundraising and extremely hard working volunteers under the guidance of festival organisers Neil and Sheila McKenna, closed the curtain on what is expected to be the last festival (in its current large bill, multiple weekend form) with stand-out shows that featured quality melodic pop and country, blues, rock and Celtic folk 'n' roll.
The fifteenth annual Darvel Music Festival also featured two very different but "related" Ayrshire acts on each of its two weekends – Sean C Kennedy and father Colin, who fronts the Colin Kennedy Band.
Sean's well-crafted, melodic pop and country-tinged sensibilities can be heard on his 2015 album 77 while newer, full band material showcased during the first weekend of the Darvel festival pointed to a more atmospheric and bigger sounding style.
On the second weekend the Colin Kennedy Band delivered a great set of melodic country pop and harder blues rock, most of which came from their excellent 2016 album Paint the Grey Sky Blue.
WinterStorm may well be taking the leading Ayrshire music event baton – albeit a much heavier, rock weighted baton – from Darvel, as it is hoped the successfully launched 2016 WinterStorm Weekender in Troon will be the first of many.
Headliners FM and Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts went down a (winter)storm but the bill was peppered with great rock acts including Toseland, Last in Line (both of whom delivered belting albums in 2016 – Cradle the Rage and Heavy Crown respectively) and the previously mentioned Mason Hill, one of the most talked about bands of the weekend.
The perfect conclusion to Ayrshire’s musical 2016 came with the confirmation that Mark Bailey of Bailey Guitars – a world class guitar maker who has been based in Ayrshire for more than a decade – was successful in his funding campaign to buy his previously leased workshop premises and stay in the area he loves, makings his finely crafted and renowned guitars.
There’s an Ayrshire core at the heart of Scottish band Preacher; the seven piece outfit (sometimes increased to eight or nine live) are led by the triumvirate of singer, guitarist and primary songwriter Martin Murphy, Martin’s son Greg on lead guitar and keyboardist Arnie Burgoyne.
Preacher's second album Aftermath was FabricationsHQ’s favourite progressively styled album of the year (although progressive themed melodic rock is probably a more accurate description), further enhanced by the Aftermath launch show at the Glasgow 02 ABC.
But it’s not just the Ayrshire acts – the county hosts a number of music events and festivals throughout the year with two being particularly significant in 2016 – for very different winding down and starting up reasons…
The Darvel Music Festival, hamstrung over the last few years by local budgetary cuts but bolstered by solid fundraising and extremely hard working volunteers under the guidance of festival organisers Neil and Sheila McKenna, closed the curtain on what is expected to be the last festival (in its current large bill, multiple weekend form) with stand-out shows that featured quality melodic pop and country, blues, rock and Celtic folk 'n' roll.
The fifteenth annual Darvel Music Festival also featured two very different but "related" Ayrshire acts on each of its two weekends – Sean C Kennedy and father Colin, who fronts the Colin Kennedy Band.
Sean's well-crafted, melodic pop and country-tinged sensibilities can be heard on his 2015 album 77 while newer, full band material showcased during the first weekend of the Darvel festival pointed to a more atmospheric and bigger sounding style.
On the second weekend the Colin Kennedy Band delivered a great set of melodic country pop and harder blues rock, most of which came from their excellent 2016 album Paint the Grey Sky Blue.
WinterStorm may well be taking the leading Ayrshire music event baton – albeit a much heavier, rock weighted baton – from Darvel, as it is hoped the successfully launched 2016 WinterStorm Weekender in Troon will be the first of many.
Headliners FM and Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts went down a (winter)storm but the bill was peppered with great rock acts including Toseland, Last in Line (both of whom delivered belting albums in 2016 – Cradle the Rage and Heavy Crown respectively) and the previously mentioned Mason Hill, one of the most talked about bands of the weekend.
The perfect conclusion to Ayrshire’s musical 2016 came with the confirmation that Mark Bailey of Bailey Guitars – a world class guitar maker who has been based in Ayrshire for more than a decade – was successful in his funding campaign to buy his previously leased workshop premises and stay in the area he loves, makings his finely crafted and renowned guitars.
There’s an Ayrshire core at the heart of Scottish band Preacher; the seven piece outfit (sometimes increased to eight or nine live) are led by the triumvirate of singer, guitarist and primary songwriter Martin Murphy, Martin’s son Greg on lead guitar and keyboardist Arnie Burgoyne.
Preacher's second album Aftermath was FabricationsHQ’s favourite progressively styled album of the year (although progressive themed melodic rock is probably a more accurate description), further enhanced by the Aftermath launch show at the Glasgow 02 ABC.
Preacher and Aftermath sat comfortably alongside bigger prog names such as Jon Anderson and Roine Stolt in 2016, the latter pairing producing the beautifully constructed Invention of Knowledge.
Elsewhere releases from Blind Ego (Liquid), Cairo (Say) and Kiama (Sign of IV) caught the creative, modern prog attention of FabricationsHQ while Circus Maximus put out some seriously solid product in the field of progressive melodic metal with Havoc; sadly however heavy hitters of the genre Dream Theater delivered the over-rated (and certainly over-hyped), overly dramatic and overly long, conceptually themed The Astonishing, which it certainly wasn’t.
The smattering of bands mentioned above are only the tip of the progberg for a genre finding its feet again, having been anything but progressive for a long time (too inclined to reinvent The Book of Genesis, if you will) – and if you want to get the low down on the more ambient, artistic and atmospheric of the progressive bands (as well as a few rock avenues of interest) check out John Stout’s Moments in Transition blog site.
John contributed a number of reviews to FabricationsHQ in 2016 before deciding it was time he returned to writing independently and primarily in the progressive genres – you can read "what’s to like" about MiT’s most highly rated albums of 2016, including F.E.A.R by Marillion and Opeth’s Sorceress by clicking here.
Beyond rock, prog and blues there were a number of stand-out or captivating releases in the singer-songwriter, folk, Celtic/ instrumental and rootsy genres; the highlight of each for FabricationsHQ came courtesy of Adam Norsworthy, Ivan Drever, NUA and Pilote.
Adam Norsworthy, front man of the R&B and blues rockin’ Mustangs, produced a striking and truly genre-less piece of work with Rainbird while Orcadian folk troubadour and ex Wolfstone member Ivan Drever put out his second Revisited album.
Revisited II contained re-records of some of Drever’s rarer solo tracks along with a number of Wolfstone songs, all given very traditional, simple and warm acoustic guitar and vocal makeovers.
Putting a more contemporary spin on the traditional or roots based music however were NUA and Pilote.
NUA are a Canadian fiddle-guitars-bodhrán trio whose self-penned material is founded on the Irish and Scottish traditional styles but with a contemporary and sometimes funky little jig-time swagger; the band’s second album Flow was both excellent and well named, flowing from one tune to the other with bright or emotive melodies.
Libero on the other hand (the seventh album from composer/ multi-instrumentalist Stuart Cullen under the Pilote moniker) takes bluegrass and trad. folk as its foundation but sprinkles it with percussive electronica, a contemporary production and a number of guest vocalists, all of which add interesting light and shade to its bluegrass colour.
FabricationsHQ's 2016 in Review ends with the Roll of Musical Honours – but given that this article was published on the 10th of January 2017, the one year anniversary of the death of David Bowie, we play out first with a musical remembrance of a true innovator and giant of the rock and pop world...
Elsewhere releases from Blind Ego (Liquid), Cairo (Say) and Kiama (Sign of IV) caught the creative, modern prog attention of FabricationsHQ while Circus Maximus put out some seriously solid product in the field of progressive melodic metal with Havoc; sadly however heavy hitters of the genre Dream Theater delivered the over-rated (and certainly over-hyped), overly dramatic and overly long, conceptually themed The Astonishing, which it certainly wasn’t.
The smattering of bands mentioned above are only the tip of the progberg for a genre finding its feet again, having been anything but progressive for a long time (too inclined to reinvent The Book of Genesis, if you will) – and if you want to get the low down on the more ambient, artistic and atmospheric of the progressive bands (as well as a few rock avenues of interest) check out John Stout’s Moments in Transition blog site.
John contributed a number of reviews to FabricationsHQ in 2016 before deciding it was time he returned to writing independently and primarily in the progressive genres – you can read "what’s to like" about MiT’s most highly rated albums of 2016, including F.E.A.R by Marillion and Opeth’s Sorceress by clicking here.
Beyond rock, prog and blues there were a number of stand-out or captivating releases in the singer-songwriter, folk, Celtic/ instrumental and rootsy genres; the highlight of each for FabricationsHQ came courtesy of Adam Norsworthy, Ivan Drever, NUA and Pilote.
Adam Norsworthy, front man of the R&B and blues rockin’ Mustangs, produced a striking and truly genre-less piece of work with Rainbird while Orcadian folk troubadour and ex Wolfstone member Ivan Drever put out his second Revisited album.
Revisited II contained re-records of some of Drever’s rarer solo tracks along with a number of Wolfstone songs, all given very traditional, simple and warm acoustic guitar and vocal makeovers.
Putting a more contemporary spin on the traditional or roots based music however were NUA and Pilote.
NUA are a Canadian fiddle-guitars-bodhrán trio whose self-penned material is founded on the Irish and Scottish traditional styles but with a contemporary and sometimes funky little jig-time swagger; the band’s second album Flow was both excellent and well named, flowing from one tune to the other with bright or emotive melodies.
Libero on the other hand (the seventh album from composer/ multi-instrumentalist Stuart Cullen under the Pilote moniker) takes bluegrass and trad. folk as its foundation but sprinkles it with percussive electronica, a contemporary production and a number of guest vocalists, all of which add interesting light and shade to its bluegrass colour.
FabricationsHQ's 2016 in Review ends with the Roll of Musical Honours – but given that this article was published on the 10th of January 2017, the one year anniversary of the death of David Bowie, we play out first with a musical remembrance of a true innovator and giant of the rock and pop world...
FabricationsHQ’s Roll of Musical Honour 2016:
Best rock based release: Glenn Hughes - Resonate
Best blues/ blues rock based release: Albany Down - The Outer Reach
Best progressive based release: Preacher - Aftermath
Best debut album: Sari Schorr - Force of Nature
Best singer-songwriter release: Adam Norsworthy - Rainbird
Best folk based release: Ivan Drever - Revisited II
Best Celtic/ instrumental based release: NUA - Flow
Best roots (with a contempory twist) based release: Pilote - Libero
Best concert (attended): King King - Glasgow 02 ABC
Best concert (viewed): Steve Hackett - The Total Experience Live in Liverpool DVD
Best of the ones to watch: Broken Witt Rebels, Mason Hill, Nine Miles South
With apologies and respect to those missed, forgotten or whose paths crossed but fleetingly in the promotion of good music in 2016, FabricationsHQ thanks:
All the artists worked with directly, Noble PR, Red Sand PR, Cherry Red Records, The Publicity Connection, Glass Onyon PR, Nineteen 73 Artist Promotion, Campbell Stewart and The Fatman’s Rock Show, BJF Media/PR, G Promo PR, BigiAM Promotion & Management, Ruf Records, contributing reviewers, Rock & Blues Promotions man John Brown and Stephen Stanley of Solid Entertainments.
(note to self for 2017 – when Stephen says "let’s meet at the venue early and go for a bite to eat" that’s code for "perfect; you’ve arrived at the same time as the band; you can help with the load in")
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ 2016 in Review
Best rock based release: Glenn Hughes - Resonate
Best blues/ blues rock based release: Albany Down - The Outer Reach
Best progressive based release: Preacher - Aftermath
Best debut album: Sari Schorr - Force of Nature
Best singer-songwriter release: Adam Norsworthy - Rainbird
Best folk based release: Ivan Drever - Revisited II
Best Celtic/ instrumental based release: NUA - Flow
Best roots (with a contempory twist) based release: Pilote - Libero
Best concert (attended): King King - Glasgow 02 ABC
Best concert (viewed): Steve Hackett - The Total Experience Live in Liverpool DVD
Best of the ones to watch: Broken Witt Rebels, Mason Hill, Nine Miles South
With apologies and respect to those missed, forgotten or whose paths crossed but fleetingly in the promotion of good music in 2016, FabricationsHQ thanks:
All the artists worked with directly, Noble PR, Red Sand PR, Cherry Red Records, The Publicity Connection, Glass Onyon PR, Nineteen 73 Artist Promotion, Campbell Stewart and The Fatman’s Rock Show, BJF Media/PR, G Promo PR, BigiAM Promotion & Management, Ruf Records, contributing reviewers, Rock & Blues Promotions man John Brown and Stephen Stanley of Solid Entertainments.
(note to self for 2017 – when Stephen says "let’s meet at the venue early and go for a bite to eat" that’s code for "perfect; you’ve arrived at the same time as the band; you can help with the load in")
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ 2016 in Review