Pallas, Present and Future
Muirsical Conversation with Alan Reed
For three decades singer Alan Reed was the voice of Scottish progressive rock group Pallas, a band that enjoy a solid following in the UK as well as parts of North America and Northern Europe.
However on January 29th 2010 a statement on the band's MySpace site confirmed Reed had been let go after a twenty five year association, which followed the singer's own FaceBook statement the day before.
While Pallas continue with new singer Paul Mackie and work towards the release of their new album, XXV, Alan is now putting together material for his first ever solo release.
Sketching ideas and primarily working alone at this early stage of his suddenly solo career, it's a new beginning for the wee singer with the big pipes.
In his first interview since his tenure with Pallas ended, Alan Reed spoke to FabricationsHQ about his solo project, his career in music thus far and thoughts on his musical future...
Ross Muir: First of all Alan, thanks for visiting FabricationsHQ and taking some time out from a busy schedule that isn't just a musical one.
Many fans are probably not aware that music/ singing isn't your only job...
Alan Reed: This is true. My day - and, occasionally, night - job is working for BBC News.
I assign correspondents, camera crews, satellite trucks and what-have-you to news stories and liaise between those in the field and the programmes.
It can be quite full-on, especially when there’s a big breaking story. It’s also quite rock ’n’ roll in an odd sort of way, especially when you’re out on a story.
Although the hotels are generally better than the ones I’m used to staying in with bands - and the BBC doesn’t have any tour buses! [laughs]
RM: So, to bring us all up to speed, where are you currently as regards putting together material for a solo release?
AR: Well, over time I’ve been accumulating various ideas that didn’t fit with my then band, thinking that maybe I’d get round to doing something with them at some point.
And then suddenly, at the end of January, I found myself out of the band.
After I got over the initial shock I had to decide what to do next, and it seemed like now might be the opportunity to use my ideas as the basis of a new project.
To be honest I didn’t have quite enough material, and some of what I had wasn’t particularly well developed. The last few months have been about knocking it into shape, and getting to the point where I can record it properly. Which is where I am now.
RM: Is it a strange feeling to be working solo after such a prolonged period in the group environment, or is it simply the next musical challenge - perhaps both?
AR: It’s pretty scary really. I’m used to being part of a larger whole.
Inevitably that usually meant compromises, but on the plus side it meant a wider pool of ideas and skills.
But now it’s just me, I worry about whether I have enough good ideas to sustain an album and whether my more limited instrumental skills get the best out of the ideas I do have.
On the other hand I suddenly have the freedom to do whatever I want; I don’t have to conform to a collective idea of what it should sound like... I can use a different instrumental palette if I fancy it.
Pallas had its identifiable musical template - bass pedals, big chordal arrangements, a certain flavour to the guitar playing. I don’t need to use any of that if it doesn’t fit with what I want to achieve.
Hopefully I’ll develop my own identifiable sound... but I think that’ll only emerge over time.
RM: Of course you have just completed your first solo work, albeit a cover, which will feature on a CD accompanying the bi-monthly UK magazine Classic Rock Presents Prog.
AR: Yes, my debut solo recording, C’est La Vie, which is a Greg Lake song from the Works album.
RM: With Emerson Lake & Palmer reuniting for their 40th Anniversary by way of an appearance at the inaugural High Voltage Festival this July, the artist covered is of no surprise; indeed the CD itself is an ELP tribute collection. But what led to the specific song choice?
AR: It’s a song I’ve always loved. I used to play it a lot when I was a moody teenager with a twelve-string, going through my "sensitive singer-songwriter" phase! [laughs]
Actually, it was quite late on that I got involved. I’d heard that various people had been approached to do ELP covers and I, half-jokingly, offered to do a version of it in case they were still short of a track or two.
Jerry Ewing, the Classic Rock Presents Prog editor, got back almost immediately saying if I could do it within the week then it had a good chance of getting on.
It was a bit of a rush job, but I’m really pleased with how it turned out.
RM: Let's jump back to the early days of Alan Reed as a singer/ performer.
You were in the Stirling based band Trance Macabre in the early eighties - was that just something you enjoyed, or were you already thinking in terms of a future in front of a microphone?
AR: Not really. I thought of myself primarily as a bassist at that point; I was the lead singer in that band as well but that wasn’t really what I concentrated on.
I had a bit of a Geddy Lee fixation to be honest and I really wanted to be known as a bass player - I don’t think I considered vocalists who didn’t play an instrument to be real musicians... how wrong I was! [laughs]
RM: Then Abel Ganz and their 1983 debut album...
AR: That was a sort of happy accident. I saw their advert in Melody Maker, looking for a "Phil Collins type singer" to do some recording.
I used to do a fairly good Uncle Phil impersonation, so I thought I’d find out what was involved, but truth be told I was hoping it might lead to some contacts for getting Trance Macabre some gigs in Glasgow.
The Ganzers had an album written, but felt they needed a singer to complete the recording line-up.
I liked the material, they seemed to like my voice, so we gave it a go. Turned out quite well in the end!
RM: As regards the Ganz gang, you have since guested with them in the studio and on stage - can you see yourself reuniting in the future, in some musical shape or form?
AR: Never say never - I really enjoyed contributing vocals to So Far on the last album, but I think that the Ganz now have a really strong and distinctive singer of their own, so there’s less chance they’ll need or want me to put in an appearance. But they know where to find me if they do!
RM: You weren't with Abel Ganz long before moving to Pallas to replace singer Euan Lowson, who left after recording The Sentinel album.
Was that a classic case of being poached by a band that felt you would be a good fit, or did other singers also audition for the post?
AR: They auditioned several singers and it was by no means certain I’d get the gig, although I appeared to be a front-runner from the start. In fact, they all came down from Aberdeen to see me play with Abel Ganz.
I certainly felt that Pallas was the band for me - I was already a fan. It was the one band I felt happy to concentrate on singing alone for. The chemistry seemed right in so many ways.
RM: You recorded four studio albums with Pallas and releases such as The Wedge from 1986 and 2001's The Cross And The Crucible are not just good progressive rock albums, but great little rock albums, period.
In retrospect, and now being able to look back with a little detachment, are you proud of the part you played in Pallas history and what you achieved musically?
AR: I’m certainly proud of the work I did with Pallas and we always thought of ourselves as a rock band rather than just purely prog.
But I’m finding it hard to listen to any of it at the moment; the events of the past few months are still too raw.
But regardless of how things have turned out between us, I think we did some wonderful stuff together.
The collective vision that was Pallas was uniquely outstanding in many ways.
RM: You have also guested on a few other artists’ projects, including Parzival's Eye, the excellent solo project from RPWL's Chris Postl, and Caamora featuring Clive Nolan and Agnieszka Swita.
There is, admittedly, an extended family within modern/ neo-prog circles where just about everybody knows everyone else, but it must be gratifying to be asked to participate in such projects...
AR: It’s very flattering when talented people ask you to contribute to their projects.
For geographical reasons as much as anything else we, I mean Pallas, were a little outside the Brit-prog merry-go-round. Nevertheless, I’ve got to know a lot of people over the years, and I enjoy the opportunity to work with them when it arises.
The Parzival’s Eye thing was a little different in that I’d met Yogi Lang and Kalle Wallner from RPWL when we did gigs with Kalle’s Blind Ego project.
They must have given Chris my phone number ‘cause he called up out of the blue and asked if I’d consider singing on some songs he was working on. It was weird flying out to Munich to record, ‘cause we hadn’t actually met - just talked on the phone and via e-mail!.
Parzival's Eye - Signs (featuring Alan Reed)
However on January 29th 2010 a statement on the band's MySpace site confirmed Reed had been let go after a twenty five year association, which followed the singer's own FaceBook statement the day before.
While Pallas continue with new singer Paul Mackie and work towards the release of their new album, XXV, Alan is now putting together material for his first ever solo release.
Sketching ideas and primarily working alone at this early stage of his suddenly solo career, it's a new beginning for the wee singer with the big pipes.
In his first interview since his tenure with Pallas ended, Alan Reed spoke to FabricationsHQ about his solo project, his career in music thus far and thoughts on his musical future...
Ross Muir: First of all Alan, thanks for visiting FabricationsHQ and taking some time out from a busy schedule that isn't just a musical one.
Many fans are probably not aware that music/ singing isn't your only job...
Alan Reed: This is true. My day - and, occasionally, night - job is working for BBC News.
I assign correspondents, camera crews, satellite trucks and what-have-you to news stories and liaise between those in the field and the programmes.
It can be quite full-on, especially when there’s a big breaking story. It’s also quite rock ’n’ roll in an odd sort of way, especially when you’re out on a story.
Although the hotels are generally better than the ones I’m used to staying in with bands - and the BBC doesn’t have any tour buses! [laughs]
RM: So, to bring us all up to speed, where are you currently as regards putting together material for a solo release?
AR: Well, over time I’ve been accumulating various ideas that didn’t fit with my then band, thinking that maybe I’d get round to doing something with them at some point.
And then suddenly, at the end of January, I found myself out of the band.
After I got over the initial shock I had to decide what to do next, and it seemed like now might be the opportunity to use my ideas as the basis of a new project.
To be honest I didn’t have quite enough material, and some of what I had wasn’t particularly well developed. The last few months have been about knocking it into shape, and getting to the point where I can record it properly. Which is where I am now.
RM: Is it a strange feeling to be working solo after such a prolonged period in the group environment, or is it simply the next musical challenge - perhaps both?
AR: It’s pretty scary really. I’m used to being part of a larger whole.
Inevitably that usually meant compromises, but on the plus side it meant a wider pool of ideas and skills.
But now it’s just me, I worry about whether I have enough good ideas to sustain an album and whether my more limited instrumental skills get the best out of the ideas I do have.
On the other hand I suddenly have the freedom to do whatever I want; I don’t have to conform to a collective idea of what it should sound like... I can use a different instrumental palette if I fancy it.
Pallas had its identifiable musical template - bass pedals, big chordal arrangements, a certain flavour to the guitar playing. I don’t need to use any of that if it doesn’t fit with what I want to achieve.
Hopefully I’ll develop my own identifiable sound... but I think that’ll only emerge over time.
RM: Of course you have just completed your first solo work, albeit a cover, which will feature on a CD accompanying the bi-monthly UK magazine Classic Rock Presents Prog.
AR: Yes, my debut solo recording, C’est La Vie, which is a Greg Lake song from the Works album.
RM: With Emerson Lake & Palmer reuniting for their 40th Anniversary by way of an appearance at the inaugural High Voltage Festival this July, the artist covered is of no surprise; indeed the CD itself is an ELP tribute collection. But what led to the specific song choice?
AR: It’s a song I’ve always loved. I used to play it a lot when I was a moody teenager with a twelve-string, going through my "sensitive singer-songwriter" phase! [laughs]
Actually, it was quite late on that I got involved. I’d heard that various people had been approached to do ELP covers and I, half-jokingly, offered to do a version of it in case they were still short of a track or two.
Jerry Ewing, the Classic Rock Presents Prog editor, got back almost immediately saying if I could do it within the week then it had a good chance of getting on.
It was a bit of a rush job, but I’m really pleased with how it turned out.
RM: Let's jump back to the early days of Alan Reed as a singer/ performer.
You were in the Stirling based band Trance Macabre in the early eighties - was that just something you enjoyed, or were you already thinking in terms of a future in front of a microphone?
AR: Not really. I thought of myself primarily as a bassist at that point; I was the lead singer in that band as well but that wasn’t really what I concentrated on.
I had a bit of a Geddy Lee fixation to be honest and I really wanted to be known as a bass player - I don’t think I considered vocalists who didn’t play an instrument to be real musicians... how wrong I was! [laughs]
RM: Then Abel Ganz and their 1983 debut album...
AR: That was a sort of happy accident. I saw their advert in Melody Maker, looking for a "Phil Collins type singer" to do some recording.
I used to do a fairly good Uncle Phil impersonation, so I thought I’d find out what was involved, but truth be told I was hoping it might lead to some contacts for getting Trance Macabre some gigs in Glasgow.
The Ganzers had an album written, but felt they needed a singer to complete the recording line-up.
I liked the material, they seemed to like my voice, so we gave it a go. Turned out quite well in the end!
RM: As regards the Ganz gang, you have since guested with them in the studio and on stage - can you see yourself reuniting in the future, in some musical shape or form?
AR: Never say never - I really enjoyed contributing vocals to So Far on the last album, but I think that the Ganz now have a really strong and distinctive singer of their own, so there’s less chance they’ll need or want me to put in an appearance. But they know where to find me if they do!
RM: You weren't with Abel Ganz long before moving to Pallas to replace singer Euan Lowson, who left after recording The Sentinel album.
Was that a classic case of being poached by a band that felt you would be a good fit, or did other singers also audition for the post?
AR: They auditioned several singers and it was by no means certain I’d get the gig, although I appeared to be a front-runner from the start. In fact, they all came down from Aberdeen to see me play with Abel Ganz.
I certainly felt that Pallas was the band for me - I was already a fan. It was the one band I felt happy to concentrate on singing alone for. The chemistry seemed right in so many ways.
RM: You recorded four studio albums with Pallas and releases such as The Wedge from 1986 and 2001's The Cross And The Crucible are not just good progressive rock albums, but great little rock albums, period.
In retrospect, and now being able to look back with a little detachment, are you proud of the part you played in Pallas history and what you achieved musically?
AR: I’m certainly proud of the work I did with Pallas and we always thought of ourselves as a rock band rather than just purely prog.
But I’m finding it hard to listen to any of it at the moment; the events of the past few months are still too raw.
But regardless of how things have turned out between us, I think we did some wonderful stuff together.
The collective vision that was Pallas was uniquely outstanding in many ways.
RM: You have also guested on a few other artists’ projects, including Parzival's Eye, the excellent solo project from RPWL's Chris Postl, and Caamora featuring Clive Nolan and Agnieszka Swita.
There is, admittedly, an extended family within modern/ neo-prog circles where just about everybody knows everyone else, but it must be gratifying to be asked to participate in such projects...
AR: It’s very flattering when talented people ask you to contribute to their projects.
For geographical reasons as much as anything else we, I mean Pallas, were a little outside the Brit-prog merry-go-round. Nevertheless, I’ve got to know a lot of people over the years, and I enjoy the opportunity to work with them when it arises.
The Parzival’s Eye thing was a little different in that I’d met Yogi Lang and Kalle Wallner from RPWL when we did gigs with Kalle’s Blind Ego project.
They must have given Chris my phone number ‘cause he called up out of the blue and asked if I’d consider singing on some songs he was working on. It was weird flying out to Munich to record, ‘cause we hadn’t actually met - just talked on the phone and via e-mail!.
Parzival's Eye - Signs (featuring Alan Reed)
AR: To be honest, I find that most musicians have similar interests and foibles.
If you get on musically, then you usually get on personally. It’s not always true, but there’s usually more in common than not. But I only do stuff that I think I’ll find fun or interesting.
It’s always a chance to learn, and I’m frankly amazed whenever someone thinks enough of what I do that they ask me to join in with whatever they’re doing.
RM: In January there were separate statements issued by Pallas and yourself relating to your dismissal; it's no secret there is a difference of opinion between the two parties.
Six months on, are you coming to terms with the musical divorce or are those events "still too raw" as you mentioned earlier?
AR: There's no forgiving what they've done - and, more importantly, how they've done it.
Shit happens in bands, but we’re not talking about a bunch of twenty-five year olds angling for a major deal. These were long-standing friendships that in many senses were far more important than the being in a band together part might suggest.
I'm just sad that they didn't seem to think enough of me to be able to talk to me honestly.
I mourn the loss of those friendships, and I am struggling to deal with how these events make me feel about all those times we spent together. It certainly sours many previously happy memories.
RM: Divorce in musical families is commonplace these days and, with the greatest of respect to Pallas and yourself, some far bigger bands in rock continue to perform without some of their signature members.
Journey without Steve Perry, Styx without Dennis DeYoung, Yes without Jon Anderson, to name but three. And interestingly each of those individuals were also unhappy or upset at how or why they were replaced.
As regards such musical divorces, you're in good company...
AR: Like I said, shit happens in bands… but I thought we were better than that.
It's inexplicable to me really. Certainly in latter years the motivation has been almost exclusively musical rather than financial. We genuinely enjoyed working together and being part of Pallas was as much a social thing as a musical one. I don’t think I’ll ever quite get over it.
If you get on musically, then you usually get on personally. It’s not always true, but there’s usually more in common than not. But I only do stuff that I think I’ll find fun or interesting.
It’s always a chance to learn, and I’m frankly amazed whenever someone thinks enough of what I do that they ask me to join in with whatever they’re doing.
RM: In January there were separate statements issued by Pallas and yourself relating to your dismissal; it's no secret there is a difference of opinion between the two parties.
Six months on, are you coming to terms with the musical divorce or are those events "still too raw" as you mentioned earlier?
AR: There's no forgiving what they've done - and, more importantly, how they've done it.
Shit happens in bands, but we’re not talking about a bunch of twenty-five year olds angling for a major deal. These were long-standing friendships that in many senses were far more important than the being in a band together part might suggest.
I'm just sad that they didn't seem to think enough of me to be able to talk to me honestly.
I mourn the loss of those friendships, and I am struggling to deal with how these events make me feel about all those times we spent together. It certainly sours many previously happy memories.
RM: Divorce in musical families is commonplace these days and, with the greatest of respect to Pallas and yourself, some far bigger bands in rock continue to perform without some of their signature members.
Journey without Steve Perry, Styx without Dennis DeYoung, Yes without Jon Anderson, to name but three. And interestingly each of those individuals were also unhappy or upset at how or why they were replaced.
As regards such musical divorces, you're in good company...
AR: Like I said, shit happens in bands… but I thought we were better than that.
It's inexplicable to me really. Certainly in latter years the motivation has been almost exclusively musical rather than financial. We genuinely enjoyed working together and being part of Pallas was as much a social thing as a musical one. I don’t think I’ll ever quite get over it.
"I'm used to being a part of a larger whole. Now it's just me."
RM: To happier musical memories of the last few months.
In May you guested on stage with Twelfth Night at Progeny 3 - How was it for you, as they say...
AR: It was great - if a little nerve wracking. It was a lovely gesture from the guys.
Andy Sears and I had been spending a bit of time together in the aftermath of my ejection from the band. We’d been talking about what I might do next and how I ought to do something sooner rather than later, when he suggested that maybe I could help them out at their Progeny gig.
I actually knew Love Song quite well from having done a version with Clive Nolan for the Geoff Mann tribute album a few years ago; we had a quite drunken go at it together a couple of times and decided that it might just work [laughs]. On the night of course, Andy did it totally differently from how we’d rehearsed it!
I was really nervous going onstage. I wasn’t sure how my appearance might go down with Twelfth Night’s fans - but it was such a warm welcome. It was just what my battered self-confidence needed.
RM: It must have been nice to get back in the musical saddle as regards live work, even just for a short stint. It's always good for a vocalist to exercise the live voice I feel, as the studio voice can sometimes get too comfortable, or lazy.
AR: Gigs have always been the important bit to me. Much as I enjoy recording, it’s a very focused, often stop-start kind of experience. Live work is very much about the magic of the instant and the reaction of the audience. It’s how you find out whether people actually like what you do.
Adrenaline is the most addictive drug, and onstage you can find yourself really pushing yourself under its influence. The more you do it, the more you want to do it.
RM: And as regards getting out there and live work, even if just guest appearances or one-off shows, any sightings of Alan Reed on the horizon?
AR: Nothing formally planned at the moment, though I’m starting to look at what might be possible.
I think getting material in a releasable form is the priority right now; I’m not quite far enough on with that yet to consider booking gigs. But who can tell?
RM: In connection with contacting you or following you musically, we should make people aware that you are on FaceBook and you have set up a Musicians Page where fans with a FaceBook account can keep up to date with your musical progress.
AR: Yes, and I’ve started putting up the occasional studio video diary there, too.
I also tweet on twitter - username is 3hobbits - and I imagine I’ll start a proper website at some point.
The whole interweb promo thing can eat up as much time as doing music, so apologies if it isn’t updated as much as people would like!
RM: Putting the solo album to one side for a moment and replacing it with a crystal ball for the final question... what does the musical future hold for Alan Reed?
AR: I haven’t the foggiest. I think I need to take it one step at a time.
Things are gradually falling into place, but there’s various ways in which they may finally pan out.
I badly need to get out there and do this - as much to prove to myself that I can as anything else!
Ross Muir
Muirsical Conversation with Alan Reed
June 2010
Alan Reed's Musician's Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alan-Reed/364663774275?ref=ts
The separate statements issued by Pallas and Alan Reed in January 2010, relating to the singer's dismissal from the band, can be found here: http://www.pallas.f2s.com/page80/page80.html
'Signs' by Parzival's Eye is presented to accompany the above article and by kind permission of Chris Postl No infringement of copyright is intended.
('Signs' is taken from the 2009 album Fragments, available on iTunes and Amazon.de)
Photo credits:
John McGuigan (live image)
Dani Maimone Photography (portrait image): http://www.danipics.com/
RM: To happier musical memories of the last few months.
In May you guested on stage with Twelfth Night at Progeny 3 - How was it for you, as they say...
AR: It was great - if a little nerve wracking. It was a lovely gesture from the guys.
Andy Sears and I had been spending a bit of time together in the aftermath of my ejection from the band. We’d been talking about what I might do next and how I ought to do something sooner rather than later, when he suggested that maybe I could help them out at their Progeny gig.
I actually knew Love Song quite well from having done a version with Clive Nolan for the Geoff Mann tribute album a few years ago; we had a quite drunken go at it together a couple of times and decided that it might just work [laughs]. On the night of course, Andy did it totally differently from how we’d rehearsed it!
I was really nervous going onstage. I wasn’t sure how my appearance might go down with Twelfth Night’s fans - but it was such a warm welcome. It was just what my battered self-confidence needed.
RM: It must have been nice to get back in the musical saddle as regards live work, even just for a short stint. It's always good for a vocalist to exercise the live voice I feel, as the studio voice can sometimes get too comfortable, or lazy.
AR: Gigs have always been the important bit to me. Much as I enjoy recording, it’s a very focused, often stop-start kind of experience. Live work is very much about the magic of the instant and the reaction of the audience. It’s how you find out whether people actually like what you do.
Adrenaline is the most addictive drug, and onstage you can find yourself really pushing yourself under its influence. The more you do it, the more you want to do it.
RM: And as regards getting out there and live work, even if just guest appearances or one-off shows, any sightings of Alan Reed on the horizon?
AR: Nothing formally planned at the moment, though I’m starting to look at what might be possible.
I think getting material in a releasable form is the priority right now; I’m not quite far enough on with that yet to consider booking gigs. But who can tell?
RM: In connection with contacting you or following you musically, we should make people aware that you are on FaceBook and you have set up a Musicians Page where fans with a FaceBook account can keep up to date with your musical progress.
AR: Yes, and I’ve started putting up the occasional studio video diary there, too.
I also tweet on twitter - username is 3hobbits - and I imagine I’ll start a proper website at some point.
The whole interweb promo thing can eat up as much time as doing music, so apologies if it isn’t updated as much as people would like!
RM: Putting the solo album to one side for a moment and replacing it with a crystal ball for the final question... what does the musical future hold for Alan Reed?
AR: I haven’t the foggiest. I think I need to take it one step at a time.
Things are gradually falling into place, but there’s various ways in which they may finally pan out.
I badly need to get out there and do this - as much to prove to myself that I can as anything else!
Ross Muir
Muirsical Conversation with Alan Reed
June 2010
Alan Reed's Musician's Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alan-Reed/364663774275?ref=ts
The separate statements issued by Pallas and Alan Reed in January 2010, relating to the singer's dismissal from the band, can be found here: http://www.pallas.f2s.com/page80/page80.html
'Signs' by Parzival's Eye is presented to accompany the above article and by kind permission of Chris Postl No infringement of copyright is intended.
('Signs' is taken from the 2009 album Fragments, available on iTunes and Amazon.de)
Photo credits:
John McGuigan (live image)
Dani Maimone Photography (portrait image): http://www.danipics.com/