Jakko M. Jakszyk – Son Of Glen
The multi-disciplined and remarkable musician that is Jakko M. Jakszyk also has a remarkable background, as captivatingly detailed in his 2024 autobiography Who’s The Boy With The Lovely Hair.
An unputdownable read, the journey from unwanted/ adopted child to the man and musician he has become (with a myriad of touching, fascinating and funny stories in between) results in one of the best autobiographies you are ever likely to read.
Dovetailing with the book is Jakszyk’s latest solo album Son Of Glen, the follow-up to 2020’s excellent Secrets & Lies.
A musical companion piece to Who’s The Boy With The Lovely Hair, Son Of Glen covers many of the core themes of his memoir, retold in musical and lyrical form.
Opener, 'Ode To Ballina,' is an evocative Celtic lament featuring piano, low whistles and cello (courtesy of guest player Caroline Lavelle) that plays in homage to Jakko M. Jakszyk’s spiritual homeland (Jakszyk’s Irish birth mother, Peggy Curran, was a show band singer from Ballina in County Mayo).
The short instrumental also helps set the scene for what is, in effect, a musical and lyrical tapestry, one that threads sensitive, and well-considered, mid-tempo arrangements with thoughtful, reflective nostalgia (don’t expect any amps at 11; such sonics would be so out of place here as to be incongruous and entirely ill fitting).
Seven and a half minute ballad 'Somewhere Between Then And Now' (written for a music loving friend that sadly passed far too young) captures that sensitivity and reflection quite beautifully through its delicate arrangement and strong melody.
It also highlights that Jakko M. Jakszyk isn’t just a great songwriter and outstanding guitarist (borne out by the great solo towards the song’s higher gear conclusion), he’s equally adept with poetic, lyrical poignancy ("Well, there goes the punch line to God’s big joke, the world we’d set to conquer is just another puff of smoke; it’s just a speck in the horizon, just a childhood memory, looks like I lost my sense of humour and my sense of irony").
The downtempo and slightly jazz-esque 'How Did I Let You Get So Old' lyrically reflects on Jakszyk’s adoptive Polish father.
Beautifully arranged, the song features a short but impacting guitar & harmony vocal mid-section and some subtle but highly effective rhythm work in the late going (the album features drumming notables Gavin Harrison and Ian Mosley; the featured bassist is Jakszyk’s son Django).
Further lyrically poignancy tells part of a much larger, difficult childhood story ("Blood as thin as water finds this allegory undone, for if you are not my father then I am not you son").
'This Kiss Never Lies' was written for Jakko M. Jakszyk’s partner, Irish singer-songwriter & visual artist Louise Patricia Crane, who also adds accompanying harmony vocal lines.
A slow build love song with Celtic-tinged elements, this seven-minute number song bows out on an expressive, blues crying solo from Jakszyk.
Following a reprise of 'Ode To Ballina' (where tasteful electric guitar replaces the low whistle), 'I Told You So' steps up as a groove-driven, modern soul-rock meets R&B.
Lyrically, the song contemplates again on a difficult childhood, and the questions that arose from it ("This internal dialogue still rages on, from the ever fading optimist in me to where all of hope is gone… Well, who the hell are you? And who the hell am I? Just a random piece of DNA trying to survive").
An unputdownable read, the journey from unwanted/ adopted child to the man and musician he has become (with a myriad of touching, fascinating and funny stories in between) results in one of the best autobiographies you are ever likely to read.
Dovetailing with the book is Jakszyk’s latest solo album Son Of Glen, the follow-up to 2020’s excellent Secrets & Lies.
A musical companion piece to Who’s The Boy With The Lovely Hair, Son Of Glen covers many of the core themes of his memoir, retold in musical and lyrical form.
Opener, 'Ode To Ballina,' is an evocative Celtic lament featuring piano, low whistles and cello (courtesy of guest player Caroline Lavelle) that plays in homage to Jakko M. Jakszyk’s spiritual homeland (Jakszyk’s Irish birth mother, Peggy Curran, was a show band singer from Ballina in County Mayo).
The short instrumental also helps set the scene for what is, in effect, a musical and lyrical tapestry, one that threads sensitive, and well-considered, mid-tempo arrangements with thoughtful, reflective nostalgia (don’t expect any amps at 11; such sonics would be so out of place here as to be incongruous and entirely ill fitting).
Seven and a half minute ballad 'Somewhere Between Then And Now' (written for a music loving friend that sadly passed far too young) captures that sensitivity and reflection quite beautifully through its delicate arrangement and strong melody.
It also highlights that Jakko M. Jakszyk isn’t just a great songwriter and outstanding guitarist (borne out by the great solo towards the song’s higher gear conclusion), he’s equally adept with poetic, lyrical poignancy ("Well, there goes the punch line to God’s big joke, the world we’d set to conquer is just another puff of smoke; it’s just a speck in the horizon, just a childhood memory, looks like I lost my sense of humour and my sense of irony").
The downtempo and slightly jazz-esque 'How Did I Let You Get So Old' lyrically reflects on Jakszyk’s adoptive Polish father.
Beautifully arranged, the song features a short but impacting guitar & harmony vocal mid-section and some subtle but highly effective rhythm work in the late going (the album features drumming notables Gavin Harrison and Ian Mosley; the featured bassist is Jakszyk’s son Django).
Further lyrically poignancy tells part of a much larger, difficult childhood story ("Blood as thin as water finds this allegory undone, for if you are not my father then I am not you son").
'This Kiss Never Lies' was written for Jakko M. Jakszyk’s partner, Irish singer-songwriter & visual artist Louise Patricia Crane, who also adds accompanying harmony vocal lines.
A slow build love song with Celtic-tinged elements, this seven-minute number song bows out on an expressive, blues crying solo from Jakszyk.
Following a reprise of 'Ode To Ballina' (where tasteful electric guitar replaces the low whistle), 'I Told You So' steps up as a groove-driven, modern soul-rock meets R&B.
Lyrically, the song contemplates again on a difficult childhood, and the questions that arose from it ("This internal dialogue still rages on, from the ever fading optimist in me to where all of hope is gone… Well, who the hell are you? And who the hell am I? Just a random piece of DNA trying to survive").
Short, Hackett-esque instrumental '(Get a) Proper Job' (another that nods to Jakszyk’s adoptive Polish father) acts as an interesting incidental piece before the album closes out on the progressively sculpted, ten-minute title track.
One of Jakko M. Jakszyk’s finest and most personal compositions, 'Son Of Glen' flits from softer, early-era Genesis influences and a gorgeous melody line to rockier, mid-tempo passages and a highly-charged guitar solo.
A 'fantasy narrative' (as Jakszyk describes it), the song is based on what he found out about his late, real father, Glen Tripp (a US airman based in the UK in the 1950s who fell in love with Peggy Curran).
That Peggy Curran was a dark-haired Irish singer, as is Jakszyk’s partner Louise Patricia Crane, allows for the question and consideration that, again in Jakszyk’s own words – ‘what if he had been watching me and guiding me from afar?' ("Hey Glen, you know I’d love to pretend, that you’ve been watching over me since God knows when").
Son Of Glen, which comes complete with a gorgeous production and warm sound, is not just the soundtrack to Jakko M Jakszyk’s life, it’s a highly recommended listening experience, just as Who’s The Boy With The Lovely Hair is a must-read. Do yourself a favour and grab both.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Son Of Glen wil be released on 27th June.
Pre-order links: https://jakkomjakszyk.lnk.to/SonOfGlen-Album
One of Jakko M. Jakszyk’s finest and most personal compositions, 'Son Of Glen' flits from softer, early-era Genesis influences and a gorgeous melody line to rockier, mid-tempo passages and a highly-charged guitar solo.
A 'fantasy narrative' (as Jakszyk describes it), the song is based on what he found out about his late, real father, Glen Tripp (a US airman based in the UK in the 1950s who fell in love with Peggy Curran).
That Peggy Curran was a dark-haired Irish singer, as is Jakszyk’s partner Louise Patricia Crane, allows for the question and consideration that, again in Jakszyk’s own words – ‘what if he had been watching me and guiding me from afar?' ("Hey Glen, you know I’d love to pretend, that you’ve been watching over me since God knows when").
Son Of Glen, which comes complete with a gorgeous production and warm sound, is not just the soundtrack to Jakko M Jakszyk’s life, it’s a highly recommended listening experience, just as Who’s The Boy With The Lovely Hair is a must-read. Do yourself a favour and grab both.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Son Of Glen wil be released on 27th June.
Pre-order links: https://jakkomjakszyk.lnk.to/SonOfGlen-Album