Paul Roland! S&D

there's usually one song on each Paul Roland record that i just can't stop playing - and one that i absolutely cannot stomach. and his collaborator Chris Randall's arrangements can be numbingly repetitive taken more than a couple of songs at a time. but because so few have been mining this particular vein of chamber folk baroque since Kevin Ayers crapped out, Bolan glammed up, Donovan grew up, and Robyn Hitchcock and Edward Ka-Spel moved on, i'll always have time for Roland.

Destroy? the retro-rock misfire Roaring Boys, for starters. but keep about half of that LP's "The Minstrel's Song (Is All Our Love in Vain?)," which is charming enough until it starts to remind me of The Royal Family & The Poor's ultra-sappy "Restrained in a Moment (I Love You)." hmm. also Destroy the mostly disappointing covers set, Strychnine, because Roland fails to bring anything new to the Donovan, Ayers, and Bolan selections from which he cribbed his whole shtick.

What IS odd that he seems to be such a huge cult in Italy - search usenet and most of what comes up is Italian - and attracts very little interest in the English speaking world. Seems an interesting character: he's written extensively on the occult, and also, apparently, for Kerrang.

Just listening to this guy's Re-Animator album and really enjoying it. Much as described up there: polished pop-Psych with a sly sense of humour and lots of fun Lovecraft references in the lyrics. If you like Leg Pink Dots or Current 93 in folky mode or Hitchcock then this is definitely an interesting and pretty thing to check out.

Oh wow and the last 2 tracks are a couple of Hawkwind-y bangers. I think this is a reissue or sump'n. Definitely 2 thumbs up.

love this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnx0ujrOKKk

I've mentioned him once or twice, but there's at least one other guy mining this territory really well: Colin Lloyd Tucker. He has a long and convoluted history, and you can use him to do six degrees of separation to all sorts of weird places (Go Betweens, Kate Bush, The The, etc.).

Search his "Remarkable" and "Songs of Love, Life, and Liquid" to start (both on eMusic, etc.) Bowie/Ayers/Hitchock mix. His vocal resemblance to early Bowie is often uncanny.

Here's the Julian Cope site on a later album (also good, but not my favorite):

http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/1173/

Sorry if you find my arrangements "numbingly repetitive", echoinggrove.
I think most of the songs should be taken 'tongue in cheek' and not too seriously.
Paul often outlined the basic structure of each song on acoustic guitar and then asked me to add other instruments over the top, which could be rather limiting and didn't give much freedom to the arrangement. The original backings consisted of quite simple major and minor chord sequences and the structure of verse/chorus/bridge etc was actually quite rigid.
Paul had quite definite ideas about the backing sound and I had to comply with his wishes. This often necessitated a compromise as Paul was not keen on complicated arrangements.
However, I have the greatest respect for Paul's lyrics - he always seemed to come up with a huge amount of thought-provoking and atmospheric stuff.

thanks for chiming in Chris. personally i really enjoy yours and Paul's work, and i know i've turned a few friends on to it too

i love paul roland's stuff. wish it were easier to find.

love this dude. and good for chris randall for standing up for himself!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP9f6mwcZhs