|
Songs From The Acid Folk - Sonja Kristina (MSMCD109) Released: 18-2-02 Market Square Records A critically-acclaimed but hard to find solo album by former Curved Air singer Sonja Kristina makes a welcome return to the retail racks from February 18 in the shape of "Song From The Acid Folk" (Market Square Records MSMCD109). One of rock's best known singers, the striking and individualistic Sonja Kristina returns here to her folk / psychedelic roots, alchemised in a highly original, fiery form of acoustic music which she refers to as "acid folk". "Songs From the Acid Folk," was released in 1991 to critical acclaim and includes twelve acoustic workouts, amongst them Curved Air classic, "Melinda (More or Less)", which Sonja and the excellent band supporting on this album had been playing live.
Standout tracks include the album's singles "Anna/Devil May Care" and an acid folk reworking of the Curved Air hit, "Back Street Luv". This release comes with strong bonus tracks including the lovely "Penumbra" (which had been left off the original record) and the moving "Free to Be," a song for the production of Shona, a West End play starring Sonja and pre-dating "Acid Folk" by one year. "Songs from The Acid Folk" is a must-have, not only for Curved Air fans and devotees of Sonja's solo work, but for anyone who appreciates fine songwriting, excellent musicianship - and those extraordinary, beautiful vocals. "From rock goddess to mother to cult heroine? Stranger things have happened." Evening Standard "Kristina succeeds on her own terms." Q Magazine "… this marks renewed commitment to fresh routes. There's a shout going out, bagsful of energy and acrobatic parameters. Smart move, Sonja!" Folk Roots Sonja Kristina writes … In 1988, a new club for offbeat Acoustic music was running at the Troubadour, Earls Court, London. The Troubadour was a very special place for me. As a student I had been a regular visitor in the late '60s and had also run a performance and music 'happening' there on a Wednesday night. So one summer evening in 1988 I went along to see what was happening, to listen and watch and sing. The charismatic Roddy Harris ran this club as a vehicle for his band Miro. Strangely, it was also on a Wednesday night. A writer and performer of songs with tumbling gypsy melodies and poetic tangled lyrics he cast a spell over the packed, hushed audience and his fellow artists. He had gathered together a unique and colourful bunch of characters and players to perform regularly on his club night. I was excited and inspired by what I saw and heard. It felt like a homecoming yet was fresh and alive. I began to write a new set of songs, encouraged by my new Troubadour friends and my longtime friend Sue Burkett-Smith. The first performance of the new songs was at the Troubadour in summer 1989. I was accompanied by Julian Jackson, a brilliant young violinist I had seen performing with Darryl Way, and was honoured also to be backed by Julia Palmer from Miro, on cello, and Roddy Harris on guitar. Also in 1989 I discovered Club Dog, a psychedelic night run by Bob Dog at the George Robey in London's Finsbury Park. Strange and exciting music and musicians performed on the three stages there to a wild and ragged crowd . They also felt like family and I wanted to play for this audience also.
As Julian had joined Miro, I hunted for a new violinist and heard talk of an amazingly dynamic player and performer seen busking solo in Kingston market. This was Paul Sax. I managed to track him down and enlist his services. He invited Honk, a veteran bass player from Cardiff, to join us and provide the deep and heavy bass needed for Electric gigs. Tylor were two fiery brothers cooking up a storm on the New Acoustic circuit. Simon Whitaker plays inventive, high energy percussion and steel drum. Tim Whitaker is a unique acoustic guitarist. I asked them to be part of our band and to my delight they agreed. The line-up was completed by a gifted sixteen year old cellist, Ali Mackensie, one of the top young Royal Academy of Music students. The approach in rehearsals was to create atmospheres through improvisation around the simple structure and 'lilt'of each song. In performance that freedom was retained, so the parts could be different every time, each player in the moment responding to the others. The time was a very fast pulse set around the phrasing of the song so the rhythms are often busy and intricate. We embarked upon an extensive tour of Psychedelic, Acoustic and Rock Venues playing with no amplification at all (except a tiny amp for the electric bass) in smaller venues and very loud, spacey and electric in others. A lighting person called Torquil soon joined the band on oil wheel and projections, flooding our stages with colours and patterns. This was a special time filled with life and energy and I am happy that this recording captures the magic of these players and their eloquent music. Sonja Kristina London 2001
|
