Alan Parsons Project had een grote hit in Nederland in 1982
getiteld Old and Wise en die hit werd
gezongen door Colin Blunstone. De stem van Blunstone is daarin heel kenmerkend. Op vele manieren is die stem beschreven, van soepele stem met een groot bereik, tot engelachtig, zijdeachtig,
zalvend en zelfs geruststellend. De Britten gebruiken vaak de term
‘breathy’. Zijn geluid is in ieder geval
uniek te noemen, engelachtig en tegelijkertijd krachtig. Blunstone heeft één van de mooiste stemmen uit de popmuziek en
zingt altijd loepzuiver en trefzeker.
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| Tom Toomey - foto Toyah Boer |
In de jaren zestig is
hij mede-oprichter van de band The Zombies, samen met Rod Argent. Met hits als
She’s not There, Tell her No en Time of the Season weten The Zombies menig hart te veroveren. Nadat ze de cd Odessey &
Oracle uitbrengen, gaat de band uit elkaar in 1968. Blunstone heeft de
gelegenheid zijn solocarrière te starten. Begin jaren ’70 maakt hij de elpees One Year (1971), Ennismore (1972) en Journey
(1974), die de hits Say you don’t mind,
Caroline Goodbye, I don’t believe in Miracles en Wonderful opleveren. In de
jaren tachtig ligt vooral de focus op samenwerkingsverbanden met diverse
artiesten onder wie Mike Batt, Dave Stewart en The Alan Parsons Project.
Blunstone maakt ondertussen nog steeds solo-albums en brengt in 2012 On The Air Tonight uit. In dit concert
kan hij dus putten uit een hele grote voorraad songs uit zijn solocarriere.
 |
| Colin Blunstone - foto Toyah Boer |
De knallende opener is Turn
your hart around van de band Keats. Een band die een kort leven was
beschoren, een nevenproject van Alan Parsons en consorten. Blunstones
repertoire is gevarieerd, van pop tot rock, ballads, soulachtige nummers tot
jazzy tunes. Hij schrijft veel zelf, maar één van de beste nummers van de avond
is Wild Places geschreven door Duncan
Browne. Het is ook in Nederland een grote hit geweest. Het past goed bij de band en bij de stem van
Colin Blunstone. Een andere cover en een favoriet van mij is Tracks of my tears, oorspronkelijk van
Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. Toch zijn het niet allemaal oudere songs die
aan bod komen, ook recenter werk als Any
other way, het Latinachtige Dancing
in the starlight en So much more
van zijn laatste en één na laatste album komt langs. Blunstone zingt niet
alleen, hij vertelt ook verhalen uit zijn lange muzikale carriere en doet dat
heel humoristisch met veel zelfrelativering. Het publiek, gedeeltelijk Engels
en Nederlands heeft weinig moeite om hem te verstaan en zijn belevenissen leiden
tot veel hilariteit. Zijn band is erg
goed maar stelt zich heel bescheiden op. De leadgitarist Tom Toomey wil nog wel
eens iets meer show-werk vertonen en dat is ook volkomen terecht. Old and Wise dat in de oorspronkelijke
versie eindigt met een iconische saxofoonsolo door Mel "One take"
Collins, wordt nu naar een hoger plan getild door een schitterende gitaarsolo
van Toomey. Ik houd van gitaarsolo’s, ik heb er al heel veel gehoord maar
Toomey weet echt nog iets fris en origineels te leggen in een al vaak gespeelde
en gehoorde solo. Hij is een wereldgitarist die altijd veel geeft. En dat
terwijl Blunstone en Toomey net terug zijn uit de Verenigde Staten waar ze
samen met de andere Zombies hun derde Amerikaanse toernee van dit jaar met
succes hebben afgesloten. Weinig Zombies tracks deze avond, maar wel de twee
bekendste, Time of the season en She’s not there. De toegift is I want some more. Uit de vroege jaren 70
maar hemel, wat klinkt dit lekker en tijdloos. Misschien is dat wel de grootste
verdienste van Colin Blunstone, een greep doen uit een repertoire van meer dan
50 jaar en het laten klinken alsof het gisteren is geschreven. En dat met die
ongelooflijk prachtige ontroerende stem van hem.
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Alan Parsons Project had a big hit in the Netherlands in 1982 titled Old and Wise and sung by Colin Blunstone. Blunstone's voice is very distinctive. That voice has been described in many ways: supple voice with great range, to angelic, silky, unctuous and even reassuring. The British often use the term ' breathy '. His sound is called angelic yet powerful. Anyway he has a unique sound. Blunstone has got one of the most beautiful voices in pop music and always sings flawless and accurate.
In the early sixties, he is co-founder of the band The Zombies, along with Rod Argent. With hits like She's Not There, Tell Her No and Time of the Season The Zombies know how to conquer many hearts After they release the album Odessey & Oracle, the band split up in 1968. Blunstone has the opportunity to start his solo career. In the early 70s he made the LPs One Year (1971 ), Ennismore (1972 ) and Journey (1974 ), which hits like Say you do not mind, Caroline Goodbye, I don't believe in Miracles and Wonderful. In the eighties the focus lies on collaborations with various artists including Mike Batt, Dave Stewart and The Alan Parsons Project. Meanwhile Blunstone is still recording solo albums and by 2012 he releases On The Air Tonight. So in this concert he can draw from a huge stock of songs from his solo career .
The opener is the uplifting Turn your heart around from the band Keats. A band that had a short-lived existence, a side project of Alan Parsons and his associates. Blunstones repertoire is varied, from pop to rock, ballads, soulful songs to jazzy tunes. He writes a lot of it himself, but one of the best songs of the evening is Wild Places written by Duncan Browne. It has also been a big hit in the Netherlands . It fits in well with the band and the voice of Colin Blunstone. Another cover and a favorite of mine tracks of my tears, originally by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. Yet not only the older songs are covered , but also recent work like Any other way, the Latin-like Dancing in the starlight and So much more of his last and penultimate album comes along.
Blunstone not only sings, he tells stories from his long musical career and does so quite humorous with many things into perspective. The audience, partly English and Dutch has little effort to understand him and his experiences lead to much hilarity. His band is very good while taking on very modest. The lead guitarist Tom Toomey would sometimes put on a little more show and that is absolutely too right. Old and Wise in the original version ends with an iconic saxophone solo by Mel "One take" Collins , is now brought to a higher level by a brilliant guitar solo of Toomey . I love guitar solos , I've already heard a lot of solos but Toomey really puts something fresh and original in an often heard and played solo. He is a world guitarist who always gives much. And that even while Blunstone and Toomey have just returned from the United States where they and the other Zombies have succesfully done their third U.S. tour this year. This evening a few Zombies tracks are played , but the two most famous , Time of the season and She's not there . The encore is 'I want some more'. From the early 70's but goodness, this sounds delicious and timeless. Perhaps that is the greatest merit of Colin Blunstone , while choosing from a repertoire of more than 50 years and making it sound like it was written yesterday. And performed with that incredibly beautiful and touching voice.
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Alan Parsons Project had a big hit in the Netherlands in 1982 titled Old and Wise and sung by Colin Blunstone. Blunstone's voice is very distinctive. That voice has been described in many ways: supple voice with great range, to angelic, silky, unctuous and even reassuring. The British often use the term ' breathy '. His sound is called angelic yet powerful. Anyway he has a unique sound. Blunstone has got one of the most beautiful voices in pop music and always sings flawless and accurate.
In the early sixties, he is co-founder of the band The Zombies, along with Rod Argent. With hits like She's Not There, Tell Her No and Time of the Season The Zombies know how to conquer many hearts After they release the album Odessey & Oracle, the band split up in 1968. Blunstone has the opportunity to start his solo career. In the early 70s he made the LPs One Year (1971 ), Ennismore (1972 ) and Journey (1974 ), which hits like Say you do not mind, Caroline Goodbye, I don't believe in Miracles and Wonderful. In the eighties the focus lies on collaborations with various artists including Mike Batt, Dave Stewart and The Alan Parsons Project. Meanwhile Blunstone is still recording solo albums and by 2012 he releases On The Air Tonight. So in this concert he can draw from a huge stock of songs from his solo career .
The opener is the uplifting Turn your heart around from the band Keats. A band that had a short-lived existence, a side project of Alan Parsons and his associates. Blunstones repertoire is varied, from pop to rock, ballads, soulful songs to jazzy tunes. He writes a lot of it himself, but one of the best songs of the evening is Wild Places written by Duncan Browne. It has also been a big hit in the Netherlands . It fits in well with the band and the voice of Colin Blunstone. Another cover and a favorite of mine tracks of my tears, originally by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. Yet not only the older songs are covered , but also recent work like Any other way, the Latin-like Dancing in the starlight and So much more of his last and penultimate album comes along.
Blunstone not only sings, he tells stories from his long musical career and does so quite humorous with many things into perspective. The audience, partly English and Dutch has little effort to understand him and his experiences lead to much hilarity. His band is very good while taking on very modest. The lead guitarist Tom Toomey would sometimes put on a little more show and that is absolutely too right. Old and Wise in the original version ends with an iconic saxophone solo by Mel "One take" Collins , is now brought to a higher level by a brilliant guitar solo of Toomey . I love guitar solos , I've already heard a lot of solos but Toomey really puts something fresh and original in an often heard and played solo. He is a world guitarist who always gives much. And that even while Blunstone and Toomey have just returned from the United States where they and the other Zombies have succesfully done their third U.S. tour this year. This evening a few Zombies tracks are played , but the two most famous , Time of the season and She's not there . The encore is 'I want some more'. From the early 70's but goodness, this sounds delicious and timeless. Perhaps that is the greatest merit of Colin Blunstone , while choosing from a repertoire of more than 50 years and making it sound like it was written yesterday. And performed with that incredibly beautiful and touching voice.
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