TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

And there I was thinking I kept an eye on these things! Apparently out since late last year is a new live Rainbow Chasers album called A Brilliant Light, it's a double CD released by Recall/Secret Records.
As one who finds Ashley's every musical move fascinating (well - the aerobics album went a little too far) this is no doubt yet another great listen. Well, it just arrived, and I haven't listened to it yet.
Sleeve notes by Geoff Wall, co-author of the biography Ashley Hutchings: The Rise Of Folk Rock Vol 1 - and is this the first time its follow up Ashley Hutchings: Always Chasing Rainbows - Volume 2 is mentioned in print? Doesn't mention a publishing date though.
Anyway - this is for those who like me missed out on this album.

Koen

PS
Ah - I now see Secret Records was also the label behind FC's Journeyman's Grace 2CD set. Nice as that was, it's really just the soundtrack of the Live At Marlowe DVD released some time before that. There was a Rainbow Chasers DVD, which I dont have myself, maybe this too is the soundtrack of that?
Still - good to have. And I play CD's way more often than DVD's.

It is indeed, Koen. I don't have either - DVD or CD - just the studio CD (which isn't half good for a freebie), but on the evidence of the Fairport ones it'll be taken straight from the DVD soundtrack. I''m with you though, still well worth getting just for ease of listening.

I am actually quite baffled how little there is mentioned (or to read at all on the 'net) about the Rainbow Chasers. I find their Some Colours Fly album absolutely great. There's two songs on there which I personally rank among the best I've heard in a long time; About Dawn and Ghosts In The Rain, both immensely beautiful. The rest is not far behind. The live album is lovely too (I prefer CD1 though so far).
It's not music to bop 'n dance too, very fragile here and there. When Ashley Hutchings ended the Albion Band and started this, I wondered, why not call this the Albion Band either ... it has had so many faces anyway. Knowing the music now, I kind of know why he did it. This is not the Albion Band but yet another route for the Guv'nor and I salute him for doing this. His fellow musicians Jo Hamilton, Ruth Angell and Mark Hutchinson are great finds.
To cut a long story short, I can wholeheartedly recommend both Rainbow Chasers albums.

Koen

I'd second that. A highly interesting, somewhat unusual album- and it's difficult to explain exactly what I mean by that. Highly accomplished musicianship by some very talented young players. It has a very powerfull, and a dark, sort of edge to it, whilst still keeping a very optimistic and life affirming overall feel. Difficult to categorize as well- arty English folk/rock with elements of gypsy/klezmer music with some classical strands? Great use of violin, viola and acoustic guitars.

Yes, something like that. Hearing this album you will know why this isn't "just" the umpteenth version of the Albion Band - it's something else, however diverse the Albions always have been. It's a bit of a departure - also of course the fact that Ashley now is in a band in which all other members are a generation (and a half) younger. The man was known for his nose-for-talent thirty years ago, and it never stopped. Isn't that amazing?
I remember being disappointed when Phil Beer left the Albion Band in 1991, thinking "that's the end of that then". The Albion Band, in two basically totally different guises (in which many personnel changes occurred anyway), released a string of fantastic albums since ... Acousticity and Happy Accident to name but two.
Now the Albions stopped altogether, and I was again disappointed when I heard that news. Mental note: must learn to not be disappointed again when Hutchings ends something: trust the man to come up with something interesting again and again.

And, having founded and led classic folkrock bands in the 60s and 70s, rather out of the blue he emerged as a songwriter in the 80s and beyond, on top of all that.   

Well, really, I find Ashley Hutchings the most interesting musician of everyone out of the Fairport family tree. Not the best one techically maybe, but look at what he's done, the sheer variety of it, and he's still at it with his new venture. The man is driven and never chose the easy route.

I look forward to that 2nd volume of the biography.

Koen

And to cap it all, he is bringing a viola player to the Cropredy stage ;D ;D

Was the last one Simon?
Probably not, not that occasion does stick in the mind.

The DVD is currently available from Play.com at £8.99

http://www.play.com/play247.asp?pa=promo&page=title&r=R2M&title=656175 (http://www.play.com/play247.asp?pa=promo&page=title&r=R2M&title=656175)

I'd have to agree with Koen on Ashley being interesting.  It's always worth catching up with him to see what he's doing next.  I think I've only been disappointed once ... and then for about half and hour.  I've always seen his as a catalyst, bringing together the right musicians at the right time and making things happen.