Reviews
Artist: Redlip
Album: Dan And Headless Bill
Label: Folkwit
Tracks: 8
Website:http://folkwit.com/artists/redlip
I know some of you are going to ask this question at the end, so I thought I'd cut right to the chase and answer it up front, even though some of you will feel like I'm coping out and the writers of the songs may feel like I'm being a little unfair. I acknowledge I'm not going to please everyone here.
"Why are you writing a review praising an album your openly admit you like about half the songs on?" Well, I Iike/liked Viv Stanshall, Spike Milligan and Monty Python, all of whom produced songs and skits of pure genius and all of whom produced some absolute dross. The other thing all three produced were the strange ones that could be dross or genius depending on where you were, in or out of your own mind when you hear them.
Redlip is a collaboration between Ash Cooke, aka Pulco and Adam Leonard, two artists who very much plough their own furrows, experiment and breakdown barriers just to see what there is on the other side.
In some respects this is an album where someone has trapped two crazed innovators in a room with a whiteboard and told them to brainstorm, oh and theres no silly ideas. Consequently we've got an album of ideas that don't really flow together, but apart can be beautiful, dischordant and melodic, often in the same tunes.
Sometimes ideas develop a pace of their own and re-emerge. This happens with the two biography songs. The first song looks at the life of Bert Jansch, the second the death and ghost of Sid James, both songs are the work of genius.
The absolute dross happens to be the opening track, "Intro", for me it's an irritating rehash of witty effects that lead into many albums, but it does immediately let you know that you are about to dive into an album where convention isn't going to apply.
As with Stanshall, Milligan and Monty Python, there are a lot of other performers that will find ideas in here, refine them and move on with credit bulging, both in back pocket and wallet, but that's why all genres have their innovators and rarely is it the people that thought them up that made the money. Apple have nicked most of their ideas moulded, them into something different and made bucket loads.
Not all of this album will float your boat, there's bit's I definitely don't like, but here's the chance to get in ahead of the crowd and pick up on some individuality before it hits the mainstream.
Oh one more thing. All credit to Folkwit for having the courage to release albums like this one.
Neil King