ALBUM
THE FOUNDATIONS
RELATIONS
Xymphonia Records
The Foundation’s debut album Mask, came out in 2023. The man behind the project being keyboardist/composer Ron Lammers, the owner of Prog label Xymphonia Records. It was a lovely hybrid of Classic and Neo-Prog with contributions from A-list musicians that received glowing reviews. It has a long shelf-life as well, it being one of those albums that you revisit from time-to-time and wonder where two years has gone. Relations has, for the most part, the same guest musicians and whereas Mask was autobiographical, Rod’s journey through life up to that point, Relations, as the title suggests, deals with how he/we deal with family and friends and – if you are a believer – the supreme being.
“Alpha” opens with a short, gentle air and then plunges into a 1970s classic wall of instruments progression which then cuts to an acoustic vocal section; one minute and forty seconds in and they’ve already grabbed your attention. The dynamics between these three parts and the following five minutes are what every classic Prog lover loves. There are vintage sounds, lyrics that paint pictures, time changes, etc and The Foundation are not ticking boxes either. This is a very well thought out piece of music that encompasses the Classic Prog elements rather than put them in for good measure as are the other seven tracks. The instrumental, “Beauty of Nature,” drops you right into your own imagination of Mother Earth; your choice be it microbes or mountains. “Omega” is God recounting creating the earth and his asking of the listener to take care of it whilst “Rubberband” is the agony about letting your child become an adult. You’ll find certainly find things in here you can relate to on a very personal level. ‘Relations’ is more than just the title of the album.
Ron has not been as involved so much in the writing this time. In fact, for Relations, he has written just two pieces, the rest being handed over to bassist Gijs Koopman and guitarist Rinie Huigen - both from Cliffhanger - along with Knight Area singer, Mark Smit; all three of them were on the Mask. Given that Ron is one hell of a songwriter himself and it’s his project, he didn’t need to do that but he obviously sees the overall canvas and not just the main feature. It was a smart move. Second albums can be tricky. They more often than not satisfy fans but don’t move forward very much from the debut. There are exceptions of course (ELP’s Tarkus springs to mind) and Relations is one.
“Be prepared for some powerful and melodic tracks with a seventies touch and hopeful message” says the info sheet. I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Track List
Alpha
Beauty of Nature
Backbone
Ses Lunettes Noires
Intense
Rubberband
Life
Omega
ALBUM
BOBBIE DAZZLE
FANDABIDOZI
Rise Above Records
Prediction: Bobbie Dazzle are going to be very big indeed.
It’s not often an album comes out where every track is as good as every track but that is exactly what Bobbie Dazzle’s debut is. Ten, beautifully crafted and recorded songs that hark back to the golden era of Glam in the seventies but with a massive overhaul on the genre to bring it into the twenty-first century.
Back in the 1970s when the BBC were looking for a title for their new music show, the chose ‘Old Grey Whistle Test’ which came from the days of Tin Pan Alley when a new record would be played to the elderly gentlemen in grey suits who worked there. Known as ‘the old greys’ if they were still whistling the tune the next day, the record company knew it would be a hit. These days we have a noun for it – earworm.
I tell you this because on this album has earworms galore. Verses and hooks and choruses, that swirl through your head on the first listening and are firmly in there by the third - and very welcome they are too! "Lightening Fantasy" is a blistering opener with so much power musically it’s impossible to ignore but then slips down into a slower section before picking up the pace again with solos and a sprint to the end. It’s four and a half minutes of attention-grabbing energy, that vocalist Bobbie grabs and sours along with and speaking of Bobbie’s voice – wow! This lady is melodic, has expression, vibrato and a seemingly effortless, powerful range that many in the charts will envy. "Merry-Go-Round" is vocal dexterity at its finest; "Antique Time Machine" is a showcase for her control and ability to deliver at speed with diction.
The musicians are obviously all technically excellent and can play at supersonic speed as can be heard on "It’s Electric" but they also all know how to serve a song without over playing. It’s not ‘less is more’ as there is an awful lot going on, it’s that they have an ability to recognize light and shade, a characteristic that Rock and Pop songs used to have and most don’t these days. What this does is give the melody line and backing vocals, much more room and hence those marvellous hooks I mentioned previously. Listen to "April Showers" and "Flowers On Mars" you’ll see what I mean and there’s another thing: this is an album that you actually listen to. Excellently produced and mixed, the clarity of every part is an audio delight. That last song closes the album and it is a song that will leave you wanting more, taking you back to the start, so I will as well…
Prediction: Bobbie Dazzle are going to be very big indeed.
Track List
Lightning Fantasy
Merry-Go-Round
Revolution
Magic of Music
Back to the City
It’s Electric
Antique Time Machine
Lady on Fire
April Showers
Flowers on Mars