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░ ██ ██ Artist: John Ford ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: A Better Day █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2015 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-02-08 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Slow Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Whole Shot Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ John Ford of The Strawbs releases his new CD "A █
█ Better Day". The album has 10 old, new, borrowed & █
█ blue tunes. John Ford's achievements include █
█ numerous gold and double platinum record awards █
█ (most recent DBL PLATINUM July 2012 for The MonksÆ █
█ BAD HABITS ), an Ivor Novello songwriter's award █
█ for ôPart of the Unionöand 2010 Inductee in █
█ Progressive Rock Hall of Fame, and 2009 █
█ Progressive Rock Indie Artist of the Year. John █
█ Ford is a member of ASCAP, PRS and The Grammy █
█ Awards organisations. █
█ Back on the vocal track, John releases a new █
█ album, ôA Better Day,ö which offers a look at the █
█ bright side of life. Playing most of the █
█ instruments, John is backed on a harmony front by █
█ THE STORIESÆ Ian Lloyd who lent his voice to █
█ closer ôSandyö and ôAfter The Rock,ö while the █
█ only non-original track on the album with a new █
█ take is ôDeep In The Darkest Nightö by FordÆs █
█ former colleague Dave Cousins. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Bright side of life as seen by one who was part of █
█ the union and a kind of a superman. █
█ █
█ John FordÆs always been an optimist and his faith █
█ in the future shone through ôHeavy Disguiseö that █
█ the bass player set in the heart of STRAWBSÆ █
█ ôGrave New World.ö The veteranÆs new album taps █
█ into the same, although much more lyrical, vibe █
█ which follows the instrumental twang of 2014Æs "No █
█ TalkinÆ" with an array of songs in search of a █
█ higher ground. So while thereÆs urban loneliness █
█ in ôConcrete Jungleö bouncing off an acoustic █
█ guitars web and a sensual beat, FordÆs brisk █
█ appropriation of his former bandÆs ôDeep In The █
█ Darkest Nightö chases the gloom away. █
█ More fitting for a finale, ôCry Me A Riverö gives █
█ the record a tired start, as John croons in a most █
█ traditional way over what could be expanded into █
█ an orchestral backdrop, letting this paradox drive █
█ the elegiac piece towards the light of hope. It █
█ illuminates the intimate solemnity and exquisite █
█ six-string solo of ôYou Can Do Anythingö and the █
█ warm nostalgia of ôOld, Borrowed And Blue,ö █
█ whereas the riffing ôAfter The Rockö rides a █
█ glitter groove, given a solid bottom end and Ian █
█ LloydÆs smooth vocal support. Yet Ford wouldnÆt be █
█ Ford without his patented humor and anthemic █
█ choruses, so the folk-tinctured title track offers █
█ them in abundance, although a short piano break in █
█ its midst reminds the listener about the passing █
█ nature of life. █
█ Hence the transparent, if sparkling, connection of █
█ ôLink To The Chainö and the bittersweet █
█ recollection û and the refusal of sadness û in █
█ ôThe Letter,ö but again, in a typical John Ford █
█ fashion, ôSandyö resolves the doubts in a hymnal █
█ rise, the songÆs chorus proposing a new union and █
█ a prayer for everyone. A quintessential statement. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Cry Me a River 4:11 ░
░ 2. Deep in the Darkest Night 4:01 ░
░ 3. You Can Do Anything 2:38 ░
░ 4. A Better Day 3:50 ░
░ 5. Old, Borrowed and Blue 3:19 ░
░ 6. After the Rock 3:17 ░
░ 7. Concrete Jungle 4:11 ░
░ 8. The Letter 3:43 ░
░ 9. Link to the Chain 3:47 ░
░ 10. Sandy 4:56 ░
░ 37:53 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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