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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Long Haul Pays Off., 21 April 2004
Every so often, two elements come together to produce something both unique and highly satisfying e.g. Lennon & McCartney, toast & Marmite, etc. 'Orpheus the Lowdown.' is essentially such a collaboration. Cooked, cobbled and crafted within a shed in deepest, darkest Swindon during the spaces between two busy lives. Andy Partridge (founding member of XTC & The Dukes of Stratosphere) with Peter Blegvad (creator of Leviathan, solo artist and ex-member of Slap Happy) have put together an important body of work that has taken over a decade to complete. The album follows Orpheus who, as we meet him, is the only living soul upon the planet. Tasked by the gods of Olympus to build a city in a day, our hero's story expands outwards in a spiral of invention as the tale threads its way through a multitude of themes both familiar and fantastic. In Blegvad, you can hear the strains of Ken Nordine circa 'Ageing Young Rebel' or (in places) even Allen Ginsberg. Peter's talent is that he can be both humorous and profound in equal measures, an ability few contemporary writers possess. It pleases me no end that he shuts out self indulgence in favour of such wit and intelligence (no mean feat for such a bold album). Similarly, Partridge's 'tight but loose' style is all over these tracks and his unique touch is released into a garden that many writers seldom look to explore. His endeavours reap tremendous rewards and sit at the very heart of this recording, breathing like soft, leathery lungs. The entire album (with its equally evocative cover art) is a wonderful pushme-pullyou like beast. This is the sound of two artists at the very height of their creative powers and largely without parallel in the contemporary market. It could be said that only Tom Waits or Robyn Hitchcock can still punch with this much creative confidence and with such sublime skill. Buy it; you have to.
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~ Andy Partridge & Harold Budd
~ Monstrance
~ Peter Blegvad
~ Peter Blegvad
~ Stephen Stills
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