It’s hard to believe but this album, often lauded as the greatest folk-rock record of them all, is 50 years old this month. It is up there, too, in my all-time greats list, so it was a pleasure to blow cobwebs off this particular masterpiece and remind myself just how good it really was, and indeed still is. At this point, though, anxiety can set in. I remember the feeling when I picked up a CD copy of Close to the Edge by Yes to replace my aging vinyl. It was reassuring to find that hairs on the back of the neck still stood at attention as “seasons they pass me by”. I had a similar experience listening again to Liege & Lief after several fallow years. I’m probably not that different to most
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outstanding contemporary music through news, album and live reviews, features and interviews.
Music is a great passion of mine. In my teenage years I was an avid record collector and concert goer. Stints as a booking agent, running folk clubs, promoting gigs and even a crack at artiste management followed. While it never became my main occupation, music was always on my personal radar.
During the past 10 years I have written for the leading US music website Consequence of Sound and breakthrough act site, BestNewBands. I am a judge for Glastonbury Festival's Emerging Talent Competition and have reviewed the festival for both the above sites.
Nothing gives me more pleasure than unearthing good, original new music and championing independent musicians. You’ll find many of them on this site alongside some legends of times past and I hope they will bring you as much joy as they give me.
Tony Hardy