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Percy Jones - Cape Catastrophe (CD)

Genre: Jazz/Rock
Release Date: 25th November 2013

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Label: Gonzo
Catalogue Number: HST183CD
Price: £9.99

Brand X was another one of those bands who were beloved of other musicians and the more discerning of critics, but that despite everything never had the commercial success that it deserved.

They were a jazz fusion band active 1975–1980. Noted members included Phil Collins (drums), Percy Jones (bass), John Goodsall (guitar) and Robin Lumley (keyboards). Not long after jazz/rock fusion greats Brand X put out their 1980 album, Do They Hurt?, the band members went their separate ways (until their comeback in 1992 which only featured Goodsall and Jones).

Dave Lynch writes: 'Fusion bassists, including the utterly unique and underpraised Percy Jones, have always laboured in the shadow of Weather Report's Jaco Pastorius. Of all the musicians who strapped on fretless electric basses during the '70s through to today, Jones certainly deserves attention beyond the seemingly inevitable Pastorius comparisons.'

Jones’s utterly idiosyncratic bass playing defined the sound of Brand X as much as Phil Collins’s drumming, and the band would not have been anywhere near as interesting without him. He also appeared on classic Brian Eno LPs as Another Green World and Before and After Science.

Dave Lynch continues: 'After his years in the heyday of British fusion and art rock, Jones moved to New York City and began occasionally showing up as a performer on the so-called downtown scene, as logical a place for him to attempt a fresh start as any. He recorded Cape Catastrophe in 1988 and 1989 at a studio in East Harlem. Using an array of the era's available hardware (including, as the product-placing liners indicate, a Casio synthesizer, Roland sequencer, Yamaha drum machine, and Korg digital delay), Jones laid down tracks ranging from two-and-a-half minutes to over 23 minutes in length, and then accompanied the tracks live on his five-string (Wal V, for those interested in brands) bass as the direct-to-digital recording was made. The results were generally quite impressive, and stand the test of time well over a decade later.'

'There is certainly a lot here for electric bass-aholics to enjoy; Jones's burbles, pops and plonks are all here, and his tone on the sustained notes is rich with harmonic overtones as expected. But the music through which the bass slips and slides is often more like twisted instrumental techno-funk than fusion, along with ominous electronic textures that sometimes sound like an ethereal choir or gruff, agitated shouts distorted beyond recognition. Sometimes the rhythms are steady enough that dancing wouldn't be out of the question (on Hex, for example), but most of the time Jones's drum machine is used to syncopate even the conventional four- or eight-beat measures in jarring and unexpected ways, which would probably send today's dance-oriented audiences into conniption fits.'

Jones composed everything on the album himself, except for the closing number, which – of all things – everything on Cape Catastrophe except the final track, which surprisingly turns out to be an arrangement of Thomas Arne's Symphony in F major, tinged with a bit of the feeling of Krautrock experimentation.

The album is a peculiar though satisfying mix of jazz fusion and electronica, and is another one of those classic albums that slipped through the cracks at the time, which is just unfair. Great tunes, great compositions, great musicianship. What’s not to like? JON DOWNES

Tracks:

Review: Percy Jones - US review

https://shakefire.com/review/percy-jones-cape-catastrophe

CAPE CATASTROPHE

(Percy Jones)

Label(s):

Gonzo Import

Genre:

Jazz

Release Date:

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Grade:

B+

Format:

Tracks:

Percy Jones is a journeyman bass player who is probably more well known for his role as the bass player for the band Brand X. His style while in that band was a mish mash of disco grooves, funk, jazz fusion, and just off the wall grooves that defy explanation.

After Brand X Jones played with Tunnels, did a lot of solo touring, and loaned his talents to some obscure acts that allowed him to continue exploring his talents. Ad a stand alone player, Jones really pushed the limit. Cape Catastrophe is a taste of that.

My first impression of the album was that I had stumbled upon lost 80’s film soundtrack cuts. A lot of it reminded me of 80’s films like Dreamscape, Commando, even some video game stuff like Double Dragon or Bijou Billy (oddly enough). There was a lot of funky bass playing going on with some brave experimentations with chimes, drum machines, and synths.

I think an independent reviewer said it best when they called the music “Middle Eastern Industrial Techno-Funk”. For me, that pretty much describes the enormity of sounds coming off this album. In one song Jones makes his bass sound a sitar, on another he seems to get lost in the jumble of science fiction like synth and drum machine collage that pushes the drum and bass category into a whole other level, I’m talking Aphex Twin weird.

The album is completely voiceless aside from some strange radio broadcasts coming from a (now) archive Australian broadcast. It’s all simply industrial like sounds that Jones seems to weave in and out of. It will most definitely not be an album for everyone. There is a lot of madness about it and if you know what Jones is capable of and respect the atmosphere that he brings to this album, you’re going to love his work and find the amazing in it. Well worth checking out if you’re into bass playing, jazz, or are a free spirited music lover.

Review by AJ Garcia

ALSO AVAILABLE AT GONZO:

Tunnels
CD - £9.99

Cape Catastrophe
CD - £9.99

Review: Jones, Percy: Cape Catastrophe (reissue) Review

After the break-up of Brand X, bassist extraordinaire Percy Jones packed up his bags and moved to New York City, eventually recording during 1988/89 what would become Cape Catastrophe. Now being reissued by Gonzo Multimedia, this collection of eight tracks, which run the gamut from jazz-fusion, electronica, and bouncy ambient, can be enjoyed by longtime fans as well as new recruits who are just now discovering the talents of this bass legend.

The list of instruments that Jones utilized here (he plays everything on the album) includes; Wal V fretless bass, Casio C101 synthesizer, Roland sequencer, Yamaha RX 11 drum machine, Korg digital delay, FSK custom sync tone encoder/decoder, Tascam 244 four track recorder, and a Casio DAT machine. Remember, this was the late '80s, so some of this material sounds a bit dated, especially the drum machine and sequencer parts, but most of us are listening purely for those lovely & acrobatic fretless bass lines and tones, of which there are many great ones here. The title track is a great extended romp, filled with funk grooves and jazzy electronica, while the endearing "Slick" features some of the best melodic lead bass on the album. "Hex" is more of an upbeat fusion piece, containing some complex bass & synth flurries, while the massive, near 24-minute "Barrio" is a bass lovers dream come true, with Jones displaying his incredible talent for creating lovely textures and melodies, and oh yeah, some serious chops as well. "Tunnels" has some nice popping bass and spooky synth, and "Thin Line" again shows just how commanding Jones is on the fretless bass. Look for some appealing sounds on the upbeat "Symphony in F Major", a track featuring some clever arrangements, though somewhat brought down by the dated drum programming.

All in all, plenty of bass fun to be had on Cape Catastrophe. Composition-wise, this is pretty impressive stuff, and as always, Percy does not disappoint as far as the bass playing goes. Some might scoff at the DIY/one-man-band sounds, which is clearly dated, but there is plenty of good material to enjoy if you can keep an open mind.

Track Listing

1) The Lie

2) Cape Catastrophe

3) Slick

4) Hex

5) Barrio

6) Tunnels

7) Thin Line

8) Symphony in F Major

Added: February 7th 2014

Reviewer: Pete Pardo

Score:

Related Link: Gonzo Multimedia

https://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=15721

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO:

Tunnels
CD - £9.99

Cape Catastrophe
CD - £9.99

Review: PERCY JONES: German review translated

Percy Jones / Cape Catastrophe

Playing time: 63:27 Format: CD Label: Gonzo Multimedia, 2013 (Hot Wire Music, 1990)

Style: Fusion, Experimental Review on 13/02/2014

Joachim 'Joe' Brookes In 1990, the virtuoso bassist debuted Percy Jones with "Cape Catastrophe". The specialist of the fretless bass driver was on some Brand X active albums. Further stations of his work included the Fusion lineup tunnel , The Fusion Syndicate , Steve Hackett , Brian Eno , Roy Harper , Gary Moore , David Sylvian or Suzanne Vega .

Another plate in the discography of the artist, but under the name Percy Jones Ensemble , is "Propeller Music". This album comes with no bonus tracks, so as it was published in 1990, on the market again. On a digital remastering could also be abolished because Carlos Albrecht had fromBert accessible album produced even then, digitally mastered in the legendary Bauer Studios, Ludwigshafen. With its eight songs is "Cape Catastrophe" go even after the many past years of the first publication definitely not an easy diet, since you have already prejudice to the cause, and some experience with, let's say it once casually, have wacky music.

The freedom of art is damn porous defined and the experimental music sorted in either a genius or the charm of a paving slab.

Undeniably, Percy Jones' ingenuity on the whale V five string fretless bass. From more or less gliding opener "The Lie" in short format up to just over dreiundzwanzigminütigen Opus "Barrio" is for the fan of extravagant numbers (almost) everything there, which can give the fusion music that way.Exceptions confirm the rule. Only "Symphony In F Major" does not come from the think tank of Percy Jones . The by Thomas Arne written (1710-1778) song was arranged by the protagonists. The adaptation is one of the gentle-designed tracks on the album.

Perhaps it is indeed in the musical template that Percy Jones something had put the brakes on the imagination. An artfully plucked bass strikes artificially generated background and one may in approaches to Focus or Ekseption think.Since the just mentioned "Barrio" is already a very different caliber. The musician served a tonal multi-layer salad, which seems to be rarely made according to the recipe. If you come this far with the disc, then the listener has the "Cape Catastrophe" swallowed bait for a long time and internalizedPercy Jones' vital virtuosity without a break. In the tricky rhythms set the Yamaha RX 11 drum machine, one can speak in any way of Groove, but progressively the buzz is all. Quieter cuts Prog mix with fusion.

The selectivity disappears into nebulous realm and eventually hide behind even the unexpected phases of experimentation. This sound monoliths can not record in the same breath you. Only after several rounds (for which you have to book time) speak the sounds of longtracks a language for which you do not need translation. After about half of the season, a short radio sequence is inserted in the form of an announcement. These passes were, a second "Barrio" part and the mood is colored something far east with all zeal. The album can hardly with, for example, Brand X compare. "Cape Catastrophe" is the artistic big bang, the second, if not third dimension of British fusion band. A piece like the funky "Hex" is somewhat more fusion in the sea of the mainstream. "Slick" is a ballad, with an unmistakable penchant for continuous melody. The album includes music, has the relatively broad targets set limits.

Through their intransigence, it shows a not-setting of the hand effect. The famous red thread of "Cape Catastrophe" is the experimentation, the risk of daring tightrope walk. Only he who dares, wins.

Line-up: Percy Jones (bass, synthesizer, drum programming)

Tracklist

01:The Lie (2:36)

02: Cape Catastrophe (10:36)

03: Slick (6:50)

04: Hex (4:37)

05: Barrio (23:30)

06: Tunnels (4:56)

07: Thin Line (6:57)

08: Symphony in F Major (4:10)

Review: PERCY JONES: German review translated

Percy Jones / Cape Catastrophe

Playing time: 63:27 Format: CD Label: Gonzo Multimedia, 2013 (Hot Wire Music, 1990)

Style: Fusion, Experimental Review on 13/02/2014

The freedom of art is damn porous defined and the experimental music sorted in either a genius or the charm of a paving slab.

Through their intransigence, it shows a not-setting of the hand effect. The famous red thread of "Cape Catastrophe" is the experimentation, the risk of daring tightrope walk. Only he who dares, wins.

Line-up: Percy Jones (bass, synthesizer, drum programming)

Tracklist

01:The Lie (2:36)

02: Cape Catastrophe (10:36)

03: Slick (6:50)

04: Hex (4:37)

05: Barrio (23:30)

06: Tunnels (4:56)

07: Thin Line (6:57)

08: Symphony in F Major (4:10)

Review: PERCY JONES: French review translated

https://www.musicwaves.fr/frmReview.aspx?ID=10968&REF=PERCY-JONES_Cape-Catastrophe--13-Edition

ALBUM / GONZO MULTIMEDIA

CLOSE GROUPS: -

TRACKS:

01. The Lie 02. Cape Catastrophe, 03. Slick 04. Hex 05. Barrio, 06. Tunnels, 07. Thin Line08. Symphony In F Major TRAINING: Percy Jones (Bass / Sequencer, Synthesizer, Box Rhythms) TAGs: 70's , 80's , Chaotic , Experimental , Instrumental , Jazzy , Psychedelic ,Technical

Percy Jones is a great bass player, worthy of the greatest, who played with with Brian Eno , Steve Hackett and other Suzanne Vega . He was also the bassist for Brand X and specialist fretless instruments. In 1989, Percy Jones released "Cape Catastrophe" Gonzo Multimedia reissued in 2013. Only he composes and plays all the instruments to bring forth this cake, a kind of UFO that may have trouble finding an audience given the complexity and ongoing experiments. Indeed, merely listening to the title track, very jazz improvisation soaring peaks and electronic fuse in all directions. It is very difficult to find recurring themes as the imaginary character torture neuronal vicissitudes of the listener even more motivated if the mastery of the instrument is evident. This will require a lot of courage to go after "Cape catastrophe "without letting go. If the complexity of the compositions commands respect it is clear that only the most experienced can support these combos and remain speechless at the shelf. For others - and they must be the majority of our readers - the purchase of this disc never be anything but an obvious mistake. A hard book to fans of this great man. More information about https://www.percyjones.net/

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO:

Tunnels
CD - £9.99

Cape Catastrophe
CD - £9.99

Review: PERCY JONES: Cape Catastrophe Review

https://www.totalmusicmagazine.com/albumreviews.htm

Percy Jones
Cape Catastrophe (Gonzo)

Fretless bass got something of a reputation during the ‘80s which, despite honourable mentions to Mick Karn (surely a Jones fan?), it still hasn’t fully recovered from. But lest we forget innovators like Jaco Pastorius and Percy Jones originally did things without frets that, even today, sound mind boggling. Perhaps better known for his work with Brand X and Brian Eno, Jones solo output is not huge (just this and Propeller Music in fact), but it is remarkable and this solo effort recorded in 1988 and 1989 using an array of early synths to lay down tracks and then accompany live on his five-string bass is gob-smackingly astounding.

Paul Riley

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO:

Tunnels
CD - £9.99

Cape Catastrophe
CD - £9.99

Review: PERCY JONES: Portugal Review (translated)

https://vianocturna2000.blogspot.pt/2014/02/review-cape-catastrophe-percy-jones.html

Monday, February 17, 2014

Review: Cape Catastrophe (Percy Jones)

Cape Catastrophe (Percy Jones)

(2013, Gonzo Multimedia)

(2.6 / 6)

Percy Jones (born December 3, 1947 in Llandrindod Wells, Wales) is a bassist who will be forever known for his performance inBrand X , although he also played in Soft Machine , Rock Poetry Group and contributed to recordings with David Sylvian , Brian Eno , Steve Hackett ,Paranoise , Suzanne Vega , among others. Castrophe Cape is an innovative but very strange disc. Much more than a disc prog / fusion is a truly experimental record, the fields by entering the Krautrock , which experimentalism that overlaps, almost always, the format and concept song.There is a lot of work and technical and sonic exploration down, exploring new sonic territories, deconstructing the songs always at the expense of musicality or something approaching melody. All themes are by Jones except the last,Symphony In F Major , interestingly a band with something classic in itself. A disc advised explorers hereof.

Tracklist:

1. The Lie

2. Cape Catastrophe

3. Slick

4. Hex

5. Barrio

6. Tunnels

7. Thin Line

8. Symphony In F Major

Line-up:

Percy Jones - bass, synthesizers and programmed drums

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO:

Tunnels
CD - £9.99

Cape Catastrophe
CD - £9.99

Review: PERCY JONES: Portugal Review (translated)

https://vianocturna2000.blogspot.pt/2014/02/review-cape-catastrophe-percy-jones.html

Monday, February 17, 2014

Review: Cape Catastrophe (Percy Jones)

Cape Catastrophe (Percy Jones)

(2013, Gonzo Multimedia)

(2.6 / 6)

Tracklist:

1. The Lie

2. Cape Catastrophe

3. Slick

4. Hex

5. Barrio

6. Tunnels

7. Thin Line

8. Symphony In F Major

Line-up:

Percy Jones - bass, synthesizers and programmed drums

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO:

Tunnels
CD - £9.99

Cape Catastrophe
CD - £9.99

Review: US Review

PERCY JONES: Cape Catastrophe (CD on Gonzo Multimedia)

This 2013 CD features 63 minutes of hyperactive music recorded in East Harlem, New York, in 1988-89.

On this record, Jones plays everything himself.

Since bass is Jones' main instrument, the sinuous throbbing strings play a vital role in this tuneage. Riffs of sultry definition cascade forth, establishing threads of exotic charm. The resultant melodies are comprised of buzzing notes and wobbly chords interweaving to create a contrasting chorus.

Otherwise contributing instruments include synthesizers and drums. The electronics are versatile and varied, injecting buzzing elements of synthetic origin into the music.

The percussion is snappy and often complex in its multilayered structure. A multitude of rhythms flow forth, spiraling to form peppy patterns of mystical allure. Harsh beats blend with crisp impacts to generate a lush tapestry of undulant tempos. The rhythms flood upon the listener at often hyperactive velocity, mired in pulsating basslines and accompanied by electronic bleats.

Some vocals, mostly vocodered effects, are found scattered throughout the tuneage.

These compositions lurch and flow with the craft of a clever composer. Attractive tunes are peppered with the heterogeneous throb of lush basslines and agile percussion, melded together by sneaky electronics. This tuneage combines aspects of progressive jazz with modern technology and a touch of rave dance sentiments.