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Elly Roberts reviews
Zen Music
- November 2007
- Rating: 8/10
To say, like some music journos have, that Will Tang hasnt got his own style or direction is codswallop.
Okay, there are glaring influences, particularly from the blues genre, and legendaryLed Zeppelin. So what. Where did the Stones and Zep get their mojos from eh? Forthe record, hes written all the songs and produced them. How many can claim thaton their UK debut, I wonder?
For a Young Turk, Rochdale resident Tang has to be admired for not treading thepath of, lets see now, the blandness of Jack Johnson et al. Theres plenty goingon here to keep this journo interested, especially his cool guitar licks andpicks. His blues harp (harmonica) is equally impressive. Theres nothing frivolousgoing on here: its serious stuff, and its very good.
To prove hes really hot stuff, just check the heavy-blues of The Other Side.Page and Plant would be suitably impressed to hear his rasping harp and solos.Tangs not restricted either, as he comfortably trawls through acoustic folk anda bit o country. The delightful acoustic ballad and title track Everything Changes,a song about love deteriorating, is a neat opening. It rambles cautiously, withunderstated swagger, and its catchy too with bags of melody.
Next comes Troubles Down, a gorgeous country tinged shuffle. The pacedrops for acoustic lead ballad On My Way, as the lover predicts his emotionalreturn: “Wont you take this chain and wont you, keep it safe / cos it,wont be long till Im coming home.”
Like a hammer from the gods comes the albums highlight The Other Side. Thewhopping heavy blues blast is scintillating, even if Zep are ghost-watching. Arampant harp textures the riff brilliantly, and theres a massive Bonzo feelto the pounding sticks to the tale of war (cryptic).
A funky bass-line slides in and holds Red City Blues together with splashesof blues guitar solos and harp being the icing on the cake, whereas the perky worldmusic feel of Something Special, a short tale of a boy longing for hisdads return, is a contender for a radio friendly single, and maybe the only one.
If chunky blues is yer bag, then taste Love Bites, which is a shaking shuffle,again with dollops of harp, segued by the full-on monster Time Of Day, thatin truth, would have been better left out, as it would make a better gig track,but useful to know he can cut it.
For a well earned breather, its back to the acoustic delight of melodious Drifting.A wandering ballad about the dream-like state, and love, of course.
On the last two tracks, Tang simply showboats his blues credentials Travellin Man is a funky and steady sojourn dripping in more harp, with Love Bites remix takingon more of a modern R&B pose.
Its only weak spot is a kinda filler track, Stories.
All the songs are superbly played, as youd expect from a musician whos anexperienced session man, cutting his teeth in Hong Kong and the UK underground scene.
File under: Solid album. One to watch.
Weblinks:willtang.co.uk /myspace.com/zenmusicuk
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Everything Changes
2. Troubles Down
3. On My Way
4. The Other Side
5. Red City Blues
6. Something Special
7. Stories
8. Love Bites
9. Time Of Day
10. Drifting
11. Sundown
12. Travellin Man (Remix)
13. Love Bites (Remix)
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.