Mark Robson Lines in the Sand Mark Robson || 01.02.2006 || £10.64  $ € ¥  + p+p +tax Click for big pic Excellent new studio album Earthy yet spacey, calming but activating, a beautifully balanced CD with real heart - pure Mark in fact. So much care was taken over the song selection and recording of this new studio album I have a feeling that it may well turn out to be Mark's strongest release to date. I regularly popped into the recording studio, only 2 minutes from the GAS office, I didn't remember much about the details beyond all this wonderful music swirling around. So I was as excited and interested as anyone to hear what it all sounded like and what made the final cut. An immediate very pleasant Gong related surprise was finding a beautiful version of Daevid's 'Tor Song', which I didn't even know had been recorded, with Graham Clark and Basil Brooks guesting. In fact besides those two who appear on several tracks to telling effect, there was quite a stream of guests. Original Moonie drummer Matt Ledger turned up, and naturally the current members of Kangaroo Moon also appear. In fact so joyful, relaxed and stretched out were the sessions that almost, but not quite enough, for two albums was recorded. The packaging is a very elegent triple-fold didgipak A very different release which is energetically linked to this CD is Craig (Haggis) McFarlane's 'The Hangman's Beautiful Dog' CDR , most of which was recorded during the 'Lines in the Sand' sessions. Track Listing: 78.54 The Secret Breakfast 10.37 (Mark Robson) Sesmi 6.24 (Joshi Chentrens) The Tailors Twist 4.00 (Trad) White Bird 9.46 (Dann Man) Dancing For Freedom 5.56 (Mark Robson) All the Good Times 5.50 (Trad) Song of Hope 8.17 (Words-Oodgeroo Noonuccal/Music-Mark Robson) Corridors of Uncertainity 8.23 (Mark Robson) Take a Good Look 5.51 (Mark Robson) Tor Song 7.02 (daevid allen) The Gentle Maid 6.44 (Trad) Musicians: Mark Robson: Grand piano, keyboards, high & low whistles, melodica, lead & backing vocals, didgeridoo Matt Ledger: Drums, percussion Graham Clark: Violin (trks 1,2,5,7,10) Nick Marshall: Upright & electric bass (trks 1,5,7,9) Basil Brooks: Synths bubbles (trks 1,5,8,9,10) Elliet Mackrell: Fiddle (trks 5,6,7) David Williams: Guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, vocals (trks 5,6,7,9) Rosanna Thomas: Harmony vocals (trks 4,5,6,7,9) Greg Sheehan: Percussion (trk 4) Adrian Shaw: Trumpet (trk 4) Laura Targett: Fiddle (trk 4) Invisible Jim Peters & Emma Harper: Additional harmony vocals (trk 6)