John Greenwood’s second album, The Boy is the follow-up to one of last year’s best debut progressive rock albums, the impressive Dark Blue. Most modern prog fans know of the legendary Australian progressive rock outfit, Unitopia, whom John Greenwood joined for their great ‘comeback’ album last year, Seven Chambers. Alongside that fine outfit John Greenwood seems intent on also carving out his own reputation as a talented solo artist with the release of this ambitious concept piece.
For those unfamiliar with John Greenwood, until recently he was unknown in the music business, having focused on developing his skills as a Burns Specialist physician in the U.K. and then emigrating to Adelaide over 20 years ago where he developed a highly successful and much acclaimed medical career, named as ‘Australian of the Year’ in 2016 for his pioneering work. However, he always had a great love of music and honed his musical skills, eventually impressing Mark Trueack and Sean Timms enough for them to recruit him to the newly re-formed Unitopia, joining their songwriting partnership. Unitopia partner Sean Timms features significantly in The Boy, on keyboards and other contributions, alongside bandmate Steve Unruh on violin and flute and Don Schiff of the live Unitopia band on Stick.
Anyone expecting a carbon copy of the diverse and often acerbically political Dark Blue needs to think again as John Greenwood has taken a largely different route on most of this new album. However, fans of the previous album curious as to the style of this new release could refer to the epic sweep of the orchestral piece The Ocean as the piece most similar musically to the approach and ambition taken in most of The Boy.
Pleasingly, the lovely voice of John Greenwood’s daughter, Emma Bartsch returns, as the lead female vocalist, portraying both ‘The Girl’ and ‘The Mother’ in this Sci-Fi story. She really does have a sweet and engaging voice, showing the emotion implicit in the roles she is vocalising, particularly in Some Days, and complements her father’s own mellifluous voice well in A Brave New World… but we’re getting ahead of ourselves!
The Boy is a concept album based on the dreams of a Boy fascinated with Space, aspiring to the stars in the face of the effects of climate change on his parents’ declining farm, which his parents expect him to take on in due course. Threaded through this story is the love interest of ‘the Girl’ who dreams of their future together. However, his driven singular ambition to reach space inevitably results in his leaving her, and his parents’ farm, far behind. As he progresses in his training as a space pilot, he still yearns to be able to talk and share his fears with his family and the girl he had loved, although feels too disconnected from them, now feeling unable to cross that divide. When he finally ascends into space his mother is heartbroken and feels she failed as a parent. Meanwhile in orbit her ‘Boy’ is simultaneously filled with wonder and regret about the Earth and all he loves below him, in contrast to the fear of the void of endless, barren space… we could go on but that would totally ‘plot spoil’ the story so if that has piqued one’s interest then listening to the album is the only way to find out what eventually happened.
That’s the story (mainly) so what about the music – does it match the atmosphere and ambition of the narrative?
The Idea of Space sets the scene immediately with resonant narration from the British actor Mark Addy, famous for roles in the movies ‘The Full Monty’, ‘A Knight’s Tale’ and ‘Robin Hood’, and more recently in the acclaimed TV series ‘A Game of Thrones’ and ‘Sherwood’. John Greenwood shared an early version of this album with this reviewer, featuring Greenwood doing the guide vocal narration, so it was a revelation to hear just how intuitively and quite brilliantly Mark Addy was able to totally transform the final version with the mastery and subtlety of his oratory. This opening piece is like a symphonic overture to the whole album, characterised with orchestral sweeps and subtle, complementary guitar embellishments. The guitars skilfully add to the orchestral musical canvas rather than overwhelming them, which can sometimes be a risk of such fusions of orchestral and rock styles. The orchestrated music is filled with a sense of wonder and optimism, symbolising the Boy dreaming of space. Greenwood has previously stated his biggest influence was early Genesis and that influence comes across with his guitars echoing the style and accomplishment of Steve Hackett throughout the album. The style changes on Brave New World in which John Greenwood’s wistful and impassioned vocals portray the aspirations of The Boy, despite his love of the Girl. Later in the song Emma Bartsch beautifully sings the part of the Girl, smitten with love for The Boy but unable to assuage his over-riding passion for space travel;
It’s your Brave New World, You didn’t think to ask if I
Might have Dreams of just where that might be the Future we’d share
This is a lovely song filled with aspiration, regret and love, although for this listener it may have benefited from a little more brevity as it does feel a little stretched at over 6 minutes. The style is evocative of musical theatre, and has similarities to some of the approaches taken so successfully by U.K. artist John Holden in recent albums.
Mark Addy’s engaging narration takes us into The Leaving, that goes in a very different direction musically, entering on a fanfare of portentous guitar and drums before settling into a much more persistent and heavy pace. This is a relentless and dramatic piece building the tension up to his first mission into space with thudding drums and bass with strident guitar lines thrusting onwards. The pressure of learning his skills as a space pilot is evoked powerfully by the music, and one must wonder whether in some ways the Boy may in some ways be subconscious echoes of a younger Greenwood driven on in his arduous training to be a doctor. The Boy’s blast off into space is conveyed effectively with sound effects and fitting dramatic music, to seemingly reach the zero gravity of space in a more ethereal section, until he goes beyond The Edge of the Sky. The narrative moves on the much more orchestral and mournful opening of Some Days, which flows into a more pastoral early Genesis-like 12-string guitar section over which Greenwood plays a brief melancholic electric guitar motif. This sets the scene for the lovely voice of Emma Bartsch, emotionally portraying the Boy’s ‘Mother’ lament for her dearly missed beloved son. These feelings are sensitively echoed by John Greenwood’s delicate guitar play and sensitive orchestration.
The Broken Heart of the Great Machine gives a very different perspective, with ‘The Boy’ in orbit, now broken-hearted, looking down on all he loved on Earth, in contrast to the dark emptiness of space, expressed in fluid guitar lines very reminiscent of Hackett. Sam Greenwood adds a contemplative grand piano interlude before Greenwood returns with a distinctly portentous guitar line, which eventually ends with a brief Spanish guitar-like passage… but perhaps we will leave the details of what transpires there so as not to reveal the whole story. Coming Home concludes the narrative poetically both in terms of the story line and the rather lush orchestration and emotional lyrics, with some fine singing by John Greenwood as The Boy on his final journey home.
This release is attractively packaged with some retro-looking artwork and an expansive text of the story, reminiscent of the storybooks of our childhood… and that may be a clue to the nature and feel of this album – there is a naïve charm about the simple story and the descriptive music used to convey that narrative.
Last year with Dark Blue John Greenwood surprised many with his multi-faceted, dark and excellent album. The temptation might be to compare these albums, but they are largely very different manifestations, albeit from the same artist. The Boy lacks the diversity and savage satirical bite of Dark Blue, but it was never intended to be a sequel to the debut album and needs to be taken on its own merits. The Boy comes from a very different place stylistically and emotionally… but does it always work? There are some great heights reached musically but there were also times for this listener when I yearned for more momentum and less of the widescreen cinematic sweeping orchestration which could verge on the sentimental. However, that could possibly be my hankering back to the debut album and a desire to hear what I wanted to hear, rather than buying into what the artist wanted to express. Once one fully invests in the story and album the atmosphere carries you along with the ranging perspectives and emotions expressed so artfully and with such skill.
This album marks the latest emotive and entertaining episode in the developing career of John Greenwood. The Boy is an expansive, widescreen concept piece full of evocative and expressive guitars, lovely vocals and a touching, memorable storyline. Having ascended into space it will be fascinating to see in what direction this very talented and imaginative artist goes next.
TRACK LISTING
01. The Idea of Space (9:50)
02. A Brave New World (6:21)
03. Leaving (5:29)
04. Some Days (8:00)
05. The Broken Heart of the Great Machine (7:23)
06. Coming Home (7:03)
Total Time – 44:06
(NB: please note that this album is presented as one continuous piece – the timings above are the approximations made by this reviewer for the different sections of this piece.)
MUCICIANS
John Greenwood – Lead Vocal (The Boy), Nylon Guitar, 6 & 12 String Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Keyboards, Programmed Orchestration, Backing Vocals
Mark Addy – Narrator
Sean Timms – Additional Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Sequencers, Programmed Percussion & Orchestral Finessing
Steve Unruh – Violin, Flute (6)
Simon Philips – Drums
Emma Bartsch – Lead Vocal [‘The Girl’ (2) & ‘The Mother’ (4)], Backing Vocals
Sam Greenwood – Grand Piano (5)
Don Schiff – NS/Stick
Carolyn Lam – Violin
Louise Beaston – Violin
Ivan Skawronski – Violin
Mae Napier – Violin
Asha Stephenson – Viola
Rachel Hicks – Viola
Jacqueline Finlay – Cello
Louisa Giacomini – Cello
Linda Pirie – Flute (1 – 5)
Jo Bridgman – Cor Anglais, Oboe
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Independent
Country of Origin: U.K.
Date of Release: 30th September 2024
