Reviewed by Stephen Luff

John, brother of ex-Genesis member Steve, returns with an acoustic album exploring the fusion of classical and prog rock. The track list is made up of 16 short pieces (one, "The Shepherd Wheel", is just over a minute!). The opener, with its bizarre title "Witchfinder", sets the scene with more than a nod to "Classical Gas" (a top 10 hit in 1968), with its soaring, complex flute, energetic guitar and general rock edge. "Appassionata" is a beautiful piece, reflecting a closer move to classical, using a process called double tonguing (a forward stroke of the tongue followed by a backward stroke). "Red Hair" has a folk feel and you can almost see the dancers spinning around as you listen! Also contained here are classical pieces "Andante" (Bach) and "Syrinx" (Debussy) which are simply stunning, the latter is a flute solo which will stop you whatever you are doing! The album demonstrates why John is so highly regarded.

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