Here & Now - Coaxed Out From Oxford

Year of Release: 2007
Label: 4Zero Records
Catalog Number: FZ004
Format: CD
Total Time: 73:38:00

In the world of rock, live albums are much like facing a ravenous werewolf with a single silver bullet. If you hit your target, you'll feel like a million bucks ? at least before realizing that there's three more waiting outside for you and that they won't be happy when they've found out you've killed their buddy. But if you miss, all that will be left of you will be a hefty bill to pay in carpet cleaning services - and that's if you're lucky and there's anything left in the first place. Bands have had their entire careers face disaster in the wake of a bad live album, and man oh man, sometimes the results ain't pretty. I know it, you know it, and the critics definitely know it, but bands kind of forget sometimes.

Not Here & Now though. No sir, this space rock quartet seems to have been dead aware of the stakes at hand when recording Coaxed Out From Oxford in 1984, because there's more guts and energy in it than in the entire cast of Predator put together. Well, ok, maybe that's exaggerating a bit, but you get the idea. Now, add what can only be described as magnificent re-mastering work to the sheer verve blaring from this foursome's instruments on that fateful day, and you get one hell of a live space rock album. The kind that you really want to go out and get because it's a limited edition, But by all means, keep reading while it runs out. No, really, please do, I love the company.

Supply and demand-related warning aside, however, it might be a good idea to describe the world of Here & Now in 1984 for those wondering what exactly the fuzz is all about. Well, imagine Hawkwind and The Police in a major head-on collision, and don't imagine anything else, because that's the closest you're gonna get without actually listening to the band. It's all familiar territory, and it feels so comfortable that you would be likely to wet your bed if you weren't older than three ? which hopefully you are if you're reading this!

However, although a Police-like fusion of reggae and pop seeps into the very pores of tracks such as "Heartbeat" and "Ways To Be Free," trippy space synth explorations adorn the excellent "Secrets" and the tone-setting intro "23 Skidoo," and unbridled energy constitutes the brutally honest attack of "Heart Of The City," it would be unfair to limit Here & Now to a mere combination of two other bands. If nothing else, the killer rhythm section of bassist Keith "Le Missile Bass" Bailey and drummer Paul "Baby Face" Rose should convince everyone otherwise and let them know one thing: the members of Here & Now weren't out to conquer Oxford twenty-four years ago; they were out to take over the entire world. Sure, not everything was picture perfect in their attack, but I'll be damned if they get any closer than this.

Tracklisting:
23 Skidoo (4:28) / Heart Of The City (3:43) / The Meganumber (5:49) / Salvador (3:21) / Ways To Be Free (5:43) / Theatre (4:28) / Heartbeat (5:25) / Fantasy Shift (4:16) / Secrets (9:45) / Opium For The People (5:17) / Glad You're Here (4:49) / Last Chance (6:39) / Stoned Innocent Frankenstein (2:44) / Jimmy Mac (7:14)

Musicians:
Deano Ferrari - guitars, vocals
Gavin da Blitz - keyboards, vocals
Keith th' Bass - bass, vocals
Paul 'Baby Face' Rose - drums

Discography:
Selected:

Give And Take (LP, CD) (1978/1990*/2001)
What You See... Is What You Are (LP) (1978)
'Live' - Floating Anarchy 1977 (LP, CD) (1978/1990)
All Over The Show (LP) (1979)
Fantasy Shift (LP, CDR) (1983/2006)
Coaxed Out From Oxford (Cass, CD) (1983/2007)
Theatre (LP) (1984)
Been And Gone (LP) (1986)
UFOasis (CD) (1993)
Gospel Of Free (CD) (1999)
*contains bonus tracks

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK

Added: December 6th 2007
Reviewer: Marcelo Silveyra
Score:
Artist website: www.myspace.com/herenowplanetgong
Hits: 5293
Language: english