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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Power and the Glory is the sixth studio album by the British progressive rock group Gentle Giant, released in 1974. Contrary to popular belief, the title of the album and its many lyrical themes were not inspired by author Graham Greene's novel of the same name, although Derek Shulman was aware of Greene's novel.[5] Guitarist Gary Green has cited this album as his favourite by the band.[6]
The album was originally released in the US and Canada by Capitol Records, as would all Gentle Giant's albums until Civilian. The original LP cover was diecut, with rounded upper corners.
Background
A loose concept was hatched for the album prior to recording. "At the time, the Watergate scandal was happening," recalls Derek. "The Cold War issues were coming to a head. The concept for the album was based on the corruption of power and how people on the bottom are affected by the people on top. Money and power will win no matter what and the people that are hoping for the best won’t usually get the best. The label we were on at that time, WWA, was an imprint of Vertigo. Vertigo was a fully owned company of Phonogram which is Polygram which is now Universal which will probably be GE in a week which is going to be the government soon enough. So there’s the corruption of power right there! The power and the glory! Again! Still to this day!"[7
Gentle Giant were a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. They were known for the complexity and sophistication of their music and for the varied musical skills of the members. All of the band members were multi-instrumentalists. Although not commercially successful, the band achieved a cult following.[2]
The band stated that their aim was to "expand the frontiers of contemporary popular music at the risk of becoming very unpopular",[3] although this stance was to alter significantly with time.
Gentle Giant's music was considered complex even by progressive rock standards, drawing on a broad swathe of music including folk, soul, jazz, and classical music.[4] Unlike many of their progressive rock contemporaries, their "classical" influences ranged beyond the Romantic and incorporated medieval, baroque, and modernist chamber music elements. The band also had a taste for broad themes for their lyrics, drawing inspiration not only from personal experiences but from philosophy and the works of François Rabelais and R. D. Laing. In 2015 they were recognised with the lifetime achievement award at the Progressive Music Awards.[5]
Theo Travis new solo album Aeolus: One hour Duduk meditation
With Production and Soundscapes by Steven Wilson
(Panegyric Records. Released 6 September 2024)
Available from Burning Shed- Click Here!
Signed copies available direct from Theo – Click here
When Theo Travis began experimenting with long-form improvised instrumentals for duduk – a woodwind instrument from Armenia sometimes described as ‘the saddest sounding instrument in the world’, he could hardly have imagined a world in which such a one-hour piece would clock up in excess of a million plays on YouTube. Yet that is precisely what happened, with the multi-functional music finding fans purely in its own terms as well as for an array of uses from meditation to yoga, to relaxation & more. Something about the sound, the performances, the context, found, built & maintained a much wider audience than most, far more mainstream music, all without hype, marketing or a dedicated record label supporting the release.
Extending the idea, Theo worked with producer Steven Wilson, (who has previously mixed and mastered many of Theo’s solo recordings & in whose band Theo has played) to produce a new duduk improvisation in multi-channel audio as well as stereo, with soundscapes assembled by Steven Wilson from Theo’s alto flute playing. The result is a stunning & utterly unique piece of work which helps to define new possibilities for so-called “Immersive audio”, without losing focus on the pure sound of the duduk improvisations which have struck such a chord with a wide & growing audience online.
The new piece ‘Aeolus’ (again, one hour long) appears in Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround Sound & 24/96 high resolution stereo on the Blu-ray & in standard 16/44 audio on the accompanying CD. Pre-orders now open on burning shed (see link above)
AEOLUS: Composed by Theo Travis & Steven Wilson
Theo Travis – Duduk & Alto flute
Steven Wilson – Production & Soundscapes
Ancient Soul, Modern Times: Composed by Theo Travis
Theo Travis – Duduk & Soundscapes
Comments on Theo’s One Hour Duduk Meditaitons
“I think God wanted to gift humanity an instrument to remind them of Him and this how we ended up with such divine sounds “
“This is the most melancholic sounding and most beautiful instrument on earth. Thank you.”
“Duduk touches my soul like no other instrument”
“The sound of the Duduk is totally different from all the music I have heard. Once your consciousness, your awareness connects with this sound fully, it empties the mind of self-centred thoughts and gives a blissful feeling!”
“Amazing divine sound of Armenian duduk when I feel overwhelmed and at lowest lows, I listen to this and it's the only music that helps me”
“When I feel emotionally high or overwhelmed and carried away from reality, I instantly turn to the sounds of the duduk, to bring me back down, planted, rooted and stay real. It’s really an antidote for my soul. Greetings, Armenia....! Much love from Canada.”
“Certainly one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard. Sounds very, very ancient and haunting. “
“Theo is a gem, love his work with Soft Machine”
“It elevates my soul to higher places beyond earth “
“So poignant, so serene, so soulful... Thank you for this”
See also Theo’s YouTube channel @TheoTravisOfficial
The Armenian duduk (/duːˈduːk/ doo-DOOK; Armenian: դուդուկ IPA: [duˈduk])[1] or tsiranapogh (Armenian: ծիրանափող, meaning "apricot-made wind instrument"), is a double reed woodwind instrument made of apricot wood originating from Armenia.[2][3] Variations of the Armenian duduk appear throughout the Caucasus, the Balkans, and the Middle East.[4][5] The duduk, balaban and mey are almost identical, except for historical and geographical differences.[6]
It is commonly played in pairs: while the first player plays the melody, the second plays a steady drone called dum, and the sound of the two instruments together creates a richer, more haunting sound. The unflattened reed and cylindrical body produce a sound closer to the English horn than the oboe or bassoon. Unlike other double reed instruments like the oboe or shawm, the duduk has a very large reed proportional to its size.
UNESCO proclaimed the Armenian duduk and its music as a Masterpiece of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005 and inscribed it in 2008.[7][8] Duduk music has been used in a number of Hollywood films.
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