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Online review from The Ptolemaic Terrascope at www.terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Reviews_March05.htm
THE GREEN RAY – FRAGILE WORLD
Now here’s a real little treat – an absolute joy to behold and hear. This is the Ray’s second CD release, but it has more of the feel of a compilation about it as regards the tracks – not that, that is any way a bad thing. Of the 8 tracks on offer, 2 hark back to the early 90s when Simon Haspeck was on board the first time. 2 further offerings are live cuts from the UK Terrastock back in 1999 (really that long ago ?) when Simon Burgin was on board. The remaining 4 being more recent studio forays from 2004 courtesy of their spiritual home @ Senzatempo who “let them out to play” at Ant Farm Studios in Waltham Abbey. This time with Simon “H” back in the frame. Let us not forget the tragic passing of Simon Burgin. For me the band really began to get its’ act together when he came in to underpin Richard’s work. That having been said, anyone who has caught them live over the past couple of years will know that they have continued to develop in a mighty fine manner.
So things open up with a neat offering by the name of “Swain’s Green” which displays an almost pseudo country swing with Ken delivering the little tale. Come the 2nd track and we’re off into a vast landscape “Really” where the Whaley Boys provide a wonderful canvas over which Richard recaptures all that warmth of yore. A medium paced slow burn of majestic wonder – the runs just keep pouring down, with enough space to create such a sonic expanse. If you needed proof alone of just what a one-off guitar artiste Richard Treece remains just let this wash over you. Hard on its’ heels comes a racy little run-through entitled “So Much More” then we’re back to the “big music” – “Barking” is another workout from the early 90s with perhaps a shade more menace and jazzy feel to Richard’s work.
The title track has been in their live set for sometime but has matured / distilled into quite a different beast from that of its’ infancy, well paced, neat time changes and a chorus to die for. “Dr. Love” is another of the fruits from last year’s labours and finds the band in a jazzy vibe – but they take to that like the proverbial “canard a l’eau”. The closing tracks are the live Terrastock cuts of “Alice” and the “rock-classic” of “Float”. The former slowly builds into a fine blues based workout. There’s little left to be said when you hear just how fine the band were at that stage in their development. As for the aforementioned “Float” – for anyone yet to hear the grace that this instrumental possesses – just marvel at the way it spirals and slides.
All in all you’d be hard pressed to be too critical for what is a great little record. It’s great to think that as 2005 moves among us that Messrs Whaley, Whaley, Treece and Haspeck can produce something of this calibre. Here’s to the next release whenever that may be. In the meantime if you get the merest hint of catching them live around old London Town do so. They’d be glad of your company and you’ll be all the better for whiling away a couple of hours in their presence. (Richard R. Gould)
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