When Every Word Was Singing
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley February 2, 2018
Artist – Uwe Gronau
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This popular musician from Germany has burst back upon the scene with his latest release which is introduced with a the sound of the car horn, acoustic backing and something he occasionally does, adds his vocals to the interesting piece which is helped out by some seriously good female vocals from Britta Busshoff.
Gronau’s music is always different, interesting and upbeat and this album does not disappoint. Over the years his music has changed, almost morphed, through the various mediums, which have sometimes become conjoined in the strangely unique world of world/ambient/ groove which gives the creative composers such as Gronau, a very wide scope; a broad palate from which to choose the style, beat and flamboyance of the album.
Rockets On Their Minds has Gronau back with the vocals as he discusses the influence of what he considers dangerous politicians influencing the world with their poison’, the writing on the wall that leads back to destruction. Fittingly it features sharp, harsh, percussion underpinned with eerie, synthesized sounds to represent deep space.
Each of the pieces has its own inspiration which is evident in the piece Rainbows In Our Eyes where the words are the same as the title track, but there is a completely different musical influence, which carries the thread of when were younger, more naïve, we had rainbows in our eyes and all the world appeared to be singing; a much happier place, at least for a little time.
Breakfast in Kentucky is an uplifting piece which, as only it could in the hands of Gronau, was created, born, inspired from a crazy dream experienced where he was eating French toast in Kentucky with Loving Dream composed as if driven, as if time stood still, until the work was complete.
Such is the diverse nature of musical inspiration that each of the poems, upon which the album is constructed, are specific, industrious, mellow, thoughtful, as befits the moment of creation and have in this instance a seriously jazz/prog rock groove overlaying each of the works.
In this collection he pays tribute to David Bowie with the piece Ray of Hope, written before the singer’s death, and sent to him, hoping he would sing it and to the late and great Michael Jackson in the piece Jackson, an ode to the departed entertainer.
As always with Gronau, expect the unexpected and settle in for an entertaining and enjoyable, totally original, musical odyssey.