Duncan Parsons
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Here all week
"I'm Here, All Weak" is a new retrospective offering up a selection of tunes from across the six official solo albums released between 2012 and 2022, whether the original recordings, new mixes, edits, or new versions, alongside two previously unreleased pieces. Everything has been freshly mastered for this release.
"sounds like something beamed from an earlier, more innocent musical era ..a slightly more assertive Nick Drake""
Prog Magazine on I'm Here, All Weak (2023)
"He is truly progressive in his approach and thinking.. will refresh parts that other prog music daren't venture to explore"
John Wenlock-Smith, Progradar, on I'm Here, All Weak (2023)
"a must have for the lover of complex prog rock (98/100)"
Esther Kessel-Tamerus on On Earth, As It Is (2022)
Across the tracks there are appearances from the likes of Leland Sklar, Steve Hackett, John Helliwell, Gary Boyle, Nick Fletcher, Ton Scherpenzeel, Raul D'Oliveira, Clare Lindley, Bill Bruford, and others
Released October 6, 2023
On earth, as it is
“On Earth, As It Is” is the sixth album from multi-instrumentalist Duncan Parsons. Using The Lord's Prayer as a framework, the album explores themes of trust, anger, forgiveness, responsibility, temptation, and other elements of basic humanity via rock, folk, minimalism, jazz, and whatever else was lying about the studio.
Taking cues from across the progressive canon, from the existential themes of The Dark Side Of The Moon, through diverse instrumentation, to the rock/acoustic, long/short track album structure from Yes‘ Fragile and Jethro Tull’s Aqualung, "On Earth, As It Is" places itself in the heart of the progressive tradition.
Along with the familiar faces of John Hackett, Nick Fletcher, Kim Eames, and Ben Eckersley, "On Earth, As It Is" welcomes John Helliwell (Supertramp), Dave Bainbridge (Iona, Strawbs, Lifesigns), John Steel (The Daintees), Leland Sklar (well, everyone), and Lizz Lipscombe into its musical fold; each guest bringing something unique to the soundscape. This may be the first time that Helliwell and Sklar have appeared together on the same tune, and is almost certainly the first occurrence of spoons and washboard trading fours on a progressive recording!
Throughout the album one might catch glimpses of the likes of Supertramp, Bill Withers, Michael Nyman, Anthony Phillips, Alan Parsons (no relation!), Bruford/ UK, Pink Floyd, Gentle Giant...
Common Sense Dancing
“Common Sense Dancing” marks the fifth album release from Duncan Parsons. Titled after a quote from Clive James, the album continues progressive music's determination not to be defined. With themes taking in humour, nostalgia, the arts, and social science, it digs its own furrow with songs of love, dance, tribute, remembrance, and nonsense. Stylistically, there's rock, jazz, pop, folk, minimalism, sci-fi sound-scape - pretty much anything lying around the studio..
Packaged as a double album, the first disc contains 15 tracks of songs and instrumentals. Ladybird weaves a brief history of the children's books between 1948 and 1971; Play's Cool pays tribute to the golden age of British Children's Television; Green Cross Code, Man is the ultimate extrapolation of the social programming messages of 70s Public Information Films; Furry Leaves brings a fresh interpretation of a classic Romantic era piano piece; Family Entertainment bemoans standards in broadcast arts; and A Breakthrough In Sound tells the true story of when a TV signal was interrupted one teatime in Hampshire, 1977.
Disc two has a half hour 'radio play' about the history of Ordnance Survey maps based around a walk in the Peak District interspersed with music, followed by arrangements of the incidental music set for Mellotron. The atmosphere is pastoral, the tone reminiscent of Detectorists, and the terrain taken in its stride. NB - hills can go down as well as up.
Packed to the rafters with Mellotron sounds, including from less-than-common tapes, Common Sense Dancing sees the return of John Hackett's flute and Nick Fletcher's lead guitar work, along with stunning violin work from Clare Lindley (Stackridge, DLM) and Sarah Sharp (Tzarsi), and saxello from Mick Somerset (Floy Joy, Clock DVA).
Throughout the album one might catch glimpses of the likes of Supertramp, Nick Drake, 10cc, The Feeling, Bruford, Vangelis, Strawbs, Stackridge...
"Gentle, wistful and evocative with beautiful arrangements" Cherry Cant (widow of Brian Cant)