Beats Working - CD REVIEWS 1

GUITARIST - ISSUE 182

Guitarist Cover CD, Track 4 - Way Down The Line

Vocalist John Hardman sounds just like Roger Waters throughout many of the 12 tracks

lined up on what is the bands sixth album.

This is unashamed prog rock. Obligatory 'Torran' guitar solos, big choruses,

lush harmonies and more reverb are all present and correct, sir!

'Way Down the Line'...

...'Pathway to Your Heart' is top hole.

This is a professional package complete with 'proper' CD sleeve featuring all manner of

guitars, live shots and bottles of Uncle Jack...

...it certainly does beat working...

May/June
Page 72

Beats Working

'Calm'

(Swamp WAMCD004CD)

It's not often Britain produces a truly classy, mainstream rock band.

But Beats Working definitely fall into this category.

A combination of Dire Straits, Pink Floyd and Bad Company with added

touches of Barclay James Harvest this foursome make it all sound so

relaxed and easy, as they groove their way through 12 stylishly melodic

songs that ooze maturity, yet avoid sounding contrived.

One of the most impressive British rock albums in ages, 'Calm' is

classic rock in all senses of the term.

MALCOLM DOME
©1999 All rights reserved

The sixth album from the little-known quartet led by guitarist/vocalist John Hardman

boasts not only the best sleeve design since 'Storm Thorgersen' (care of Tristan Greatrex),

but an eye opening set of prog/AOR. Fans of Dave Gilmour will appreciate the tasteful

guitar jousts and almost "About Face" vocals of "Round and Round", and "One Man" is

Floyd bumping into the Storm. A couple of others are Alan Parsons Project-type keys-led

rockers, and "It Won't Go Bang" could swlip into BJH's "Eyes of The Universe", while

"Pathway To Your Heart" nods to Al Stewar's "Russians And Americans".

Pop-rock also appears in the shape of the WAng Chung styling of "Aint No Tellin'",

with its added ZZ Top "Rhythmeen" low-down dirty fuzz...

...there could be hidden treasure nestling in this back catalogue.

Time is humanity's fascination. It is the world's most precious resourse, yet cannot be bottled and sold

for profit. The very manipulation of it, if for only a second, captures and stretches the imagination of

poets, scientists, and aspiring writers.

While British band Beats Working may not have the answers to humankind's temporal riddles, they have

done much to freeze the timeline of good, solid rock. Listening to the foursome brings listeners back to

the days when David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) ruled commercial airwave stations and bands such as Genesis

and The Outfield were in their heyday. Long, instrumental themes, epic-inducing vocals, and tasty hints

of Dire Straits keep fans of meat-and-potatoes rock from lamenting the end of an era.

Beats Working are Lynn Sheppard (bass, vocals), John Hardman (lead guitar, vocals), Chris Glover

(drums/percussion), and Simon Prickett (guitar, vocals). This band packs over ten years experience and

several albums' worth of lineage into every single note and it shows. While you may not have heard of

Beats Working, they have six albums currently in print, and show no signs of waning. Their latest CD,

Calm, is excellent from the sleeve's impressive artwork (featuring mountainous islands in a

sun-drenched sea) to the music contained within. This foursome brings epic, timeless art to the table, and

it is you and I who reap the rewards.

MORE REVIEWS

Tristan Greatrex - Illustration, Graphic Design and Photo-retouching

WEBSITE - www.beatsworking.tv/greatrex/design.html