In the tradition of of Rick Wakeman ("Journey to the Center of the
Earth"), Jeff Wayne ("War of the Worlds") and Alan Parsons ("Tales of
Mystery and Imagination"), comes this interesting
musical CD by Judge Smith about the loss of the British airship R.101 in
1930.
Six years in the making, Curly's Airships is an
epic work of words and music written in the form of narrative rock music
called song-story. The project is probably one of the largest and most
ambitious single pieces of rock music ever recorded. It tells the true
story of the bizarre events which led to the destruction of the world’s
biggest airship, the giant dirigible R.101, on its maiden voyage to India; a
tale of the incompetence and arrogance of government bureaucrats, the
ruthless ambition of a powerful politician and the moral cowardice of his
juniors; a story of inexplicable psychic phenomena, the thoughtless bravery
of 1920s aviators and the extraordinary spell cast by the gigantic machines
they flew: the giant airships, the most surreal and dreamlike means of
transport ever devised.
The double CD sets involves eighteen featured
performers, among whom are four of the original members of Van der Graaf
Generator, including respected solo artist Peter Hammill and the composer of
Curly’s Airships, Judge Smith. Also participating are singer Arthur Brown
(of The Crazy World), Pete Brown (of Battered Ornaments and Piblokto), Paul
Roberts of The Stranglers, John Ellis, formerly of The Vibrators and The
Stranglers, plus a 1920’s dance band, a classical Tenor, an Indian music
ensemble and several cathedral organs.
The CD is being offered for £18.95 (approximately $36.00 U.S.), a little high, but the preview sound clips make this an interesting purchase.
This CD can be purchased directly from Judge Smith's website:
