Sweet psychedelic trip, but was it the 60's, 70's or 2013?
The slogan 'Was it now the 60's, 70's or 2013?' comes from De Standaard in October 2013. Along with an instant: 5*, that 's right, 5 out of 5 for his latest 'Fanfare' on the Bella Union label, out here via Pias.
We really don't know where to start scrapping in this fully justified report praising his virtues:
'Jonathan Wilson often reminds us of Pink Floyd, anno Wish You Were Here. It has to do with the voice, the grand guitar style, and the love for psychedelic prog-rock. It also has to to do with the themes, which vary along the love, peace and understanding line of thought.
Wilson is a 38-year-old American singer-songwriter who maintains strong ties with the generations of the 60's and 70's. He's close with Roy Harper, Jackson Browne, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, who all feature on his second album 'Fanfare'.
He is also a producer, with a rather well reputed studio in Los Angeles, where he works with analogue apparatus and welcomes artists who are also in search of an ‘old sound’. He produced this successor to his acclaimed but ‘more modest’ debut album within that aesthetic.
Wilson's receive a magical quality from being dipped into a psychedelic bath. He searches for a fusion of folk and jazz, with the required rock arrangements, many long solos and all sorts of bizarre trimmings. Wilson reveals something of his obscure influences when he covers ‘Fazon’ by Sopwith Camel. ‘Illumination’ will make fans of Crazy Horse euphoric.
A fantastic album, which bears so many layers that it will stand the test of time.'
Maybe we should also add this from his local L.A. Weekly: 'Fanfare is 13 tracks of both hushed and funky psychedelia, bridging the generation gap with contributions from Laurel Canyon OGs Graham Nash, David Crosby and Jackson Browne, as well as Father John Misty and Mike Campbell. With Fanfare, the freak flag flies high.'
Jonathan brings along Syd as support-act: Syd Arthur, a British foursome from Canterbury that sometimes even reminded of Soft Machine themselves, with their 'psychedelic rock, hallucinogenic sounds & high energy live sets.' Far out!