"Spyglass Guest/Time And Tide" by GREENSLADE (May 2011 Edsel/Rhino 2CD Reissue and Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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1960s and 1970s MUSIC ON CD - Volume 1 of 3 - Exceptional CD Remasters

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"…Inner Space…"

Like many longhaired spotty-teenagers in the early to mid 70’s - I was completely drawn in by PROG ROCK and its mind-expanding themes. I’d be sat there on a Saturday morning (before Alan Freeman’s Rock Show on Radio 1) with my Garrard SP25 turntable, Dustbuster and Emitex Cleaning Cloth whirling away - whilst I devoured the graphically drawn lyrics on Genesis and Yes gatefold album covers. It wasn’t long before my complex-rhythms addiction spread to Uriah Heap, Gentle Giant and Badger – in fact anything with a Roger Dean album cover on it. It was therefore a natural progression that I would stumble on Dave Greenslade’s keyboard vehicle – GREENSLADE. I thought the first two albums "Greenslade" and "Bedside Manners Are Extra" (both issued in 1973 on Warner Brothers) had good moments - but their 3rd LP "Spyglass Guest" saw a level of sophistication that was undeniably better – and in places – even rather beautiful. Which is where this timely UK 2CD reissue comes in…

UK released May 2011 - "Spyglass Guest/Time And Tide" by GREENSLADE on Rhino/Edsel EDSD 2098 (Barcode 0740155209834) contains Greenslade’s 3rd and 4th studio albums Remastered onto two CDs and mellotrons out as follows:

Disc 1 (38:49 minutes):

1. Spirit Of The Dance [Side 1]

2. Little Red Fry-Up

3. Rainbow

4. Siam Seesaw

5. Joie De Vivre [Side 2]

6. Red Light

7. Melancholic Race

8. Theme For An Imaginary Western

Tracks 1 to 8 are their 3rd album "Spyglass Guest" - originally released August 1974 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 56055 and in the USA on Mercury SRM-1 1015.

Disc 2 (32:33 minutes):

1. Animal Farm [Side 1]

2. Newsworth

3. Time

4. Tide

5. Catalan

6. The Flattery Stakes [Side 2]

7. Waltz For A Fallen Idol

8. The Ass’s Ears

9. Doldrums

10. Gangsters

Tracks 1 to 10 are their 4th album "Time And Tide" – originally released April 1975 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 56126 and in the USA on Mercury SRM-1 1025.

The 20-page booklet is much better than I thought it would be – all the original album artwork is here including the lyrics and inner gatefold pictures; there’s a knowledgeable history on the band and the albums by ALAN ROBINSON and best news of all is the hugely upgraded sound. PHIL KINRADE has done the remastering at Alchemy Studios in London and a superlative job it is too – far better than the dull Eighties CDs I’ve had for years just to have the music. Speaking of which - the music is keyboard-driven Prog Rock with sophisticated Jazz rhythms, chord changes and a lyrical lightness of touch that was even fun at times. Bandleader Dave Greenslade played a huge array of instruments - ARP Synthesisers, Fender Rhodes, Clavinet, Glockenspiel, Harmonium, Mellotron and even Tubular Bells. The band also featured Dave Lawson on Various Keyboards and Lead Vocals, Tony Reeves on Bass with Andrew McCullock on Drums. Ace sessionman and guitarist Martin Briley joined them for "Time And Tide”.

To the music - no matter how much affection I once had for these albums - in 2011 a lot of it sounds horribly dated. Tony Reeves vocals still feel strangulated to me. But there is still wonderful stuff on here nonetheless - in particular the instrumental that ended Side 1 of "Spyglass Guest" - "Siam Seesaw". Alan Robinson’s liner notes describe it as "…thoughtful, elegant and a real gem…" and he's right. I’ve waited decades to hear it sound this good – and I’ll admit that at 52 – a little Proggy tear of joy came out of my eye on rehearing it. "Little Red Fry Up" has the guitar of former Colosseum axeman Dave "Clem" Clemson, while Andy Roberts of Liverpool Scene and Plainsong did acoustic guitar on the lovely "Siam Seesaw". "Joie De Vivre" is excellent (lyrics above) – featuring Violin work from Graham Smith (String Driven Thing) trading off keyboard codas with Greenslade. "Red Light" is the nearest they ever got to a single track – clever lyrics with the keys aping the melody. "Rainbow" opens with rainfall and a sinister piano lead-in – it’s then added to by treated drum and cymbal patterns, which fades into a prettier piano passage halfway through that is beautifully produced by Jeremy Ensor. It’s very Prog, but it’s actually very good. "Spyglass Guest" ends on a cover version of Cream's "Theme For An Imaginary Western". In fact the album saw their only chart action in the UK - 3 weeks - peaking at Number 34.

1975s "Time And Tide" saw collaboration with Patrick Woodroffe on the album artwork (they would work later on 1980s double "The Pentateuch Of The Cosmogony") – Woodroffe’s art bearing more than a passing resemblance to Roger Dean’s iconic work. While it might have looked the part, the opening "Animal Farm" is awful and the bitchy "Newsworth" isn’t much better. The Treverva Male Voice Choir lends itself nicely to "Time" which in turn segues into the full-on Mellotron instrumental "Tide" - as a duo, they're very good. "Doldrums" is nice (like an outtake from "Wind And Wuthering"), but most of the rest sounds wildly out-of-place for 1975 and even tedious. 

1976 would see the arrival of PUNK which would blow away all this Hippy nonsense – and rightly so. But for a brief moment back there - to me and many others who held this band and that period of music in great affection - a 25-minute Mellotron solo seemed like the most natural thing in the world – and even beautiful somehow…

To sum up – this 2CD set is a five-star reissue of three-star material – making available again two rare vinyl LPs with enhanced packaging and really great sound. And at less than a fiver, if you’ve any affection for even parts of them - it’s a deal. 

I’m off now to get a haircut and find a real job… 

PS: their first two albums "Greenslade" and "Bedside Manners Are Extra" are also reissued May 2011 on Edsel as a 2CD set for the same cheap price...

“Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire: Deluxe Edition” by THE KINKS (June 2011 Universal/Sanctuary 2CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…We Thought Our World Would Never Change…"

Better than the previous 2004 single CD issue - along with the gains - there are some minor omissions too on this long-awaited KINKS Deluxe Edition of 1969's "Arthur..." 

So here are the intimate details for "Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire: Deluxe Edition" by THE KINKS - a 2CD Reissue and Remaster released 20 June 2011 in the UK on Universal/Sanctuary 273 227-4 (Barcode 602527322742). It breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (78:24 minutes):

1. Victoria

2. Yes Sir, No Sir

3. Some Mother’s Son

4. Drivin’

5. Brainwashed

6. Australia

7. Shangri La

8. Mr. Churchill Says

9. She’s Bought A Hat Like Princess Maria

10. Young And Innocent Days

11. Nothing To Say

12. Arthur

Tracks 1 to 12 are the MONO version of the LP "Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire" released 10 October 1969 in the UK on Pye Records NPL 18317 (no Mono version was released in the USA – only Stereo – see Disc 2)

BONUS TRACKS:

Track 13 is "Plastic Man" – the non-album Mono A-side of a UK 7” single released 29 March 1969 on Pye Records 7N.17724 ("King Kong" from "Village Green…" is its B-side)

Track 14 is "This Man He Weeps Tonight" – the Mono non-album B-side of a UK 7” single released 12 September 1969 on Pye Records 7N.17812 (the mono A-side is "Shangri La" from the album)

Track 15 is "Mindless Child Of Motherhood" - the Mono non-album B-side of a UK 7" single released 20 June 1969 on Pye Records 7N.17776. The A-side is the album track "Drivin'" – the B-side is credited as Kinks featuring Dave Davies

Track 16 is "Creeping Jean" – credited to Dave Davies, it’s the Mono B-side of a UK 7” single released 17 January 1969 on Pye Records 7N.17678 – it’s A-side is Track 18 – the non-album "Hold My Hand"

Track 17 is "Lincoln County" – credited to Dave Davies, it’s the Mono A-side of a UK 7” single released 20 August 1968 on Pye Records 7N.17514 – it’s B-side is the non-album "There’s No Life Without Love" which is 'not' on here – it’s only available on the 2004 single CD version of "Something Else" 

Track 18 is "Hold My Hand" – see Track 16

Tracks 19 to 21 are "Victoria", "Mr. Churchill Says" and "Arthur" – December 1969 studio recordings with further overdubs, mixing and editing – broadcast by the BBC in December 1969 on the 'Dave Lee Travis' show on Radio One

Disc 2 (79:48 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 12 are the STEREO version of the LP - Pye Records NSPL 18317 in the UK and Reprise Records RS 6366 in the USA (same tracks as Disc 1)

BONUS TRACKS:

Track 13 is "Plastic Man" – a Stereo take released in 1969 on a Dutch LP called "Star Parade" on SR International 79343

Track 14 is "This Man He Weeps Tonight" – a Stereo take originally released 25 January 1973 in the USA on "The Great Lost Kinks Album" on Reprise Records MS 2127

Track 15 is "Drivin'" – Previously Unreleased Stereo Alternate Mix from an Acetate

Track 16 is "Mindless Child Of Motherhood" – as per Track 14

Track 17 is "Hold My Hand" – as per Track 13

Track 18 is "Lincoln County" – a Previously Unreleased Stereo Mix

Track 19 is "Mr. Shoemaker's Daughter" – Stereo, a Previously Unreleased Mix

Track 20 is "Mr. Reporter" – Stereo, a Previously Unreleased Remix

Track 21 is "Shangri La" – Stereo, a Previously Unreleased Backing Track

The 24-page booklet is as tastefully laid out as the "Face To Face" and "Something Else" issues – they all have the same generic look. The liners notes this time are again by noted writer PETER DOGGETT (Record Collector magazine) but with contributions from Ray Davies, Dave Davies and Mick Avory of the band. There’s photos of the UK album artwork including the legendarily rare 'Queen Victoria' insert that only came with original copies. There’s lovely colour repros of rare Euro and US 7" single picture sleeves, trade adverts, newspaper clippings, memorabilia, lyrics to all the songs and there’s even input from fan sites etc. The breakdown of the tracks is very well done too - what came from what and why. Both of the discs are also themed - the CDs reflect the light blue and black colouring of the original UK Pye Records LP label - with Side 1 pictured beneath the see-through tray of CD1 and Side 2 beneath the tray of CD2 - all nice touches.

ANDREW SANDOVAL, DAN HERSCH (of Digiprep and Rhino fame) and ANDY PEARCE carried out the remasters - and the sound quality is exceptionally good. The STEREO mix in particular is STUNNING – leaping out of the speakers in a way it never did before - beautifully clear. And for American fans who’ve only ever grown up with the Stereo mix on Reprise Records, the MONO variant on Disc 1 will come as a brutal shock. It makes a lot of the songs somehow bleaker, more focused – it’s hard to describe, but I like it. In fact - as with "Face To Face" and "Something Else" - the difference between the MONO and STEREO variants is acute, but never more so than here. Some prefer the stark power of the MONO mix – others the spread of the STEREO version - but this is definitely one of those 'Deluxe Editions' that actually benefits from the presence of both. They’re different beasts for sure - but equally admirable.

To the record itself – somehow "Arthur…" seemed to sense that the Sixties were coming to a close, but not on a high note. A lot of the lyrics aren’t so much acidic as ponderous as to what the future was going to bring – "…Now I’ve got children, I’m going grey…" from "Nothing To Say" (lyrics above also) or "I see the lines across your face - Time has gone and nothing can replace - Those great, so great - Young and innocent days…" from the slightly sad "Young And Innocent Days" (a band favourite).  The zippy album opener "Victoria" is fabulous as is the layered "Drivin'" – very Kinks – very good. "Shangri La" is pretty yet biting, while the lyrics to "Mr. Churchill Says" now sound ever so slightly disrespectful and even revolutionary. The guitars on the finisher "Arthur" are so clear too… 

Niggles – couple of B-sides left off (but they’re available elsewhere if you really want them) and I find these new card-digipaks easy to dent and mark without the outer plastic wrap that was on all initial Deluxe Editions. But these are minor points - at a whopping 42 tracks and with full playing times on both discs, there’s genuinely very little to moan about.

To sum up - a superb new remaster on both mixes, properly upgraded packaging and liner notes and extra tracks that actually warrant the title 'bonus'. Recommended like Princess Marina's hat…

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“Something Else By The Kinks: Deluxe Edition" by THE KINKS (June 2011 Universal/Sanctuary 2CD Reissue and Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…Lead The School Team To Victory…"

Like many fans of this great British band - I've watched the release of 6 Kinks 'Deluxe Editions' since the beginning of 2011 with a certain amount of scepticism. Haven't these albums been done to death already and isn't this just more monetary milking of it? But then several Reckless Records customers began to rave about the great new remastered sound on these doubles - so I took the plunge and they were right. These are better than previous 2004 single issues - and how. But along with the gains (there's 12 'previously unreleased' tracks), there are some minor omissions too. Here are the schoolboy details...

UK released 20 June 2011 in the UK - "Something Else By The Kinks: Deluxe Edition" by THE KINKS is a 2CD Reissue/Remaster on Universal/Sanctuary 273 214-1 (Barcode 602527 321417) and plays out as follows:

Disc 1 (79:46 minutes):

1. David Watts

2. Death Of A Clown

3. Two Sisters

4. No Return

5. Harry Rag

6. Tin Soldier Man

7. Situation Vacant

8. Love Me Till The Sun Shines

9. Lazy Old Sun

10. Afternoon Tea

11. Funny Face

12. End Of The Season

13. Waterloo Sunset

Tracks 1 to 13 are the MONO version of the LP "Something Else By The Kinks" released 15 September 1967 in the UK on Pye Records NPL 18193 and January 1968 in the USA on Reprise Records R 6279 [Mono Variant Was Promo-Only in the USA]

BONUS TRACKS:

Track 14 is "Act Nice And Gentle" – the Mono non-album A-side of a UK 7” single released 5 May 1967 on Pye Records 7N.17321

Track 15 is "Mr. Pleasant" - the Mono non-album A-side of a UK 7" single on Pye Records 7N.17314. Released 21 April 1967, it pressed up for export issue to Europe. It was also issued in the USA on 24 May 1967 on Reprise Records 0587. Its non-album B-side is "That is Where I Belong" - that track is 'not' available here – it’s on the "Face To Face Deluxe Edition"

Track 16 is "Susannah’s Still Alive" – credited to Dave Davies, it’s the Mono A-side of a UK 7” single released November 1967 on Pye Records 7N.17429 – it was issued in the USA on 31 January 1968 on Reprise Records 0660

Track 17 is "Autumn Almanac" – the Mono A-side of a UK 7” single released 13 October 1967 on Pye Records 7N.17400 – it was also issued 29 November 1967 in the USA on Reprise Records 0647

Tracks 18 and 19 are "Harry Rag" and "David Watts" - Alternate Takes, both are 'Previously Unreleased'

Track 20 is "Afternoon Tea" – An Alternate Mix – It was originally issued as a Canadian 7” single on Pye 828 in October 1967

Tracks 21 to 29 are "Sunny Afternoon", "Autumn Almanac", "Mr. Pleasant", "Susannah's Still Alive", "David Watts", "Love Me Till The Sun Shines", "Death Of A Clown", "Good Luck Charm" and "Harry Rag" – all are BBC Recordings (August to October 1967) with 21 to 25 being 'Previously Unreleased'

Track 30 is "Little Women – Unfinished Backing Track" – first released in 1998 on the "Face To Face" CD reissue

Disc 2 (69:42 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 13 (titles as per Disc 1) are the STEREO version of the LP - Pye Records NSPL 18193 in the UK and Reprise Records RS 6279 in the USA

BONUS TRACKS:

Tracks 14 and 15 are "Susannah's Still Alive" and "Autumn Almanac" – these 2 STEREO versions were first slotted for release on the 1968 "Four More Respected Gentlemen" UK LP, but withdrawn - they finally saw release in the USA on the 2LP Reprise Records retrospective "Kinks Kronikles" in March 1972.

Tracks 16 to 20 are "Sand On My Shoes", "Afternoon Tea", "Mr. Pleasant", "Lazy Old Sun" and "Funny Face" – all are Stereo and 'Previously Unreleased'

Tracks 21 is "Afternoon Tea" – a German Stereo Mix released on the German LP version in December 1967 on Pye Hitton HTSLP 340044

Track 22 is "Tin Soldier Man" – and is 'Previously Unreleased'

The 24-page booklet is as tastefully laid out as the "Face To Face" issue is – they all have the same generic look - liners notes by noted writer PETER DOGGETT (Record Collector magazine), photos of both the UK and US LP artwork along with many rare Euro and US 7" single picture sleeves, trade adverts, newspaper clippings, memorabilia and input from fan sites etc. The breakdown of the tracks is very well done too - what came from what and why. Both of the discs are also themed - the CDs reflect the purple colouring of the original UK Pye Records LP label - with Side 1 pictured beneath the see-through tray of CD1 and Side 2 beneath the tray of CD2 - all nice touches.

ANDREW SANDOVAL, DAN HERSCH (of Digiprep and Rhino fame) and ANDY PEARCE carried out the remasters - and the sound quality is exceptionally good. The STEREO mixes in particular are superb and so fresh, not just separated two-channel reprocessing, but a cohesive whole - very warm and beautifully clear. The difference between the MONO and STEREO versions in fact is acute (as it is on “Face To Face”). Some prefer the stark power of the MONO, but I think this is one of those 'Deluxe Editions' that actually benefits from the presence of both - they different beasts for sure - but equally admirable.

To the record itself - with "Sgt. Peppers" thrashing everything in sight from 1 June 1967 to the end of the year, that goliath’s presence perhaps goes some way to explaining why an album as brilliant as "Something Else…" was virtually ignored by the public on both sides of the pond. It made number 35 on the LP charts for 2 weeks in the UK and barely scraped 153 in the USA for 1 week. Talk about lost masterpiece…

The album opens with a double-whammy – "David Watts" (lyrics above) and "Death Of A Clown" – a duo of lyrical and musical brilliance. "Situation Vacant" is another gem – with lyrics like "…to keep his Mama satisfied, he went and bought the weekly classified…" Few bands excepting maybe The Beatles and The Stones had their finger on the pulse of Sixties society like The Kinks did – the light and the dark. The sonic punch out of both "Afternoon Tea" and the beautiful "Waterloo Sunset" is fantastic too. I love the even-more-trippy vocal on the Alternate "Lazy Old Sun" while the 'Alternate Backing Track' on "Tin Soldier Man" sounds like it will turn up on some retro TV program soon (it may be vocal-less, but it's fully-formed and ready to use). And as with "Face To Face", the keyboard flourishes of ace sessionman Nicky Hopkins can now be heard clearly throughout. Again - the whole thing feels like an embarrassment of riches.

Niggles – couple of B-sides left off (but they’re on the "Face To Face" double if you really want them) and I find these new card-digipaks easy to dent and mark without the outer plastic wrap that was on all initial Deluxe Editions. But these are minor points - at a whopping 52 tracks, there’s genuinely little to moan about.

To sum up - a superb new remaster on both mixes, properly upgraded packaging and liner notes and extra tracks that actually warrant the title 'bonus'.

Recommended like gazing on a fine Waterloo Sunset...

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"The Moonstone" by TOMMY FLANDERS. A Review Of His 1969 Debut LP Now Reissued on CD By Rev-Ola Of The UK In 2007.

“…Could It Be That We’ve Both Got Something Together To Share…”

Prior to the end of the Sixties, Tommy Flanders main claim to fame was being the original lead vocalist with 'The Blues Project' whose debut album "Live At The Café Au Go-Go In New York" was released in early 1966 to great acclaim. And although he'd left the band at the time of release and only featured on 4 of the tracks, he'd made a name for himself to such a degree that he signed a solo deal with Verve. But Flanders then went off the radar for years - only to re-appear in late 1969 at the age of 25 with this unheralded and very un-bluesy debut album - "The Moonstone". To this day it remains a bit of a folk-rock singer-songwriter unknown, but as the liner notes to this 2007 Rev-Ola CD reissue on CR REV 206 (39:15 minutes) proudly heralds, here is an LP that deserves "...much overdue re-appraisal..." - and in parts, I agree.

With Flanders producing and Denis McCarthy arranging, "The Moonstone" was recorded in May 1969 in Los Angeles and featured BRUCE LANGHORNE (Electric Guitars), DICK ROSMINI (Acoustic & 12-String Guitars), JERRY SCHEFF (Bass) and MICHAEL BOTTS (Drums). The album was first released in the USA in late 1969 on Verve Forecast FTS-3075 (in Stereo Only) and wasn't released in the UK until February 1970 on Verve SVLP 6020 (reissued in 1972 on MGM Records 2353 027). For all accounts, its arrival went unnoticed on both sides of the pond and it didn't seem to trouble LP charts anywhere.

The album produced a lone US 7" single at the time of release - "The Moonstone" b/w "Between Purple And Blue" on Verve Forecast PB 3075. Rare copies even had the album artwork as a picture sleeve, but it tanked. There was a further attempt at 45-success in 1970 by pairing "Between Purple And Blue" with the non-album "First Time, Last Time" on MGM 14143, but again to no avail. Prior to these two issues, he'd even made a very rare single in 1967 called "Friday Night City" b/w "Reputation" on Verve 5064 - but again no joy. With regard to this CD reissue, it's a damn shame that these non-album sides (there's also album outtakes known to exist) weren't included as `bonus' tracks here, but alas...

Vocally Tommy Flanders is very similar to that other star 'The Blues Project' produced - Al Kooper - only there's also touches of Tim Buckley, Tim Hardin and even Dylan thrown in. The arrangements are very easy on the ear - it opens with the lovely "Since You've Been Gone" and your hit with a big plus - the superb sound quality. Remastered by NICK ROBBINS at London's Sound Mastering, he's done a gorgeous job - it's warm, clear and gives a real loveliness to the primarily acoustic ballads (the "Big Sur" song "Morning Misty Eyes" and the jaunty "Boston Girls" for example).

So why is the album forgotten - the truth is that it's not just melancholic in tone; it's only half good at it. Flanders wrote all the songs himself except "Morning Misty Eyes" which is co-written with Gabriel Mekler (worked with Etta James among others) - and many are nice, but not much more. However, I would argue that 3 tracks on the record are truly great and absolutely worth the price of your admission - "Blue Water Blue", "The Moonstone" and "She's My Love". The title track is the most inspired tune on the record - slightly trippy, it's instantly catchy and has turned up on cool compilations like Jon Savage's "Meridian 1970" (see separate review), while the finisher "She's My Love" (lyrics above) is undeniably beautiful (even if it does have some cruddy dialogue at the beginning and end of it).

This is a clever reissue on the part of Rev-Ola (a subsiduary of Cherry Red Records). It's not all genius of course, but the good stuff genuinely deserves your attention.
Check "The Moonstone" out - it's worth the effort...

PS: another very nice release in this series is the gorgeous "If The Jasmine Doesn't Get You...The Bay Breeze Will" by VINCE MARTIN (Fred Neil's old folk partner in the mid Sixties on Elektra). It's another folky gem rarity from 1969 (on Capitol Records) - and again - it has beautiful sound quality.

“Bright Star”. A Review Of The 2009 Jane Campion Film Now On A 2010 DVD.

"…A Thing Of Beauty…"

“Bright Star” opens with a close-up of a thread being needled - but the pull and placing of the wool is not methodical nor part of some daily Nineteenth Century drudgery - it’s being done carefully – almost as if there’s tenderness being sown into each cross-stitch. We then see that the seamstress is a 20-year old lady sat by a window in the early hours of the morning in her bonnet and ribbons – she is Fanny Brawne (beautifully played by the Australia actress Abbie Cornish). Her younger sister Toots (Edie Martin) then wakes up in the bed nearby and sighs at Fanny – Toots may only be 6, but she knows exactly who all the 'just so' work is for…

Jane Campion’s 2009 re-telling of the mercurial love affair between the struggling English romantic poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne has been accused by scholars and purists as being historically inaccurate and frankly hogwash. But I feel this is to miss the point. This is a movie - and some artistic allowance is to be expected. But more importantly, Campion absolutely makes it work – and for the whole journey too. You care about these idealistic people – you are enthralled by their short but oh so sweet shot at happiness – and Fanny’s destruction at her soulmate’s loss is one of the most powerful scenes committed to celluloid in decades.

The setting is Hampstead Village, London in 1818 – and Greig Fraser’s Cinematography puts huge amounts of detail on screen. This is a world of Inky Quills, Scullery Maids and Pantaloons - where men smoke cigars, gulp brandy and sing chummy Acapella songs for the gathered Ladies and Gentlemen at society parties. A triple-pleated mushroom collar is a clothing advance and a man who is dying of consumption (Keats’ brother) is described as ‘diminished’.

Words are all in this society and Campion’s script revels in it. Keats’ poems “Endymion”, “Bright Star” and “When I Have Fears That I May Cease To Be” are all quoted – and the dialogue in-between is just as elegant and insightful. But of course the movie lives and dies on the dance of love between Cornish and Whishaw – and that courtship and deepening of feeling features so many great moments… a look she gives Keats in the woods as they walk and exchange ideas, her reaction to Tom’s death - create something of beauty to remember him by – an embroidered pillow case that she sat up all night making – her feet curling on a bed as she devours one of Keats love letters – her tender kisses on the paper as she posts her reply…
It could all have been so terribly corny, but both the actors and the script give it life and a genuine beating heart. Mark Bradshaw’s music is also used sparingly and with great effect – and when it isn’t there – the silence engenders a terrible feeling of foreboding (sickness, death).

Special mention should also go to Paul Schneider who is exceptional as the arrogant and obsessive Mr. Brown – supposed friend and fellow accomplice in poetry with Keats. Brown does everything to thwart the burgeoning romance between Keats and Brawne – feeling her a distraction from their lofty writing and a danger to his talent - even coveting her as his own. His vehemence forces Keats to step up to the plate and Fanny is well able for him. The core 3 actors here are fabulous together. Special mention should also go to Kerry Fox as Fanny’s practical mother and Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Liam Neeson’s son in “Love Actually”) as her younger brother Samuel - also quietly superb.

The extras include (a) Working With Jane Campion Documentary (b) Behind The Scenes Featurette (c) Deleted Scenes (d) Photo Gallery and (e) Trailer – the lone subtitle is ‘English For The Hearing Impaired’. My only real gripe is that it’s not on BLU RAY - a format that would surely make this beauty shine like a diamond (due in 2011 apparently).

Campion and her exceptionally talented cast are to be congratulated – “Bright Star” is a literate, sensual, beautifully staged and gushingly romantic tale - and proud of it. They did a great job and I for one was deeply moved…