Thi-Thu

Laurent Thibault (France): Mais On Ne Peut Pas Rêver Tout Le Temps (Ballon Noir BAL 13009, 1978)
Progressive
Amanda Parsons (joint lead vocals), Lisa Bois (joint lead vocals), Jacqueline Thibault (keyboards)
Laurent Thibault was Magma’s producer (and a founding band member, leaving before they recorded their first album) and the husband of Jacqueline Thibault (aka Laurence Vanay). His solo album (to which he contributes guitars and bass) is an interesting set, with four long tracks ranging from dreamlike soft progressive with ethnic touches to heavier, jazzier and more avant-garde moments. GRADE: B–.
See also Gilgamesh, Hatfield & The North, National Health, Laurence Vanay

Thinking Plague (USA): A Thinking Plague (Endemic Music, with insert, 1984)
Progressive/Avant-Garde
Sharon Bradford (joint lead vocals, synthesiser)
This American avant-prog band takes many of its influences from Art Bears and to a lesser extent parent group Henry Cow; unlike many RIO outfits, their music owes little to jazz, with new wave elements being more prominent. It’s certainly very varied and adventurous, but whereas Henry Cow fused their experimentation to some great melodies and riffs, this often sounds like a disjointed collection of weirdnesses rather than a coherent album. GRADE: C+.
Thinking Plague (USA): Moonsongs (Endemic Music, cassette, 1986)
Progressive/Avant-Garde
Susanne Lewis (principal vocals)
This is in the same musical vein as their first and follows exactly the same format: a few short-to-medium-length songs followed by a 15-minute piece. However, where A Thinking Plague was tentative and uneven, Moonsongs is confident and assured, with powerful musicianship, well-judged shifts of mood and tempo, and plenty of surprises. GRADE: B–.

Thinking Plague (USA): In This Life (RéR TPCD1, CD, UK, 1989)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Susanne Lewis (principal vocals, guitar, accordion, violin), Maria Moran (guitar, bass)
Jazzier than their first two, In This Life also has a much more seventies sound, once again bringing to mind Art Bears and late Henry Cow. Dynamic, well recorded and very varied, it’s full of surprises and impresses from start to finish. Oddly, a remix of the title track from Moonsongs and a remastered version of ‘Possessed’ from A Thinking Plague are included as bonus tracks. GRADE: B–.
Thinking Plague (USA): In Extremis (Cuneiform RUNE 113, CD, 1998)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Deborah Perry (principal vocals)
In Extremis is always creative, frequently startling and sometimes stunning (especially the second half of the 14-minute instrumental ‘Les Études d’Organism’), but the reservations I had with the band’s debut frequently resurface. All too often, the music is self-consciously weird and overly disjointed, whereas the masters of the genre made it sound effortless. In addition, whilst off-key vocals are central to RIO, it sometimes sounds as though new vocalist Deborah Perry is actually singing flat. GRADE: B–.

Thinking Plague (USA): A History Of Madness (Cuneiform RUNE 180, CD, with obi, 2003)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Deborah Perry (lead vocals)
This is probably their best album overall, packed with interesting ideas and moments of everything from heavy rock to solo piano and saxophone. However, whilst consistently interesting and frequently fascinating, the disjointed nature of their music once again prevents this from being a classic: had they had half the number of ideas and explored them for twice as long, this could have been far more compelling. GRADE: B–.

Thinking Plague (USA): Upon Both Your Houses (NEARfest NFR004, CD, 2004)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Deborah Perry (lead vocals)
In many ways, this live album is superb, featuring all facets of the band’s sound, from driving King Crimson-esque rock through to a lengthy passage of solo piano. Unfortunately it also features a lot of Deborah Perry, whose contributions once again make me wish that the band had stuck with Susanne Lewis. As usual, some of the weirdnesses sound rather forced and sometimes this resembles RIO-by-numbers, but it’s actually more cohesive and consistent than their studio albums. With a different singer or vocal style, it would comfortably have made Grade B. GRADE: B–.
Thinking Plague (USA): Decline And Fall (Cuneiform Rune 320, CD, 2011)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Elaine Di Falco (lead vocals)
This comeback album almost makes me revise my opinion of Deborah Perry: she’s replaced by Elaine Di Falco, who most certainly can sing, but I’m still not impressed by the meandering, tuneless vocal lines, suggesting it’s an issue with the composer rather than the singer. That quibble aside, this is another solid and inventive album, though it doesn’t maintain the intensity of its live predecessor. GRADE: B–.

See also 3 Mice, Caveman Hughscore, Caveman Shoestore, Combat Astronomy, Corpses As Bedmates, Empty Days, Hail, Kissyfur, Susanne Lewis, Ligeia Mare, Luciano Margorani & Elaine Di Falco, Dave Willey & Friends, Yugen

Third & The Mortal (Norway): Tears Laid In Earth (Voices Of Wonder VOW 041, CD, 1994)
Progressive
Kari Rueslåtten (lead vocals, synthesiser)
Powerful and majestic, this heavy progressive album runs the gamut from acapella folk through eerie quiet sections to dramatic passages of rock. I’ve frequently seen it classified as metal, but whilst they do draw on doom influences it’s not especially metallic and definitely falls under the progressive banner. It’s also very icy and Norwegian in feel, almost running the gamut from White Willow to Black Sabbath. Altogether, this is a striking first album with great dynamics. GRADE: B–.
Third & The Mortal (Norway): Painting On Glass (Voices Of Wonder VOW 051, CD, 1996)
Progressive
Ann-Mari Edvardsen (lead vocals, keyboards)
Their second is far more experimental, partly due to new vocalist Ann-Mari Edvardsen who tries a variety of approaches. The backing is more unusual too, from heavier doom metal to elements of free jazz, quasi-ambient piano passages, linking sound effects, mediaeval touches, world music embellishments and a great deal more. The results could have been disjointed and pretentious but are in fact powerful, cohesive and brilliant. GRADE: B.
Third & The Mortal (Norway): In This Room (Voices Of Wonder VOW 059, CD, with digipak and booklet, 1997)
Progressive
Ann-Mari Edvardsen (lead vocals, keyboards)
Quite different to their earlier work, this is an unusual piece of atmospheric rock, with influences from trip-hop, jazz and industrial music. In some ways it’s a bold step forward, paralleling the direction pursued by the Gathering (although they did it much better), but despite some fine passages it’s also a huge step down from Painting On Glass. GRADE: C+.
Third & The Mortal (Norway): Memoirs (Voices Of Wonder VOW 075, CD, 2002)
Electronica
Kirsti Huke, Ingrid Tolstad
Virtually abandoning rock on most cuts, this is eerie electronica, bordering on trip-hop but without significant dance or chillout elements. Given their history, this was a brave move, but while creative and interesting this is their least listenable album to date. GRADE: C+.
Third & The Mortal (Norway): Project Bluebook (Voices Of Wonder VOW 085, CD, 2003)
ElectronicaRock/Progressive
Kirsti Huke (joint lead vocals)
As the subtitle ‘Decade Of Endeavour’ suggests, this odd release was intended to round off the band’s career. It features two new studio recordings (similar in style to Memoirs), an instrumental improvisation from 1998 and five live tracks from their 2002 European tour. One is a previously unreleased number, whilst the others stretch back to Painting On Glass. Despite the sleevenotes’ claim that ‘these tracks are recorded directly on Minidisc and should therefore be considered as a bootleg’, the sound quality is excellent, as are the performances. The closing ‘Simple Mind’ is easily the most manic and demented recording the band ever made. GRADE: C+.
See also Kari Rueslåtten, Storm, Tactile Gemma

Third Eye (South Africa): Awakening… (Polydor 277002, 1969)
Psychedelic
Dawn Selby (keyboards)
This seminal South African band’s debut is a bit of a mixed bag: mostly covers, often pop-ish, mainly rather dreamy, and frequently afflicted with overbearing horns. Nonetheless, ‘Apricot Brandy’ is a superb instrumental on which the guitarist goes completely over-the-top (and the manic horns help rather than hinder the mood) and ‘Society’s Child’ was a bold choice of song for any band from South Africa. GRADE: C+.
Third Eye (South Africa): Searching (Polydor 277030, 1969)
Psychedelic/Progressive
Dawn Selby (keyboards)
A huge step forward from their first LP, this is great acid-rock, peaking on the fourteen-minute ‘Awakening’. The shorter cuts are no slouches either, with the only real weak moments occurring during the opening and closing tracks. GRADE: B–.
Third Eye (South Africa): Brother (Polydor 277043, 1970)
Rock/Progressive
Dawn Selby (organ)
Their third and final album is slightly different yet again, being fairly standard turn-of-the-seventies pop/rock with a few progressive edges. The disc is also quite bluesy in parts, with ‘Listen To The Bells’ in particular sounding uncannily similar to Chicken Shack. Overall, this is a solid enough set, but not a patch on its far more illustrious predecessor. GRADE: C+.

Third Rail (USA): Id Music (Epic LN 24327 / BN 26327, 1967)
Pop/Psychedelic
Kris Resnick
Big-production psychedelic pop from three professional songwriters with impressive pedigrees. Extremely well written and executed as one would expect, it ranges from the excellent (the trippy, comparatively complex ‘From A Parachute’ and the sitar-embellished ‘No Return’) to the competent but fairly forgettable. Nonetheless, anyone liking American pop of the period should thoroughly enjoy this. GRADE: C.

This Driftin’s Gotta Stop (UK): This Driftin’s Gotta Stop (No label CPCP-JDB001/2, 1975?)
Folk/Rock
Monica Ann Brown (joint lead vocals, tambourine)
On first hearing, this Christian private pressing struck me as dull, but with further listening unfolded its languid charms. Offering gentle, breezy folk/rock with mixed acoustic and electric backing and some well-written songs, it sounds more American than British, sometimes bringing to mind Touchstone’s Runes without the acid-folk edge. GRADE: C+.

Thistle (USA): Thistle (Ventricle CD 2, CD, 1993

)Avant-Garde/Psychedelic/Industrial

Danielle Sklar (lead vocals), Kelly Thistle (instruments, effects)

Like labelmates Mauve Sideshow, Thistle offer swirling electronic soundscapes topped with treated vocals: all drifting, über-cosmic and almost completely formless. Also like Mauve Sideshow, it’s listenable enough and quite distinctive, but never actually goes anywhere. GRADE: C+.

Thistletown (UK): Rosemarie (Big Bertha BigBert 003, CD, 2008)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic
Tiffany Bryant (joint lead vocals, percussion, flute), Lydia Tweddell (joint lead vocals, percussion)
This Cornish band’s one-off album is absolutely exquisite folk with a subtly psychedelic edge, almost sounding like an amalgam of Courtyard Music Group, Sproatly Smith, Trembling Bells and Circulus. The latter is no accident, as Michael Tyack co-produced and is heavily featured as a guest. Despite the disc’s gentle and melodic nature, there’s a definite ‘Wicker Man’ vibe at work here that makes it mildly eerie as well as exceptionally beautiful. GRADE: B.

Jacques Thollot (France): Cinq Hops (Free Bird FLY 03, 1979)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive
Elise Ross (lead vocals)
This jazz/rock album frequently displays a strong zeuhl influence, and with Elise Ross’s Pascale Son-like vocals often sounds like outtakes by early Cos or mid-seventies Magma. The problem is that, whilst virtuosic, the music isn’t very fiery – coupled with an unflatteringly thin production, this creates a rather unengaging album (although some tracks are above average). GRADE: C.
See also Philippe Boesmans & Elise Ross

Susan & Richard Thomas (USA): A Burst Of Life (Blue Hour Productions BH 3-1017, with booklet, 1974)
Folk/Rock
Susan Thomas (principal vocals)
This private pressing seems to be widely disliked by collectors, and is sometimes negatively cited by dealers in descriptions of other LPs. In fact, it’s a decent and enjoyable collection of folk/rock songs: Susan Thomas sings and composes well, and her songs are nicely arranged by husband Richard, with well-judged electric and acoustic backing. In fact, it’s a great deal better than many more celebrated, and far more expensive, albums from the era. GRADE: C+.

Linda Thompson (UK): One Clear Moment (Warner Brothers 925 164-1, with inner, 1985)
Pop/Folk
Linda Thompson (lead vocals)
Thompson’s solo debut mixes uptempo pop/folk numbers with synthesised backing and programmed drums with more traditional, country-flavoured ballads. The two opening cuts (‘Can’t Stop The Girl’ and the title track) are firmly in the former style and bear a definite resemblance to Gay Woods’s contemporaneous project Auto Da Fé. Most of the songs were co-written with session musician Betsy Cook, who played keyboards and oversaw the arrangements. GRADE: C+.
Linda Thompson (UK): Fashionably Late (Topic TSCD821, UK, 2002)
Folk/Rock
Linda Thompson (principal vocals, guitar, tambourine)
Thompson’s second solo album (which lives up to its title by coming seventeen years after her first) was mostly co-written with son Teddy and featured a stellar cast of musicians (ex-husband Richard, Danny Thompson, Van Dyke Parks, Kate Rusby, Jerry Donahue, Dave Mattacks, Rufus Wainwright, Kathryn Tickell, Eliza Carthy, Phil Pickett, Dave Pegg, Martin Carthy, Chris Cutler et al). It’s a tasteful set, with very high quality performances as one would expect, and several cuts would easily pass for outtakes from the Richard & Linda Thompson LPs.

GRADE: C+.
Linda Thompson (UK): Versatile Heart (Decca 475 9365 DH, CD, 2007)
Folk/Rock
Linda Thompson (lead vocals)
Although in a similar vein to its predecessor, this isn’t quite as good to my ears, concentrating mainly on downbeat ballads. Nonetheless, it is certainly very elegant and atmospheric. GRADE: C+.
Linda Thompson (UK): Won’t Be Long Now (Topic TSCD822, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2013)
Folk
Linda Thompson (principal vocals), Kamila Thompson (occasional vocals)
This is probably her best solo album, with mostly simple acoustic arrangements and a feel much closer to folk than folk/rock on the majority of songs. Unusually, daughter Kamila takes the lead vocal on ‘As Fast As My Feet’. GRADE: C+.
See also Bunch, Brian Patten, Richard & Linda Thompson, Tudor Lodge

Mollie Thompson (UK): From Worlds Afar (Asteroid J H 101, 1966?)
Folk/‘Incredibly Strange Music’
This early private pressing briefly gained notoriety among ‘incredibly strange music’ collectors due to its bizarre lyrics concerning alien visitations, and at one point sold for big money. Musically, it’s pleasant folk with melodic vocals and acoustic guitar backing. GRADE: C+.

Richard & Linda Thompson (UK): I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (Island ILPS 9266, with inner, 1974)
Folk/Rock
Linda Thompson (joint lead vocals)
The former Fairport Convention mainstay’s first album with his wife is regarded by many as a classic of dark folk/rock, including such seminal numbers as ‘Calvary Cross’, ‘Down Where The Drunkards Roll’ and ‘End Of The Rainbow’. The sound is robust and punchy, driven by the excellent rhythm section of Pat Donaldson and Timi Donald, and most of the songs are rich and atmospheric, but a little more variety would have been welcome, and the mood of studied despair occasionally becomes a touch self-conscious. GRADE: B–.
Richard & Linda Thompson (UK): Hokey Pokey (Island ILPS 9305, with inner, 1975)
Folk/Rock
Linda Thompson (joint lead vocals)
Maintaining the muscular folk/rock sound of its predecessor, Hokey Pokey also contains some excellent original compositions, though I much prefer the downbeat numbers to whimsical pieces such as ‘Smiffy’s Glass Eye’ and ‘Georgie On A Spree’. GRADE: B–.
Richard & Linda Thompson (UK): Pour Down Like Silver (Island ILPS 9348, with inner, 1975)
Folk/Rock
Linda Thompson (joint lead vocals)
The arrangements are very similar to their first two albums, but the duo’s conversion to Sufism means that the mood is darker, without any of the lighthearted pastiches – so for me, this is by far their finest LP to date. In particular, the extended ‘Night Comes In’ is a masterpiece, with some stunning and stately guitar soloing from Richard. ‘For Shame Of Doing Wrong’ is also among his best compositions, although I prefer Sandy Denny’s cover on Rendezvous. GRADE: B–.
Richard & Linda Thompson (UK): First Light (Chrysalis CHR 1177, with inner, 1978)
Folk/Rock
Linda Thompson (joint lead vocals)
Their best album overall, First Light contains some of Richard Thompson’s finest-ever songs. The very Eric Clapton-like ‘Don’t Let A Thief Steal Into Your Heart’ is easily his catchiest number and should by rights have given the duo a huge American hit, whilst ‘Died For Love’ and the title track have hauntingly beautiful melodies and exquisite massed backing vocals (including Maddy Prior and Julie Covington, among others). Not everything is perfect – ‘Restless Highway’ and ‘House Of Cards’ are the sort of heavy-handed mid-paced rockers that characterised their first couple of albums – but any weak moments are easily outweighed by the superb material on offer. It’s also interesting to hear how an American rhythm section transforms their sound, although the record can be quintessentially English too (as on the acoustic instrumental ‘The Choice Wife’). GRADE: B.
Richard & Linda Thompson (UK): Sunnyvista (Chrysalis CHR 1247, with inner, 1979)
Folk/Rock
Linda Thompson (joint lead vocals)
Whilst the best material here is not far below the standard of First Light, there’s also notable filler, including an annoying jaunty number (‘Saturday Rolling Around’) and an equally irritating theatrical piece (the title track). The sequencing is odd too, putting all the Richard-sung hard rockers at the beginning and a succession of Linda-sung ballads in the middle, and the drum sounds are very eighties (despite this being released in 1979). Nonetheless there are plenty of good songs here to be enjoyed by fans and non-fans alike. GRADE: C+.
Richard & Linda Thompson (UK): Shoot Out The Lights (Hannibal HNBL 1303, with inner, 1982)
Folk/Rock
Linda Thompson (joint lead vocals)
This is generally considered their best album and was their commercial high water mark, but I can’t say I find its mix of mid-paced rockers and slightly folkish ballads very inspired. It’s competent and consistent for sure, but they’re treading old ground, and the decline in the standard of writing and arrangement from First Light and the best material on Sunnyvista is marked. GRADE: C+.

Richard & Linda Thompson (UK): Rafferty’s Folly (Nixed NIX 001, CD, 1995, recorded 1980-1981)
Folk/Rock
Linda Thompson (joint lead vocals)
This is a marginal case for review, as it’s basically a bootleg – but an uncommonly fascinating one. The first ten songs are the Gerry Rafferty-produced versions of what would later become Shoot Out The Lights, the next two are 1980 studio demos and the last four are taken from a live TV performance. Richard Thompson apparently hated the results of the Rafferty sessions, which were as slick and polished as the First Light album, but to these ears they’re decidedly superior to Shoot Out The Lights. Linda Thompson gets a higher vocal profile, which is no bad thing, and there are a couple of fine songs that didn’t make the final cut, including a cover of Sandy Denny’s ‘I’m A Dreamer’ and a remake of the duo’s own ‘For Shame Of Doing Wrong’. The mood of studied despair that characterised Shoot Out The Lights is entirely absent – for many people this was its greatest asset, but I’ve always found it rather arch and much prefer Rafferty’s take on the material. As for the bonus material, the 1980 demos are uninteresting but the 1981 live material, with Fairport Convention backing them, rounds off the collection in style. GRADE: B–.
Richard & Linda Thompson (UK): In Concert, November 1975 (Island IMCD 327/984 824-3, CD, 2007, recorded 1975)
Folk/Rock
Linda Thompson (joint lead vocals)
With excellent sound quality, this is an impressive concert document; even the more whimsical material works well live. However, the real meat is to be found on the two long songs, ‘For Shame Of Doing Wrong’ and ‘Calvary Cross’, which contain some outstanding jams. I could have done without the country numbers as encores, though. GRADE: B–.
Richard Thompson Featuring Linda Thompson (UK): Live At The BBC (Universal Music 533 290-9, 3CD plus DVD, with book sleeve, 2011, recorded 1973-2004)
Folk/Rock
Linda Thompson (joint lead vocals, guitar)
Focusing on both Richard & Linda Thompson (one CD and just over half the DVD) and Richard Thompson solo (the rest, which I haven’t reviewed here as it’s not relevant) this is a very worthwhile release. The CD doesn’t do all that much for me, concentrating mainly on the good-time side of the duo’s repertoire, but the excellent DVD is worth the price alone. GRADE: C+.

Thompson Family (UK): Thompson Family (Fantasy FAN-36555-00, CD plus DVD, with gatefold minisleeve and booklet, 2014)
Folk/Rock
Linda Thompson (joint lead vocals), Kamila Thompson (joint lead vocals, guitar)
This really is a family project, uniting the talents of Richard, Linda, Kamila, Teddy and Jack Thompson and Zak Hobbs. Unsurprisingly, the result is a solid and enjoyable album of folk and folk/rock, containing some strong original songs. The bonus DVD contains a short feature about the making of the album. GRADE: C+.
See also Bunch, Fairport Convention, Brian Patten, Linda Thompson, Tudor Lodge

Thor (Argentina): El Pacto (Umbral DX-11001, 1985)
Metal
Mabel Diaz (bass)
Whilst not especially original or distinctive, this rare metal album has a powerful, guitar-dominated sound taking influences from both early seventies Black Sabbath and the NWOBHM movement. Hardly surprisingly, the disc is very sought-after by genre collectors. GRADE: C+.

Thorin Eichenschild (West Germany): Leichts Leben (Trikont Unsere Stimme US-0047, with booklet, 1978)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Martina Knochel (joint lead vocals), Martina Fromme (cello)
This obscure progressive folk album has an unusual sound: delicate yet complex, based around intricate acoustic guitar lines, jazzy fretless bass, percussion, cello and flute. Like many political records, it’s occasionally rather throwaway, with some of the music taking second place to the lyrics, but at its best (notably the stunning ‘Onkel Tom’s Hutte Steht In Sudwest-Afrika’) it contains some spellbinding music.

GRADE: B–.

Thork (France): Urdoxa (NIL, CD, 2000)

Progressive/Metal
Audrey Casella (occasional vocals), Claire Northey (violin)
The basic style of this unusual album is gothic progressive metal, with Claire Northey’s violin adding austere, almost mediaeval, counterpoint to the powerful riffs. However, diverse influences are woven in: I can hear faint hints of both zeuhl and RIO, a few moments of Steve Hillage-style spaciness and quite a bit of Principal Edwards Magic Theatre-style theatricality. The whole thing is odd through and through, especially the almost conversational vocals, and intriguing in the extreme. GRADE: B–.
Thork (France): Weila (No label, CD, 2004)
Progressive/Metal
Roselyne Berthet (occasional vocals), Claire Northey (violin)
This is slightly more conventional than their genuinely odd debut, but that’s not to say that it’s particularly conventional. Once again, they offer somewhat theatrical gothic prog with strong metal elements; the slight zeuhl element underpinning their sound is a little more prominent this time, and I can hear vague nods in the direction of bands like Antonius Rex. The singing style is rather more mainstream, but it’s still anguished, dramatic, theatrical – and consistently fascinating. GRADE: B–.

Thork (France): Nula Jedan (No label, CD, 2007)
Progressive
Claire Northey (violin)
Their third and final album is quite different from its predecessors, dropping all the gothic elements and most of the metal riffing. The result is a richly melodic progressive set with an almost dreamlike feel, definite singer/songwriter edges and a mixture of electronically treated and falsetto vocals. In its own way, it’s pretty unusual, and it works extremely well too. GRADE: B–.

Three Colours Dark (UK): Love’s Lost Property (Firefly Music FFMCD012, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2021)
Progressive/Singer/Songwriter
Rachel Jones (lead vocals)
Like their first, this offers a blend of singer/songwriter and symphonic influences, providing an effective backdrop to Rachel Jones’s gorgeous, plaintive vocals. Also like their first, it’s beautiful and haunting without being exactly memorable or adventurous. It’s well structured too, building in intensity on an excellent cover of Duran Duran’s ‘Ordinary World’ and the best original ‘Eye For An Eye’, which builds into an exciting climax where the band rocks out (comparatively speaking) for once. But then it’s all over bar a dainty of reprise of the title track, making you wish the duo had been a little braver and pushed a few more boundaries. GRADE: C+.

Three Colours Dark (UK): The Science Of Goodbye (Firefly Music FFMCD011, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2020)
Progressive/Singer/Songwriter
Rachel Jones (lead vocals)
I was never that impressed by any of Rachel Jones or Jonathan Edwards’s previous projects (Karnataka, Luna Rossa, Panic Room, the Reasoning), so didn’t have high hopes for their new collaboration. Nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised (though this is certainly more pleasant than surprising). The mellow, lush settings – in some cases as close to singer/songwriter music as to symphonic rock – provide the perfect backdrop for Jones’s lovely voice, often reminding me of Karnataka at their best. So perhaps I wasn’t so surprised after all.

GRADE: C+.
See also Dave Bainbridge, Karnataka, ProgAID, Reasoning

Three Ring Circus (USA): Groovin’ On The Sunshine (RCA LSP 4021, 1968)
Pop/Psychedelic
Diana Allen
This is strangely divided into vocal and instrumental sides. The former is standard big-production pop with a loungy, nightclub feel to the massed singing; in other words, typical of flower-pop cash-ins of the period. The latter is more interesting, mainly reprising the same material with unusual instruments (flute, sitar, harmonica) centre-stage, although ‘Fantastic Voyage’ is new and quite adventurous, with some free jazz edges. GRADE: C.

Thrower, Spillane & McFarland (USA): Blue John (Ranger RLPS-412, 1973?)
Folk/Country/Rock
Joan McFarland (joint lead vocals, guitar, piano, percussion)
This is a pleasant album of rural rock, taking most of its cues from Crosby Stills & Nash. Joan McFarland’s singing style incorporates a few irritating Joni Mitchell-isms but the writing is good throughout, with a pleasing mix of acoustic and electric instrumentation including some bongos and fuzz guitar. The LP is considerably rare and sells for good money. GRADE: C+.

Thunderbirds With Heather & Harvey (Singapore): My Lonely Heart (Philips 883.552 PY, 1968)
Pop
Heather Batchen (joint lead vocals)
The cover may be wonderfully psychedelic, but the music is pretty square sixties pop, with overbearing string arrangements on several songs. Meanwhile, the material mostly comprises covers (including familiar fare such as ‘Puppet On A String’ and ‘Silence Is Golden’) plus a couple of originals, including one by Heather Batchen. GRADE: C.
Heather-Harvey & The Thunderbirds (Singapore): Birthday (PP Sound PSY 112 275, 1970)
Pop
Heather Batchen
Although still slightly MOR in parts, this is by the superior of their two albums, with a more rocking sound, a fair bit of fuzz guitar and a nice garage edge. Consisting entirely of covers, this isn’t the most groundbreaking album, but some of the reinterpretations are fairly radical so at its best this is one of the most charming exotic beat albums you’re likely to hear. GRADE: C+.

Thunderstick (UK): Something Wicked This Way Comes (No label, download, 2017)
Rock/Metal
Lucie Vowles (lead vocals)
Formed by a former Iron Maiden and Samson drummer, Thunderstick were an early eighties hard rock band which reformed in 2017 with new singer Lucie Vowles (also of Kentish Spires). The sound here is distinctly eighties and distinctly retro: as the sleeve notes to the 2018 vinyl reissue put it, ‘Thunderstick were never heavy metal. Thwy were classic rock all down the line.’ GRADE: C+.
See also Kentish Spires