Kitchen Cynics News & Reviews - Page 5 - aberdeen-music

Alan Cynic · 04-04-2005, 19:48

Could you not (knot?!) gaffa tape the tube on!

bob bouma · 05-04-2005, 14:59

I'm Dutch, is that good enough for you? Why don't I translate both Belgian (Dutch) articles and post it back here... I'm unemployed now anyway.
Give me a sec...

Alan Cynic · 05-04-2005, 15:14

Oooh..thank yopu very much, Mr E!!!

(I know what the interview says, mostly, because I was e-mailed the questions in English, but I'm not sure about the review!).

Cheers!!! (I owe you a pint or2)

By the way, the Malt Mill Open-Mike has changed to Sundays, but not every Sunday.

Alan Cynic · 10-04-2005, 09:40

Here's a new review from the Psychedelic Albums Folk/Psych site...............

Review: The Kitchen Cynics is the one-man singer-songwriter project of Alan Davidson based in Aberdeen, Scotland. Since the 1980’s Alan has produced a plentiful back catalogue of self-released tapes and CDRs. 2003 saw his debut US CD release “Parallel Dog Days” on the Secret Eye label. The Kitchen Cynics style is characterized by acoustic folk songs delivered with Alan’s delicate Scottish accent, his astonishing sense of melody and the attention to detail of his sublime string arrangements that with just the right amount of effects bathe many of his songs with a warm psychedelic glow. I feel almost ashamed of my laziness in drawing comparison to one of Alan’s idols Nick Drake, yet despite the cliché of using such a description, I'll stick my neck out here and say that the beauty and precision of his compositions and performances are more worthy of such comparison. Style and delivery aside, the heart and soul of Alan’s work that raises all his releases, including this one, way above average singer songwriter fare, and something that always strikes a chord with me on a personal level, is his poetic lyrical genius that draws heavily on the gritty realism of life in what us Brits fondly refer to as "Little Britain". Personal tales of love and loss amidst the harsh reality, mundane and idiosyncratic existence of everyday life are delivered with the contrasting sensitivity and crudeness that typifies the world inhabited by characters of say a Mike Leigh play. Just like those unforgettable kitchen sink dramas such as “Life Is Sweet” and “Abigail’s Party”, Alan’s stories have the ability to have the listener shedding tears of sadness one moment then, as Alan would probably sing it, pissing oneself with laughter the next. Such a studied and I’m guessing experienced observation of the human condition is rarely so simultaneously touching and entertaining as this. So what about this album then, well it’s poignant from the offing, “Rue Bonaparte” opens with a sound bite of the late great John Peel introducing one of Alan’s tracks on his sorely missed radio show. I received my copy of the album a couple of months after Peel’s death so whether Peel’s cameo was a coincidence or a posthumous homage to the great man on the part of Alan, I don’t know, but either way it never fails to make the hairs on the back of my neck bristle when I hear Peel’s introduction. There are way too many stand-out tracks on this album to list them all one by one, but several great moments I have to mention are; “Now’s The Time” Alan’s touching and heartbreaking tribute to Nick Drake, one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard in recent months, and featuring an exquisite performance by Philip Johnston of Sundaram on sitar; the pharmaceutical themed metaphors of lust on “Chemist Shop Girl”, several brilliant covers such as Bridget St John’s “Ask Me No Questions” and Fairport Convention’s “Crazy Man Michael” graced with Philip Johnston’s flute that for me actually improves on the original; “Songs Of Spring” a melancholic duet with Tanakh’s Jesse Poe; and the tragic tale of the “Weaver Lass” with one of my favourite lines of the album “they danced like flies…on fishing lines”. So to paraphrase Alan, my “advice from another old cynic” would be get yourself a copy of this masterpiece of an album and let the poet entertain you. (8/4/05)

Rating: vvvvv

Buy this album: Master Of The Fuzzy Fadeout

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10-04-2005, 13:19

“Now’s The Time”... exquisite performance by Philip Johnston of Sundaram on sitar"

“Crazy Man Michael” graced with Philip Johnston’s flute that for me actually improves on the original"

My ego say's "far out!!"

If I die before you, Advice from an old Cynic is going to be such a hoot to play!

Thanks for the KC records and CD.

bob bouma · 14-04-2005, 10:25

Here's the Belgian review:

"Close your eyes, gently", sung soothingly by the Kitchen cynics, aka Alan Davidson in ‘Ask Me No Questions, a Bridget St. John cover. All too willingly we comply with this request, and slowly we drift into a world of psychedelic lo-fi folksongs, containing echoes of Pearls before swines and Syd Barrett. Davidson creates an innocent world, which tries to woo us with melodious acoustic guitar melodies and enchanting flutes. They flow from his pen as the mountain brooks from the Scottish Highlands.

The naivety that these songs sometimes seem to exude, hide melancholic musings, cast in beautiful poetic lyrics like ‘Snowflakes, Oatcakes and Earthquakes’. Everything is played and recorded by Alan Davidson at his home, except the song ‘Dialogue’, on which he is accompanied by Simon and Carla Lewis. Over the years, Kitchen Cynics has brought out an impressive number of releases. The largest part of these is on cassettes and cd-r’s, but there are also official releases on labels like Secret Eye. Compulsive Songwriting Disorder offers a fascinating view into the mind of this Scottish bard."

By the way: THE LUNCHTIME SHOW AT THE TUNNELS WAS AWESOME!
[gets down on knees and does 'the Wayne and Garth': "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!"]

Danny Doubt · 14-04-2005, 10:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by psydoll

It still won't stop them - I got 'glassed' again last night at Exodus.

Yeh fuckin tell me bout it, some cunt did that 2me couple months back!

Alan Cynic · 14-04-2005, 16:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob bouma

Here's the Belgian review:
The naivety that these songs sometimes seem to exude, hide melancholic musings, cast in beautiful poetic lyrics like ‘Snowflakes, Oatcakes and Earthquakes’. Everything is played and recorded by Alan Davidson at his home, except the song ‘Dialogue’, on which he is accompanied by Simon and Carla Lewis. Over the years, Kitchen Cynics has brought out an impressive number of releases. The largest part of these is on cassettes and cd-r’s, but there are also official releases on labels like Secret Eye. Compulsive Songwriting Disorder offers a fascinating view into the mind of this Scottish bard."

By the way: THE LUNCHTIME SHOW AT THE TUNNELS WAS AWESOME!
[gets down on knees and does 'the Wayne and Garth': "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!"]

Hey,...thanks, John!!!!!!! That's very kind of you (both doing the review and the nice comment about the Tunnels). That's a few drinks I owe you!!!!

Here's a comment from the Psych Folk Forum....
"Just a little thing, shipping news...i realized that Alan Cynic is a member of The Kitchen Cynics! For the moment i just have 'Parallel Dog Days' and i'm really in love with 'Carol by Candlelight'. What a dreamy voice, it sounds so old and fascinating. Congratulations again and again.. "

Sounds about right to me.......Old, but at least she also said fascinating