01. `I'm In Love'

This song has a recurrent rhythm guitar almost identical to that of

`The Garden of Mystic Lovers'. A fast, energetic track which I find

quite uplifting.

02. `Flower Girl'

A thinly veiled sexual metaphor runs through this song. It has the

feel of `Homegrown' during the chorus. I find the lyrics quite naive

(`I have some weeds in my mind').

03. `Me And Franciene' (aka `Nobody Told Us')

Another song written for Francis' eldest daughter, in which there is

a reference to the other famous song with her as the subject- "I

will be your blue sky if you'll bring that SUNSHINE home". It also

contains an interesting reference to Francis' ex-wife.

04. `Yonder Mountain'

A Vermont-inspired song, presumably written when he moved there from

New York ("They're selling souls in New York City")

05. `Hold Out Your Heart'

A beautiful ballad inspired by the drive home to Vermont on a snowy

day. It contains some of his best lyrics to date ("I drank the thirst

of a dying man/ I could feel the minerals and the earth on my

tongue"). It contained some excellent Dave Calhoun solo guitar work

on the 2000 tour.

06. 'Blinded By The Memory'

Originally demo'd for Let's Go Do What Happens", this song starts

well but descends into repetitive nonsense mid way through (although

this may have been filling for an unwritten verse)

07. `The Garden Of Mystic Lovers'

An interesting one. This track is synonymous with `Deep Cabaret' (the

working title for this album over the last 12 months). Francis

introduced the song with his deep cabaret psychological insights on

the 2000 tour. Unfortunately they tended to go down like the

proverbial lead balloon as the fans didn't "get it"- perhaps that

explains the dropping of the album title. Very similar tune to `I'm

In Love'.

08. `The Wounding And Healing Of Men' (aka `Saturn')

Like the unreleased `Bobby Joe', this beautiful song is about what

Alanis Morisette called "jeckllandhydeness". In it Francis battles

with himself as he matures. This song is pivotal to the album- "only

then you'll be a MAN". This song has been around for several years

09. `The Ava Song'

A simple song written about the inspirational qualities of Francis'

baby daughter- "If you're looking for love/ Ava's got that look in

her eyes".

10. `The Only Thing You Get To Keep'

An excellent song which reminds me of `If you love somebody (set them

free' in it's message- "The Only Thing You Get To Keep is what you

give away".

11. `Hometown'

Another old Dunnery composition. A lovely ode to Egremont with a

particularly fine coda- "Windermere a beautiful sight/ when you see

that see that lonely New York City night…Sca Fell pike/ With air so

fresh that it makes you cry"

12. Close My Door

My favourite track on the album. Classic Francis heartrending chorus-

"Everytime I close my door/ you open my window" (you need to hear it

to know what I mean!). This song rivals anything on `Tall Blonde

Helicopter'.

The Gulley Flats Boys

Rob Hancox

I thought it might be time for a brief review since nobody else has yet offered one and there was so much banter leading up to the much anticipated album.

Upon the first few bars of Soldier you know that the album you're about to hear is going to be polished to the point of seeing your reflection in the sound waves reverberating off the walls. The open chords are refreshing and light, giving you that Spring feeling. Francis' voice cuts through and delivers a punch of power and clarity rarely heard of before in any of his previous works that you wonder which attribute he favours most. The harmonies are simply superb, they kiss your ears with the sweetness of pure sugar cane; the arrangement of the vocals in Soldier are carefully crafted and presented to ensure that you want to listen to the track just one more time just to relive the experience. David Sancious adds a depth and breadth to the bridge - so wide and so deep you wonder how far the chasm goes! Wonderful stuff. Upon first hearing the re-working of Good Life and Heartache Reborn I was reminded of how 'poppy' the originals were. Here they've had a severe sprinkling of soul, particularly with Heartache Reborn. I still feel that the best reworking of this song was with the Grass Virgins at Workington during Christmas 2000. David Sancious has managed to add some nice touches and licks that help add the soul that can be otherwise lost when using synthesised voice controlled expressions. Really nice.

This is an album that has to be listened to. You'll have to judge for yourselves what you make of it. I wasn't blown away on the first listen. It'll grown on you. There is just one track that annoys me somewhat. "Give it up and let it go" is the second track that sneaks into the album that has had some work done on it, the vocal has been expanded to so severely to the left and right channels that it reaches the point of annoyance. The delay to create the effect is quite harsh, there is also an annoying compressed hiss that kicks in when Francis' sings. Then mysteriously the hiss disappears midway through the verse line. Mmmm. But the song is beautiful. Odd that it causes this affect on the listener.

One of the best ways to listen to this album is by selecting random on your player and let it repeat!

Mike Hoyle

GFB has a 'perfect' production feel, but in a different way to Man. Man as an album has an almost ambient feel to it. I think Soldier comes closest in production to Man, but the rest I wouldn't say so. For me Soldier is up there in the best 3 or 4 tracks Francis has written/produced. It has a wonderful structure to it - very clever playing. But although it's a new song I think it would not be out of place on TBH - it fits in with some of what he was writing about at that time. Dave Mac is missing from GFB and he heavily influenced the feel of Man, as can be heard in Ian Brown's Music Of The Spheres (though much more so). For me the new rendition of Good Life does not stand up as well as the original, though I think Heartache does stand up well. Not better, but different enough to the original to stand up well on its own. Agree with Lisa about Bobby Joe - it's weird to hear it simpler than the demo, but at least the lyrics are finished off, and good to have it in studio production. Must be a measure of where he's at right now as the 'MF' reference on live versions of Just A Man has been dropped. It's like TBH was done with 'the wink of an eye', but GFB is far more serious. The one thing I would have missed off is the hand-clap in Joy. A hand-clap does echo a joyous feel, but it's too much like Jon Anderson for me. Love Jon's Yes music, but like Rick Wakeman says: "He's away with the fairies". The track would have sounded much better without it in my opinion. Perhaps instead of a hand-clap, if some rhythm was necessary then how about a drum?? Nooo, ok, maybe not. A real high for me is that Someone Like Me has been included - a personal favourite since I first heard it.

I was not sure I was really looking forward to the new album as it was obvious it was going to be very toned down, but I'm glad to say it surpassed my expectations (as I guess each new album has). GFB has far more consistency than Man - maybe because so much of it has been around for so long, and there was no big 'messing' with the demo/live versions of the old tracks (apart from Bobby Joe).

Let's hope that although Francis thinks his musical journey is complete, that the artist in him, given time, still wants to write - I can't believe that such a creative talent can feel that's it, job done, no more writing. There are still a million things to write about, and as live evolves there's always more.

Think I have gone on enough.

BHY

I've had my copy of GFB for a week now and I thought I would come out of the shadows to give my opinion on the album. Where do I begin? "Soldier" seems to me a weak drive at "man", then the album takes a turn from there. The song itself is well written (as always) but just feels as though there's a stab at the feel of man without actually hitting it!! The album as a whole feels as a though direction was lost somewhere. The songs have been presented in how I'd imagine FD would like to play them live. David Sancious adds a whole new element to FD's playing but I found I was more fond of this in a live capacity. As you work your way through the first CD, it feels as though the songs are not moving anywhere. "give up and let it go" is an awesome song, so why let it be killed with production faults? If this is the reason why FD made us wait an extra month for the album then the problem was certainly not fixed!! The hiss from the vocals is rather embarrassing and to be honest... I've had better mixes from my 4 track home recorder!! "In My Fathers Eyes" is a superb track but would have benefited from being shorter. It's also in this track that I find production questions creeping up again. Listen to the backing vocals just after "Celtic just beat rangers 3 to 2" Did Francis realise that Dorie's voice went astray or was this a rush in production?

We now get to the point that the album isn't really that new. Bobby Joe, Old Friend Love, Living in NYC, Just A Man and Someone like me have been doing the rounds for some time now. don't get me wrong, it's great to hear these songs in a studio format but aren't we being cheated somewhat? I remember hearing "Just a Man" when FD toured with the Grass Virgins and I've had bootleg recordings of the rest of the songs for some time now. Imagine my surprise to see the new album filled with stuff I'd already heard?? So what about the 2 OLD numbers? Good life will always be a classic song and it's great to hear it played from a fresh perspective. Heartache reborn has been crying out to be done like this for years. The arrangement from the Grass Virgin days has been overwhelming me for years and the new version just encapsulates the essence of the song. Maybe (IMO) a little less of the false sax and what the hell happened to that lead line in the song we all now so well? I remember watching this song performed at Leeds and the night was stolen by the addition of that lead line!!

The album takes us on a trip to meet the gulley flats boys which again is an awesomely written track but I can help feel that it's just a little too self indulgent and in-accessible of a song! Then we're treat to Someone like me. I can't fault this track apart from the change in lyrics!!

Overall the album is great listening. Was it worth waiting for?...............YES Was it worth the £15?.....................YES (IMO) the album feels rushed and a little old already. I'd love to see FD get back to some more "rockier" roots such as LGDWH where he was undoubtedly at his cheekiest! The album fails to be a follow up to "MAN" and more of a "here's some of me new stuff I've recorded with a great keyboard player I hooked up with" You lot will probably shoot me down in flames but I can bet I'm only saying what some are thinking!! Some have been saying that this may be his last album, If so, he's shown that he's bowing out gracefully. I too hope it's not and as always, I'll continue to be a huge fan of FD's and will support him every step of the way.

Cheers for listening 8 brand new batteries do make a bigger smile!!! 

Steve Brotherton

The new FD album is very very good, but lacks that certain something to levitate it to - classic. I think also the problem is many of the songs (2 being released on previous albums/the other on bootlegs) are all ready etched in memory, and the news songs although excellent are probably the better ones. There is not a duff track although I feel 'Old friend Love' and 'Just a man' purely for its too raw acoustic ness, spoils the mix.

I love Dunnery - but after Man and now GFB in a very acoustic vein - isn't it time he picked up the electric again. Unfortunately due to the way Frank feels about life i.e..analyses a fart and sings about it, has something to do with the fact he feels unable to rock out anymore. For me although Man is probably still he's best solo work. Looks like the It Bites reunion will never happen which is a shame, as mr Dunnery has lost the added something that has never been recaptured since the glory days.

Steve Brotherton (another review)

I notice that the only negative review on the Aquarian Nation site is mine. No one else posting comments seems to agree with me, although the guys on the 'dunnery chat site' are less afraid to let their Opinion be known.

To be honest I'm quite bored of the album now, and haven't played it to death like all the other dunnery albums. I seem to be skipping tracks all the time too, which is not a good sign. I seem to skip 'Just a man' as I played this to death when it was a b-side of 'Change my world 10 years ago - and is no different to the original. I skip 'Good life' as was done just as well on Fearless, 'Skip - Heartache reborn' as much prefer the changed version, but how it was done on the last live album at Whitehaven'.I don't like 'Middle of life' - It is sluggish, indulgent and goes nowhere. 'My fathers eyes' and 'Gully flats boys' are a tad self indulgent (lets sing a song about me. and then I will sing another song about me) and also lacking... .............eh, well anything other than a pulse.

The album also sounds rushed - were the physiology studies taking top priority, to a hobbyist way to construct the album ?????. A double album thinly spread out on 2 cd's, when all tracks could have been put onto one. Only really 4 new tracks, with many others either dug out from 5- 10 + years ago, or re-vamped from previous releases. Was 'Just a man' and 'Old Friend Love' slipped in as another solo acoustic track(s) just due to time pressures? - if not it sounds it. The only totally stunning solo track with the least amount of other instrumentation is 'Living In New York city', this really works. On the plus side 'Soldier', 'Give up and let go' and chocolate heart' are some of the best songs he has ever written, but the other tracks just seem to par away to such a high quality standard. These songs are also the ones that seem fleshed out more, again is that because of a rush to get the album out??

Also many people have mentioned the hiss on 'Give up.......', which also unfortunately spoils this track when played at higher volume - I can't believe Frank wanted to leave this in, after all the trouble he went through to delay the release originally. Someone also mentioned a duff backing vocal by Dorie on another track.

Frank your lyrics are breathtakingly good, but the music has just taken a second place. I totally understand if Frank is now a 43 year old with different musical styles he now prefers to play, but where has the spark of totally originality gone from say the magic of eccentricity of LGDWH, or the outstanding fresh band performance of.................. - No I won't say it - Just the band that could of been...............

Yes - and before that asswipe of a dunnery fan - replies to this and defends him - he is in my top 3 artists of all time, but the man can and has done much better. I'm sure Frank can hopefully take this all in hopefully good Humor and understand some of my criticisms. I still love ya man - and please don't take it personally - but someone had to say it. If not - I'm sure he will to go back into therapy and write another song about it !!!!

Lisa Grove

Yeah I must admit Steve, I listened to WTTWC driving home & thought "where did that bloke go?"....

But then my other half probably thinks about me and him skinny dipping in the North Sea in the summer of 1987, looks across the bed - over the top of his glasses whilst reading the latest Dan Brown novel, spies me reading my latest "gutter trash" novel, through my glasses - and wonders "where did that bird go?" :)

We all get old "er" Steve, I've finally admitted defeat and am bringing folding chairs to V festival this year. I spent 4 days with a bad back after standing at Reading Festival (couldn't sit on the ground - mud up to my neck) & spent most of the days looking at the people with folding chairs like a starving child does food.....

I guess Franks not that angry young man anymore - well I don't guess I know, he keeps telling me in his songs. He has matured into a middle-aged guy and accepts it. I'm guessing/interpreting that GFB is his way of "putting childish things away".

Like all of you - I sincerely hope that Frankie gets his geetar out again and writes beautiful songs for us all to enjoy - I sincerely hope that he tours in the UK again this year (seeing as Feargal & I missed it). And being forever a total optimist, I just know that he will....how can he not???

In the meantime I'm enjoying GFB, I haven't devoured every single chord like I remember doing with some of the other albums (I remember LGDWH arriving in a broken case from the US & me driving up to the cliffs & sitting in the car listening to the album 3 times before coming home & allowing the blokes to hear it) but as its a kind of retrospective album, I'm kinda being retrospective myself....

I'm also mad keen on other fantastic music, following other artists, like you guys do, & then we all can come back here & meet up at camp-Frankie!!!

Hopefully one day there will be another convention :)

Colin Hesketh

I'm afraid I have to agree with everything Steve Brotherton says about GFB. I can't get away from the feeling that it's either all so depressing and dare I say it, one dimensional, or that I prefer the versions of the songs we already know from previous albums or bootlegs -with the possible exception of "Heartache reborn", which is very nicely done.

There are 2 songs I don't like at all.. "Joy", which goes nowhere and has a terribly uninspired drum machine thing going on....and the following track "middle of life", which is just filler and the sort of thing that Francis could come up with whilst in a coma, never mind in his sleep.

There's no doubting the brilliance of the old songs like "Someone like me","Autumn the rain man","Living in NYC" etc and maybe it's unfair to liken them to live versions from 7/8 years ago when many people may not have even heard these versions, but it seems to me that the rawness of the earlier recordings suit the songs so much better.

On a more positive note, there are 3 new songs that are up there with his very best material ever. "Chocolate heart"(my fave), "Soldier", and "Through my fathers eyes" are real classics and are worth the price of admission alone. Another positive, is the recording quality of the album which is more than excellent and his voice has definitely improved 100% over the last couple of years (not that there was anything wrong with it before!). I find the insistance on using the hissy vocal take on "Give up and let it go" most strange though. He say's that he was unable to recapture the vibe on subsequent takes and decided to stick with the original, but that background hiss is unacceptable IMO and he should have avoided using it at all costs. To say that the coming and going of the hiss is obtrusive is an understatement!

Francis does and always should, make the album he wants to make and if we the fans have a problem with anything.... well thats our problem not his. But,we are entitled to express an opinion and have our say and my opinion is that he should ditch the acoustic for a while, get over this stupid hang-up he has about drummers and to use a phrase that has cropped up on this list a few times "get some fire back in his belly" and give us at least a hint of rock music - Dunnery style. I was listening to the LGDWH demos the other day. and whilst they are as rough as you like musically, there's so much to inspire there.... White tailed doves... Now there is a song...

That period in time is definitely my favourite Dunnery era, though the first Grass Virgins tour of the UK runs a very close second. I hope we get to witness another vintage era of FD, but for me he'll have to leave the acoustic in the wings for at least 60% of the set.

We shall see.

Feargal Mellon

I've had it now for a couple of weeks, and as usual happens when Francis releases a new cd because of being a bit of an anorak I've usually heard a few of the tracks through various live recordings. This time I'd already heard a whopping 8 of the tracks, 3 of the tracks have been released officially before, indeed goodlife goes back to the tail end of It Bites short but stunning career. But it is great to finally hear some of these songs as finished works as Frankie intended them to be heard and not live `works in progress'

But `Gulley Flats Boys' after a long wait is here and after initial trepidation I have to say, it's stunning, there have been some comments around a hissy vocal track, the lack of electric guitar and the inclusion of those tracks that have been officially released before. I can understand where people are coming from with the hissy vocal track- personally I probably wouldn't have noticed it until I listened for it, and yes I'd love Frankie to let rip with the electric!, but the re-workings of just a man- previously only available as a live bonus track on the I believe I can change my word cd single, goodlife from Fearless & heartache reborn from wild country are excellent with just a man changing the least.

I have to admit, I had some concerns that with a guitar & keys album only that the keys may be overplayed but using the less is more approach David Sancious has brought something special to GFB, along with nicely placed backing vocals by Dorie Jackson, these were unfounded.

With each successive release we get something different from Frank and gfb is no exception, it would seem that he's come full circle with himself and this album shows the blistering honesty we've come to expect from Frankie, introspective but never maudlin. There are some songs on GFB that have really given me food for thought, I can relate to so many things that the songs seem to bring out in me, funnily the title track has had me thinking of my own childhood, and the friends I've made, I've lost and how happy I was growing up, and trust me Derry at the height of troubles didn't have much going for it! Names & faces I haven't thought of in years have come back to me.

Along with the title track, through my fathers eyes, give up & let it go and Joy are also personal highlights, the only negative I have about GFB is the drum machine on joy, I love the song and it has bit of what I would call the Dunnery snarl, a bit of vitriol (in the middle section), but I just feel that a drummer would've made it complete.

I also think that if any other of my favourite musicians had made the transition from a rock musician to an acoustic singer songwriter, I would have got bored & gave up the ghost a long time ago, but Frankie's got something really special going on, and as long as he releases music of this quality, I'll keep listening. I possibly may have been better to wait a few weeks to give a review as the cd is still dominating my listening time and growing on me, but felt what the hell!

Peter McDermott

Well.... I've gave it a good listen out here in oil rig land for nearly 2 weeks & I really like it....I'm finding that with Francis sometimes "Less is more" if you know what I mean.As far as it "Musically" goes it is a very very cleverly structured album. I know that Frank isn't blasting leads all over the place!. But it would be hard to turn this great album into a widdlefest!..You can tell he is sick of "Shouting" likewise with the guitar playing. He has turned into a very accomplished songwriter all the same. He is progressing into a different level of musicianship that is so profoundly different to his other albums. You do not get recognition from the likes of David Sancious lightly..Sancious is in a master class of his own with an outstanding pedigree in world music & to rate frank, just shows you how far the raggy arsed lad from a council estate has really come! (I'm one of em!)..I know some people were expecting "newer" songs ..I know we've all heard the songs before in other guises. but lets keep the fire burning, put a bit of cash in Frankie's pocket & keep the faith. Here's to the next one!!...Mac (I'm freezing out here)

Bert Treep

My first question is who am I to critise Francis Dunnery, because what he's doing, I can't But to be honest, I made myself this question, did I buy this cd when the name of the artist was not Francis?I don't think so. Don't forget , english is not my native language , so I listen to a voice as an instrument. the meaning of the words is not my fisrt priority. I prefer the Francis Dunnery playing with more instruments as on the GFB. Don't worry Francis, you never lose this fan. as you will understand from above I prefer Soldier& Joy anybody heard the comparison between Chocolate Heart and "No Show Jones" from Chris Difford with Francis and Dorie? so again no critics, only prefer another cup of tea

Dean

i love it too. I have to send Frank a thank you and well done email later tonite actually enjoyed it on my holiday in Cabo San Lucas (which was NOT freezing Petey-boy !) gave it a good listen in the room, around the pool, just loveit frank has a new way of singing tremelo which I enjoyed ... i might try it myself it's a different album like the rest of them Tall Blonde Helicopter was pretty far removed from Fearless I think that, perhaps, Man and Let's Go Do What Happens might be considered "similar" but another gem. And I was under the impression that this is his last CD right ? Let's hope not ....... but I think my fave so far is Chocolate Heart or in My Fathers Eyes like all of them I enjoyed it from beginning to end

GROOOOVY BAY GROOOVY !

It was lovely to listen to the CD and revisit the concert again .... I flew from Los Angeles to London to see him in Shepherd Bush. I recall the gig in L.A from the Let's Go Do What Happens CDlook back on the

In fact, recalling the gig and the the CD, my fave song on GFB is the one that goes .... Oooo, Oooo, Oooo, Oooo, Oooooo, oooooo-woo-woo-ooooo Can't think on the fame of it ! He got the crowd Ooo-ing along with the song ! I was smiling (well it's difficult to smile when you're going "ooooo") from ear to ear !

Time to get the kids in the shower and get down to my night's reading. Got me a Wilbur SMith that I'm digging my teeth in to. Night night.

Ian Aishley

I have had GFB for a while now and I am deeply unimpressed. Whats all the crooner like vibrato for on many songs. For me it is a spineless piece of work in it's delivery, a comment I won't level at the songs themselves, as any artist's work is personal. The real messure of the CD is that I ordered a second copy of MAN which I actually wore out and havent listened to for a year : GFB and MAN sit side by side in my CD changer in the car, with man blasting on straight after GFB disc 2, and steam rollering over GFB, like a breath of fresh air.

The whole album to me is like a Turner prize winning piece of art that only the artist understands. I dont get it. I keep listening to it as if I have failed to in my life-long appreciation of FD, but fear that FD has failed to deliver. If Frank truly believes that this work can sit beside all previous work that I will bow to his superior knowledge, and I hope that I will eventually catch up, but everything from the first IB release to MAN was instant to me, and this one fails to hit the spot.