Despite being in the music business for over twenty years, you may be unfamiliar with John Wesley; or, unless you are a dedicated fan already, you may have heard his name as the touring artist of bands like Marillion. Wesley has played hundreds of gigs with Marillion as their premier opening act between 1991 and 2004, and he has also had stints with former Marillion singer Fish, playing in his band and touring the States, as well as a recent tour in Europe and the USA with noted prog rock band Porcupine Tree.
However, in between all these projects, John Wesley is also an amazing solo artist, having released various albums of different styles, with Under the Red & White Sky being his 1994 debut. The album was quickly sold out and re-released a couple of years later along with his sophomore effort The Closing of Pale Blue Eyes. Later on, the two discs were released in a double package, complementing each other perfectly. Under the Red & White Sky has more of a full release feel to it, guesting some amazing musicians, including Marillion's Mark Kelly and Steve Rothery and Gordian Knot's Sean Malone. Mark Kelly, besides playing keys and piano on nearly the whole album, also helped produce this disc with great results. Guitarist Steve Rothery, on the other hand, just appears during a moving guitar solo on the third song "Thirteen Days". It is a very emotional solo, played with wonderful restraint and tons of expression, matching the lush strings and Wesley's amazing acoustic guitars and vocal performance.
While there are several lead solos on this disc, all of which are emotionally charged, John Wesley presents a largely acoustic-based material throughout the course of this album. Often supplemented by subtle synths and keyboards, and varied bass playing, he likes to keep the material within an acoustic context. The first song "Into the Night", complete with beautiful keyboards; or the second number "None So Beautiful", highlighted by smooth fretless bass, exquisite percussion, and huge dynamics, are both prime examples of John Wesley's broad songwriting vision. But also important to note is his amazing vocal performance. Rarely will you hear such heartfelt delivery from an artist, who is obviously more a guitar player than a singer, but his lyrics and singing are so passionate and sincere that you must come from another planet if it doesn't send shivers up and down your spine. His performance on "Waiting for the Sun", a song bringing in great bass lines, electric and acoustic guitars, and honest lyrics. The piece breaks into a Floydian atmosphere at one point, picking up on piano and a fierce guitar solo respectively for its powerful finale.
There is more to admire on the album. Wesley's barely controlled pain on "She Said No"; the terrific Chapman stick from Malone on "The Last Night", which also exudes brilliant synth textures; or the heart-stopping keyboard build-up on "To Reach Out" are all emotionally fatiguing in their intense pathos. The chorus of "To Reach Out" is stunning, so angry yet so intimate, backed by a vague jazz flavour and effective guitar solo. Yet, as mentioned above, all of this is kept within the confines of acoustic music. The wild instrumentation doesn't overpower the warm melodies and beautiful vocals even for a moment.
The second disc, The Closing of the Pale Blue Eyes, consists of almost entirely acoustic songs, reason being they weren't meant to be released in the first place. As eloquently explained in the booklet by John Wesley, these songs were all written and recorded in his bedroom in hopes of just being played for that special person. But after her loss, he decided to bring in some friends and share it with the rest of the world. The songs are relatively short, mostly between one and three minutes, and rarely utilise outside instruments. One exception is "A Long Way Down", with its secretly creeping keyboards into mix. Wesley plays songs with lots of pastoral acoustic guitars while singing emotively. Two songs that really stand out are "Alone - Together" and "In Ohio", both of which are deceptively simpe at face value but very powerful otherwise.
This is a must-have album if you're a fan of slow, powerful music with lyrics mostly dealing with challenges of relationships and loss, and vocals that make your soul cry. For a more guitar-driven and heavier version of his music, you must check out Emperor Falls next. I used to like that one better, but over the years, I keep finding myself reaching for this double compilation more often.
Track Listing
Uunder the Red and White Sky
- Into the Night
- None So Beautiful
- Thirteen Days
- Waiting for the Sun
- She Said No
- The Last Light
- To Reach Out
- Rome is Burning
- Our Hero
- What You Really Want
- Cuttin' the Tree
- Silver
The Closing of the Pale Blue Eyes
- Right Here Inside Me
- To Share A Dream
- Alone-Together
- In Ohio
- Say Goodbye to the Pale Blue Eyes
- A Long Way Down
- The Death of a Friend
- Right Here Beside Me