Search - Kevin Ayers :: Shooting at the Moon

Best moonshot since Apollo

happydogpotatohead | New Orleans, LA USA | 06/22/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ayers' first album, "Joy of a Toy," was more or less a solo effort, but "Shooting" was recorded with his band of the time, The Whole World, and the input of the other members of the band diversifies but doesn't dilute the Kevin Ayers sound. It would be tempting to say that this is what Soft Machine might have sounded like if Ayers hadn't left the group. Ayers' songs are given subtle and tricky arrangements, and alternate with almost Sun Ra-like instrumental freakouts (notably "P*sser Dans Un Violon," which goes on too long, and "Underwater," which doesn't). A very young Mike Oldfield adds guitar and bass playing here, notably the fabulously freaked-out guitar solo in "Lunatics Lament." Lol Coxhill adds suitably demented and interesting (but never overbearing) electric sax and woodwind work. Ayers' songs, as usual, seem almost casual on the surface but on closer inspection reveal an intelligence and direction that bring him fairly close to his contemporary and friend, Syd Barrett. Ayers' dark, luminous baritone voice is his own, however, and his worldview, although sometimes a bit demented, is not burdened with the overtones of paranoia and fear that edge Barrett's work. Ayers' pastoral and carefree view of life informs everything he writes, but don't be decieved by the surface. There's a lot going on underneath, and repeated listenings will reveal more.The extra tracks are terrific. One could argue that "Hat" might go on too long but it gets irrevocably stuck in your head, as do many of the songs here. The remastering is quite good. Kevin Ayers is something of a forgotten jewel in the British crown of eccentric rock, but he has been a hidden influence on many, including Robyn Hitchcock and Julian Cope. The reissues of Ayers' first four albums (arguably his best) are more than welcome, and anyone interested in a very different yet accessible musical view of the world will want this CD."

A Strange Timepiece with Bedford, Oldfield and others.

Ian R. Bruce | Natick, MA United States | 06/07/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There's more going on in a typical Ayers song than in most music of the time - or of today. Very "progressive" in the best and worst sense of the term, but with moments of brilliance. Several tracks give Oldfield room to show what he would accomplish in his later solo work. Try Joy of a Toy first, but this is fun too."