Ralph Atkinson - Standing In The English Rain

Hear The Track Here

You would think, wouldn't you, that musicians are clever folk and, I guess, in some ways they are. However, lets see how clever this is. Imagine this scenario: you are a songwriter who wishes to get his music better known so you give your latest track called (for example) Standing In The English Rain to a reviewer who just happens to be English and knows all about being pelted on the brain by small calibre water bullets. After all, said reviewer has had a lifetime's experience of this effect which is why, I think, I am so crotchety about the subject. I have been known to moan a bit about the English condition in my time and there is nothing that lights the blue touch paper faster than rain. So, now that we've established the cleverness of this concept, let's hear it in action. But wait, running water always makes me need the little boys room so you go ahead...

Standing In The English Rain was 'created for the May Coconut Blues Club British Challenge' whatever that is, so I suspect that it was something that had a deadline attached to it. There again, there a great many musicians who enjoy this form, I did it myself for a great many years. Entering challenges, competitions and collaborations increases your musical experience to an unbelievable extent and - to add spice to the mix - is the greatest fun while its happening. So sitting through what appears to be our FIFTH summer in a row that has more rain in it than sun, how do I, a native Englishman with water be-spattered brains, think of this track? But wait, running water always makes me need the little boys room so you go ahead...

It's a good job that Ralph, a Canadian musician, has already established a reasonable track record with me or I might have sliced and diced this with no sign of remorse. As it is, it's struggle is that it's a pure and simple instrumental track that is, supposedly, classical rock a la Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, King Crimson but - for my money - is nothing like as muscular at those ground breakers. Don't get me wrong, its a very pleasant instrumental with some very nice touches, especially notable are the horns and bass but at the end of the day it is yet another instrumental in an ever deepening pool of instrumentals and its not sufficiently catchy enough to really get singled out. It does, however, kinda captures that rainy day feeling and that might be why I feel the way I do about it.

Recommended Classical rock (ie NOT classic rock!)