All posts by roger

A Revelation – Review of Genesis Live over Europe 2007

Entertainment, , , , , , , , , ,

Yes I really am going to review an album that is nearly 6 years old. I missed it at release and only just discovered it on iTunes recently.

review of genesis live over europe 2007
AlbumCover

I was a big Genesis fan back in the 1980s at the time when Phil Collins had successfully replaced Peter Gabriel as lead singer. The band was in transition from a progressive rock outfit (you know 15 minute songs with long guitar and keyboard instrumental sections) that occasional wrote great pop songs – to a pop group that occasional wrote popier progressive rock songs.

Whilst purists might disagree with my analysis of that transition it’s what appeared to me was happening. I saw Genesis live at Roundhay Park in Leeds in 1987, which was the tour for their very successful and, some would say, most commercially accessible album “Invisible Touch”.

They recorded this album (and the accompanying DVD “When in Rome”) on a reunion tour 20 years later. Even though they had to play the songs in a lower key to compensate for Phil Collins older, less powerful, voice, the result is a band at the height of their powers. It’s amazing that these guys are in their 60s delivering such a powerful and polished performance. The DVD presents one concert in its entirely and the CD gives us the same set list but with recordings from different venues across Europe.

This is a perfect mix of their later pop hits and their earlier rock songs peppered with seamlessly constructed medleys and instrumentals.

Review of Genesis Live over Europe 2007
Behind the Lines

Behind the Lines/Duke’s End – a rousing instrumental opening introducing us to the powerful sound of both Phil Collins and Chester Thompson behind their drum kits.

Turn It On Again – a crowd pleasing hit song. I believe this tour was actually called the “Turn it On Again Tour”.

No Son Of Mine – one of Genesis’s most recent songs and one to sing along to.

Land Of Confusion – I remember the video to this track featuring Spitting Image puppets. Nice to see them reappear in the concert footage on the DVD.

In The Cage/Cinema Show/Duke’s Travels – Since the early 1980s Genesis have included what has become known as the “In The Cage Medley” in their set list. This features a strong rhythm section with Mike Rutherford and the two drummers – an impressive montage which, as always, merges into the next song.

Afterglow – and amazing ballad which Collins nails vocally.

Hold On My Heart – a bit of a bland ballad from the pop era. Not a highlight for me.

Review of Genesis Live over Europe 2007
Home by The Sea

Home By The Sea – this is one of those later Genesis tracks which skilfully merges pop and Prog together. The catchy sing along first half gives way to the thunderous drumming in the instrumental section. On the DVD the images of ghosts and lonely haunted houses bring this song about the supernatural alive.

Follow You Follow Me – a beautiful rendition of this famous single.

Firth Of Fifth (Excerpt) – Another amazing instrumental with Tony Banks keyboard mastery and Daryl Stuermer demonstrating his lead guitar ability. This is probably the sort of track that people hate progressive rock for – but the guitar solo is awesome.

I Know What I Like – one of Genesis’s earliest chart hits. “Me I’m just a lawn mower. You can tell me by the way I walk”.

Mama – a very scary song to listen to.

Ripples – in my opinion one of the best ballads ever recorded and this version is stunning. But just what are the “blue girls” referred to in the lyrics?

Throwing It All Away – audience participation as Collins rips off Freddie Mercury’s Ay-ho from Live Aid.

Domino – Like “Home by the Sea” a song of two halves part ballad part thunderous rocker.

Conversations With 2 Stools – many people cringe at the thought of a drum duet. Here Collins and Thompson start out on electronic drum pads and build up the layers until they are battering hell of their respective drum kits.

Los Endos – usually the closing song of the concert this time Los Endos is not the end.

Tonight, Tonight, Tonight (Excerpt) – Another of the band’s more famous pop songs.

Invisible Touch – their most commercial single and a great up temp finish to the main act.

I Can’t Dance – perhaps a strange choice of song for the encore but the crowd in the DVD seem to love it.

Carpet Crawlers – it might seem strange to close with a ballad – especially one from the 1970s Peter Gabriel era – but this is haunting, atmospheric and Collins nails the vocals.

This album is a show case of nearly three decades of Genesis music taking in pop and rock in equal measure. If like me you were a fan and missed this one, you will love this trip down memory lane. If you are new to Genesis want an accessible way into their back catalogue, this is a good place to jump on.

Your turn: Are you a Genesis fan. What do you think of this review of Genesis live over Europe 2007? What are your memories of their music and their concerts. Share your thoughts. Click below where it says “Leave a Comment”.

What doesn’t kill you – Review of Body Combat release 54

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , , ,

As Christmas excesses become a distant memory everyone is getting back into the gym to work of their turkey, Quality Street, Twiglets and puddings. Classes are rammed full and Les Mills have given us a great start to 2013 with another solid, tough and calorie burning class.

review of body combat release 54
Body Combat 54 Poster

Welcome to Body Combat release 54.

Upper body warm up (What doesn’t kill you): We start with an uplifting cover of a Kelly Clarkson song. Easy punches, a combination of upper cuts and hooks and jacks warm us up quickly and allows us a few moments relief for a karate based kata.

Lower body warm up (Blow): This is a big track with “Shoot Lunges” as well as the usual kicks and knee strikes. The music at first appears to be a fairly dull extended dance song – but I always find myself singing along to the melody and drawing wry smiles from my participants. They’ve packed a lot into this warm up and it succeeds in its aims.

Combat 1 (Turbulence): The title if this track is a word that strike fear into my heart – especially if uttered by an airline pilot. Recent track 2s have been so short you could blink and miss them. At six and a half minutes this is a leg killer. They told us on the training that the BPM of this track was lower than in the LBWU but that doesn’t prevent it from exhausting you early on. The lunging kick is back and cries out for a full class kiai! The slow and endless balancing round house kicks bring on groans – and we are only 10 minutes into the workout.

review of body combat release 54
Balancing Roundhouse Kicks

Power 1 (Gona Love Me): A perfectly acceptable power track with a flurry of punches and upper cuts. But I find the music is a bit of a dirge and I’m not keen on the screeching singer. And we had the hook stepping and weaving combo in the last release so a different move would have been good. The moves work but for me the music doesn’t.

Combat 2 (Paradise City): This is fast and furious and quite hard to cue because there is so much going on. And there aren’t always 4 repetitions – sometimes 2,3, 4 or 8 so you need to stay sharp. At the end we have an extended bout of skipping and add in a “double under” – which is a little jump. Take care here. I’ve had sore Achilles and I think this sequence is the reason. Great track.

Power 2 (Invincible): Again I’m not sure about the music. Whilst it builds from a quiet start to a powerful explosive beat once the full combination kicks it feels a little flat. “We can do it together” is a good line for a group fitness class and the endless hooks at the end really shatter the shoulders.

Combat 3 (DOA): A long time ago they used to call track 6 used “the recovery” track. Programme directors Dan and Rachael did away with that concept ages ago. This is a relentless track with great combinations involving the back kick and a powerful karate punch. The song is quite catchy too, “No one’s getting out of here alive!”. I bet you find yourself singing along.

Muay Thai (The Switch): A driving techno beat and an avalanche of knees and elbow strikes. This is furious and you can let yourself go wild. On the quarterly workshop Tanya Walker, the trainer, had me up shadowing her on  this one and so I didn’t have to learn it – it was already burned into my brain. I like the little nod to the past with the sound effects and warning bells like we used to get years ago.

Power 3 (Dark Skies): A great climax to the class with shoulder destroying speed balls and more endless jabs. The music in this power track is very motivating which is good after the two earlier slightly disappointing ones. We all feel completely spent as we run around the room to the reprise of track 3 – but there is more hard work to come.

review of body combat release 54
The leg escape move.

Conditioning (Internet Friends): The first time I tried to teach this I demonstrated the moves for the class first. They looked horrified. So after that I have just gone straight in. There’s plenty of time to set up the “leg escape” move during the introduction and the best way for the class to learn is to do it. Only problem is that if you sweat like a tap (as I do), the floor beneath you becomes slippery and can make achieving the move quite hard. Finally we finish with some very tough crunches.

Cool down (Payphone): A pleasant song and an easy series of stretches bring us back down to earth finishing with a reprise of the kata from track 2.

Body Combat release 54 is another solid class which gets results. Your shoulders will ache after all the hooks in track 5. Apart from a couple of dull pieces of music Dan and Rachael have given us another winner.

Your turn: Are you a Body Combat instructor? What do you think of my review of Body Combat release 54? Do you agree? Please share your thoughts. If you are a participant let me know what you think as well. Click below where it says “Leave a reply” and share!

 

With or Without You – Review of Body Balance Release 59

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , ,

When I first watched the DVD master-class for Body Balance release 59 I thought, “Oh no! I might have to write my first negative review since number 39 – five years ago.”

The music didn’t excite me, the moves seemed bitty and lacked flow, and I felt completely underwhelmed.

A few days later I went to the Quarterly Workshop where trainer, Sarah Durnford, presented the new class. Well I loved the music and I thought the moves were tough and flowed perfectly. It was a great learning experience and I came away from the workshop fired up and ready to learn and teach Body Balance release 59.

review of body balance release 59
Body Balance release 59 poster

On reviewing the DVD I am sorry to say that what killed it for me was the mother daughter double act of Jackie and Diana Mills teaching. Whilst there were touching moments of motherly love, the constant talking, switching from one to the other (which sounded like they were constantly interrupting themselves), made the DVD painful to watch.

When I learned this release I did so with the presenter voices turned off. I know they were trying something different but for me this didn’t work.

Fortunately our clients don’t get to see the DVD and the good news is that this release has gone down a storm. Far from it being the worst since number 39 – it probably ranks as one of the best.

So let’s look at the tracks.

Tai chi warm up (Princess of China): A pretty good cover of a Coldplay/Rhianna song with two very simple Tai chi moves. The first sequence works your legs more than is normal in a warm up – you’ll feel this straight away of you go deep. The second is a lovely arm circle – but do you know what? It looks stunning in a full class of people. In my first class of 2013 the sight of 35 people circling arms upwards and sinking down was almost moving. I wished I had a video camera with me. In fact I might film it next week. Breathtaking.

Sun salutations (With or Without You): Another passable cover song but I would have preferred the U2 original. The music is very upbeat and I think that makes you work harder. The first two salutations are pretty standard apart from the twisting lunge, but the second two get more interesting as we add in standing lunge pose and warrior 2.

Standing Strength (Some Night): A cover of a track by Fun – and this track lives up to that group’s name. There are many poses in here: warrior 2, standing lunge, warrior 1, triangle, extended warrior, floating half-moon and finally sun warrior. Initially I felt there was too much going on, but actually you need the variety to take your mind off how hard you are working. I like the “tribal arms” sequence. One of the cues I use in Body Combat is “this would be a good place for a scary face” – I never thought the would be an opportunity to use this cheesy line in Body Balance.

Balance (A Drop in The Ocean): After a long and tough standing strength, this balance track is quite short with only eagle, star and dancer’s pose choreographed to a beautiful song.

review of body balance release 59
Hips track

Hips (Born to Die): We start in Hindi squat and stay there for ages. Then a wide legged seated forward bend which you can really take your time getting deeper with each exhalation. One lady in my class can get her whole chest and torso on the floor with her legs at right angles. Perhaps if we all did this track for the next 30 years we would get there too. I love the extended quad stretch where your reach out with the front arm and lower your head and body towards the floor. Keep holding that foot if your can. The stretch is exquisite.

Core abs (Home): A cover of a very quirky, if not odd, track by Edwards Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. It sounds like it’s out of a western. But we don’t notice the music for long. The crunches, the hovers variations along the way make your abs burn hotter than the sun in a western desert. Ouch but good.

Core back (The Other Side): This looks deceptively simple. But try those scorpion push ups on your toes and you will fatigue quickly. A good combo of diagonal pointers, bow poses and a catchy pop song.

review of body bbalance release 59
Twists track

Twists (If my Heart were a House): A lovely mellow track with gentle reclined and seated twists. And then just when you think you are chilling out along come the last twisted lunges with the option to bind the arms under the front leg. This is a very tough yoga bind which I cannot do – and so far no one in my classes can do. It gives us something to aim for but there is so little time before the track ends to really give it a go properly.

Forward bends/hamstrings (In my Arms): What a beautiful song. Simple seated forward bends then an optional standing split. After revisiting the Tai Chi moves from the first track, we finish in a standing wide leg forward bend which is another exquisite stretch.

Relaxation (If I Rise): This isn’t really a relaxation – more of a forward bends/hamstrings part two. But wide legged standing forward bend, down to happy baby and then finishing in butterfly pose certainly sets us up for the “real” relaxation track which is next.

Meditation (Contentment): More astonishing and relaxing piano playing from Stanton Lanier. This is the third or fourth time his music has guided our meditation and I find it most welcome. Though perhaps this one, at just under 9 minutes, is just a little too long?

So after my first reaction to the DVD it turns out that this is another very strong Body Balance release. A great variety of music, challenging standing poses, another couple of very tough core tracks, and lots of smiling faces and exhausted groans. Love it.

Your turn: Are you a Body Balance instructor? What do you think of my review of Body Balance release 59? Do you agree? Please share your thoughts. If you are a participant let me know what you think as well. Is it too tough? Click below where it says “Leave a reply” and share!

If you want to know more about Body Balance – read my article: What is a Body Balance Class?

 

8 reasons why yoga should be your New Year’s Resolution

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , , , ,

Happy New Year to everyone. Have you made a resolution? Will you stick to it?

People are talking about giving up alcohol, chocolate, sweets, canned drinks, coffee, red meat, biscuits and cream cakes. They are going to join a gym, take up running, enter a marathon, go to boot camp, hire a personal trainer and start using stairs instead of the lift.

The problem is that this takes will-power and committment. A high percentage of new gym members stop going regularly after just six weeks. But they keep paying their fees much to the delight of the gym’s accountants. And many will be back on the alcohol, chocolate, sweets, canned drinks, coffee, red meat, biscuits, cream cakes or whatever takes their fancy by the beginning of February.

8 reasons why yoga
photo credit: lululemon athletica via photopin cc

Why not just take up yoga instead? It might sound like it’s just as tall an order as giving up pizza, but you don’t even need to join a gym to do it. You could go to a drop in studio or even get hold of a decent DVD and practice in your living room.

Do yoga once or twice a week and you will see benefits almost immediately. Here are 8 reasons why yoga should be your New Year’s resolution.

Better flexibility: You don’t have to be flexible to start doing yoga, but every class you attend will make you more flexible. Yoga moves gently stretch your body and over time will increase your range of motion.

Better muscle tone: Yoga tones muscles because most of the poses involve either strengthening or stretching particular muscles groups. You can develop long lean muscles by doing yoga. In fact you could work pretty much every muscle in the body. And the flow of exercises mean that you will also get a cardiovascular work out as well.

Increased strength: Each yoga pose either strengthens or stretches a group of muscles. By holding poses you will gain muscle strength.

Better posture: Improved flexibility and increased strength means that your posture will also improve. You will also find that your balance will get better.

Re-energised: Apart from the more cardio-based forms of yoga, such as power yoga, you won’t find that your energy fade during a yoga class. Indeed you will find yourself re-energised and feeling quite vigorous after class.

8 reasons yoga
photo credit: lululemon athletica via photopin cc

Less stressed: The physical exercises you do in yoga can also be combined with relaxation and breathing techniques which induce calmness and lower your heart rate. Enhanced mindfulness and mental calm can leave you feeling less stressed.

Less pain: By increasing your range of motion and strengthening your muscles you can prevent pain because you will become less susceptible to injury.

Everyone benefits: Don’t listen to the clichés. You don’t have to be a bendy girl to do yoga. No matter what your age, size, shape or level of fitness you can benefit.

And what’s more it compliments other forms of sport and might even make you more successful at them.

Your turn: Has yoga made a difference to your life? Have you noticed all these changes. I’m on a mission to get more people doing yoga in 2013. Please share your stories. Click below where it says “Leave a reply”.