Escape Music continue with the re-releases of Bob Catley’s solo albums. Shortly after The Tower and Legends, Bob’s third solo album – Middle Earth – from 2000 gets a refresh with nice new artwork by Rodney Mathhews and a couple of live bonus tracks.
As with The Tower and Legends, Middle Earth was written by Ten’s Gary Hughes and has Ten’s Steve McKenna on bass and the excellent Vinnie Burns on guitars.
As you may have worked it out from the album’s title – the songs are based around Tolkien’s epic fantasy book. If you’ve read the book or seen the films you’ll be easily able to relate to the lyrics and know which part of the story each song is based on.
Knowledge of Lord of the Rings is not required to enjoy the album though. It is all well written and classy with the style and tempo ideally suited to Bob’s vocals.
There is a change in pace from The Tower and Legends here on Middle Earth. This is more of an expansive, lush, symphonic melodic rock ballad style with big hooky choruses which all does fit with the fantasy/medieval based story.
The keyboards by Hughes are expansive and atmospheric to give that appropriate lushness (is that a proper word…..?). Some wonderful piano and the occasional synth burst are worked in nicely.
McKenna puts in some precise bass, which is nicely up in the mix (check out The Wraith of the Rings for example).
Vinnie Burns is given a bit less to do here than on The Tower and Legends with Middle Earth being more keyboard based. However, he is never less than impressive with the washes of big chords and his usual shredtacular soloing when he is given room to cut loose.
Middle Earth is real grower of an album which reveals a bit more with each listen.
Gary Hughes is a master songwriter and lyricist. Bob Catley a national treasure. The two of them clearly complement each other so well as demonstrated not only here with Middle Earth but also on The Tower and Legends which preceded it.
Top marks to Escape Music for giving all three albums recent re-releases. However – as with The Tower and Legends, this is a limited edition.
As a taster, here’s Return of the Mountain King:
The vinyl version is a double gatefold limited edition of 500 copies. The CD 1,000 copies. All individually numbered.
Order directly from Escape Music here:
https://www.escape-music.com
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