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Ollie Halsall - lost album Songs written, played, produced by UK guitar supremo Ollie Halsall get first time release by Britain's Market Square label in an album, "Caves" - Ollie Halsall (MSMCD103) The guitarists' guitarist, Halsall, who died in 1992 was a player of considerable versatility, best remembered for his masterly, blistering attacks of accomplished musicianship in top notch UK pop and prog rocks acts including Timebox, Patto, Tempest, Grimms and later with various of Kevin Ayers' bands. He was unduly modest about his writing talents. When not drawing or painting (he was a talented artist) he forged songs alone at a home studio. In an exercise in ideas swapping, Halsall sent these 12 songs to the singer-songwriter John Otway in late 1979. The two were co-writing and Ollie played in various Otway lineups at the time.
Ollie's songs were a revelation and a treat in their sense of completeness: no unplugged ditherings here but a purposeful, finished work with Halsall's multi-instrumental talents very much to the fore. They were lighter in tone than many expected: well-structured melodic pop and rock songs of two to three minutes duration, that measured the musical expertise and diversity which Halsall had by now amassed. All (but for Stepping Out, later covered with new lyrics by Kevin Ayers) have been, until now, uncharted territory. "Caves" delivers Halsall's lost album and employs also his drawing skills in its packaging artwork. His sequence of line illustrations of Majorcan caves take us through the forebidding cave entrance to a metaphorical 'light at the end of the tunnel' in the form of these thoughtfully-structured and crafted songs. John Otway has written booklet notes for this limited edition collector's release - the sound quality of the source tape has been enhanced to the extent possible. USEFUL WEB SITES ABOUT OLLIE HALSALL:
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