CHRIS CONWAY: Alien Salad Abduction

Chris Conway

Alien Salad Abduction

© 2003 Chris Conway (634479022395)

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Folk-rock/filk/space songs with electronics, world music and jazz touches - and theremin .

notes

Describe Chris Conway... - songwriter, multi-instrumental wizard, soulful singer, wit, space hippy, genre juggler, composer, and producer.

Alien Salad Abduction, as the title suggests is a collection of songs and sounds with a cosmic perspective. Space folk rock? Electro filk? You decide !

Alien Salad Abduction features his Talking Fish band and many special guests, including Canadian band Urban Tapestry, Toronto singer Jodi Krangle, and English folk-rock diva Vikki Clayton. It was recorded in Leicester UK, Toronto Canada, Atlanta USA, and was 2 years in the making.

For a track by track description and more background info on Alien Salad Abduction see http://www.btinternet.com/~unclechristo/cd_asa.html

US born Chris Conway plays 11 instruments himself on the album, including his theremin which appears on 10 tracks. He weaves them with the sounds of the Talking Fish band and guests, to make masterpieces which stylistically touches on US West Coast, electronica, power-pop, Latin, Celtic folk, jazz, fusion, funk, and ambient realms.

The songs all however have Chris Conway's distinctive feel, lyricism and musical flair - despite the dazzling musicianship, he never loses sight of the songs and their lyrics which are perhaps the jewel in the crown of these albums. Evident throughout is a warmth, and a dedication to detail, and the sheer mastery of a truly creative individual.

Chris Conway has toured the UK playing with Monkee Peter Tork, and has also played with members of Jethro Tull and Fairport Convention. He's also a member of Vikki Clayton's band, playing at Cropredy Festival twice. She has recorded 3 of his songs on her albums.

He also plays in World Music group Jazz Orient (aka Re-Orient) whose 3 albums sell thousands around the world, and who have played the South Bank in London. In the World Music genre, he has played with Dr L Subramanium and Talvin Singh, amongst others.

He has supported Irish singing star Frances Black on two UK tours. He's also supported Bob Geldof, Roy Wood, Arthur Brown, and Gong's Daevid Allen.

He has released 12 song albums under his own name and many others in other genres and "Ayurveda" for the New World Music label - a relaxation album which sells all over the world.

Instrumentation
Chris Conway - vocals, keyboards, guitars, theremin, tin & low whistles, kalimba, zither, percussion, samples, effects, vegetables
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The Talking Fish
Debbie Robinson - vocals
Mick Oxtoby - electric violin
Neil Segrott - bass, guitars
Andy Fitzsimons - congas, percussion
Dan Britton - bodhran
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special guests
Andy Nicholls - tenor saxophone
Carl Peberdy - sitar, vocals
Vikki Clayton - vocals
Kate Easton - vocals
Roger Pugh - vocals
Andrea Dale - phone voice
Urban Tapestry...
Jodi Krangle - vocals
Allison Durno - vocals
Debbie Ridpath Ohi - flute

reviews

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  • beguiling
    author: Mojo Magazine

    A beguiling mish mash of Tamla, Steely Dan, bossa nova and cod cosmics.

  • a veritable galaxy of songs
    author: Netrhythms

    I never cease to be amazed at this prolific guy and the sheer amount of stuff he produces. Not only does he keep down a full-time pivotal role as multi-instrumentalist within the Vikki Clayton Band, but he's a prodigiously talented musician, singer, songwriter, composer and producer in his own right. The songs on Alien Salad Abduction, though (as the title might well imply to the astute!), major more on the overtly witty, frivolous side of Chris's writing, the fully fledged space hippie having (almost) come of age on a veritable galaxy of songs embracing world, fusion, electronic, funky pop and nouvelle-jazz influences and embodying an intrinsic (if scattergun) whimsy that probably owes as much to Daevid Allen and Gong as to anything else in the musical universe. Chris may be hard to keep up with, but there's no denying the man's serious creativity or his perennial inventiveness. David Kidman

  • a journey through the space-time continuum
    author: Holding Together Magazine

    Two new shiny circles from Leicester's own David Crosby, both featuring our man on a plethora of instruments - guitars, keyboards, theremin, kalimba, zither, vegetables etc - and his trusty lieutenants the Talking Fish in support. "Alien Salad Abduction" is a departure, and one of which Paul Kantner of Jefferson Starship would approve - a collection of songs with a spacey connection, a journey through the space-time continuum. if you like. "Andromeda Bound" even name-checks Grace and the Doktor of Space - and it's a suitably fine exploration. The title track, a highly amusing novelty song the first time around, is such a cleverly constructed composition it actually grows on you with repetition. bp "Fly High" features more of those multi-Christos dissolving into each other like ghostly images; "Virtual Girl" a wry and witty musing on the vaguaries of modern romance ; and lets not forget the atmospheric linking pieces, XM/Copernican Rumbles style between several of the selections. Both albums are recommended.

  • Professionally produced, catchy, innovative
    author: Mark Long

    Perhaps the most polished filk that I have ever heard. Crosses the divide between Filk and Pop but with none of the stale sameness of Pop. Some of the songs have a newness that still impresses on the tenth listen. Splendid.

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