31 July 2008 23:59
New CD : Cloudland Blue Quartet - Ersatzreal Companion EP #2
Today sees the release of the second in a trilogy of companion EPs to last year's "Ersatzreal" album. This second disc features "The Angels' Kiss" from the album, together with three more tracks from the "Ersatzreal" sessions, "A Happy Song", "The Golden House" and "I Still Write You Letters", none of which appears on the LP...
Full details are on the music page with free downloads available in the library (see homepage)...
The release of the third and final companion EP is scheduled for September this year...
31 July 2008 23:58
New CD : David Reilly Anthology 1977-2007 Volume Six (1996-1997)
The sixth of ten volumes of the 175 track 30 Year Anthology is released today. Disc Six sees the first appearance of the new name, Cloudland Blue Quartet, taken from the 1993 Heavenly Music Corporation album, "Cloudland Blue". Cloudland is a metaphor for heavenly, whilst the "blue" element refers to the downbeat nature of the music. Quartet of course is meant to symbolise the extensive use of overdubbing which allows many versions of the same person to appear on one recording. This volume of the anthology contains 16 tracks, is entirely instrumental and features ambient soundscapes, abrasive sky-saw guitar solos, calming synth pieces, raucous Neu! motorik beats and orchestral samples...
Full details are on the music page with free downloads available in the library (see homepage)...
Subsequent volumes will be released on the last day of each month between now and the end of November 2008...
30 June 2008 23:58
New CD : David Reilly Anthology 1977-2007 Volume Five (1994-1995)
The fifth of ten volumes of the 175 track 30 Year Anthology is released today. 86 tracks in, we are now half way through the release schedule. The fifth disc covers the years 1994 and 1995 featuring the albums "Kernelcrux", "Songs of the Sombre Reptiles Vol 2", "The Moveable Sky" and "Starcrossfix", the last Sombre Reptiles album. The collection comprises 16 songs and a soundscape. This volume highlights the best of what was a particularly productive period, with some excellent, thought-provoking lyrics, backed up by strong instrumental performances...
Full details are on the music page with free downloads available in the library (see homepage)...
Subsequent volumes will be released on the last day of each month between now and the end of November 2008...
31 May 2008 23:59
New CD : Cloudland Blue Quartet - Ersatzreal Companion EP #1
Today sees the release of David's first single since July 2005 in the shape of a new CBQ EP, the first in a series of three scheduled for release during 2008....
The three EPs are companions to last year's "Ersatzreal" album and this first disc features the lead off track from the album, "Blue Eyes Across the Room" together with three more tracks from the "Ersatzreal" sessions, "The Unfortunate", "Rabbits on the Verge" and "Waiting to Die", which don't appear on the LP...
Full details are on the music page with free downloads available in the library (see homepage)...
Subsequent EPs are scheduled for July and September this year...
31 May 2008 23:58
New CD : David Reilly Anthology 1977-2007 Volume Four (1993-1994)
The fourth of ten volumes of the 175 track 30 Year Anthology is released today. This fourth disc covers the years 1993 and 1994 and, after last month's all song set, along with more classic songs, this month's volume contains some seminal ambient works including tracks from the album "Cloudland Blue", the banner under which, two years on, David would commence issuing his output, a project which has now been running for 12 years...
Full details are on the music page with free downloads available in the library (see homepage)...
Subsequent volumes will be released on the last day of each month between now and the end of November 2008...
16 May 2008 23:59
CBQ Live at Acoustic Idols '08
On Sunday night, David will open this year's Acoustic Idols Awards with two songs from his nominated CD, "Ersatzreal". The Acoustic Idols Awards 2008 will take place at The GRV, Guthrie St, Edinburgh on 18th May as part of the Edinburgh Rush Festival...
30 April 2008 23:59
New CD : David Reilly Anthology 1977-2007 Volume Three (1990-1993)
The third of ten volumes of this mammoth 30 Year Anthology is released today. This third disc takes us into the 90's with tracks from four Sombre Reptiles albums from 1990's "Crispysnatch" through to the retrospective "Songs of the Sombre Reptiles Vol 1"...
Full details are on the music page with free downloads available in the library (see homepage)...
Subsequent volumes will be released on the last day of each month between now and the end of November 2008...
31 March 2008 23:59
New CD : David Reilly Anthology 1977-2007 Volume Two (1986-1989)
The second of ten volumes of this mammoth 30 Year Anthology is released today. This second disc takes us from 1986's "Poppies" through to the retrospective "Sombre Reptiles 1980-89" set, presenting some interesting archival material along the way, including tracks from the first three releases by The Heavenly Music Corporation. Full details are on the music page with free downloads available in the library (see homepage)...
Subsequent volumes will be released on the last day of each month between now and the end of November 2008...
16 March 2008 23:59
FREE Downloads available now...
Crispycat now offers you FREE downloads. Head on over to the MP3 library to see what's available. Over the coming weeks and months we will be adding new tracks to create an extensive library of FREE MP3s.
Of course you can still purchase shiny silver discs with artwork and a box from our music page...
9 March 2008 23:59
FREE Downloads soon...
Crispycat will shortly offer FREE downloads. Over the coming weeks and months we will
create an extensive library of MP3s but of course you will still be able to purchase shiny silver discs with artwork and a box from our music page - more on this development soon...
5 March 2008 23:59
Cloudland Blue Quartet returns live tonight...
Cloudland Blue Quartet plays a 30 minute set tonight, his first full set for seven months and his first since the release of "Ersatzreal" last October. David, accompanied by James Jamieson, will play eight songs from the album using backing tracks to get the full band sound of the original LP...
Starts at 7.30 p.m. in The Phoenix Cellar bar, 48a Broughton Street, Edinburgh EH1 3SA £2/£1 entry - CBQ on at 8pm sharp...
3 March 2008 23:59
New CD : Cloudland Blue Quartet - Souvenir XVI Ersatzreal Live
Today we release the latest in the series of Limited Edition Souvenir Discs from Cloudland Blue Quartet. Souvenir XVI is a studio creation which presents 20 songs in a live setting representing the twenty odd live outings featuring material from CBQ's latest album from 2005-2008. As the sleeve notes say, "These performances weren't recorded but, had they been, they might well have sounded a little like this"...
Initial copies will be given away free with copies of "Ersatzreal" on sale at the Secret CDs gig on Wed 5 March (see below). Full details and listening facility on the music page (shortly)...
29 February 2008 23:59
New CD : David Reilly Anthology 1977-2007 Volume One (1977-1986)
The first of ten volumes of the much mooted 30 Year Anthology is finally released today. This first disc takes us from "The Drone Effect" in 1977 through to six songs from the 1986 album "Poppies", presenting some interesting archival material along the way, including early experimental ambient and electronic tracks. Full details and listening facility on the music page ...
Subsequent volumes will be released on the last day of each month between now and the end of November 2008...
28 February 2008 18:23
Low key warm up for CBQ...
Cloudland Blue Quartet returned to Out of the Bedroom tonight to play a three song set for the first time since last April. A short warm up for next Wednesday's outing, David played "Blue Eyes Across the Room", "The End of Everything" and "Starting to Worry"...
Review :
“OOTB old-schooler CBQ headed off proceedings with a dreamy number recalling how he "fell for [her] blue eyes across the room"
Then "The End of Everything", which raises the tempo a bit, and promptly sends me spiralling into melancholic 'if only I’d known then what I know now' desperation. Ah, you can’t beat a bit of misery, I always say.
The third song transports us to a continental cafe; sipping coffee and watching the world go by under the setting sun. It was quite beautiful.”
19 February 2008 22:43
CBQ plays "Ersatzreal" live...
Cloudland Blue Quartet will play live for the first time since last August (and his first full set since last July), when David and Jamie take to the stage at the latest Secret CDs showcase on Wed 5 March, where the set will feature eight songs from the latest album. Starts at 7.30 p.m. in The Phoenix cellar bar, 48a Broughton Street, Edinburgh
EH1 3SA £2/£1 entry - also appearing Hannah O'Reilly, The Angel Conversations and Fanattica...
06 February 2008 20:18
New CD : James Jamieson - Precious (Revised Edition)
Today sees the release of the 2008 Revised Edition of James Jamieson's 2004 album "Precious - full details and listening facility on the music page (shortly). Note that the original version is now deleted...
03 February 2008 11:59
JJ's Precious Revised & Reissued...
James Jamieson's late 2004 release on Crispycat, "Precious" has been expanded from 10 to 18 tracks and will be re-released shortly. This revised edition now features bonus tracks comprising home demos recorded between 2005 and 2008 and initial copies will be on sale at Jamie's Secret CDs showcase on Wed 6 February, where his set will feature four of these new songs as well as tracks from the original album...
28 January 2008 11:59
CBQ and James Jamieson return to the stage...
James Jamieson will play a Secret CDs showcase on Wed 6 February at Secret CD III from 7.30 p.m. in The Phoenix cellar bar, 48a Broughton Street, Edinburgh
EH1 3SA. Meanwhile Cloudland Blue Quartet will showcase songs from "Ersatzreal" at the same venue for Secret CD IV on 5 March...
8 December 2007 11:59
Thirty Year Anthology...
Compilation of the long awaited 30 year anthology was finally completed today. Likely release date will be Spring 2008 and the set will be availabele as 10 CDs along with a double CD split between songs and sounds...
19 November 2007 11:59
CBQ CDs available from Secret...
Cloudland Blue Quartet's "Ersatzreal" is now available from Secret CDs, a new venture set up recently by Jim Igoe co-founder of Out of the Bedroom. From December, monthly gigs will take place in Edinburgh to showcase the artists involved. It is hoped David will be able to play in early 2008...
15 October 2007 11:59
CBQ Op a success...
David's second shoulder op in just under a year was deemed a success today. This means however he will be out of action for a further three to four months during recouperation...
09 October 2007 00:01
CBQ Operation postponed...
David has been out of action since September awaiting an operation on his shoulder, which was to have taken place today. The operation is postponed till 15 October...
08 October 2007 00:01
CBQ & Creek OUT NOW...
Cloudland Blue Quartet's "Ersatzreal" and Creek's "1.0.0" are out now - listen to them on the music page - where you can also find details of how to purchase the CDs...
07 October 2007 08:47
Listen to Creek's New Album...
Creek's new anthology to celebrate 10 years of the band, "1.0.0" is out Monday 8 October...
You can listen to ten minute excerpts from each of the four discs included in the set by clicking on the "listen" buttons over on the Music page...
06 October 2007 08:10
Listen to CBQ's New Album...
Cloudland Blue Quartet's new album, "Ersatzreal" is out Monday 8 October...
You can listen to each of the eleven tracks in their entirety by clicking on the "listen" buttons next to each title over on the Music page...
30 September 2007 09:54
New albums from CBQ & Creek...
Monday 8 October will see the release of two new albums on Crispycat.
Firstly, a four CD anthology by Electronic Improvisational Quartet, Creek to celebrate the band's tenth aniversary. As the title, "1.0.0", suggests, the set contains 100 tracks and covers Creek's entire output to date, from their formation in June 1996 right up to their last recordings eight years later. The group is currently working on new material for release in 2008...
Secondly, the long-awaited release of Cloudland Blue Quartet's new song-based album "Ersatzreal". The result of two years' songwriting and recording, the album follows on from the success of CBQ's last two outings, 2003's "Anotherhappyday" and 2005's "Deeperdown"....
Full details and tracklistings for both releases are on the Music page...
29 September 2007 05:27
Upcoming deletions...
As has always been the way at Crispycat, an annual cull of the available catalogue is about to take place. Ten currently available recordings will be deleted on Thursday 4 October:-
Cloudland Blue Quartet Songs of the Sombre Reptiles Vol 5
Cloudland Blue Quartet The End Of Everything (EP)
CBQ & James Jamieson Live at the Roxy
CBQ/James Jamieson/Creek/Edward Spark Calling Card #4 (this will mark the end of our long-running "free cd" campaign)
Cloudland Blue Quartet The Acoustic Deeperdown
Cloudland Blue Quartet The Acoustic Ersatzreal (in anticipation of the release of the full band "Ersatzreal")
Cloudland Blue Quartet Best of CBQ 1996-2006 (in anticipation of the release of the upcoming Anthology)
Cloudland Blue Quartet Souvenir XIII : 01 03 07
Cloudland Blue Quartet Souvenir XIV : 09 06 07
Cloudland Blue Quartet Souvenir XV : 29 07 07
27 September 2007 17:54
James Jamieson recording soon...
Word has reached Crispycat Towers that James Jamieson will be "in the studio" in late October working on a new album. Likely to have a more organic feel to it than 2004's "Precious", it will feature the new material JJ has been road-testing this year...
23 September 2007 06:41
Creek for 2008 ...
With the upcoming release of their 4CD anthology "1.0.0" comes the news that Creek, the laziest band in the world, have started work on new music for release in 2008, following on from their last release, 2004's "Somewhere Between". Probably best not to watch this space - but more news as we get it....
08 September 2007 17:54
New Releases "imminent"...
Crispycat is pleased to advise that the release of both CBQ's new studio album "Ersatzreal" and a 10 CD Anthology (along with single disc sampler and single disc MP3 version containing all but 24 minutes of the full package) will be released in the very near future. David has pronounced "Ersatzreal" to be "finished" and is now working on the cover - it will be released prior to the Anthology set...
30 August 2007 08:47
Rare Jamieson Live Set...
James Jamieson played a very rare 30 minute set tonight as featured special guest at Out of the Bedroom. Read the review here. CBQ also played one song...
29 August 2007 16:39
Anthology being prepared...
The preparation of a 30 year Anthology commenced today in earnest with David trawling through "hundreds of tracks" to personally select a representative tracklisting from September 1977 to the present day...
22 August 2007 20:19
CBQ & JJ at "Megamike"...
CBQ and James Jamieson will play at Megamike on Monday 28 August at Lindsays on Brunswick St in Edinburgh (http://www.laughinghorse.co.uk/lindsays.htm), to mark the end of this year's Fringe Festival. From 8:30pm through to the early hours of the morning, over 30 different acts are set to play...
29 July 2007 9:18
Ltd Edition CD "Souvenir XV" released today...
As is now the norm for the ever more rare full set outings by CBQ, Crispycat releases the latest in CBQ's "Souvenir" series today. The disc contains all 17 songs to be performed over the two gigs on 29 07 07. The album feautures six previously unreleased versions of songs from the forthcoming album "Ersatzreal" as well as tracks from "Callingstill", "Doveloveshawk", "Ampersand", "Anotherhappyday", "Deeperdown" and "The Acoustic Ersatzreal"...
29 July 2007 9:16
CBQ at the Listening Room...
David has accepted a very late invitiation to headline The Listening Room tonight (at The Ble Blazer, Spittal St, Edinburgh) - making it two gigs in one day. This will be a 45 minute acoustic set from CBQ featuring seven of the nine songs being performed at The Aberdour Festival on the Silver Sands this lunchtime, along with another eight, mostly from the new, still to be released album "Ersatzreal".
20 July 2007 23:54
CBQ to play Aberdour Festival...
David has been invited to play a set at the Aberdour Festival in, erm, Aberdour (Fife) next Sunday (29/7/07). The format will be similar to the SQF festival in June (see below) although it's likely that the CBQ set this time out will only feature songs from the forthcoming "Ersatzreal" album and will exclude any oldies. Backing tracks will be used and rehearsals are in full swing.
13 July 2007 23:59
Another impromptu set ...
David played two songs tonight at the invitation of Stuart Clark during the latter's set at The Nicol Edwards Bar in Edinburgh. Rather the worse for wear after a day spent drinking, he still manged to pull of reasonable renditions of old favourites "This is All There Is" and "Twenty Twenty Vision". Thanks to Stuart Clark.
17 June 2007 23:56
New album progress report...
After a lay off of around nine weeks, David was back in the studio over the weekend doing some re-recording of various vocals and tweaking some elements of the backing tracks on the 20 songs due to appear later this year on the new CBQ album, "Ersatzreal".
09 June 2007 19:42
CBQ Live at SQF...
David played in South Queensferry today as part of the Ferry Fringe. A six song 20 minute set was played featuring one song each from"Callingstill", "Doveloveshawk", "Ampersand", "Anotherhappyday", "Deeperdown" and "Ersatzreal", all of which should be included in the planned anthology. The special edition Souvenir CDs (the fourteenth in this ongoing series) were snapped up. The performance, which used backing tracks, was deemed a success.
15 May 2007 17:29
30 Year Anthology...
This September will see the thirtieth anniversary of David's first recordings (see Full Discography on the Music Page). To celebrate this, an extensive anthology is planned and David has been taking time away from the Ersatzreal project to begin work on the anthology.
22 April 2007 11:13
Provisional album tracklist...
The new CBQ song-based album is taking shape and comes nearer to completion with every passing day. This is likely to be the longest CBQ album since the triple CD set "Callingstill" released in 1997.
At present, David is working on 20 tracks and has provided the following provisional track-listing for the the double LP length album...
Side One (17:08)
Ersatzreal pt 1 3:36
A Happy Song 3:57
The Angels’ Kiss 3:33
Rabbits on the Verge 3:08
He Thinks of You 2:54
Side Two (20:33)
The Unfortunate 3:20
Blue Eyes Across The Room 3:32
I Still Write You Letters 4:28
Waiting To Die 5:16
Another Piece of Cake 3:57
Side Three (19:13)
The Luckiest Man Alive 4:50
The Golden House 3:35
Go Away and Leave Me Here 3:34
Starting to Worry 3:24
The Secret of My Success 3:50
Side Four (20:52)
The Angels Took His Soul 3:18
Lights Out 4:21
The End of Everything 3:57
No Concrete Idea 4:42
Ersatzreal Pt 2 4:34
Work in progress versions of four of these tracks can be found on the CBQ MySpace site...
12 April 2007 11:13
Impromptu performance...
David made his first open-mic appearance at Out of the Bedroom tonight since last July, playing three songs from his forthcoming album. New song "The Angels' Kiss" was given its live debut in a set which also featured "The End of Everything" and "Starting to Worry"...
Review:-
Cloudland Blue Quartet: A self confessed Gentle Giant fan, prolific songwriter and as it turns out a pyromaniac (“I just need one match!”), CBQ started surprisingly strongly and stridently with “The Angels’ Kiss”, a kind of narrative car crash piece complete with “angels turning their backs” et al.
“Starting to Worry” is possibly based on the Matrix or some other existential type film or story or plot were reality is blurred by drugs and man’s inhumanity to man and perhaps also by a nice nurse. Memory is lost and it’s all rather grim for the poor chap in the hospital bed as in true Roxy Music style CBQ rather disturbingly creates pictures right there inside your own head you’d rather weren’t there.
CBQ ends this sprightly set with “The End of Everything”, a song inspired by a car/house/garage sale in Armadale. In reality it was probably “the end of our marriage” (you may like to try that some day) and how things sometimes just don’t work out.
03 April 2007 22:53
New album underway ...
Following the brief return to live performance at the start of March, David has now gone back to the studio to work on the new CBQ album "Ersatzreal" in earnest. Two newly composed songs, "The Angels' Kiss" and "Lights Out" have been added to the ever expanding track list and much burning of the midnight oil is taking place as the sessions continue into April...
04 March 2007 15:15
Bands Page updated...
New notes have been added to the Bands Page taking the history up to 1984 - more to follow...
03 March 2007 16:05
Full discography added to Music Page...
David's full discography from his first solo recordings back in September 1977 right through to "Souvenir XIII" has now been added to the music page...
02 March 2007 08:35
CBQ's account of live return...
David has updated his blog with his account of the return to live performance for CBQ after a break of six months. Read it here...
And here's the OOTB Review:-
I consider it an act of genius to have the main act on in the 9 o’clock hour. The evening proves to be paced better because of this. Hope it will continue.
Alright, CBQ is a well-oiled machine, a proper band with two guitarists, a pianist and a drum machine. Singer/writer David Reilly has a mature, straightforward approach to his tunes.
“The End of Everything” is soaked in loss of love. Nice dynamic chord structure.
Insecurity about the purpose of life and the idea of a god above seep through the bars of “No Concrete Idea.” Thoughtful song that asks, “If there’s a god above, why does he not proclaim his love?” CBQ sounds a bit like The Eagles when guitarist James Jamieson adds some soft “ooohs.”
“He Thinks of You” decries too much torture and torment.
“Go Away and Leave Me Here” kicks in with a clever drum intro and carries a great beat. Now I’m thinking of good vibrations ala Beach Boys, but is it just that I’ve had too many good libations? Hard to say, but Reilly’s voice is really soothing.
“Blue Eyes Across the Room” is the best song. I recall the doo-wop era hit “Last Kiss” remade by Pearl Jam a few years ago. And it’s a treat to hear grown men singing in solid harmony.
“I Rearranged the House” makes me swear The Church are touring again. (I hear they are.) And then a nearby bloke remarks, “Pretty good elevator music.”
Tattooed keyboardist Andy Wilson playing such melodic, sweet tones creates a disarming juxtaposition in the band.
“The Angel Took His Soul” is really his song to shine.
The last two tracks share themes of lover’s discomfort or, worse, facing the weepy truth that it’s o-v-e-r.
27 February 2007 23:04
CBQ Live 01/03/07 @ 9:15...
Thursday's 30 minute set has been confirmed as 9:15 till 9:45 - entry is free and there will be open mic slots from 8pm onwards. The 13th in the CBQ "Souvenir" series, the first since September 2004, will be available on the night. The limited edition 30 minute EP is a brand new recording containing studio versions of the setlist ...
21 February 2007 23:47
Live return set for 1 March...
A one off gig by Cloudland Blue Quartet has been confirmed at Out of the Bedroom in the Cannon's Gait on Edinburgh's Royal Mile on Thursday 1st March. The line up will include James Jamieson on guitar and Andy Wilson on keyboards and David will be performing songs from his forthcoming album, along with a couple of oldies. The night starts at 8 with CBQ likely to be onstage around 9:30 or 10 pm for a 30 minute set...
15 February 2007 23:39
CBQ Live again soon...
Rehearsals with James Jamieson commenced last night for a possible one off showcase set in March at Edinburgh songwriters' club Out of the Bedroom. The set is likely to comprise mostly songs from the upcoming "Ersatzreal" album, for which sessions are continuing on an almost daily basis in the Crispycat Studio.
20 January 2007 21:39
Studio work and rehearsing...
David returned to the studio today, following its recent revamp, and started work on pre-production for the next song-based CBQ CD, "Ersatzreal", an acoustic version of which was released last summer. Since then, five new songs have been added to the project, bringing the total to fifteen. In addition, this week, rehearsals have been taking place to prepare for a possible return to live performance...
15 January 2007 20:13
MySpace Updated...
Three new CBQ recordings have been added to the Cloudland Blue Quartet MySpace page - check them out now...
13 January 2007 17:06
Return of CBQ...
Following an operation on his shoulder in early November, David played guitar today for the first time since September which bodes well for a possible return to live performance in 2007...
01 January 2007 14:58
Happy New Year From Crispycat...
Crispycat Recordings wishes everyone a happy and healthy new year and thank you for your continued support. Look out for new releases from Cloudland Blue Quartet throughout 2007...
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