According to his autobiography Ken Henley became a born again Christian in 1993. I guess this album shows that he still had to come to terms with a few things and that he also had to find his way back into the process of songwriting / recording. There are IMO some excellent songs on this record [e.g. Believe In Me, The Return, Jesus (Again & Again) (the latter from the revised album version)] and several good ones but the patchy nature of the album makes it a bit difficult to enjoy them. In 2001 he moved back to England (after 20 years abroad) which probably also helped to make Running Blind a more coherent record.
It is a strange process that is hard to explain to anyone that hasn't been there. The other thing is, I guess he may well have just thought, those lyrics suit that music, but never considered the larger scheme of the album. It had been a while
I can imagine that this is a process of a very personal nature which is difficult (or even partly unsuitable) to explain to others that have not made a similar experience.
Believe In Me We sort of open with a sort of prayer type thing over the piano, and it works as a building layering of vocals, and is quite effective. Then we move into a piano ballad type song. For the most part I can relate to the lyrics here, it somewhat explains some of the feelings/thoughts that go through your mind in this scenario. Musically we start with the piano, and it moves along nicely and slowly builds with the organ coming in, the drums, the backing vocals. A nice song of faith.
Win Or Lose This seems a little more of a natural song for Hensley to play. It is a little more straight rock. We open with a nice little guitar riff, and then move into a fairly standard rock.... rock and roll type song. It again builds up nicely with the organ and counter rhythm guitar. Like Zeki, I am not sure if Ken is singing all the songs? If he is there is a lot of variance .... The bridge is pretty decent. I like the little riff before the lead break, and essentially this is a good little song, without being amazing.
OK I've managed to do some catch up listening but I can't say that anything I've heard so far interests me enough to warrant another listen. IMO Ken Hensley is not singing on all tracks.
Win Or Lose: No, this is most certainly not Ken on vocals. The earlier one, Believe In Me, starts out with someone else singing (in the intro), and then? Not sure. I have my doubts. Overall, this is an anomaly as I think it was basically his church band recording and releasing an album. I’m sure it sold well to his mega church (?) members. But that was the target audience (I bet).
At least two other guys were singing lead, too: Danny Liston - Guest Lead Vocals & Rhythm Guitar Pat Liston - Guest Lead Vocals Edit: apparently on tracks 4, 5 and 9. The other tracks should thus be Hensley
This sounds like the most sensible conclusion. I look forward to Running Blind and the later albums (if still be covered in this thread) and don't think that I will ever play or listen to A Glimpse Of Glory again (some individual tracks maybe).
The Cost Of Loving We open with a synth in the back and a hat being accented by a punctuating bass. I think this is Ken. This is a somewhat restrained ballad. It has a good feel and it kind of builds the tension ... This seems to have a different theme to a small degree, but could be interpreted a couple of ways. Finally the tension breaks at about 2:55, and we get a pretty nice melodic instrumental section, and modulate into a big out-chorus. Pretty good song.
The Cost Of Loving: phew, finally another song that I like. Yes, this is most certainly Ken singing (though he starts off in a lower register...or else his voice has naturally deepened with age). This is perhaps a late night song with more than a touch of melancholy in the overall sound.
The Cost Of Loving: If post #5608 is correct (which believe it is) than it's Hensley on vocals. Hensley was married a few times and probably this is what this song is about (at least partly). Why, when I need a little understanding Do I feel like I'm asking too much To make you reach for your heart I gotta reach in my pocket When all that I need is your touch. The Cost Of Loving is another one of the really good songs on AGOG that somewhat loses momentum due to the patchy nature of the record. IMO also A Glimpse Of Glory would have benefitted by reducing its tracklist and by focussing / narrowing the actual selection of songs.
The Return This track is obviously about the second coming/rapture/return of Jesus. For forum reasons we won't go into that, but obviously a significant thing .... We open with some nice acoustic guitars with a gentle synth pad underneath. I really like the melancholy melodic structure.... It is impossible to not have a melancholic feeling towards the subject matter, because as much as I am looking forward to this part of the journey being done, there are so many consequences and repercussions, and I take no joy in those.... It is hard to discuss this without stepping outside forum guidelines, so I will just say that I like the song, and it is poignant from my viewpoint. We have the music building nicely, not to greta heights, but in line thematically with the music.
The Return Another good track on this 'slightly' confusing album. I do not wish to overstep any forum guidelines either so thanks to Mark for sharing his thoughts of the song
The Return: I kept expecting a bridge or an instrumental section. Lyrically, it’s pretty intense, drawing in the listener. But, structurally, it’s the exact same piece repeated over and over. This song, actually, sounds familiar to me.
A bit like a prayer or an incantation. This is something I enjoy (if it is well done like in this case)
Just listened to Hensley's Jesus (Again & Again) from the revised album version. Brought a tear to my eye simply because it sounds so heartfelt and honest. Authentic.
The Joy Of Knowing Jesus This opens with a bit of a country feel, we even get a bit of lap steel, or slide from Ken. This isn't really what I was expecting from a six minute track... I guess I thought it would be a proggish type track to end the album. We get a break down type chorus, that seems like it would be an ideal type singalong set up for a concert. This is a nice little song, and Ken says what he wants/needs to say. The song is actually about 4:30 long and then we move into an atmospheric synth and organ type coda. It is an interesting tag on, but doesn't do that much really, it is a thoughtful reflection section.
The Joy Of Knowing Jesus The Outro starting at 4:30 min reflects the 1:15 min long Intro at the beginning of the album. Kind of 'The circle closes', I guess. This is a quite cheerful song and probably also composed to dance and sing along together at the appropriate occasion. I like it better than some of the other tracks on A Glimpse Of Glory but it's not something I'd listen to outside this album discussion.
Ken Hensley – Running Blind Label: Record Heaven Music – RHCD062 Format: CD, Album Country: Europe Released: 19 Aug 2002 Genre: Rock Style: Classic Rock 1 Overture: La Tristeza Secreta De Un Corazon Gitano (Pt. 1) 2 Prelude: A Minor Life 3 Out Of My Control 4 You've Got It (The American Dream) 5 The Final Solution 6 It's Up To You 7 Finney's Tale 8 I Close My Eyes 9 A Little Piece Of Me (Julia's Song) 10 Free Spirit 11 Movin' In 12 Let Me Be Me 13 I Don't Wanna Wait 14 Tell Me ------------------------------------------------ It seems like once Ken got back into it, there was an explosion of projects..... I know nothing about these albums at all, and it seems like there is very little info around the place, but in 2002, we have this Running Blind album, and also Ken Hensley and John Wetton- More Than Conquerors Genre: Rock Style: Pop Rock, Prog Rock Year: 2002 La Tristeza Secreta / A Minor Life / Easy Livin' (Medley) Return To Fantasy July Morning Confession The Wizard I Don't Wanna Wait Out Of My Control Tell Me Lady In Black ----------------------------------------------------------
In 2001 we have a couple of albums with John Lawton The Hensley Lawton Band – The Return Genre: Rock Style: Hard Rock Year: 2001 'Introduction' 2:21 It's Up To You 4:52 Stealin' 4:57 I'm Alive 4:28 The Return 6:31 The Wizard 4:17 July Morning 10:11 'Ken's Dialogue' 5:32 I Close My Eyes 4:33 Guard Your Heart 5:41 Easy Livin' 2:54 Lady In Black 6:33 Wise Man 3:57 Free 'N Easy 4:43 Gypsy 8:30 ----------------------------------------------- but we also got Ken Hensley, John Lawton & Easy Livin´* – Salisbury Live In Concert Label: Lasy Gbr – none Format: VHS, Unofficial Release, PAL CD, Unofficial Release Country: Germany Released: 2001 Genre: Rock Style: Classic Rock, Hard Rock Easy Livin´ (The Cover Of Uriah Heep) VHS-1 Time To Live VHS-2 Look At Yourself VHS-3 Sweet Lorraine VHS-4 Traveller In Time VHS-5 Bird Of Prey VHS-6 Sunrise VHS-7 Easy Livin' Orchestra Set VHS-8 Salisbury VHS-9 Circle Of Hands Hensley Lawton Band VHS-10 Easy Livin' VHS-11 The Dance VHS-12 The Hanging Tree VHS-13 I´m Alive VHS-14 The Return VHS-15 July Morning VHS-16 Wise Man VHS-17 Gypsy VHS-18 Lady In Black Easy Livin´ (The Cover Of Uriah Heep) CD-1 Something Or Nothing CD-2 So Tired Hensley Lawton Band CD-3 Tonight CD-4 The Wizard CD-5 Rain CD-6 Sympathy CD-7 Free 'N' Easy --------------------------------- and these are just a couple of projects that I find in this era..... So I may need some guidance as to where we need to go to next.... But anyway, please let us know if you are aware of any of these and what you think of them. Also please post any of the tracks you feel are relevant, or all of them if you like .... or just tell me where to go next. Cheers Mark
Reference Guide June 1970 - Feb 1991 ----- Apr 1995 Sea Of Light Against The Odds - live Sweet Sugar Time Of Revelation - live Mistress Of All Time Universal Wheels - live Fear Of Falling Spirit Of Freedom Logical Progression Love In Silence Words In The Distance Fires Of Hell Dream On She Still Calls His Name Sail The Rivers Sept 1998 Sonic Origami Between Two Worlds I Hear Voices Perfect Little Heart Heartless Land Only The Young In The Moment Question Change Shelter From The Rain Everything In Life Across The Miles Feels Like The Golden Palace Sweet Pretender 2000 Tribute to Uriah Heep - Heepsteria 2000 Acoustically Driven 2001 Electrically Driven - Bird Of Prey 2004 Gold From the Byron Era June 2008 Wake The Sleeper Wake The Sleeper Overload Tears Of The World Light Of A Thousand Stars Heaven's Rain Book Of Lies What Kind Of God Ghost Of The Ocean Angels Walk With You Shadow War Child Apr 2011 Into The Wild Nail On The Head I Can See You Into The Wild Money Talk I'm ready Trail Of Diamonds Southern Star Believe Lost T-Bird Angel Kiss Of Freedom Hard way To Learn June 2014 Outsider Speed Of Sound One Minute - video The Law The Outsider Rock The Foundation Is Anybody Gonna Help Me Looking At You Can't Take That Away Jessie Kiss The Rainbow Say Goodbye One Minute/ Between Two Worlds live September 2000 Living The Dream Grazed By Heaven Living The Dream Take Away My Soul Knocking At My Door Rocks In The Road Waters Flowin' It's All Been Said Goodbye To Innocence Falling Under Your Spell Dreams Of Yesteryear Extra bits and pieces 1986 - Live In Europe 1979 part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 Ken Hensley and Friends (with Lawton) Live 1986 Live At Shepparton 1974 I Won't Mind Something Or Nothing May 2001 Electrically Driven June 2001 Acoustically Driven The Concert 2001 Totally Driven part 1 part 2 March 1975 David Byron Take No Prisoners full album Man Full Of Yesterdays Midnight Flyer 1977 Rough Diamond 1978 David Byron Baby Faced Killer I Remember 1981 The Byron Band On the Rocks Rebecca Piece Of My Love How Do You Sleep recorded 83/84 David Byron that Was Yesterday That Was Only Yesterday Waiting For The Sun recorded 80-82 The Byron Band Lost and Found 1991 Rarities From the Bronze Age 1993 (recorded 69-71) Uriah Heep The Lansdowne Tapes What's Within My Heart Astranza (Spice) I Want You Babe Celebrate (Spice) Schoolgirl 1975 Ken Hensley Eager To Please Eager to Please, Stargazer Secret, through The Eyes Of A Child Part three, House On the Hill Winter Or Summer, Take And take Longer Shadows In The Morning, How Shall I Know 1980 Free Spirit - Inside The Mystery New York The System, When, No More Brown Eyed Boy, Do You Feel Alright, Telephone Woman, New Routine 1999 A Glimpse Of Glory It's Up to You Moving In, One Tender Moment Guard Your Heart, Shakey Ground Think Twice, Get A Line Believe In Me, Win Or Lose The Cost Of Loving The Return The Joy Of Knowing Jesus 2001 Hensley Lawton Band The Return and Salisbury 2002 Ken Hensley Running Blind - Hensley and John Wetton More Than Conquerors
It is questionable whether this is actually an official release (which I doubt). It is not mentioned in Hensley's autobiography and on Discogs it states "Unofficial Release". I am not interested in this.
