I wish I was a sailor…
Hot-on-the-heels of his succesful Australian tour: Ziggy – The Songs of David Bowie, (10.10.2010 NEWS: ZIGGY – THE SONGS OF DB GOES DOWN UNDER NEXT MONTH) Jeff ‘Duffo’ Duff has been in touch with details of his new album, Fragile Spaceman.
Released on Yowza! Yowza! Records on February 11th, this is apparently the twenty fifth album from Australia’s biggest Bowie fan. Here’s the official press release…
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Jeff Duff is the fragile spaceman…
Direct from Jeff?s furtive imagination comes this beautiful collection of new duffsongs, fuelled by whimsy and haunting images.
Fragile Spaceman, his twenty fifth album, continues Duffo’s uniquely perceptive view on life. It is ‘the world according to Duffo’ with a subliminal nod to Bowie thrown in for good measure.
Since returning to Australia, following a ten year sabbatical in London during the 80?s, Jeff has continued to excite audiences with his eclectic live shows and numerous creative projects.
This album, in the making for over three years, has been a genuine labour of love for Jeff and producer Paul Searles, formerly from Skunkhour.
The combination of these two highly inventive musicians has produced a truly remarkable recording. From the at times, dark and unpredictable The Man Without A Soul and I?m Not Afraid Of Jesus to the irony of Dancing With The Jellyfish, the album covers a wide spectrum of moods and emotions.
This collection of songs is reminiscent of some of the Jeff Duff Orchestra recordings & Duffo’s later UK albums, with melodies flowing effortlessly in waves, juxtaposed by a soaring string section.
Jeff delivers a gentle, almost fragile vocal approach on some of the tracks, providing the ideal marriage for the stylish songs and sophisticated arrangements.
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www.jeffduff.com
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Jeff makes no secret of the Bowie influence on Fragile Spaceman, though ironically the bonus track of Ziggy Stardust, as lovely as it is, almost sounds out of place.
Having said that, Ziggy gets a similar treatment to the rest of the album with its understated and fragile production…a completely different approach to the original, but a succesful one nevertheless.
Aside from the Bowie flavours, I hear little hints, most likely unintentional, of Peter Gabriel, Elbow and a little sniff of Billy Mackenzie, among others.
There truly are some beautiful moments on this album and Jeff is in extremely fine voice. if you get a chance you should check it out…or better still, buy yourself a copy here.
I’ll leave you with a litle animation I knocked up for David’s holiday message in 2008, when I imagined him in a battered sailor’s uniform in the style of an old damaged photograph.
Not suggesting anything, Jeff’s been wearing sailor clobber for some time now…just sayin’…great minds, etc.
