Now [Import]

Jade Warrior | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 12, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Ais
• ASIN: B001CQP41G
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #354,163 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Fool and His Bride

2. Journey

3. Lost Boys

4. Tall Trees

5. Floating Moon

6. 3am Meltdown

7. True Love

8. Talisman

9. Screaming Dreams

10. Everything Must Pass

Editorial Reviews

2008 album from the Prog Rockers, their 14th album overall. Retaining the spirit of adventure from the band's Vertigo years and the sheer beauty and audacity of their Island albums, Now eloquently brings Jade Warrior into the 21st Century with an album of beautifully crafted songs and extreme dynamics. This album has been described as "the most emotional, the most mature and most deeply human album Jade Warrior has ever created".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Majestic Return of the Warrior, July 15, 2008

By 

Oliasdoug "Progressive Rock/Electronic New Ag... (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Now (MP3 Download)

Jade Warrior, for unjustifiable reasons, have been and remain one of the Best Kept Secrets in the annals of Progressive Rock, World Music, Jazz Fusion, New Age, & Avant-Garde/Experimental Music. They deserve SO much more in the way of international exposure & accolades from the music community; and we who love their music can only hope that the world finally, eventually takes notice of their utterly unique, hypnotic hybrid of music that, to say the very least, has an other-worldly feel to it. I've sometimes wondered what distant, glowing green planet Jon Field, Glyn Havard, & the late GREAT Tony Duhig came from!

We who've followed their music over the years have been long anticipating the release of this, their newest recording...and speaking for myself, I can state with a definite degree of certainty that long-time fans of the Warrior will NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. I received the CD from their website in the mail yesterday, listened to it through headphones last night, and started an Email to my fellow Warriors. The transcript follows:

"Hey guys...
I am writing to let you know I am listening to the new Jade Warrior CD
called NOW, for the first time, as I type this. I will give you my immediate
impressions of the songs as I hear them.
1. FOOL AND HIS BRIDE: Jazzy! Acoustic bass, tenor sax, sultry vocals from Glyn,
builds to a very cool climax. 7:36
2. JOURNEY: Beautiful! A little faster-paced, very new age sounding, some cool
acoustic guitar, mellotron-sounding keyboards, soprano sax. 5:52
3. LOST BOYS: WAY cool! Shuffling beat, more cool keyboards, treated harmony
vocals, some cool lead guitar. 7:05
4. TALL TREES: Starts with wind chimes, the sound of a LARGE insect buzzing,
then fretless bass, Fender Rhodes, sampled cello, very
interesting time signature--can't get a grip on it yet. VERY psychedelic
sounding! 3:56
5. FLOATING MOON: Crosses over from previous track into this also psychedelic
sounding instrumental with tanpura (the droning instrument heard
in the background of sitar music), layered flutes, very trippy! 2:18
6. 3AM MELTDOWN: Crosses over from previous track, here they move into previous
"avant-garde-heavy metal" territory in the style of "Snake,"
"Joanne," "3-Horned Dragon King," etc. Very other-worldly sounding with some
cool distorted fuzz guitar, soprano sax, trippy keyboards, & very
angry vocals from Glyn. 4:21
7. TRUE LOVE: Starts with odd percussion sounds, fretless bass harmonics, more
sultry, multi-tracked vocals from Glyn, very cool 4/4 drum beat,
slowly builds in intensity, adding some great electric guitar power
chording, ends dramatically! 5:47
8. TALISMAN: Nice-sounding ballad in Glyn's old style, nice 3/4 drum beat,
acoustic guitar, piano, Jon's triple-tracked flutes--the thought comes to
mind that if they were wanting to reach a larger audience, they could do a
cool video for this & maybe put it on VH-1. Accessible-sounding track
without sounding like they sold out. 3:05
9. SCREAMING DREAMS: Opening vocal intro very similar to their "Soldier's Song"
(<--I think that's the title) from the REFLECTIONS album. Fast-
paced with tone-defeated vocals, Glyn doing rapid-style vocalizing...this
almost sounds like it could have come from the RELEASED album. A
very dissonant, angry-sounding song, a cross between jazz and more
avant-garde heavy metal. 4:54
10. EVERYTHING MUST PASS: Soft-sounding beginning with Glyn's 3-part vocals and
a Latin beat a la WAY OF THE SUN, leading into kind of a
Latin "big-band" sound with layered keyboards & saxophones, finally fading
into silence. 6:04

Personnel:
JON FIELD: Flutes, percussion, keyboards
GLYN HAVARD: Vocals, additional guitar
DAVE STURT: Basses, percussion, keyboards
Joined by:
TIM STONE: Guitars
THEO TRAVIS: Saxes
CHRIS INGHAM: Piano
JEFF DAVENPORT: Drums
With additional help from:
LOTTIE FIELD: Woodwinds
SAM RYDE: Piano
CAROL BELLINGHAM: Backing Vocals
GOWAN TURNBULL: Layered Saxes, Contrabass Clarinet
BRIAN IMIG: Remiclud*

*took me a minute to figure that one out. It's "dulcimer" spelled backwards.

51 MINUTES LATER.....

Well, color me impressed! My first impression is WOW, VERY good, Jade
Warrior is back! This is an uber-cool, very well-produced & well-executed album
& one that I think Tony Duhig would be very proud of...I can envision him in
Heaven saying, "Good job, chaps." The engineering is also top-notch--every
instrument on here (especially the DRUMS) sounds great. I could not recommend
this more highly--a VERY worthy addition to Jade Warrior's already impressive
library of music. Is sure to appeal to fans of progrock, jazz, & lovers of
avant-garde & experimental music."

When Glyn worked with Tony's brother, guitarist David Duhig a few years ago (under the moniker Dogstar Poets) speculation began as to whether a Jade Warrior reunion was in the works. This current version of the band is a fantastic answer to our prayers. The CD is a jewel in their crown, a work of art that anyone can tell was tended to lovingly before its release into the material world. The production & engineering is flawless, absolutely crystal clear. Jon's flute-isms are as wonderful as always; Glyn's voice, sounding obviously more mature these days, STILL comes across in its alternately lilting and powerfully-growling manner. We simply could not have hoped for a better album in the way of a Jade Warrior Of The New Millennium. God bless Jon & Glyn and their flawless coterie of supporting musicians for doing an impeccable job of carrying on with the true spirit of the Warrior.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must buy for Jade Warrior fans, December 2, 2008

By 

James A. Woronow - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Now (Audio CD)

Very nice! For all those who felt that Jade Warrior was dead this is a resurrection of sorts. This CD is somewhere between Last Autumn's Dreams and Waves. The score is great and reminiscent of their musical albums. Words are sung by a more mature and spiritual voice of Glyn Havard. Jon Field's flutes are soft and buttery.
If I have one critique it would be that this should have been a two CD set; one with lyrics and one without.
Everyone who enjoyed the Jade Warrior of the 70's will be delighted by this effort. Much better than the Dogstar Poets IMHO.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Welcome Return: Older, Wiser and Better, July 11, 2010

By 

Rik K (Vancouver, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Now (Audio CD)

There were two distinct Jade Warrior bands. The early version on Vertigo Records was a prog-rock outfit with the rock vocals and lyrics of Glyn Havard. The second, better-known Jade Warrior recorded for Island Records and was an all-instrumental duo that practically invented New Age music. Although later Jade Warrior always included enough smart-sounding jazz and World influences to never be as bland as New Age typically is.

This latest album is an incredible blending of both Jade Warriors! Singer Glyn Havard is back for the first time since 1973. The result is very mature, innovative and fresh sounding music that includes the best aspects of both versions of the band. The guys make use of modern technologies, but always in subtly pleasing ways. The jazz influences are very evident, and Jon Field's flute choruses are used in the way other artists would use keyboards; only it sounds way better and quite stunningly beautiful as only Field can be. There is a bit of rock on the album, but it sounds very tasteful and mature; and is used for occasional effect rather than as a foundation.

This music is far more original and exciting than the rather bland cover art and song titles would suggest. The guys of Jade Warrior may be old now, but they've made a very contemporary-sounding album that is one of the best new Progressive efforts I've heard in a very long time. Most highly recommended.