Artist: Pilgrim
Title: Gothic Dream
File: New Age/Easy
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By contrast to his blues/psych/rock super-group, the Yardbirds drummer Jim McCarthy‘s 1990’s band Pilgrim was musically closer to his time with progressive acts Renaissance, Illusion and even more so, their ‘New Age’ successor, Stairway.
Recorded in England in 1996, ‘Gothic Dream’ in common with the band’s debut of the previous year ‘In Search of the Dreamchild’ was soothing and meditative in tone.
The line-up constituted McCarty, on drums, guitar and keyboards, Tania Mallett and ex-Rubette John Richardson on vocals, and Dzal Martin (Box of Frogs) on guitar.
The accompanying arrangements were crafted by Robert Kirby (Nick Drake).
The new album displayed influences from classical and medieval music, blending instrumentals with songs with lyrics taken from Victorian romantic poets Keats, Byron and Shelley.
It also reflected McCarty’s interest in the spiritual.
He reflects: “During the band’s last years, Yardbirds’ guitarist Keith Relf and I had something of a spiritual awakening. We became interested in the paranormal, psychic phenomena, UFOs, Buddhism, and more mellow music, a polarity to the heavy blues we’d played for several years. It was refreshing.”
With ‘In Search of the Dreamchild’ also being reissued in 2023, the ‘music for wellbeing’ movement of post-pandemic time today opens the door again to Pilgrim and their remit to engage and relax the listener.
Tracks
- She Walks In Beauty
2. Knight Of The Silver Sword
3. A Face To Die For
4. Tower of Enchantments
5. Dreams Of Thee
6. Stolen Maiden
7. Gothic Dream
8. Crusader’s Lament
9. My Lady Dances
10. La Belle Dame Sans Merci
11. Immortal Moments
12. Dream Within A Dream
13. Swinburne