Review: Various - Paul Hillery presents We Are The Children Of The Setting Sun (BBE Music)

This is Paul Hillery's third 'sun child' inspired compilation and arguably the best as fans and diggers alike will be thinking, where does he find these guys?

And indeed, he finds them all over the globe from a far a field as London, Florida, Atlanta, California, Germany, Holland, India, Switzerland and even more as mere flickers of a butterflies wings of jobbing/aspiring musicians whose songs find just a brief moment in the sun before being swallowed by the sands of time: that's is, until Paul digs them up again.

And with that in mind, how come this makes such a comtempory co-ordinated album?  Even then, there's a strong 60s Greenwich Village/Haight-Ashbury about it all; the opening track by Graeme Gash [not to be read as 'Graham Nash'] sets the CSN tone.

That's the skill of Paul as a curator, like "a man we a thousand faces", he's a DJ that many will follow in their dreams.  It's hard to say that there's stand-out tracks as there's such a beautiful oneness to it all; 'Wet Dreams' [not that type], 'She Misses You' (Children Of The Sun Version)' and 'Playin' Your Game' are different but not outsiders to the spirit - the jazz-guitar frenzy of Christine Schaller does skat-funk it up and they're some Electric Avenue going on with Ya-Ya! 

This album is just as essential as the eclectic collections on 'Once Again We Are The Children Of The Sun' (see review HERE) and 'We Are The Children Of The Sun' together with his RE:WARM work as 'Folk, Funk & Trippy Troubadours', as a mix of blue-eyed soul, jazz, folk, soft rock, AOR fusion that somehow sounds really cool; even 'The Light by Reggio!

And a finally word to Paul to sum it up, "An album to remind us that we are all made of stardust with more to connect than drive us apart, for . . . We Are The Children of the Setting Sun."

Lets hope this is not the end of this series and the Sun with rise again.

Artist: Various Artists

Title: Paul Hillery presents We Are The Children of the Setting Sun

Release date: 1st September, 2023

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE734 3xLP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Various Artists - Once Again, We Are The Children Of The Sun (Compiled by Paul Hillery) (BBE Music)

Paul Hillery has long been a on the trail of 'Folk, Funk & Trippy Troubaours' and last year released a complilation of the same name on the Re:Warm label as 'Volume 1' in black vinyl (and blue, to match the stunning cover).

So, fully expecting a 'Volume 2' and we then see that he's on BBE switching from cool blue to hot of orange/yellow of  'We Are The Children Of The Sun' with another incredible selection of electronic, folk, soft/yacht rock, Balearic, Latin lounge ambient tunes that so fit the mood.

So this new compilation keeps this winning formula with BBE re-issues by, Will & James Ragar's 'As The Day Grows Tired' (what a great title to open up with) followed by Forest's 'Crazy Days' which is the way to set the tone.

Apart from the Greg Foat Band track (apparently a previously unreleased version of 'Milk And Honey' featuring Kat Barnard), all the other artists/tracks are new to me as that's what you want in a compilation. 

As you might expect there's more than a hint of West Coast trippy folk-pop-jazz CSNY/Byrds like Varela's 'Come and Take Me by the Hand' or Cunningham Corner's 'Free And Easy' that hits more than just the Grateful Dead psychedelic fans out there (previously just a rare 45 and now in all its Part 1&2 5 minute glory) or the stunning 'Moonshine' by Orion from 1987 but sounds more like '67 (also, there's a touch of June Tabor about it).

And flute gang jazz-dancers, here's the Patrick Forge/G. Peterson classic 'More Than Hope' to match all their other goodies - Wendy Grace is the lost "Janet Lawson"? And those two would not be amis if they had 'Kayenta Crossing' by William Easton Ensemble in their chill out warm up section.

It's a triple LP's worth/18 tracks so you might not be the biggest fan of all of it but with the skill of Hillery, you feel like the new areas of 80s/Euro/funk/pop/AOR need further investigation or even the Level 42 'tribute' one hit wonders Corill (Who?)

If you're looking for some modern day social comment, there's Garth Fletcher's 'Peace Train' and Mark Capanni's 'If Life Was A Ferris Wheel' (careful, both of these are ear worm growers) but the one to fall in love with as you're next favourite track, Aria Rostami's 'Golden Hour'.

You get the idea, this album is packed full of goodies and 90% of them are only available on this compilation or at incredible crate digging cost so get it while you can.

Can we expect more from the "esteemed collector and vinyl hunter" after Hillery's previous compilation, 'We Are The Children Of The Sun' and now 'Once Again, We Are The Children Of The Sun'?  Well, it shines on the righteous so I suspect so but I wonder what the follow up is going to be called.

And as mutual fans of Drift record store in Totnes here's his Paul's mix to celebrate the album's release: Drift'in with Paul Hillery

Artist: Various Artists

Title: Once Again We Are The Children Of The Sun

Release date: 31st March, 2023

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE708 LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp