Anthony Reynolds
Encyclopedia
Anthony Reynolds is a Welsh
musician
. He has worked as a solo artist, and also in collaboration with others in his bands Jack
and Jacques
.
.
Jack released three full-length albums, the first two of which – Pioneer Soundtracks (1996) and The Jazz Age
(1998) – garnered excellent reviews and were placed highly in critics' end-of-year polls. Despite the overwhelmingly positive critical reaction and extensive UK and European touring, sales for both records although respectable were ultimately disappointing, and no Jack record would ever make the UK Top 40 single or albums charts.
The third album, The End Of The Way It's Always Been, was released on the Les Disques du Crépuscule
label. The record featured collaborations with writer/musician Kirk Lake and the American poet and novelist/screenwriter Dan Fante
(son of John Fante
). An extensive European tour promoted the record. The critical reaction in the UK to the album was markedly less positive than for the first two Jack albums, but the album was markedly successful in France.
Jack also recorded a five-track EP 'La belle et la Discothèque' with ex-Cocteau Twins
bassist Simon Raymonde
, son of arranger Ivor Raymonde
.
.
The first Jacques album, How To Make Love, Vol. 1 (1997) was produced by Momus
, featuring a more sparse, experimental sound than Reynolds' work with Jack. Compared to the critical garlands bestowed upon Pioneer Soundtracks, the hastily recorded album (completed in seven days) received mixed reviews.
The second album, To Stars (2000), had more in common with the expansive, orchestral Jack sound and was generally more well-received than its predecessor.
Sales were modest for both Jacques albums, and a planned third album was cancelled mid way through recording, when Jacques were dropped by Setanta in 2001.
Reynolds has stated that he considers British Ballads to be his "proper" debut solo record. It featured cameos from English writer Colin Wilson
, the singer-songwriter and pianist John Howard
, ex-Cocteau Twin
Simon Raymonde
, Dot Allison
and English folk artist Vashti Bunyan
.
The album received some of the best reviews of Reynolds' career, but yet again, with no real radio play and without funds to tour, the sales were disappointing. From the off, Reynolds considered this his "final debut", stating on his Myspace
blog
that, since the majority of the musicians appearing on British Ballads were session musicians, it was financially impractical to consider recording a new album on the same scale.
Reynolds attended a Simon Raymonde recording session where Vashti Bunyan was recording her version of a Reynolds song. This would eventually surface six years later, on the Bees dream of flowers and your meadows summer breath EP.
Reynolds also joined a Spanish band, La Muneca de Sal, on lead vocals, contributing some of his own songs. The band perform original material as well as songs from Reynolds' previous projects.
He has collaborated with many European musicians, both as a co-composer and producer, including the Italian groups Hollowblue and Marti and the Spanish group Migala. In 2000, he sang with the Moscow Philharmonic on an album by the French film composer Franck Roussel.
Since 1992, Reynolds has also worked as a journalist, writing essays and critiques for various magazines in the UK and the US, most notably Stop Smiling magazine.
In 2002, Les Disques du Crépuscule
published a collection of his lyrics, poetry and prose entitled "These Roses taste like ashes".
Reynolds has also written two full-length biographies. The first, on the 1960s group The Walker Brothers
, was released in the UK and US by Jawbone
press in August 2009. The second, a commission by Plexus
books, on the singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley
, was published again in both countries in July.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He has worked as a solo artist, and also in collaboration with others in his bands Jack
Jack (band)
Jack were a British alternative rock band formed in Cardiff, Wales, in 1992. Their orchestral pop was heavily influenced by artists such as Scott Walker and drew comparisons to Pulp, Tindersticks and The Divine Comedy...
and Jacques
Jacques (band)
Jacques were a British alternative rock band, formed as a side project by Anthony Reynolds and Matthew Scott, singer and guitarist with Jack. They released two albums and several EPs between 1997 and 2001.-History:...
.
Jack
In 1993, Reynolds moved to London where he formed the group Jack on lead vocals, signing a music publishing deal with Warner Chappell as well as a record deal with independent label Too PureToo Pure
Too Pure is a London-based independent record label that was formed in 1990 by Richard Roberts and Paul Cox.-History:Too Pure started off as a small experimental label and had built their reputation by releasing primarily alternative/independent music which they felt was being ignored by the major...
.
Jack released three full-length albums, the first two of which – Pioneer Soundtracks (1996) and The Jazz Age
The Jazz Age (album)
The Jazz Age is the second album by the British alternative rock band Jack, released in August 1998. It was recorded in Wales and London in late 1997 and early 1998, and was produced by Darren Allison, who had previously worked with The Divine Comedy....
(1998) – garnered excellent reviews and were placed highly in critics' end-of-year polls. Despite the overwhelmingly positive critical reaction and extensive UK and European touring, sales for both records although respectable were ultimately disappointing, and no Jack record would ever make the UK Top 40 single or albums charts.
The third album, The End Of The Way It's Always Been, was released on the Les Disques du Crépuscule
Les Disques du Crepuscule
Les Disques Du Crépuscule was a Belgian independent record label.The label was started in 1980 by Michel Duval and Annik Honoré, residents of Brussels who had previously organised and promoted concerts in the city. Initial releases were by Factory Records artists, and were labelled as being...
label. The record featured collaborations with writer/musician Kirk Lake and the American poet and novelist/screenwriter Dan Fante
Dan Fante
Dan Fante is an American author and playwright.Chump Change, Mooch,"86'd" and Spitting Off Tall Buildings comprise a trilogy, based around Fante's hard living alter-ego Bruno Dante. Chump Change found publication in France originally, before being published in the US by Sun Dog Press...
(son of John Fante
John Fante
John Fante was an American novelist, short story writer and screenwriter of Italian descent. He is perhaps best known for his work, Ask the Dust, a semi-autobiograpical novel about life in and around Los Angeles, California, which was the third in a series of four novels, published between 1938...
). An extensive European tour promoted the record. The critical reaction in the UK to the album was markedly less positive than for the first two Jack albums, but the album was markedly successful in France.
Jack also recorded a five-track EP 'La belle et la Discothèque' with ex-Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals...
bassist Simon Raymonde
Simon Raymonde
Simon Philip Raymonde is an English musician and record producer. He is the son of the late arranger and composer, Ivor Raymonde.-Career:...
, son of arranger Ivor Raymonde
Ivor Raymonde
Ivor Raymonde was a British musician, songwriter, arranger and actor, best known for his distinctive rock-orchestral arrangements for Dusty Springfield and others in the 1960s.-Life and career:...
.
Jacques
During Jack's existence, Reynolds (occasionally with Jack co-writer/lead guitarist Matthew Scott) also recorded two albums and a handful of singles and EPs in his side project Jacques. Both albums were released by Setanta RecordsSetanta Records
Setanta Records is a UK Independent record label. The label was at the forefront of the indie Irish music scene in the late eighties and nineties as itchampioned young Irish groups.-History:...
.
The first Jacques album, How To Make Love, Vol. 1 (1997) was produced by Momus
Momus
Momus or Momos was in Greek mythology the god of satire, mockery, censure, writers, poets; a spirit of evil-spirited blame and unfair criticism. His name is related to , meaning 'blame' or 'censure'. He is depicted in classical art as lifting a mask from his face.-In classical literature:Hesiod...
, featuring a more sparse, experimental sound than Reynolds' work with Jack. Compared to the critical garlands bestowed upon Pioneer Soundtracks, the hastily recorded album (completed in seven days) received mixed reviews.
The second album, To Stars (2000), had more in common with the expansive, orchestral Jack sound and was generally more well-received than its predecessor.
Sales were modest for both Jacques albums, and a planned third album was cancelled mid way through recording, when Jacques were dropped by Setanta in 2001.
Other work
Reynolds has released two solo full-length albums – Neu York (2004), credited to "anthony", and British Ballads (2007), released under his own name. A footnote to Neu York – (I was born) in prehistoric Spain – was released in 2005 on the Spanish Moonpalace label.Reynolds has stated that he considers British Ballads to be his "proper" debut solo record. It featured cameos from English writer Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson
Colin Henry Wilson is a prolific English writer who first came to prominence as a philosopher and novelist. Wilson has since written widely on true crime, mysticism and other topics. He prefers calling his philosophy new existentialism or phenomenological existentialism.- Early biography:Born and...
, the singer-songwriter and pianist John Howard
John Howard (singer-songwriter)
John Howard is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and recording artist. With his February 1975 debut album Kid in a Big World , Howard emerged as a late voice of the glam-pop wave of the early 1970s...
, ex-Cocteau Twin
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals...
Simon Raymonde
Simon Raymonde
Simon Philip Raymonde is an English musician and record producer. He is the son of the late arranger and composer, Ivor Raymonde.-Career:...
, Dot Allison
Dot Allison
Dot Allison is a Scottish singer and songwriter, who has made significant inroads in electronic music circles, most notably as a result of her tenure fronting the band One Dove in the early 1990s...
and English folk artist Vashti Bunyan
Vashti Bunyan
Vashti Bunyan is an English singer-songwriter. In 1970, Bunyan released her first album, Just Another Diamond Day. The album sold very few copies, and Bunyan, discouraged, abandoned her musical career...
.
The album received some of the best reviews of Reynolds' career, but yet again, with no real radio play and without funds to tour, the sales were disappointing. From the off, Reynolds considered this his "final debut", stating on his Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
that, since the majority of the musicians appearing on British Ballads were session musicians, it was financially impractical to consider recording a new album on the same scale.
Reynolds attended a Simon Raymonde recording session where Vashti Bunyan was recording her version of a Reynolds song. This would eventually surface six years later, on the Bees dream of flowers and your meadows summer breath EP.
Reynolds also joined a Spanish band, La Muneca de Sal, on lead vocals, contributing some of his own songs. The band perform original material as well as songs from Reynolds' previous projects.
He has collaborated with many European musicians, both as a co-composer and producer, including the Italian groups Hollowblue and Marti and the Spanish group Migala. In 2000, he sang with the Moscow Philharmonic on an album by the French film composer Franck Roussel.
Personal life
Reynolds was born in Cardiff, Wales in the early 1970s. Reynolds has lived in London, Paris, Shropshire, Spain and Cardiff. He currently lives in Wales.Since 1992, Reynolds has also worked as a journalist, writing essays and critiques for various magazines in the UK and the US, most notably Stop Smiling magazine.
In 2002, Les Disques du Crépuscule
Les Disques du Crepuscule
Les Disques Du Crépuscule was a Belgian independent record label.The label was started in 1980 by Michel Duval and Annik Honoré, residents of Brussels who had previously organised and promoted concerts in the city. Initial releases were by Factory Records artists, and were labelled as being...
published a collection of his lyrics, poetry and prose entitled "These Roses taste like ashes".
Reynolds has also written two full-length biographies. The first, on the 1960s group The Walker Brothers
The Walker Brothers
The Walker Brothers were an American 1960s and 1970s pop group, comprising Scott Engel , John Walker , and Gary Leeds...
, was released in the UK and US by Jawbone
Jawbone
Jawbone can refer to the following:* Mandible, the lower jaw bone* Maxilla, the upper jaw bone of humans* Jawbone , a musical instrument made from the jawbone of a donkey, horse, or zebra* Jawbone , blues musician Bob Zabor...
press in August 2009. The second, a commission by Plexus
Plexus
A plexus is a part of nervous system. Plexus has a slightly different definition in vertebrates and in invertebrates.- In vertebrates :In vertebrates, a plexus is an area where nerves branch and rejoin. The electrical signals do not mix; rather, the fibres travel together with their electrical...
books, on the singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
, was published again in both countries in July.