This month it has been reported that a well-known Dutch surgeon and his team have scientifically proven that music like Mozart and Pink Floyd have a very positive effect on the mind, and can even be used as a substitute for highly addictive painkillers like morphine and fentanyl with less chances of side effects. One of our Dutch visitors, Ronald van Soest, reveals more. Both are sometimes described as soothing. Nice music and morphine. The anaesthesiologist will give you the latter during and after a serious surgery. But the first – music – will soon also be provided. Dr Hans Jeekel, Professor of Surgery at Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, now knows exactly how much the morphine dose can be reduced, when patients are going under the knife with headphones over their ears. The dosage reduction is an average of 4.4 milligram during the 24 hours after the surgery, he wrote in the medical journal Annals of Surgery. The hospital was convinced after seeing the test results, and has already started to put it in practice. Apart from saving money it also prevents trouble in terms of accidents and addiction. Like America, the Netherlands are also facing a severe opium crisis, according to some worried doctors. The number of poisonings and overdoses with the much prescribed opiate oxycodone increased tenfold between 2008 and 2018, counting 400 accidents. It is therefore no surprise Health Affairs minister Bruno Bruins declared a desire to reduce the use of it; Dr Jeekel’s results will be good news for him. Dr Jeekel and his team compared the results of 55 studies with nearly 5000 patients. Mostly they weren’t completely free in their choice of music. But it had to be real music, no jungle sounds or the sound of sea waves were allowed. On the hospital’s website he explains that much is still unknown about the painkilling effects of music. Something with the brain… but it was made clear once more that Mozart and Pink Floyd in particular do have a positive effect on the stress response and defence system…
Cat Marina releases new single “Ex Friends + Bad Endings”, an autobiographical earworm to add to your Summer playlist. 23-year-old Cat Marina cut his teeth working in recording studios alongside the likes of Pete Robertson (The Vaccines) and Will Hicks (Ed Sheeran), but recently ditched the live studio setting for his bedroom setup. Writing, …
Following on from the successful June release of Still Wish You Were Here, a project that gathered various classic, prog and art rock musicians together to cover that album, the people behind it have brought together a similar mix of musicians to cover Pink Floyd’s 1977 album, Animals. Animals Reimagined – A Tribute To Pink Floyd is set for release on November 19th, 2021, on both CD and digital with a vinyl version coming in 2022. The previous album, Still Wish You Were Here – whilst dividing the Floyd fanbase – got a number of plaudits for its approach to the music, and with its success it is no surprise that another of the Floyd’s albums would undergo the same treatment. As before, a fairly diverse line-up can be heard on the album, with the likes of jazz-rock guitarist Al Di Meola, psych-rock godfather Arthur Brown, world renowned drummer and percussionist Carmine Appice, UFO’s Vinnie Moore, Bauhaus’s David J, Dream Theater’s James LaBrie, the legend that is Rick Wakeman, and Rainbow vocalist Graham Bonnet all coming together to give their unique flavour to this magnum opus. For a taster, you can hear their version of Dogs, a 17-minute version sung by Rainbow’s Graham Bonnet with Vinnie Moore on guitar, Utopia’s Kasim Sulton on bass, Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess on keyboards, and King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto. Click here for your choice of streaming service to hear Dogs (https://orcd.co/graham_bonnet_vinnie_moore_dogs). Arthur Brown (best known for his band The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, and their UK and US hit single Fire) gives a particularly spirited performance on Sheep, which if you know Arthur, won’t come as much of a surprise! Here’s the track list, with the names of the musicians playing on each of them: Pigs On A Wing 1 – Nick van Eede (Cutting Crew) & Martin Barre (Jethro Tull)
Dogs – Graham Bonnet (Rainbow), Vinnie Moore (UFO), Kasim Sulton (Utopia), Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) & Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson)
Pigs (Three Different Ones) – James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Al Di Meola, Joe Bouchard (Blue Ãyster Cult), Patrick Moraz (The Moody Blues) & Billy Cobham (Mahavishnu Orchestra)
Sheep – Arthur Brown, Rick Wakeman (Yes), Jan Akkerman (Focus), David J. (Bauhaus) & Carmine Appice (Cactus/Vanilla Fudge)
Pigs On A Wing 2 – Jon Davison (lead vocalist for Yes), Albert Lee & Billy Sherwood (Yes) If this has intrigued you, orders are now being taken through the following links, which help us out with the ongoing running costs of Brain Damage without costing you a thing – and we really appreciate the help! The album will be available on CD in a 6-panel deluxe digipak, digitally as MP3 files, and a vinyl LP is coming next year (but not yet available to order). STILL WISH YOU WERE HERE – digipak CD: Amazon UK (https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B09GG6WJGQ/braindamage-21)
Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B09GG6WJGQ/braindamage-20)
Amazon Canada (https://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/B09GG6WJGQ/braindamageon-20)
Germany (https://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B09GG6WJGQ/braindamage0f-21) France (https://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/B09GG6WJGQ/braindamageon-21) Italy (https://www.amazon.it/exec/obidos/ASIN/B09GG6WJGQ/bradamonl-21) Spain (https://www.amazon.es/exec/obidos/ASIN/B09GG6WJGQ/braidama01-21)
South London newcomers Little Egret released their infectious debut single ‘The Balance’. Produced by the acclaimed Brett Shaw (renowned for his work with Gorillaz, Mura Masa, Foals, and Florence and the Machine), ‘The Balance’ offers a strikingly complete sound despite being the band’s debut. Bouncing and vibrant, the track captures a euphoric feel-good tone while […]
