Solo Piano is a collection of 17 songs in demo or studio guide versions of songs that were recorded during the process of making the compete album versions, along with a couple of songs that didn't make it to the albums they were recorded for. These songs were recorded between 2007-20 and the album has been Mastered by his Night Mail bandmate Ian Button with that bands Robert Rotifer providing the albums artwork. The complete versions of some of the songs appear on the albums Navigate Home, Across The Door Sill, To The Left Of The Moons Reflection and Cut The Wire.
The album opens with Portrait Of A Mother a rather prettily florid piano accompanies the memories of his mother and how she has influenced the man he is becoming. All This Time (What Took You So Long) is wistful memories set to a pretty repeating piano figure, trying to repair tomorrows broken heart before it happens.
Preservation may help you find a way to keep all your memories close, before they disappear in the shifting sands of time, the echoes of time are mirrored in how the vocals are double or triple tracked so John harmonises with himself, that is particularly effective on the bass notes.
A Wardrobe Dreams is sparse beauty with an almost Gilbert O'Sullivan piano ballad feel, while John wants you to dress you in all the most attractive ways, seducing you into the life you wish to lead together. The closing coda is a list of the things you're hoping you will do together, know you've been properly dressed.
One Of Those Pretty Mornings has a stirring gospel intro to greet another new day, the multilayered vocals feeling almost choral, like they are being sung from the upper galleries of a huge ancient church, light shining through the early morning vespers.
Precious (Alone Is Hard To Do) are slow reflections of the pain of being alone when you really don't want to be, hoping to be back together with the one you love, sitting by the piano discussing etudes and life's great passions, the things that are oh so Precious to you both.
And Another Day has the early morning joy at its heart, with a very Dylanesque harmonica part, the joy and sorrows that another day may bring, among the harmonies for the love of his husband and the journeys they may be making back to dear old blighty.
Miss Ashton's Disappointment takes us back to being in detention at school and realizing that he wants to turn his troubles into songs, beginning to find himself reworking classical motifs into more modern songs, he relates his school reports and the trauma they induce.
Breaking your heart is breaking again, nothing can console you, not even humming along deeply to the gently evocative piano lines, hoping to avoid all the haters throwing barbs your way that might have split you apart in the first place.
The Leaving (Prayer) the party is over, your time together is done, the sweet sorrow of those last moments, the tumult has given way to sombre reflection, a retreat into the classical figures of John's youth, while he asks you remember him with affection.
Pre-Dawn hopes for a fine day ahead, questions as to whose dominion you are wandering through, why have things changed and mutated so much, why are you destroying all our nostalgic memories.
Genius a sparse sketch with hopeful cadences, figuring out why being called a Genius repeatedly might not be such a good thing. Does he even remember what he believes while all the praise is being heaped on him, until he no longer understands what truth is or how it might apply to him, because after all he is a Genius.
Becoming who you are with the man you choose to love no matter what vulnerabilities they may have. Wondering why you no longer look at John like he's your own personal angel, the love they had has changed, twisted into something new.
Change (Who Changed) and why did it split you asunder so completely, why couldn't the early sparks stay, keeping love burning bright, pellucid visions of the ways a best friend can become a stranger far too quickly.
Water with the gentle notes shimmering like a slow pattering of rain drops on a lake at sunset, you lean back dreamily looking deep into the sky, hoping the angelic voices drifting towards the lake's centre doesn't find anything untoward in the centre of the lake.
Navigate Home has the feel of a slow march musically while John hums and sings his prayer for safe travels home, navigating by the stars and somehow finding his way to safety once more.
The album closes with Viewpoints always changing, from one side to another, from love to heartbreak, you trip across a musical bridge, forlorn memories of the days of glory, replaced by the sorrow of parting once more, from welcome membership to being cast into exile.
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