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One World Project

Grief Never Grows Old

Review by Josh Turner

Out of all the progressive rock relief projects, this one features the biggest names: Barry and Robin Gibb (The Bee Gees), Paul Von Merten, Randell Kirsch and Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys), Boy George (Culture Club), Steve Winwood (Traffic), Rick Wakeman & Jon Anderson (Yes), Dewey Bunnell & Gerald Beckley (America), and a handful of others.

While I admit that I liked all the other projects better, this one is still very good. Honestly, you can't do that bad with these names. They are some of the best in the business.

The song is the least like "We Are The World" in terms of the lyrics. However, it's the most like it in terms of trade-offs between vocalists and the tempo of the music. Another interesting aspect of this album, is that the alternate versions are each dramatically different from one another.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2005 Year Book Volume 2 at https://garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2005.
Track by Track Review
Grief Never Grows Old (Single Version)
While the melody is simple, the lyrics are quite poetic. This is a pleasant, yet uncomplicated song. The many different voices that take lead work seamlessly into the mix. It credits Jon Anderson as one of the singers, but it is not apparent where his voice is situated. Since he is quite recognizable when he is in the lead, he must be in the background harmony. Interestingly enough, the best part of the song is the harmony between the polished background singers. Paul Von Merten's sax, Davy Spillane's pipes, and Gary Moore, the gifted guitarist who provides an exceptional solo, cover this creamy confection with sweet flavorful fudge.
Grief Never Grows Old (Orchestral Version)
The National Children's Orchestra of Great Britain gives us an instrumental that is completely classical in nature. Elenor Tinlin, an eleven year old, conveys the most mature solo on her oboe. To find out more about these child musicians, follow this link: www.nco.org.uk.
Grief Never Grows Old (Choral Version)
With the direction of Soundarie David, a chorus by the name of Soul Sounds gives us a purely operatic outing. To get an idea of how this might sound, think of a dozen clones of Charlotte Church singing in unison. In a few instances, we get solos and duets from two talented females with powerful, yet utterly amiable voices. The instrumentation, on the other hand, reminds me of Peter Gabriel's "Up". It's fascinating how the same song can be structured to sound so differently in each of its forms.
 
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