Cupid’s Carnival, Procul Harum & Everything Is Love

I was hooked from the opening track. The Harrison-esque guitars in “Girl” took me right back to the days when AM radio mattered. “Working Girl” is one huge hook, an irresistible number that would have been big back in the day. “I Was The Boy” wouldn’t be out of place on a Traveling Wilburys album. Listen to the Lennon influenced vocal performance on “My Life” and you’ll feel the hair on the back of your neck stand up. “Sunny Days” would make Jeff Lynne proud. So, who are these Cupid’s Carnival guys, anyway?

A Google search revealed that they had previously released an album as Cherrystone back in 2008. However, the most interesting information came from a string on a music forum. A listener had posted a note about this album back in the late summer and Thomas Gray of Cupid’s Carnival responded.

“We are unashamedly ‘Beatlenuts’ as you can tell. Following Cherrystone, we recruited some great fellow musicians for Cupid’s Carnival including Matthew Fisher from Procol Harum, hence the cover of ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ which he co-wrote.”

This explains an awful lot – and more particularly the curious (and very wise) decision to cover “Whiter Shade of Gray” on Everything Is Love. Matthew Fisher recently won his legal fight for a writing credit (and a portion of its significant royalties) some 40+ years after “Whiter Shade of Gray” was a monster hit.

Beatles fans will thoroughly enjoy Everything Is Love. Pop fans old enough to remember the bands they influenced will marvel at the dexterity with which Cupid’s Carnival goes from one paisley tinged track to another. Most of all, fans of good music will dig their ability to write a great pop hook. Give Everything Is Love a listen and I’m betting it will find a place on your turntable (ipod or other music listening device) on a regular basis. Get your CD copy at CD Baby or get the digital product at Amazon.