Chris Johnson is a school friend of Bryan Josh, Mostly Autumn, and they played together for a long time in several line ups.
In 2004 he joins Mostly Autumn to record their live album "Storms over London" (backing vocals). He becomes
full member on keys, guitar and vocals when Iain Jennings left to do his own
solo project Breathing Space.
After one studio recording ("Heart full of Sky") and several tours, he got involved with Fish (Heather Findlay from Mostly Autumn
had fallen in love with uncle Dick).
At a certain point he plays in both bands, Fish and Mostly Autumn, but wenn Mostly is asked to do the support act for Bryan Adams,
Chris has just confirmed a small tour with Fish. So Iain returns and plays with the band for a big audience in the Murray Stadion.
Chris is heading to Germany for a gig that would be canceled on the last moment... bad luck indeed.
The Evernauts ('07-'08)
Chris Johnson
Dave Keegan
Patrick Berry
Simon Snaize
The album also features guest appearances by Mostly Autumn’s: Bryan Josh, Heather Findlay and
Olivia Sparnenn Breathing Space &
Mostly Autumn.
It became a fine soft prog-rock album, interesting vocals and the songs are build op carefully. The album grows after every listening.
8+ out of 10.
“Some of the songs were originally intended for Mostly Autumn, others started life on tour - at the back of the bus or in
various hotel rooms and dressing rooms.
I’ve always got a guitar or a laptop or a scrap of paper to catch ideas on,” says Chris.
Review by Tim Hall.
January 24th, 2010
The Fabric.
When Chris Johnson left Mostly Autumn at the beginning of 2008 he stated that he was to work on a solo album. In the coming months touring as Fish’s second guitarist took up a lot of his time, but when I asked him about his solo project when I met him in York at the end of the year he told me it was still on track, and had some interesting collaborators.
The Fabric is that album. The collaborators turned out to be Panic Room and Mostly Autumn vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Anne-Marie Helder, Mostly Autumn, Panic Room and Fish’s drummer Gavin Griffiths, and two of Chris’ long-term associates, bassist Patrick Berry and guitarist Simon Snaize, The album also features guest appearances on a few tracks from Heather Findlay, Olivia Sparnenn and Bryan Josh.
This is certainly an album that took me a few listens for this one to click; on the surface it’s an indie-sounding album with it’s sparse chiming guitars and clattering drums; but listen more closely and there’s some real musical depth there. Chris Johnson sings the majority of the lead vocals with Anne-Marie taking a largely supporting role singing harmonies and middle eights, which may disappoint some fans of Anne-Marie’s vocals, but this is basically Chris’ album.
High spots are many, the menacing-sounding “The Dogs” ending with a lacerating solo from Simon Snaize, “The Diamond” where Anne-Marie makes my heart melt with the line “For a while.. you were mine”, and the wonderfully atmospheric “High Life” again featuring some tremendous wordless vocals from Anne-Marie at the end. The album closes with the epic harmony-filled “Ending” perhaps the closest in sound to Chris’ work with Mostly Autumn, a connection made stronger with a great solo from Bryan Josh.
Like many self-released prog albums, this was released as a pre-order some time ago, but has a full retail release on
Monday 25th January. You can stream some of the music from the band’s website,
www.paradeband.com.
You can find Tim Hall excellent blog at
Where Worlds Collide, with more excellent reviews and thoughts, please check him out.
He's still on the road with uncle Fish, so say hello to this little big guy. And if you've some money left, buy his album, you'll be surprised.
He is also in Bryan Josh's live band.
Gavin Griffiths - drums, (Panic Room, Fish &
Mostly Autumn)
Symfo-Index.