by Geoff Bailie
Jakko Jakszyk’s new solo album ‘Son of Glen’ arrives not simply as another solo outing from the King Crimson frontman. If you have read Jakko’s autobiography, ‘Who’s The Boy With The Lovely Hair’ (review here) , you’ll know that his life story has contained a lot of grappling with issues of family, belonging, and the puzzle of who exactly am I.
Musically, the album occupies a space between progressive rock, art pop, and folk. It avoids flashy virtuosity in favor of carefully composed textures, smart arrangements, and lyrical honesty. Jakszyk draws on a rich palette—acoustic guitars, strings, piano, occasional electronics—but nothing ever feels overdone.
The album opens with the instrumental “Ode to Ballina,” featuring whistle, cello and orchestration – it’s melodic and atmospheric, setting the tone for what follows with a nod to the Irish roots of part of his family tree. “Somewhere Between Then and Now” is next, and is a nostalgic reflection on change as we grow older – that was especially the case in Jakko’s life as he uncovered his true parentage, and the lyrics reflect that.
“How Did I Let You Get So Old” and “The Kiss That Never Lies” continue with similar rich textures. The former is a light and flowing electric jam, sounding both improvised and structured, with great playing from the musicians. “The Kiss That Never Lies” is a beautiful love song about Jakko’s relationship with his partner, drawing the parallels with his parental relationship (both Jakko’s mother and his partner are from Ireland). With Irish flutes, the song uses imagery of the sea, to portray himself as pulled from the wreckage, resuscitated and brought back to life on the shore by his love. It’s the centrepiece of the album and a very powerful, sincere song. On vinyl, which is how the album was envisaged, that’s the end of Side 1!
A word about the musicians: drums are covered by the stellar cast of Zoltan Csorsz, Marillion’s Ian Moseley and Jakko’s long time friend and collaborator, Gavin Harrison. Familiar names aside, when listening to the album without the credits list, I was consistently impressed by the bass and wondered which of his all-star chums might be playing. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the player was Django Jakszyk AKA Son of Jakko! In an album about family and relationships this is a great connection and Django excels at getting things just exactly right for the mood / song each time. Also a shout out to Caroline Lavell’s cello which appears in many places in the album playing different themes and recurring motifs.
Side 2 opens with an electric guitar reprise of the intro piece, which sets up the slight shift in tone on the second half of the album. “I Told You So” is next and it’s a slightly more upbeat, groove based track, more strident in its lyric and sound. The following “Get A Proper Job” has perhaps the most “traditional prog” moments, and is an instrumental that leads to the title track, “Son of Glen.”
Jakko spent many, many years searching for his father, Glen Tripp, only discovering his identity after he had passed away. This track has been described as a “romantic fantasy narrative”, as the singer imagines whether his father had been watching and guiding him from afar. This longer track, over 10 minutes long, has many shifting sections and ends with a radio message from pilot, presumably representing his father who was a US airman.
Ultimately, ‘Son of Glen’ is a masterfully crafted, emotionally resonant album that finds Jakko Jakszyk at his most personal and artistically focused – yet it’s an album whose themes are still relatable outside of Jakko’s own story. Musically, it’s very strong, with the strength often coming from subtlety and restraint rather than prog bombast! Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to Jakszyk’s work, this is an album that is worthy of your attention.
Released on June 27th, 2025 on InsideOutMusic
1. Ode To Ballina 02:11
2. Somewhere Between Then And Now 07:41
3. How Did I Let You Get So Old? 05:58
4. This Kiss Never Lies 07:06
5. Ode To Ballina (Reprise) 02:11
6. I Told You So 05:41
7. (Get A) Proper Job 01:37
8. Son Of Glen 10:18
Jakko M. Jakszyk / vocals, guitar
With:
Louise Patricia Crane / backing vocals
Caroline Lavelle / cello
Django Jakszyk / bass
Gavin Harrison / drums
Ian Mosley / drums
Zoltán Csörsz / drums
Order now here: https://jakkomjakszyk.lnk.to/SonOfGlen-Album
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