If you have heard of John Wesley before, it is probably as the sometimes guitarist for Progressive Rock band Porcupine Tree. In his prolific career, he has graced a number of bands with his substantial talent on guitar and his powerful voice. He has also managed to put away a few solo albums, all offered for free on his web site. You can find five session albums and a live recording. The five studio recordings especially got my attention due to their strong songwriting, hence are featured on Free Albums Galore.

Of the five albums the best and most varied , in my humble opinion, is Chasing The Monsters. It is a tour de force that melds alternative rock, folk, and progressive rock into an interesting mixture. Much of the album reveals a strong Roger Waters influence in both the vocals and guitar but there is also much that is derived from American folk rock. The best tracks include the title song and the jaunty rocker “Who We Love”. I also enjoyed the moving ballad “Velvet Dreams”.

The newer Shiver is almost as good. Starting with “Pretty Lives”, this is a more dramatic album with a lot of tension. At times it feels a little over-produced but is still full of good songwriting and poignant vocals. I especially like “The King of 17″ , “Your Round”, and the title track.

The last three albums comes from the 90s and represented some of the earlier songwriting of John Wesley. The Emperor Falls, The Closing of The Pale Blue Eyes, and Under The Red and White Sky all offer superlative songs in electric and acoustic styles. My recommendation is to try Shiver or Chasing Monsters, then go for the earlier albums if you enjoyed what you heard. While I liked all of them, I expect Chasing Monster will be the one I listen to the most.

The albums are available in MP3 format of either 160 or 192kbps bitrate. If you enjoy the music support the artist by buying the CDs.

Update: The albums are still available but you now need to register with your e-mail address in order to access the download page.

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