John Sloman is ready to release his brand new 2-part (2CD) album Meridian Man‘. This will be issued in a very limited CD run (to start), direct from John, himself. Contact John via his Facebook page or email (johnsloman@yahoo.co.uk)

Meridian Man marks the end of an era for John Sloman, as the Welsh singer and multi-instrumentalist, has left London, after decades, back to Wales. Like John’s previous 8 solo albums, which were made in his home studio, in London, John writes,sings, and performs all instruments, vocals, and choirs, as well as produces and mixes this. The 2 CD set will come with booklet, as well as cover-art by Tuula Halén.

I will write more on Meridian Man later. My early impressions are that the 2 tracks making up this release, both well over 20 minutes, are quite the musical epic journeys. So much has gone in to the music, with each track given memorable intros, as welll as various changes, various instrumentation. and vocals. It is a lot to dig into, but the songs flow well, and one can play a number of times (as I did today), and get more into it with each listen. If you are a fan of John’s albums, particularly his latest 2, you will not be disappointed in this new one. Definitely John’s most ambitious album yet. At 69, John is one of those few artists whose voice has aged better, and as an artist seems to have a lot more interesting things to create.

*Read John’s description below the album cover.

Further to Meridian Man, John is aiming to release ‘Rock Heaven – The Soundtrack Album‘, in 2027, which is a companion to his 2025 novel ‘Rock Heaven‘, available on Amazon with his previous books. He’s also planning to release his 4th book, a novel – ‘Diary of Dimensionist‘ next year. also.

Meridian Man , John Sloman´s 11th solo album

MERIDIAN MAN– For many years I lived near Greenwich in South East London. The area was steeped in Britain’s history. The River Thames was walking distance away and on Saturday mornings I would run up the steps in Greenwich Park and gaze down in wonder at the Royal Naval buildings stretching along the river. From this elevated vantage point, I could turn to my left to admire the Royal Observatory situated on its own plateau, next to which was the traditional home of the Astronomer Royal. As much of a magnet for tourists the observatory undoubtedly is, the “prime” reason for people visiting the site is to stand on (and photograph) a metal strip set made of brass and stainless steel set in the ground known as the Prime Meridian (0 degrees longitude) from which all of time is measured.Meridian Man is a melding of myth and reality. Psychologists often refer to mythology to explain the underlying impulses of the human psyche. This is sometimes referred to as the “Heroes Journey”. The man I am versus the man I aspire to be. We all fall short of this. It is called being alive. But still we are inspired by stories of ancient myth and folklore. The story of Meridian Man is told over two CDs. CD 1 is The Myth. And CD 2 is The Man. The mythological Meridian Man (The Myth) is responsible for the sun’s movement across the sky and comes armed with a sword and is prepared to use it if necessary. He is a man of honour and duty. He knows great loneliness and sometimes wishes he could party. But to him, “Life is a meditation, practice and dedication, it’s just the way it’s got to be, there is no other way for me.” When a woman urges him to come away with her, he replies “But who would mind the sun when the day is done?”  He is fundamental to our existence, yet nobody knows he exists. And that is just how he wants it to be. He is as mysterious as the meridians in Chinese medicine – or the arcane signs and symbols which adorn our reality. He knows all and sees all while at the same time being both unknowable and invisible.    The human Meridian Man (The Man) is based on the three decades I spent living close to the Prime Meridian. Like my mythological counterpart, I too existed in anonymity while aspiring to something better both artistically and spiritually. For seventeen years, initially as a coping strategy for dealing with the stresses of the artistic life, I immersed myself in the world of Tai Chi, learning hand forms and that of sword, spear and sabre. I have spent much of my adult life in search of a deeper meaning to this existence of ours. And on the rare occasion, I have caught a glimpse of it only for it to vanish like tracks in the snow. But just as the mythological Meridian Man will continue to carry the sun across the sky, so I, the mortal Meridian Man will continue to search for a deeper meaning to this thing we call LIFE.   (JS)