1. HOMUNCULUS RES Limiti all'eguaglianza della Parte con il Tutto (2013) A band from Italy in the AltrOck Productions stable whose debut album, 2013's Limiti all'equalianza della parte con il tutto, offers wild and humorous musical stylings that definitely evoke that light, airy Canterbury feeling. All songs (but one) are short (less than four minutes) and quirky in the SOFT MACHINE/ Matching Mole style. Great keyboard and synthesizer work, drumming, and rhythm section as each and every song incorporates amazing and unexpected whole-band syncopation and tempo and key shifts throughout. The laid-back vocals of composer and Casiotone virtuoso Dario ALESSANDRO are awesomely soothing. The Di Giovanni brothers, Daniele and David on drums and keyboards, respectively, flutist Dario Lo Cicero and not one, not two, but three keyboard players (including AltrOck ubiquity, Paolo "SKE" BOTTA), serve Dario's songs amazingly well.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dario D'Alessandro / guitar, Casiotone (2,7,11,18), Minimoog (4,5,16,17), Mellotron (9), glockenspiel (1), percussion (4,18), vocals
- Davide Di Giovanni / organ, piano, Korg MS10 (5,10,17), bass (16), drums (15-17), acoustic guitar (6), vocals (1,16)
- Domenico Salamone / bass
- Daniele Di Giovanni / drums, percussion, acoustic guitar (6,9), vocals (1)
With:
- Mauro Turdo / guitar (1)
- Federico Cardaci / Minimoog (6,8,12), Mellotron (4,11,12), organ (12)
- Dario Lo Cicero / Akai EWI (2,6), flutes (7,8,18), sordone (9)
- Paolo "Ske" Botta / ARP Odyssey (1,7,11), Wurlitzer & glockenspiel (1), Farfisa organ (3,12,14), OSC OSCar synth (4,15), Synthorchestra (8,9,12), Hohner pianet (8)
- Giovanni Di Martino / Korg synth (3)
- Totò Puleo / trumpet (3)
- Davide Di Giovanni / organ, piano, Korg MS10 (5,10,17), bass (16), drums (15-17), acoustic guitar (6), vocals (1,16)
- Domenico Salamone / bass
- Daniele Di Giovanni / drums, percussion, acoustic guitar (6,9), vocals (1)
With:
- Mauro Turdo / guitar (1)
- Federico Cardaci / Minimoog (6,8,12), Mellotron (4,11,12), organ (12)
- Dario Lo Cicero / Akai EWI (2,6), flutes (7,8,18), sordone (9)
- Paolo "Ske" Botta / ARP Odyssey (1,7,11), Wurlitzer & glockenspiel (1), Farfisa organ (3,12,14), OSC OSCar synth (4,15), Synthorchestra (8,9,12), Hohner pianet (8)
- Giovanni Di Martino / Korg synth (3)
- Totò Puleo / trumpet (3)
1. "Culturismo Ballo Organizzare" (5:49) (10/10)
2. "Delta U" (1:52) (5/5)
3. "DJ Psicosi" (3:48) (10/10)
4. "Preparazione Bomba H" (3:12) (10/10)
5. "Sintagma" (1:08) (4/5)
6. "Jessicalaura" (3:17) (10/10)
7. "(che ne sai tu di un) Cerchio nel Grano" (3:48) (10/10)
8. "Rifondazione Unghie" (3:17) (9/10)
9. "La ballata dell'amore Stocastico" (3:15) (10/10)
10. "Chi Phi" (1:29) (5/5)
11. "Nabucco Chiappe d'Oro" (4:13) (10/10)
12. "Il papa buono" (2:51) (10/10)
13. "Accidenti" (0:23) (5/5
14. "Centoquarantaduemilaottocentocinquantasette" (2:05) (4.5/5)
15. "Profiterol" (1:28) (5/5)
16. "Estate 216 solstz" (1:23) (5/5)
17. "Puk 10" (2:24) (9/10)
18. "Il Contrario di Tutto" (2:20) (10/10)
Total Time: 48:02
Imperfect songs: 5. "Sintagma" (1:09) (8/10); 8. "Rifondazione unghie" (3:18) (9/10); 14. "Centoquarantaduemilaottocentocinquantasette" (2:06) (9/10), and; "Puk 10" (2:25) (9/10).
Perfect songs: All of the others! (14 of them!!)
This is the best Canterbury album of the 21st Century and perhaps the best of all-time!!
97.2 on the Fish scales = 5 star album; a masterpiece of progressive rock music.
2. "Delta U" (1:52) (5/5)
3. "DJ Psicosi" (3:48) (10/10)
4. "Preparazione Bomba H" (3:12) (10/10)
5. "Sintagma" (1:08) (4/5)
6. "Jessicalaura" (3:17) (10/10)
7. "(che ne sai tu di un) Cerchio nel Grano" (3:48) (10/10)
8. "Rifondazione Unghie" (3:17) (9/10)
9. "La ballata dell'amore Stocastico" (3:15) (10/10)
10. "Chi Phi" (1:29) (5/5)
11. "Nabucco Chiappe d'Oro" (4:13) (10/10)
12. "Il papa buono" (2:51) (10/10)
13. "Accidenti" (0:23) (5/5
14. "Centoquarantaduemilaottocentocinquantasette" (2:05) (4.5/5)
15. "Profiterol" (1:28) (5/5)
16. "Estate 216 solstz" (1:23) (5/5)
17. "Puk 10" (2:24) (9/10)
18. "Il Contrario di Tutto" (2:20) (10/10)
Total Time: 48:02
Imperfect songs: 5. "Sintagma" (1:09) (8/10); 8. "Rifondazione unghie" (3:18) (9/10); 14. "Centoquarantaduemilaottocentocinquantasette" (2:06) (9/10), and; "Puk 10" (2:25) (9/10).
Perfect songs: All of the others! (14 of them!!)
This is the best Canterbury album of the 21st Century and perhaps the best of all-time!!
97.2 on the Fish scales = 5 star album; a masterpiece of progressive rock music.
2. PICCHIO DAL POZZO Picchio dal Pozzo (1976) In 1976, this debut album caught everyone by surprise for its unmistakable Canterbury feel and familiarity--and this from a group of Italians! I mean, Dutch, French, and even Belgian and German 'members' of the Canterbury Scene might be understandable. They are, after all, just across La Manche from County Kent and the great cathedral town of Canterbury. But Italy?!!
And an amazingly excellent album did Picchio dal Pozzo come up with!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Paolo Griguolo / guitar, percussion, recorder (9), vocals
- Aldo De Scalzi / keyboards, percussion, alto sax & guitar (9), vocals
- Giorgio Karaghiosoff / woodwinds, flute (5), percussion, vocals
- Andrea Beccari / bass, horn, percussion, vocals
With:
- Cristina Pomarici / vocals (3c)
- Gerry Manarolo / guitar (7)
- Vittorio De Scalzi / flute (3b,5,8)
- Leonardo Lagorio (CELESTE) / contralto sax (5,7), flute (5)
- Fabio Canini / drums (5,6), percussion (3a,5,7)
- Carlo Pascucci / drums (5,7)
- Ciro Perrino (CELESTE) / xylophone (3), flute (5)
- Renzo "Pucci" Cochis / cymbal (6)
- Roberto Romani / tenor sax & flute (9)
- Aldo Di Marco / drums, percussion & vibes (9)
- Aldo De Scalzi / keyboards, percussion, alto sax & guitar (9), vocals
- Giorgio Karaghiosoff / woodwinds, flute (5), percussion, vocals
- Andrea Beccari / bass, horn, percussion, vocals
With:
- Cristina Pomarici / vocals (3c)
- Gerry Manarolo / guitar (7)
- Vittorio De Scalzi / flute (3b,5,8)
- Leonardo Lagorio (CELESTE) / contralto sax (5,7), flute (5)
- Fabio Canini / drums (5,6), percussion (3a,5,7)
- Carlo Pascucci / drums (5,7)
- Ciro Perrino (CELESTE) / xylophone (3), flute (5)
- Renzo "Pucci" Cochis / cymbal (6)
- Roberto Romani / tenor sax & flute (9)
- Aldo Di Marco / drums, percussion & vibes (9)
1. "Merta" (3:18) Whenever this song comes on my iPod playlist (which is quite often) I find myself thinking that this is a Robert WYATT song! The vocals, unusual weave of instruments, lack of drums, and Andrea BECCARI's odd horns sound just like something RW would have done in his SOFT MACHINE/MATCHING MOLE days. (10/10)
2. "Cocomelastico" (4:25) is another song that always tricks me into thinking I'm listening to SOFT MACHINE. I love the way the horns play off of each other, and I love the odd synth playing far in the background throughout. Even the odd vocal is not unlike some of the Spanish stuff Robert Wyatt has done. The laid back, jazzy feel placed within the bar/cantina setting is brilliant. Just like the Softs or Caravan! Awesome song that I could listen to forever! (10/10)
3. "Seppia" (10:17) opens with some TANGERINE DREAM-like repeating synthesizer arpeggio which is soon joined by some oddly treated tuned percussion. When the vuvuzela-sounding horns enter with the big bass notes and, eventually, a kind of hypnotic driving rhythm, it's as if the band is trying to either drive the listener crazy or display what a drug trip or psychotic breakdown might feel like! It's actually quite fun--and very much like the feel and effect of a GONG or even Robert WYATT song. The band must have had a lot of fun doing this one. Wild, cacophonous, and random. Then there is a flute-filled break in the music, with a visit to a barnyard, followed by a pretty foundational weave of arpeggios from two electric guitars while a woman recites something dramatic over the top. Horns and then electric piano and tuned percussion then join in before some "Wah-wah" vocals enter the weave with several woodwinds. Gorgeous!
Listening to this song gives me some insight into the musical influences of 21st Century countrymates, YUGEN. (18/20)
4. "Napier" (7:28) opens with multiple woodwinds creating sustained cords before relinquishing the reins to a circus band. The use of dissonance here is wonderful--very Robert FRIPP/KING CRIMSON-esque. Soon the circus band moves more toward a MIKE OLDFIELD medieval troubadour sound before everything drops out at the 3:00 mark for a little odd piano play. Organ-backed male vocal singing in Italian moves us into a new section?one that is much more Canterbury jazz with the awesome multiple horns all soloing and weaving with voices, cymbals, octave climbing bass notes and piano. Horns, cymbals and electric Rhodes piano take us through a full minute before the jazzy quintet plays out the final half minute (which is faded out rather suddenly--poor engineering). (13.5/15)
5. "La floriculture di Tschincinnata" (4:24) is a rapidly changing and diverse song that would be very fitting among the early CARAVAN or SOFT MACHINE repertoires. Several really awesome melodies and chord progressions are explored here as well as some really fun crazed soloing--all at the same time--from the horn, Casio-sounding synthesizer, electric guitar, and drums--all while the bass keeps the steady time that provides the foundation for the song to rest upon. (9.5/10)
6. "La bolla" (4:31) repeats the Robert WYATT wordless vocal style that I heard in the album's opening song, "Merta"--creating over a melody line that is played over a repetitive JOHN COLTRANE-like piano chord progression--a melody line that will eventually become picked up by the horn and acoustic guitar before being woven in with the voice. (10/10)
7. "Off" (4:48) opens like another JOHN COLTRANE tune with harp-like arpeggiated piano play covered by mellifluous flute play. Absolutely gorgeous! At 1:56 a male voice enters up front and center singing more wordless "wah-wah"s into the tapestry. Gentle, beautiful, pastoral song that would be fitting if performed out-of-doors. Definitely one of my favorite Canterbury songs. (10/10)
Over all this is an album of playful, fun, gorgeous melodies, and wild and at times complicated jazzy instrumental weaves very much in the Canterbury vein of musical approach. Due to the joyful emotional reaction I get when each and every song comes into my ear, Picchio dal Pozzo has supplanted KHAN's Space Shanty as my favorite Canterbury Scene album.
94.12 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; an out-right masterpiece of progressive rock music that just happens to use sounds, themes, and styles straight out of the Canterbury playbook.
3. KHAN Space Shanty (1972) My slow and gradual testing of the waters of Canterbury Scene of 1970s progressive rock music is now up to nine records: Caravan's "Grey and Pink" and "Girls Who Plump," Soft Machine's "Third," Steve Hillage's "Fish Rising," Hatfield and the North's "Rotter's Club," Robert Wyatt's "Rock Bottom," Gong's "You," and Zyma's "Thoughts" (though I might also ask to include Camel's "Mirage"). Overall, I am very much enjoying the sub-genre's light, upbeat, happy-go-lucky feel--it makes me wish I'd been in the thick of the 60s' psychedlic hippie generation. Of the above albums I must say that "Space Shanty" is my favorite. Why? It's the vocals! There is something very special in the vocals of both Steve Hillage and Nick Greenwood. 2. "Stranded (Effervescent Psychonovelty No. 5)" (6:36) (9.75/10), 3. "Mixed Up Man of the Mountains" (7:15) (14/15), and 4. "Driving to Amsterdam" (9:23) (19/20), and the stunningly beautiful, 6. "Hollow Stone (Escape of the Space Pirates)" (8:19) (20/20), are all/each absolutely gorgeous masterpieces. The vocals in "Stranded" and "Stargazers" remind me so much of why I love MOTH VELLUM, while "Mixed Up Man" reminds me of my friend MARK FARNER's "I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home" from his GRAND FUNK RAILROAD days. Absolutely beautiful works!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Steve Hillage / guitars, vocals
- Nick Greenwood / bass, vocals
- Eric Peachey / drums
With:
- Dave Stewart / organ, piano, (sky)celesta, marimba
1. "Space Shanty (inc. The Cobalt Sequence and March of the Sine Squadrons)" (9:02) (17.5/20)
2. "Stranded (Effervescent Psychonovelty No. 5)" (6:36) (9.75/10)
3. "Mixed Up Man of the Mountains" (7:15) (14/15)
4. "Driving to Amsterdam" (9:23) (19/20)
5. "Stargazers" (5:34) opens in a quirky and obtuse avant garde fashion before settling into a more straightforward GRAND FUNK-like hippy. Vocal harmonies, odd time signature, choppy organ, angular guitar solos, and stop-and-go fast-and-slow dynamics can't really spoil the New Age sentiments, great melodies, and engaging chord sequences in the singing parts. (8.5/10)
6. "Hollow Stone (Escape of the Space Pirates)" (8:19) (20/20)
My only reservation in giving this album five stars is that I never like it when an album is so reliant on a guitarist's use of multiple tracks (à la "Thick as a Brick"). At times I found myself thinking (wishing) it was two guitarists that I was listening to. And the compositions are not perfectly polished but, again, these amazing vocals and melodies make it such a transcendent listening experience I cannot really rate it anything less than a masterpiece. I am in awe. And in love.
93.42 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music coming out of Britain's Canterbury Scene.
- Nick Greenwood / bass, vocals
- Eric Peachey / drums
With:
- Dave Stewart / organ, piano, (sky)celesta, marimba
1. "Space Shanty (inc. The Cobalt Sequence and March of the Sine Squadrons)" (9:02) (17.5/20)
2. "Stranded (Effervescent Psychonovelty No. 5)" (6:36) (9.75/10)
3. "Mixed Up Man of the Mountains" (7:15) (14/15)
4. "Driving to Amsterdam" (9:23) (19/20)
5. "Stargazers" (5:34) opens in a quirky and obtuse avant garde fashion before settling into a more straightforward GRAND FUNK-like hippy. Vocal harmonies, odd time signature, choppy organ, angular guitar solos, and stop-and-go fast-and-slow dynamics can't really spoil the New Age sentiments, great melodies, and engaging chord sequences in the singing parts. (8.5/10)
6. "Hollow Stone (Escape of the Space Pirates)" (8:19) (20/20)
My only reservation in giving this album five stars is that I never like it when an album is so reliant on a guitarist's use of multiple tracks (à la "Thick as a Brick"). At times I found myself thinking (wishing) it was two guitarists that I was listening to. And the compositions are not perfectly polished but, again, these amazing vocals and melodies make it such a transcendent listening experience I cannot really rate it anything less than a masterpiece. I am in awe. And in love.
93.42 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music coming out of Britain's Canterbury Scene.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Pye Hastings / electric & acoustic guitars, vocals (3,5)
- David Sinclair / organ, piano, Mellotron, harmony vocals
- Richard Sinclair / bass, acoustic guitar, vocals (1,2,4,5)
- Richard Coughlan / drums, percussion
With:
- Jimmy Hastings / flute & piccolo flute, tenor saxophone
- John Beecham / trombone (uncredited)
- Dave Grinsted / sound effects, engineer
1. "Golf Girl" (5:01) is just poppy fun--like something out of the "Hair!" soundtrack. And memorable--it's tough to get out of one's head once you've heard it! (8/10)
2. "Winter Wine" (7:37) is beautiful song built on some fairly straightforward guitar chord sequences. The delicate section beginning at the 2:50 mark shows something different, something special. Unfortunately, Pye Hasting's first solo is rather weak, but vastly improved upon as the rhythm section picks up both the volume and pace. Some very nice melodic moments and key and tempo changes. The song gets stronger--brings me in deeper and deeper as it goes. Love the background "Oooo's." (13.5/15)
3. "Love to Love You (and Tonight Pigs Will Fly)" (3:06) is a poppy song with prominent cowbell and a Pye HASTINGS vocal! (7/10)
4. "In the Land of Grey and Pink" (4:51) opens like a TRAFFIC song before Richard SINCLAIR and support crew take things into their own. A wonderfully whimsical lyric of psychedelia and lips bubble making--previews of things to come in 1973's HATFIELD AND THE NORTH's debut. (9/10)
5. The side-long "Nine Feet Underground" (22:44) is, of course, the album's jewel--especially in terms of Caravan's contributions to the Canterbury scene, specifically, and progressive rock music, in general. Pure, engaging melodies, perfect pacing and soli (even if the mix/engineering is a bit inconsistent and, let's face it: shoddy), Richard Sinclair's bass work really stands out on this one. Also find Pye Hastings' lead vocal and the accompanying harmonies quite enjoyable. A definite highlight of prog rock. (44/45)
"Easy listening" prog rock at it's finest. 90. 55 on the Fishscales = A-/5 stars, rated down for inconsistent production.
Amended 4/26/14: The 2001 CD release includes some awesome bonus material which would easily put In The Land of Grey and Pink into the "masterpiece" category were they including on the original release. Though this album has continued to grow on me and remains one of my four or five most played Canterbury Scene albums, in my opinion "Love to Love You," "Winter Wine" and even "Golf Girl" weaken this album a bit.
Bonus (previously unreleased) material:
"I Don't Know It's Name (Alias The Word)" (6:10) (10/10) has one of Richard Sinclair's best vocals of all-time. Simply a beautiful song.
"Aristocracy" (3:43) (8/10) has a Kinks' "Lola"-like vocal melody. Interesting and different.
"It's Likely to Have a Name Next Week (Winter Wine Instrumental)" (7:49) is much prettier and has much more feeling and flow to it than the later 'more evolved' version known as "Winter Wine." I love Richard's "scatting" vocal melody explorations. (15/15)
"Group Girl" (First version of "Golf Girl" with different lyrics) (5:03) is much more free-form and somber than the fun-bordering on silly final version. (9/10)
"Dissassociation 100% Proof" (New Mix) (8:34) (15/15) is an intoxicatingly engaging version of Nine Feet Underground" containing several of the main themes from the longer album version. Richard's voice is absolutely gorgeous as is the flute playing.
This doesn't change my rating for the original album, but I'm trying to make the point that this is the version to try to get.
91.79 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music from a group of true and original Canterbury artists. Rated and scaled much higher with bonus material.
- David Sinclair / organ, piano, Mellotron, harmony vocals
- Richard Sinclair / bass, acoustic guitar, vocals (1,2,4,5)
- Richard Coughlan / drums, percussion
With:
- Jimmy Hastings / flute & piccolo flute, tenor saxophone
- John Beecham / trombone (uncredited)
- Dave Grinsted / sound effects, engineer
1. "Golf Girl" (5:01) is just poppy fun--like something out of the "Hair!" soundtrack. And memorable--it's tough to get out of one's head once you've heard it! (8/10)
2. "Winter Wine" (7:37) is beautiful song built on some fairly straightforward guitar chord sequences. The delicate section beginning at the 2:50 mark shows something different, something special. Unfortunately, Pye Hasting's first solo is rather weak, but vastly improved upon as the rhythm section picks up both the volume and pace. Some very nice melodic moments and key and tempo changes. The song gets stronger--brings me in deeper and deeper as it goes. Love the background "Oooo's." (13.5/15)
3. "Love to Love You (and Tonight Pigs Will Fly)" (3:06) is a poppy song with prominent cowbell and a Pye HASTINGS vocal! (7/10)
4. "In the Land of Grey and Pink" (4:51) opens like a TRAFFIC song before Richard SINCLAIR and support crew take things into their own. A wonderfully whimsical lyric of psychedelia and lips bubble making--previews of things to come in 1973's HATFIELD AND THE NORTH's debut. (9/10)
5. The side-long "Nine Feet Underground" (22:44) is, of course, the album's jewel--especially in terms of Caravan's contributions to the Canterbury scene, specifically, and progressive rock music, in general. Pure, engaging melodies, perfect pacing and soli (even if the mix/engineering is a bit inconsistent and, let's face it: shoddy), Richard Sinclair's bass work really stands out on this one. Also find Pye Hastings' lead vocal and the accompanying harmonies quite enjoyable. A definite highlight of prog rock. (44/45)
"Easy listening" prog rock at it's finest. 90. 55 on the Fishscales = A-/5 stars, rated down for inconsistent production.
Amended 4/26/14: The 2001 CD release includes some awesome bonus material which would easily put In The Land of Grey and Pink into the "masterpiece" category were they including on the original release. Though this album has continued to grow on me and remains one of my four or five most played Canterbury Scene albums, in my opinion "Love to Love You," "Winter Wine" and even "Golf Girl" weaken this album a bit.
Bonus (previously unreleased) material:
"I Don't Know It's Name (Alias The Word)" (6:10) (10/10) has one of Richard Sinclair's best vocals of all-time. Simply a beautiful song.
"Aristocracy" (3:43) (8/10) has a Kinks' "Lola"-like vocal melody. Interesting and different.
"It's Likely to Have a Name Next Week (Winter Wine Instrumental)" (7:49) is much prettier and has much more feeling and flow to it than the later 'more evolved' version known as "Winter Wine." I love Richard's "scatting" vocal melody explorations. (15/15)
"Group Girl" (First version of "Golf Girl" with different lyrics) (5:03) is much more free-form and somber than the fun-bordering on silly final version. (9/10)
"Dissassociation 100% Proof" (New Mix) (8:34) (15/15) is an intoxicatingly engaging version of Nine Feet Underground" containing several of the main themes from the longer album version. Richard's voice is absolutely gorgeous as is the flute playing.
This doesn't change my rating for the original album, but I'm trying to make the point that this is the version to try to get.
91.79 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music from a group of true and original Canterbury artists. Rated and scaled much higher with bonus material.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dave Stewart / organ, piano, tone generator (4.c)
- Mont Campbell / bass, vocals, organ & piano (4.a), French horn (4.b), brass arrangement (2)
- Clive Brooks / drums
With:
- Henry Lowther / trumpet (2)
- Mike Davis / trumpet (2)
- Bob Downes / tenor sax (2)
- Tony Roberts / tenor sax (2)
2. "Contrasong" (4:25) is an uptempo, odd-timed piano-based, horn accompanied song over which Mont Campbell tries to sing. The voice, unfortunately, gets kind of lost in the cacophony of the rest of the music. Obviously an experimental jazzy song that the trio (bassist Campbell, keyboard whiz Dave Stewart and drummer Clive Brooks) wanted to try. (8/10)
3. "Boilk" (9:23) is a song that turns a lot of listeners away but which I love! It opens with the sound of running water (like a faucet filling a sink) before yielding to an organ chord and some tubular bell and glockenspiel play. In the third minute reversed tapes of percussion and organ play take over in a "Waiting Room" way. (This song preceded Genesis' ascendence to prog rock heights much less their experimental play on 1974's The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.) In the eighth minute the soundscape turns much more into keyboard sound experimentation much in the way that Electronica bands would be doing soon. The final two minutes are "filled" by a distant-sounding church-like organ solo. I really love musical experimentation like this! I listen to "Boilk" often and with equal interest and enjoyment each time. (18/20)
4. "The Long Piece No. 3. Part 1" (5:08) is another of EGG's ventures into musical structures and forms from classical music while using jazz/rock instruments (drums, bass and a variety of organ/keyboards). The fast piano arpeggios that take over at the three minute mark usher in a different time signature and a different exercise--this one even more classical in its sound and orientation. Awesome! (9/10)
5. "The Long Piece No. 3. Part 2" (7:38) opens with another display of those amazingly memorable melodic organ chord sequences as we had in "A Visit to Newport Hospital." At 1:42 everything shifts into a more dreamy, ethereal, even disturbing sound. It's like listening to the soundtrack of a nightmare. Then, at 3:45, we shift back into a simplistic piano, crazy synthesizer in the background, with organ accompaniment for about 40 seconds before a gorgeous organ chord sequence becomes the dominant sound up front. Playing back and forth between beauty and discord is the prevailing theme for the remainder of the song. So interesting! And amazing: Two of these guys (Stewart and main composer Campbell) were not yet 20 years old when they made their first two albums! Truly astonishing!! (13.5/15)
6. "The Long Piece No. 3. Part 3" (5:04) opens a bit like a VINCE GURALDI jazz piece before a KEITH EMERSON-like organ and ELP "Tarkus"-like section takes over. (Though, again, this album was released well before Tarkus.) At 1:40 another section starts with that buzz-saw-sounding organ that Stewart, Mike RATLEDGE and Steve WINWOOD liked to use so much. Though the ensuing sections are very much in classical music structures, the instrument sounds used are not at all what classical music is used to using. (8/10)
7. "The Long Piece No. 3. Part 4" (2:51) ends the opus with some amazing keyboard work over some really nice bass play, and steady drumming. This song really puts the prowess of each of the band members on full display. Teenagers! (9/10)
I cannot express vociferously enough what an amazing album of crazy-complex songs this is--and yet they remain able to create truly enjoyable and often melodic themes throughout! What an album! A DEFINITE masterpiece of progressive rock music if ever there was one! Mega kudos to these three "boys"!
91.05 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music and one of the best Canterbury Scene albums ever released.
- Mont Campbell / bass, vocals, organ & piano (4.a), French horn (4.b), brass arrangement (2)
- Clive Brooks / drums
With:
- Henry Lowther / trumpet (2)
- Mike Davis / trumpet (2)
- Bob Downes / tenor sax (2)
- Tony Roberts / tenor sax (2)
2. "Contrasong" (4:25) is an uptempo, odd-timed piano-based, horn accompanied song over which Mont Campbell tries to sing. The voice, unfortunately, gets kind of lost in the cacophony of the rest of the music. Obviously an experimental jazzy song that the trio (bassist Campbell, keyboard whiz Dave Stewart and drummer Clive Brooks) wanted to try. (8/10)
3. "Boilk" (9:23) is a song that turns a lot of listeners away but which I love! It opens with the sound of running water (like a faucet filling a sink) before yielding to an organ chord and some tubular bell and glockenspiel play. In the third minute reversed tapes of percussion and organ play take over in a "Waiting Room" way. (This song preceded Genesis' ascendence to prog rock heights much less their experimental play on 1974's The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.) In the eighth minute the soundscape turns much more into keyboard sound experimentation much in the way that Electronica bands would be doing soon. The final two minutes are "filled" by a distant-sounding church-like organ solo. I really love musical experimentation like this! I listen to "Boilk" often and with equal interest and enjoyment each time. (18/20)
4. "The Long Piece No. 3. Part 1" (5:08) is another of EGG's ventures into musical structures and forms from classical music while using jazz/rock instruments (drums, bass and a variety of organ/keyboards). The fast piano arpeggios that take over at the three minute mark usher in a different time signature and a different exercise--this one even more classical in its sound and orientation. Awesome! (9/10)
5. "The Long Piece No. 3. Part 2" (7:38) opens with another display of those amazingly memorable melodic organ chord sequences as we had in "A Visit to Newport Hospital." At 1:42 everything shifts into a more dreamy, ethereal, even disturbing sound. It's like listening to the soundtrack of a nightmare. Then, at 3:45, we shift back into a simplistic piano, crazy synthesizer in the background, with organ accompaniment for about 40 seconds before a gorgeous organ chord sequence becomes the dominant sound up front. Playing back and forth between beauty and discord is the prevailing theme for the remainder of the song. So interesting! And amazing: Two of these guys (Stewart and main composer Campbell) were not yet 20 years old when they made their first two albums! Truly astonishing!! (13.5/15)
6. "The Long Piece No. 3. Part 3" (5:04) opens a bit like a VINCE GURALDI jazz piece before a KEITH EMERSON-like organ and ELP "Tarkus"-like section takes over. (Though, again, this album was released well before Tarkus.) At 1:40 another section starts with that buzz-saw-sounding organ that Stewart, Mike RATLEDGE and Steve WINWOOD liked to use so much. Though the ensuing sections are very much in classical music structures, the instrument sounds used are not at all what classical music is used to using. (8/10)
7. "The Long Piece No. 3. Part 4" (2:51) ends the opus with some amazing keyboard work over some really nice bass play, and steady drumming. This song really puts the prowess of each of the band members on full display. Teenagers! (9/10)
I cannot express vociferously enough what an amazing album of crazy-complex songs this is--and yet they remain able to create truly enjoyable and often melodic themes throughout! What an album! A DEFINITE masterpiece of progressive rock music if ever there was one! Mega kudos to these three "boys"!
91.05 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music and one of the best Canterbury Scene albums ever released.
Line-up / Musicians:
- María Toro / vocals, flute
- Ricardo Castro Varela / Hammond, Mellotron, piano, Mini-Moog, arrangements
- Alberto Villarroya López / guitars, bass, composer
- Pablo Añón / soprano, alto & tenor saxes
- Fernando Lamas / drums
With:
- Ricardo Castro Varela / Hammond, Mellotron, piano, Mini-Moog, arrangements
- Alberto Villarroya López / guitars, bass, composer
- Pablo Añón / soprano, alto & tenor saxes
- Fernando Lamas / drums
With:
- Gastón Rodríguez / guitar (3)
1. "Dedicated to us, but we weren't listening" (3:50) opening with some GONG-like effects and then adding some melodic ALLAN GOWEN- or STEVE MILLER-like keys, smooth RICHARD SINCLAIR-like bass, and PYE HASTINGS- or PHIL MILLER-like guitar and you've got yourself a melange of Canterbury Scene musicians making . . . quirky Bohemian Canterbury jazz!? (8.75/10)
2. "Perfumed garden" (9:43) opening with the breathy voice of María Toro is, I must admit, a bit of a surprise--a welcomed one, as it turns out. The closest thing I can come up with this music is today's INNER EAR BRIGADE or REGAL WORM. There is SANTANA-ness to the instrumental section in the fourth and fifth minutes, but then the music breaks down into a slow, smokey torch singer lounge jazz not unlike ANNE PIGALLE or KOOP. But the flute-led instrumental section following María's vocal is Canterbury, pure and sublime. However you categorize the music of this song, let's all agree on one thing: it's gorgeous! (19.5/20)
3. "Turbulent matrix" (10:47) the superlative music that all artists Canterbury would be making today if they were to do it all over again. This is a gorgeous piece of fun, melodic, quirky, even flawless jazz. Incredible arrangements, tight cohesion, and fantastic drumming, all built over two piano chords! (20/20)
4. "Blessed water" (12:26) opens with sensitive, plaintive solo piano before Mellotron, bass, and the delicate voice of María Toro enter, continuing the same emotive pattern and theme, the music has a bit of ANNIE HASLAM-JON CAMP RENAISSANCE feel to it, even into the slightly built up instrumental section--which quiets down for the arrival of the alto sax--who lays down a beautiful solo. María gets the next turn, this time with flute, over some psychedelic guitar play and JOHN TOUT-like piano. A slightly heavier force enters as ELIANA VALENZEULA-like vocal passage of María's plays out. There follows a nice medium-yet-insistently-paced section over which electric guitar and saxophone perform very nice solos. The bass, drums, and piano are so smooth, so together! Everybody starts pushing the intensity up one notch at a time so that in the eighth minute things are peaking just before a ninth minute lull in which María returns to a sensitive SARA ALIANI (LAGARTIJA)-like voice, but hen she finishes the band launches immediately into a full-on blues-rock exposition in support of the electric guitar. Remember THE DOORS?! Big 'tron choir supports the next section as the song plays out over the final two minutes much like CARAVAN does in the orchestra-supported second half of "L'auberge du Sanglier/A hunting we shall go/Pengola/Backwards/A hunting we shall go (reprise)." Brilliant! Brings me to tears! (24/25)
5. "Qwerty" (0:49) did we mention that María plays a mean flute? Fun uptempo Canterburified jazz. (5/5)
6. "Flight to nowhere" (23:39) (44/50)
1. "Dedicated to us, but we weren't listening" (3:50) opening with some GONG-like effects and then adding some melodic ALLAN GOWEN- or STEVE MILLER-like keys, smooth RICHARD SINCLAIR-like bass, and PYE HASTINGS- or PHIL MILLER-like guitar and you've got yourself a melange of Canterbury Scene musicians making . . . quirky Bohemian Canterbury jazz!? (8.75/10)
2. "Perfumed garden" (9:43) opening with the breathy voice of María Toro is, I must admit, a bit of a surprise--a welcomed one, as it turns out. The closest thing I can come up with this music is today's INNER EAR BRIGADE or REGAL WORM. There is SANTANA-ness to the instrumental section in the fourth and fifth minutes, but then the music breaks down into a slow, smokey torch singer lounge jazz not unlike ANNE PIGALLE or KOOP. But the flute-led instrumental section following María's vocal is Canterbury, pure and sublime. However you categorize the music of this song, let's all agree on one thing: it's gorgeous! (19.5/20)
3. "Turbulent matrix" (10:47) the superlative music that all artists Canterbury would be making today if they were to do it all over again. This is a gorgeous piece of fun, melodic, quirky, even flawless jazz. Incredible arrangements, tight cohesion, and fantastic drumming, all built over two piano chords! (20/20)
4. "Blessed water" (12:26) opens with sensitive, plaintive solo piano before Mellotron, bass, and the delicate voice of María Toro enter, continuing the same emotive pattern and theme, the music has a bit of ANNIE HASLAM-JON CAMP RENAISSANCE feel to it, even into the slightly built up instrumental section--which quiets down for the arrival of the alto sax--who lays down a beautiful solo. María gets the next turn, this time with flute, over some psychedelic guitar play and JOHN TOUT-like piano. A slightly heavier force enters as ELIANA VALENZEULA-like vocal passage of María's plays out. There follows a nice medium-yet-insistently-paced section over which electric guitar and saxophone perform very nice solos. The bass, drums, and piano are so smooth, so together! Everybody starts pushing the intensity up one notch at a time so that in the eighth minute things are peaking just before a ninth minute lull in which María returns to a sensitive SARA ALIANI (LAGARTIJA)-like voice, but hen she finishes the band launches immediately into a full-on blues-rock exposition in support of the electric guitar. Remember THE DOORS?! Big 'tron choir supports the next section as the song plays out over the final two minutes much like CARAVAN does in the orchestra-supported second half of "L'auberge du Sanglier/A hunting we shall go/Pengola/Backwards/A hunting we shall go (reprise)." Brilliant! Brings me to tears! (24/25)
5. "Qwerty" (0:49) did we mention that María plays a mean flute? Fun uptempo Canterburified jazz. (5/5)
6. "Flight to nowhere" (23:39) (44/50)
- I. Endless magic spell -- those could be considered GONG-like sounds and effects in the opening section with a similar STEVE HILLAGE guitar effect to the lead guitar as the music falls into step, but as soon as María begins singing I am once again brought back into the realm of torch singer lounge jazz. Magic spell indeed!
- II. A bleeding mind -- I don't really know where one section begins or ends but suffice it to say that a musical passage with crazed multi-languaged or clipped vocal dispersals lying beneath the music begin and continue over a span that I'm guessing might be representative of "a bleeding mind."
- III. A walk along the tightrope
- IV. Bubbles of dellirium
Total time 61:14
92.88 on the Fishscales = A/Five stars; one of the best Canterbury style albums I've ever heard or reviewed, old or new; a true masterpiece of joyful, creative, amazingly well composed, performed, and recorded music.
- II. A bleeding mind -- I don't really know where one section begins or ends but suffice it to say that a musical passage with crazed multi-languaged or clipped vocal dispersals lying beneath the music begin and continue over a span that I'm guessing might be representative of "a bleeding mind."
- III. A walk along the tightrope
- IV. Bubbles of dellirium
Total time 61:14
92.88 on the Fishscales = A/Five stars; one of the best Canterbury style albums I've ever heard or reviewed, old or new; a true masterpiece of joyful, creative, amazingly well composed, performed, and recorded music.
7. COS Postaeolian Train Robbery (1974) As I was completing my post for a "Best of Sub-genres" list I realized that I've been remiss in posting a review for this, one of my favorite Canterbury albums of all-time. I do have to admit that I've only known of COS for the past year or so, and that the CD version I have of Postaeolian Train Robbery contains the four CLASSROOM songs that pre-date the official formation of COS, AND that those four songs definitely add to the power of PTR, IMO. Were I to rate this album based solely on the six songs that came on the original vinyl I might not be so keen to proclaim this the best or my favorite Canterbury album.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Pascale Son / vocals, oboe (1-7)
- Daniel Schell / guitar, flute & sound effects (1-7)
- Charles Loos / keyboards (1-7), piano (7')
- Alain Goutier / bass (1-7)
- Robert Dartsch / drums (1-7)
- Steve Leduc / percussion (1-7)
- Adrian Stoop / introduction voice (1)
With (Classroom) :
- Jean-Paul Musette / bass (7'-10)
- Jean-Luc Van Lommel / drums (7')
- Robert Pernet / drums (8-10)
- Jean-Pierre Destrée / vibes (8-10)
1. "Postaeolian Train Robbery" (4:14) is a perfect introduction of the band (though why Pascale's voice is mixed so far in the background I'm not sure). (10/10)
2. "Cocalnut" (7:20) showcases the amazing talents of keyboardist, Charles Loos, as well as the incredible voice of Pascale Son. Also, the fast pace allows the rhythm section to show off their tightness. (13.5/15)
3. "Amafam" (8:24)) starts off showing off the talents of drummer Robert Dartsch. Then flutist Daniel Schell and Pascale share lead melody scats--which then amazingly transfer to that of Pascale mimicking/duelling with percussionist Steve Leduc. She is amazing! Reminds me of the Indian raga voice scats on SHAKTI's albums. Unfortunately, the drums and bass are relegated to a very repetitive two-note/two chord rhythm so that the others can solo-- including a rather long one by the electric keyboards. Poor bass player! The final minute allows the drummer to go out just as he came in: showing off. Amazing talent. Not the greatest song. (15/20)
4. "Populi" (3:31) begins with a bouncy clavinet (?) before the band and Pascale join in--this time with actual lyrics! (For a while!) Flutist Daniel Schell takes a turn on electric guitar as Pascal's amazing chicken-like scatting bridges solos from guitar, electric piano, and bass. (8/10)
5. "Halucal" (3:51) uses a flute's arpeggios to establish a kind of standard jazz chord progression! The band joins in with wonderful bass, keys, and drums throughout. Keyboard work reminds me of CHICK COREA. Bass player Alain Goutier is really allowed to strut his stuff on this one. (8/10)
6. "Coloc" (9:44) begins with a piano and a background laugh from Pascale. Then the piano takes over (with a little support from the drummer's cymbol play and, later, chorded bass play). Again I am reminded of CHICK COREA here--"The Mad Hatter suite" (which came later, in 1978). Then at 2:20 Pascale takes over. Wordless vocal acrobatics with one of the nimblest, jazziest voices I've ever heard. Her "instrument," in fact, is probably more expressive and versatile than 99% of the jazz instruments I've ever heard (including that of famed jazz vocalist BOBBY McFERRIN). Daniel Schell performs a few admirable somewhat JOHN McLAUGHLIN-like soli, though his mastery of both finger speed and the volume pedal is in the future. (17/20)
Again, were I rating this album on these first six songs alone, I would not put it so high. (73.53 on the Fishscales.) But, let's continue.
7. CLASSROOM's "La partie (d'Echecs)" (2:39) is breathtaking, stunning, stupefying. It defies all previous conceptions for possibilities of the human voice in song. Her precision with pronunciation is unbelievable. And this one has lyrics. Throughout! One of the most amazing songs I've ever heard. Ever. (10/10)
8. CLASSROOM's "Sur deux" (4:32) showcases a four piece instrumental jazz combo in which xylophone and guitar work with and off of one another and a very fast-moving bass gets a vast amount of show-time. No Pascale. A very good lounge jazz song with some very nice melodies. (9/10)
9. "Achille" (10:05) starts out displaying a tenderer side of the band--of Pascal. Long sustained notes replace the speed we're becoming used to. But as the one minute mark approaches the band kicks into a kind of BURT BACHARACH Latin-influenced rhythm and structure. Before the end of the second minute things slow down and most instrumental support drops out while Pascale stretches out a little. Then around 2:20 the band reintegrates into a fairly conssitent groove for over a minute while Pascale sings. At 3:40 everybody breaks but Pascale and the drummer. The two play, he with his toms and cymbols while Pascale plays with Achille's name and, a little later, a particular sentence, "Où est la fin de cette forêt?" The guitar solo in the ninth minute is the song's only weak spot--though it is not bad for a more traditional European jazz guitar solo. A very entertaining and yet surprisingly serious song. More like an exercise with time, form and structure. And a test to see if Pascale can keep up with . . . anybody! (18/20)
10. "L'admirable amas cellulaire orangé" (2:13) employs the same four-piece jazz combo to support another masterful performance by Pascale. She is a veritable wonder of musicality. (5/5)
Overall, 87.30 on the Fishscales = B/four stars.
- Daniel Schell / guitar, flute & sound effects (1-7)
- Charles Loos / keyboards (1-7), piano (7')
- Alain Goutier / bass (1-7)
- Robert Dartsch / drums (1-7)
- Steve Leduc / percussion (1-7)
- Adrian Stoop / introduction voice (1)
With (Classroom) :
- Jean-Paul Musette / bass (7'-10)
- Jean-Luc Van Lommel / drums (7')
- Robert Pernet / drums (8-10)
- Jean-Pierre Destrée / vibes (8-10)
1. "Postaeolian Train Robbery" (4:14) is a perfect introduction of the band (though why Pascale's voice is mixed so far in the background I'm not sure). (10/10)
2. "Cocalnut" (7:20) showcases the amazing talents of keyboardist, Charles Loos, as well as the incredible voice of Pascale Son. Also, the fast pace allows the rhythm section to show off their tightness. (13.5/15)
3. "Amafam" (8:24)) starts off showing off the talents of drummer Robert Dartsch. Then flutist Daniel Schell and Pascale share lead melody scats--which then amazingly transfer to that of Pascale mimicking/duelling with percussionist Steve Leduc. She is amazing! Reminds me of the Indian raga voice scats on SHAKTI's albums. Unfortunately, the drums and bass are relegated to a very repetitive two-note/two chord rhythm so that the others can solo-- including a rather long one by the electric keyboards. Poor bass player! The final minute allows the drummer to go out just as he came in: showing off. Amazing talent. Not the greatest song. (15/20)
4. "Populi" (3:31) begins with a bouncy clavinet (?) before the band and Pascale join in--this time with actual lyrics! (For a while!) Flutist Daniel Schell takes a turn on electric guitar as Pascal's amazing chicken-like scatting bridges solos from guitar, electric piano, and bass. (8/10)
5. "Halucal" (3:51) uses a flute's arpeggios to establish a kind of standard jazz chord progression! The band joins in with wonderful bass, keys, and drums throughout. Keyboard work reminds me of CHICK COREA. Bass player Alain Goutier is really allowed to strut his stuff on this one. (8/10)
6. "Coloc" (9:44) begins with a piano and a background laugh from Pascale. Then the piano takes over (with a little support from the drummer's cymbol play and, later, chorded bass play). Again I am reminded of CHICK COREA here--"The Mad Hatter suite" (which came later, in 1978). Then at 2:20 Pascale takes over. Wordless vocal acrobatics with one of the nimblest, jazziest voices I've ever heard. Her "instrument," in fact, is probably more expressive and versatile than 99% of the jazz instruments I've ever heard (including that of famed jazz vocalist BOBBY McFERRIN). Daniel Schell performs a few admirable somewhat JOHN McLAUGHLIN-like soli, though his mastery of both finger speed and the volume pedal is in the future. (17/20)
Again, were I rating this album on these first six songs alone, I would not put it so high. (73.53 on the Fishscales.) But, let's continue.
7. CLASSROOM's "La partie (d'Echecs)" (2:39) is breathtaking, stunning, stupefying. It defies all previous conceptions for possibilities of the human voice in song. Her precision with pronunciation is unbelievable. And this one has lyrics. Throughout! One of the most amazing songs I've ever heard. Ever. (10/10)
8. CLASSROOM's "Sur deux" (4:32) showcases a four piece instrumental jazz combo in which xylophone and guitar work with and off of one another and a very fast-moving bass gets a vast amount of show-time. No Pascale. A very good lounge jazz song with some very nice melodies. (9/10)
9. "Achille" (10:05) starts out displaying a tenderer side of the band--of Pascal. Long sustained notes replace the speed we're becoming used to. But as the one minute mark approaches the band kicks into a kind of BURT BACHARACH Latin-influenced rhythm and structure. Before the end of the second minute things slow down and most instrumental support drops out while Pascale stretches out a little. Then around 2:20 the band reintegrates into a fairly conssitent groove for over a minute while Pascale sings. At 3:40 everybody breaks but Pascale and the drummer. The two play, he with his toms and cymbols while Pascale plays with Achille's name and, a little later, a particular sentence, "Où est la fin de cette forêt?" The guitar solo in the ninth minute is the song's only weak spot--though it is not bad for a more traditional European jazz guitar solo. A very entertaining and yet surprisingly serious song. More like an exercise with time, form and structure. And a test to see if Pascale can keep up with . . . anybody! (18/20)
10. "L'admirable amas cellulaire orangé" (2:13) employs the same four-piece jazz combo to support another masterful performance by Pascale. She is a veritable wonder of musicality. (5/5)
Overall, 87.30 on the Fishscales = B/four stars.
8. CARAVAN For Girls Who Plump in the Night (1973) This album reminds me of a scenario in which the 70s group AMERICA tried to play like THE WHO, or if HARRY NILSSON joined up with THE MOODY BLUES, or if THE OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS decided to play CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG. It has such a different feel from In the Land of Grey and Pink. It has a very countrified, bluesified, folked-up, 'Southern Rock' like feel to it. I can't help but notice the greater importance lyrics have in this version of Caravan. Clever lyrics. Nice vocal harmonies. I love Hasting and Sinclair's playing off of the beautiful orchestration in "L'auberge..." (a longer "Macarthur's Park"). I also love the addition/presence of Geoff Richardson's viola as well as the orchestra.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Pye Hastings / electric guitar, vocals
- David Sinclair / piano & electric piano, organ, ARP (1) & Davoli synths
- Geoffrey Richardson / viola
- John G. Perry / bass, percussion, vocals
- Richard Coughlan / drums, percussion, timpani
With:
- Rupert Hine / ARP synthesizer (1,6)
- Jimmy Hastings / flute solo and brass arranger & conductor (1)
- Barry Robinson / flute & piccolo (1)
- Tommy Whittle / clarinet & tenor sax (1)
- Harry Klein / clarinet & baritone sax (1)
- Tony Coe / clarinet & tenor sax (1)
- Pete King / flute & alto sax (1)
- Henry Lowther / trumpet (1)
- Chris Pyne / trombone (1)
- Paul Buckmaster / electric cello (6a)
- New Symphonia aka Martyn Ford Orchestra (7d-e)
- John Bell / orchestral arranger (7d-e)
- Martyn Ford / orchestral arranger & conductor (7d-e)
- Frank Ricotti / congas (1,2,4,6)
- Jill Pryor / voice (4)
1-a. "Memory Lain, Hugh" (5:00) opening with a twangy guitar riff and straightforward drum and bass pulse let's one know what's changed with the band--a kind of CCR/country pop sound that pervades the whole album. Great singing, great lyrics, and great melodic hooks both in the singing and instrumental parts. (8.75/10)
1-b. "Headloss" (4:14) (8.5/10)
2. "Hoedown" (3:18) (7.5/10)
3. "Surprise, Surprise" (4:05) one of the best "flower power" choruses ever! Could almost be an ASSOCIATION song. (8.75/10)
4. "C'thlu Thlu" (6:12) other than Geoffrey Richardson's floating, panning viola, this song opens with an older, Doors-like sound and feel to it, but things shift more into psych-pop territory with the chorus in the second minute. Like the CHICAGO-like use of multiple voices for sharing the storytelling. The turn into a heavier territory in the middle of the fourth minute is unexpected and interesting. The instrumental section that follows may be the best part of the song. (8.5/10)
5. "The Dog, The Dog, He's At It Again" (5:38) more poppy music--it's as if the boys have decided to try to make some songs that people might hear and that might actually make them think. But then at 2:20 we turn down a very proggy road with some serious weavery and soloing (on David Sinclair's new Davoli toy!). (8.75/10)
6. "Be Alright / Chance Of A Lifetime" (6:35) nice composition, with interesting directional shifts and complexity. There's actually quite a little Blue Öyster Cult feel and sound to the "Be Alright" part of
this one. (13.5/15)
7. "L'auberge Du Sanglier/A Hunting We Shall Go/Pengola/Backwards/A Hunting We ... (reprise)" (10:05) One of my top five favorite Caravan songs of all-time. (20/20)
8. "Derek's Long Thing" (11:00) a three-part instrumental jam, first part piano-based, second full band uptempo, and third a slowed down section with some very delicate, subtle, and beautiful contributions from all but especially from John G. Perry's bass and David Sinclair's organ. (18/20)
Total Time: 56:07
- David Sinclair / piano & electric piano, organ, ARP (1) & Davoli synths
- Geoffrey Richardson / viola
- John G. Perry / bass, percussion, vocals
- Richard Coughlan / drums, percussion, timpani
With:
- Rupert Hine / ARP synthesizer (1,6)
- Jimmy Hastings / flute solo and brass arranger & conductor (1)
- Barry Robinson / flute & piccolo (1)
- Tommy Whittle / clarinet & tenor sax (1)
- Harry Klein / clarinet & baritone sax (1)
- Tony Coe / clarinet & tenor sax (1)
- Pete King / flute & alto sax (1)
- Henry Lowther / trumpet (1)
- Chris Pyne / trombone (1)
- Paul Buckmaster / electric cello (6a)
- New Symphonia aka Martyn Ford Orchestra (7d-e)
- John Bell / orchestral arranger (7d-e)
- Martyn Ford / orchestral arranger & conductor (7d-e)
- Frank Ricotti / congas (1,2,4,6)
- Jill Pryor / voice (4)
1-a. "Memory Lain, Hugh" (5:00) opening with a twangy guitar riff and straightforward drum and bass pulse let's one know what's changed with the band--a kind of CCR/country pop sound that pervades the whole album. Great singing, great lyrics, and great melodic hooks both in the singing and instrumental parts. (8.75/10)
1-b. "Headloss" (4:14) (8.5/10)
2. "Hoedown" (3:18) (7.5/10)
3. "Surprise, Surprise" (4:05) one of the best "flower power" choruses ever! Could almost be an ASSOCIATION song. (8.75/10)
4. "C'thlu Thlu" (6:12) other than Geoffrey Richardson's floating, panning viola, this song opens with an older, Doors-like sound and feel to it, but things shift more into psych-pop territory with the chorus in the second minute. Like the CHICAGO-like use of multiple voices for sharing the storytelling. The turn into a heavier territory in the middle of the fourth minute is unexpected and interesting. The instrumental section that follows may be the best part of the song. (8.5/10)
5. "The Dog, The Dog, He's At It Again" (5:38) more poppy music--it's as if the boys have decided to try to make some songs that people might hear and that might actually make them think. But then at 2:20 we turn down a very proggy road with some serious weavery and soloing (on David Sinclair's new Davoli toy!). (8.75/10)
6. "Be Alright / Chance Of A Lifetime" (6:35) nice composition, with interesting directional shifts and complexity. There's actually quite a little Blue Öyster Cult feel and sound to the "Be Alright" part of
this one. (13.5/15)
7. "L'auberge Du Sanglier/A Hunting We Shall Go/Pengola/Backwards/A Hunting We ... (reprise)" (10:05) One of my top five favorite Caravan songs of all-time. (20/20)
8. "Derek's Long Thing" (11:00) a three-part instrumental jam, first part piano-based, second full band uptempo, and third a slowed down section with some very delicate, subtle, and beautiful contributions from all but especially from John G. Perry's bass and David Sinclair's organ. (18/20)
Total Time: 56:07
Personal faves: "L'auberge du sanglier" (10:06) (20/20), "Memory Lain, Hugh/Headloss" (9:24) (17.25/20), "Be Alright/Chance of a lifetime" (6:39) (13.5/15), and "Derek's Long Thing" (11:00) (18/20).
87.86 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music and a stellar representative of the classic Canterbury Scene. While I like the high points of If I Could Do It All Over Again I Would Do It All Over You better than this album, I think is a much richer and more developed album with superior compositional and performance skills. It is, therefore, my second favorite Caravan album
9. SUPERSISTER To the Highest Bidder (1971) replicates the upbeat, happy-go-lucky yet quite tight and complex instrumental weave as their previous album, their debut, Present from Nancy. The difference with To the Highest Bidder is that the songs are longer (three of the four songs are over seven minutes long) and there is a greater variety of keyboard instrument sounds used. But, like a SOFT MACHINE suite, the long songs seem more to be made up of a collection of short songs all spliced into one suite. There are some "songs" within the four titles that are eminently enjoyable, some laughable, many quite memorable. Overall all four songs earn five star ratings from me, though there are specific high points within the opener, "A Girl Named You" (10:11) (18/20) and the epic on Side Two, "Energy," that I would single out for praise.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Robert Jan Stips / lead vocals, keyboards
- Sacha van Geest / flutes, vocals
- Ron van Eck / bass, fuzz bass
- Marco Vrolijk / drums, percussion- Sacha van Geest / flutes, vocals
- Ron van Eck / bass, fuzz bass
2. "No Tree Will Grow (On Too High a Mountain)" (7:40) is founded throughout upon a drone of some kind of Tibetan/Tuvan-like overtone throat vocal. The Canterbury jazz music builds and builds--in tempo over the final 90 seconds. Though very Canterburian--especially the English vocal spoken/sung mid-song--there is a bit of a BEATLES psychedelia feel to it as well. (13.5/15)
3. "Energy (Out of Future)" (15:01) is another tom-based tribal sounding rhythm over which two very breathy, trilly flutes are playing their solos. At the two minute mark a new theme and style take over--reminiscent of the carnival song at the end of "Dona Nobis Pacem" on Present from Nancy. Then at 3:45 the band breaks into one of their happy up tempo grooves--over which a treated voice sings his psychedelic hippy lyric. Quite an infectious groove, this. I could listen to this all day! And feel happy and get so much done! A drum solo at the six minute mark has a kind of Pierre Van der LINDEN/FOCUS "Eruption"-just-before-"Tommy" feel to it (though, obviously, this came first.) The solo comes to an end to allow the buzz-saw organ to solo a bit before the Snoopy-theme piano melody returns and gets support from flutes and organ. At 8:55 the song devolves into a kind of scary carnival ride--fast-paced polka-like rhythm. But then in the eleventh minute it comes back toward classical--though the treated vocal sounds like a Circus Master speaking through a blow horn. The carnival merry-go-round sound starts up again, at first slowly but then rapidly picking up it s speed till it culminates in a crescendo crash of backwards tapes. What a trip! Psychedelia at its craziest! And this is what we get to the end! (27/30)
4. "Higher" (2:47) brings us back to Earth with a pleasantly jazzy pop vocal. (4.5/5)
Overall this album takes the listener on one wild ride! A perfect example of considerable Canterbury instrumental prowess with all of the psychedelia to well represent the era.
90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music from The Netherlands delivered in the Canterbury style.
10. HOMUNCULUS RES Ecco l'impero dei doppi sensi (2023)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dario D'Alessandro / vocals, rhythmic guitar, keyboards, glockenspiel, bass (1)
- Davide Di Giovanni / organ, piano, synth, bass (4)
- Mauro Turdo / lead guitar
- Daniele Di Giovanni / drums, percussion
- Daniele Crisci / bass
With:
- James Strain / oud (1)
- Massimo Giuntoli / keyboards (2)
- Giorgio Trombino / Alto sax, flute (2)
- Dominique D'Avanzo / vocals, flute, recorder, clarinet (4)
- Emanuele "Sterbus" Sterbini / vocals (4)
- Giuseppe Turdo / French & English horn, oboe, trumpet (4,7)
- Marco Monterosso / guitar (5)
- Alan Strawbridge / vocals (8)
- Giovanni Parmeggiani / moog, polysix, Fender rhodes (8)
- Andrea Cusumano / whistle (9)
- Dario Lo Cicero / panaulon, flute, bassoon, trombone, cristal baschet (9,10)
- Mila Di Addario / Tangent piano (9), Angelica glass harp (10)
- Federico Cardaci / arp odyssey, oberheim, digitone, memotron (10)
- Luciano Margorani / guitar (10)
- Enea Turdo / vocals (10)
1. "Il gran finale" (3:52) the music here retains the spry Canterbury feel and sound palette of the band's stupendous debut, Limiti all'eguauglianza della parte con il tutto, but the songs are more streamlined with longer working passages instead of the short and frequent time and thematic shifts; they're polished and mature, more listener-friendly, but not quite as quirky and fun as the former. (8.75/10)
2. "Quintessenza la la la" (6:06) a song that seems to parody music in all of the silliness of its seriousness--both the singing/lyrics and the music. Quite fun and funny! (8.875/10)
3. "Il bello e il cattivo tempo" (3:52) opens like a BEACH BOYS song from the 1960s. It's nicely melodic and flows very smoothly, but he music kind of drags as it is obvious that the lyrics are meant to be the focus. (8.75/10)
4. "Viaggio astrale di una polpetta" (5:17) this jazzier piece sounds very much like a MUFFINS/DAVE NEWHOUSE composition with some shifts into GRYPHON territory due to the recorders et al. until Emanuele Sterbini's vocals enter in the final third. Interesting! (8.75/10)
5. "Fine del mondo" (4:07) one of the more quirky, funny songs on the album--even the instrumental sound choices are often humorous/silly. (8.875/10)
6. "Pentagono" (5:23) a slowly hypnotic Math Rock kind of song evolves into something quite melodic as the vocalists sing and harmonize in the second minute. The upright piano sound used gives the song a bar- or school-room feel to it. A top three song for me. (9/10)
7. "Parole e numeri" (3:05) this slowed down number is unusually plodding but supremely melodic and engaging, simple but beautiful. Another top three song. (9.25/10)
8. "Cinque sensi" (4:00) very cool upbeat and cheerful song again of a simpler form and structure, it's just too charming to not love. Another top three song. (9.25/10)
9. "Fiume dell'Oblio" (4:15) a bit of the avant and Sgt. Pepper-like psychedelic mixed into the straightforward simple pop forms. Still, there is so much lovable quirk and uniquity here as to make my smile creases crack. And Andrea Cusumano is quite the whistler! My fourth top three song. (9/10)
10. "Doppi sensi" (10:04) As if Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello dropped in to help compose and produce a collage of great unconventional chord progressions and melodies while using a number of whimsical, ever-changing time signatures. Then, at 4:50 Robert Wyatt and John Lennon step in to direct, creating a dreamy musical playground in which even children can roam around and play. While I like both halves, the first is definitely more to my liking. (18/20)
Total Time: 50:01
While I like this album a lot--it has really grown on me--I still idolize that debut album more than any of the band's others. Here the music is often simpler, engaging the listener for longer stretches of time, but the band have done an excellent job of reclaiming the quirk and humor so naturally championed by that first album--something that has not always remained constant in their other three albums.
89.55 on the Fishscale = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of wonderfully entertaining Canterbury Styled progressive rock music.
11. SUPERSISTER Present from Nancy (1970) This is one of the most upbeat, happy-happy, joy-joy albums of the Canterbury subgenre of progressive rock music. From it's opening notes of Latin-sounding drum rhythms played on the toms to the rocket speed piano and breathy staccato flutes and rolling bass lines, the first two songs, "Introductions" (2:58) (5/5) and the title song "Present from Nancy" (5:15) flow one into the other while maintaining the happy jazzy breakneck speed until the final 15 seconds. (10/10)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Robert Jan Stips / lead vocals, keyboards,vibes
- Sacha van Geest / flutes, vocals
- Ron van Eck / bass, fuzz bass
- Marco Vrolijk / drums, percussion, vocals
With:
- Gerhard Smid / guitar, vocals (6)
3. "Memories Are New (Boomchick)" (3:48) is another fast-paced piece, this time organ-driven and supporting a very Canterbury-sounding vocal. At 1:35 the music shifts into scary-weird land with some odd organ/keyboard noises being supported by a steady rapid-fire cymbal play on the hi-hat. At 3:20 we return to the opening section with vocals as if nothing had happened there. Weird but great! (9/10)
4. "11/8" (3:17) sounds like one of Robert FRIPP's guitar and tempo exercises. Screeching dissonance! I love it! (8.5/10) You can really see how much THE SOFT MACHINE influenced these guys.
5. "Dreaming Weelwhile" (2:53) is a floating meditative play on Ravel's "Bolero" flute melody using flanged bass, cymbal crescendos and soft organ to support the distant-seeming solo flute. (10/10)
6. "Corporation Combo Boys" (1:22) opens as an a cappela exercise with several male voices singing "Do-do-do-do-do" in harmony before a humorous play on a Bond theme with lyrics takes over. (4.5/5)
7. "Mexico" (4:22) opens with "buzz-saw" organ and tribal drumming pattern before everything quiets down in a soft movie soundtrack-like organ instrumental. The song proceeds with opening "tribal" Section and second "movie soundtrack" themes alternating equally until at 2:35 it turns into a BACH-like organ and flute duet with light tongue-twisting Canterbury lyric sung over and with. This C "waiting" Section plays out to the song's end. (8.25/10).
8. "Metamorphosis" (3:28) is a very metronomic drum, bass and left hand of the organ play while the "buzz-saw" playing the jazzy, improvisational lead on the right. At the start of the third minute the left channel organ takes over the lead--at times two-hands mirroring one another. (8/10)
9. "Eight Miles High" (0:23) is a funny 23 seconds of the final measure of the classic BYRDS song blending into the famous "and the living is easy" lyric of GERSHWIN's "Summertime." Funny!
10. "Dona Nobis Pacem" (8:36) is a slow tempo solo organ exercise for its first three minutes. Then the flute and flute-like organ enter together giving the song truly a Porgy and Bess feel to it, only a little eerier. Some of the incidental and background melody ditties around the five minute mark and thereafter have YES "Awaken" and "Nights in White Satin" sounds. At 6:30 the tempo picks up as the song transforms into a carnival-like/Nutcracker-like sound with ever-increasing tempo. Interesting--and humorous--but not my favorite. (16/20)
An album that starts off so strongly and melodically, but then begins to falter and slide after the sixth song, still rates as one of the best Canterbury albums--and one of my favorites--ever.
88.06 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and an excellent example of the Canterbury style.
- Sacha van Geest / flutes, vocals
- Ron van Eck / bass, fuzz bass
- Marco Vrolijk / drums, percussion, vocals
With:
- Gerhard Smid / guitar, vocals (6)
3. "Memories Are New (Boomchick)" (3:48) is another fast-paced piece, this time organ-driven and supporting a very Canterbury-sounding vocal. At 1:35 the music shifts into scary-weird land with some odd organ/keyboard noises being supported by a steady rapid-fire cymbal play on the hi-hat. At 3:20 we return to the opening section with vocals as if nothing had happened there. Weird but great! (9/10)
4. "11/8" (3:17) sounds like one of Robert FRIPP's guitar and tempo exercises. Screeching dissonance! I love it! (8.5/10) You can really see how much THE SOFT MACHINE influenced these guys.
5. "Dreaming Weelwhile" (2:53) is a floating meditative play on Ravel's "Bolero" flute melody using flanged bass, cymbal crescendos and soft organ to support the distant-seeming solo flute. (10/10)
6. "Corporation Combo Boys" (1:22) opens as an a cappela exercise with several male voices singing "Do-do-do-do-do" in harmony before a humorous play on a Bond theme with lyrics takes over. (4.5/5)
7. "Mexico" (4:22) opens with "buzz-saw" organ and tribal drumming pattern before everything quiets down in a soft movie soundtrack-like organ instrumental. The song proceeds with opening "tribal" Section and second "movie soundtrack" themes alternating equally until at 2:35 it turns into a BACH-like organ and flute duet with light tongue-twisting Canterbury lyric sung over and with. This C "waiting" Section plays out to the song's end. (8.25/10).
8. "Metamorphosis" (3:28) is a very metronomic drum, bass and left hand of the organ play while the "buzz-saw" playing the jazzy, improvisational lead on the right. At the start of the third minute the left channel organ takes over the lead--at times two-hands mirroring one another. (8/10)
9. "Eight Miles High" (0:23) is a funny 23 seconds of the final measure of the classic BYRDS song blending into the famous "and the living is easy" lyric of GERSHWIN's "Summertime." Funny!
10. "Dona Nobis Pacem" (8:36) is a slow tempo solo organ exercise for its first three minutes. Then the flute and flute-like organ enter together giving the song truly a Porgy and Bess feel to it, only a little eerier. Some of the incidental and background melody ditties around the five minute mark and thereafter have YES "Awaken" and "Nights in White Satin" sounds. At 6:30 the tempo picks up as the song transforms into a carnival-like/Nutcracker-like sound with ever-increasing tempo. Interesting--and humorous--but not my favorite. (16/20)
An album that starts off so strongly and melodically, but then begins to falter and slide after the sixth song, still rates as one of the best Canterbury albums--and one of my favorites--ever.
88.06 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and an excellent example of the Canterbury style.
12. COS Viva Boma (1976) A new discovery that brings me great joy! I really like the more laid back Canterbury approach--of which I am happy to find on many albums from the subgenre--and I love the excellent contributions and mix of all instruments on this album--with the added bonus of some really fun, beautiful and excellent female vocals.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Pascale Son / vocals, oboe
- Daniel Schell / acoustic & electric guitars, alto flute, devices
- Marc Hollander / keyboards, bass clarinet, alto saxophone (9), devices
- Alain Goutier / bass
- Guy Lonneux / drums
With:
- Marc Moulin / Mini-Moog (5,8), co-producer
- Denis Van Hecke / cello (8)
- Bob Dartsch / drums (6,8), percussion (2,3)
- Roger Wollaert / drums (10)
- Jack Mauer / drums & vocal improvisation (12)
- Willy Masy / drums & vocal improvisation (12)
- Pipou (Yves Lacomblez) / percussion (2)
- Jean-Louis Haesevoets / percussion (2)
- Daniel Schell / acoustic & electric guitars, alto flute, devices
- Marc Hollander / keyboards, bass clarinet, alto saxophone (9), devices
- Alain Goutier / bass
- Guy Lonneux / drums
With:
- Marc Moulin / Mini-Moog (5,8), co-producer
- Denis Van Hecke / cello (8)
- Bob Dartsch / drums (6,8), percussion (2,3)
- Roger Wollaert / drums (10)
- Jack Mauer / drums & vocal improvisation (12)
- Willy Masy / drums & vocal improvisation (12)
- Pipou (Yves Lacomblez) / percussion (2)
- Jean-Louis Haesevoets / percussion (2)
I have to admit that the album's opener, "Perhaps the Next Record (1:28) (1.75/2.5)--with its Kraftwerk-like computer percussion, synths, and Jaco Pastorius-like bass toying around threw me off a bit. Not quite what I was expecting. But the next one, the album's title track (2:38) (4/5), has some great hand percussion and world rhythms--not unlike the music of one of my all-time favorite albums: JONI MITCHELL's Don Juan's Reckless Daughter! (minus the Björk-like vocal.) Though the two versions of "Nog Verder" (4:38) (9/10) are both awesome, there really is not a weak tune on this album! "Boehme" (3:23) (8/10) starts with a great Zeuhl feel to it before getting a little RTF-like; the stripped down "Flamboya" (7:45) (13.5/15) reminds me of the most accessible of a Bruford/Stewart/Annette Peacock collaboration (very cool keyboard & pitch experimentation!); "In Lulu" (4:15) (10/10) has the beautiful and awesome Santana guitar & supporting keyboard feel; "L'idiot Léon" (10:58) (19/20) is totally awesome prog rock start to finish-- probably my favorite on the album. The original album's closer, "Ixelles" (5:03) (9/10) is a little disjointed--an odd puzzle to try to piece together, but still interesting. (Odd mixing of the cello!) If this were the end of the album that I purchased, it would be enough--unquestionably a masterpiece of prog--Canterbury or no. But there are four bonus songs on my version--ones that couldn't fit into the old 40-minute time constraint of a 13-inch vinyl record (unless you were Todd Rundgren). "Mon Rebis" (6/10) starts out prettily enough with Mike Oldfield-like acoustic guitar playing, but then takes on an unpolished, unfinished feel to it once the other instruments are added into the mix. Same for "Reine de la vallée" (6/10). The demo version of "Nog Verder" is great--maybe even better than the 'polished' album version, and "Fanfan La Tulipe" (8/10) is actually quite charming and entertaining (in a Robert Plant/Led Zeppelin kind of way).
Total time: 39:20; (60:29 with CD bonus tracks).
90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; an excellent minor masterpiece of innovative progressive rock music performed in the Canterbury style. If you've never heard this one, pick it up, add it to your collection. Yes, Margaret, there was still some great music being put out after 1975!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Phil Miller / electric & acoustic (6) guitars
- Dave Stewart / Hammond, piano, Fender Rhodes, Hohner pianet, MiniMoog (9), tone generator
- Richard Sinclair / bass, vocals
- Pip Pyle / drums, percussion, Fx (7,9,11)
With:
- Jeremy Baines / pixiephone (5), flute (13?)
- Geoff Leigh / tenor saxophone (5), flute (5,13-uncredited)
- Didier Malherbe / tenor saxophone solo (7-uncredited)
- Robert Wyatt / vocals (4)
- Cyrille Ayers / vocals (8?)
- Barbara Gaskin / backing vocals (5)
- Amanda Parsons / backing vocals (5)
- Ann Rosenthal / backing vocals (5)
- Sam Ellidge / voice (7?)
- Dave Stewart / Hammond, piano, Fender Rhodes, Hohner pianet, MiniMoog (9), tone generator
- Richard Sinclair / bass, vocals
- Pip Pyle / drums, percussion, Fx (7,9,11)
With:
- Jeremy Baines / pixiephone (5), flute (13?)
- Geoff Leigh / tenor saxophone (5), flute (5,13-uncredited)
- Didier Malherbe / tenor saxophone solo (7-uncredited)
- Robert Wyatt / vocals (4)
- Cyrille Ayers / vocals (8?)
- Barbara Gaskin / backing vocals (5)
- Amanda Parsons / backing vocals (5)
- Ann Rosenthal / backing vocals (5)
- Sam Ellidge / voice (7?)
1. "The Stubbs Effect" (0:23) (>>)
2. "Big Jobs (Poo Poo Extract)" (0:36) (4.5/5)
3. "Going Up To People And Tinkling" (2:25) (4.75/5)
4. "Calyx" (2:45) (4.75/5)
5. "Son Of 'There's No Place Like Homerton'" (10:10) soft, slow to develop, jazz; the protracted intro takes 90 seconds until we're finally launched into the fully developed song. The third minute shows the most mature and complex development of the album. This is serious! Things quiet down for the fifth minute--all Dave Stewart, until percussives, bass, and vocal ejaculations arrive. Then The Northettes interject their spell-binding magic starting at the five minute mark, calming, soothing the listener for over two minutes. An album highlight, to be sure.
At 7:37 the band takes back the control with an enjoyable Todd Rundgren-like march. What started with little hope or promise turned into quite a little gem! (18.5/20)
6. "Aigrette" (1:38) (5/5)
7. "Rifferama" (2:56) (8.5/10)
8. "Fol De Rol" (3:07) (8.75/10)
9. "Shaving Is Boring" (8:45) what begins as quirky, squeaky jazz develops into a more serious fare. (16.5/20)
10. "Licks For The Ladies" (2:37) (4.25/5)
11. "Bossa Nochance" (0:40) (>>)
12. "Big Jobs No 2 (By Poo And The Wee Wees)" (2:14) Richard doing what Richard does best. (9.5/10)
13. "Lobster In Cleavage Probe" (3:57) amazing harmonic arrangement! (10/10)
14. "Gigantic Land-Crabs In Earth Takeover Bid" (3:21) fun jazz fusion. (9/10)
15. "The Other Stubbs Effect" (0:38)
Total Time: 46:11
The album is lots of fun, with lots of short collective explorations, lots of experimentations with editing and mixing. Richard and Robert (on "Calyx") are at the peak of their vocal confidences--though I wish "The Northettes" got a little more air time (like their amazing work on "Lobster in Cleavage Probe"). We get a preview of some of the sounds made famous on Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" and Todd Rundgren's "Adventures in Utopia" on "Rifferama."
The album has only two longer songs, "Son of 'There's No Place Like Homerton'" (10:10) and "Shaving is Boring" (8:47), which are actually two of my least favorite songs on the album. I love the nonsensical tongue-in-cheek 'classical' vocal harmonies of "Fol de Roi" (3:09)--especially the "call-in" reprise over the telephone line at the end! 2. "Big Jobs (Poo Poo Extract)" (0:36) (4.5/5)
3. "Going Up To People And Tinkling" (2:25) (4.75/5)
4. "Calyx" (2:45) (4.75/5)
5. "Son Of 'There's No Place Like Homerton'" (10:10) soft, slow to develop, jazz; the protracted intro takes 90 seconds until we're finally launched into the fully developed song. The third minute shows the most mature and complex development of the album. This is serious! Things quiet down for the fifth minute--all Dave Stewart, until percussives, bass, and vocal ejaculations arrive. Then The Northettes interject their spell-binding magic starting at the five minute mark, calming, soothing the listener for over two minutes. An album highlight, to be sure.
At 7:37 the band takes back the control with an enjoyable Todd Rundgren-like march. What started with little hope or promise turned into quite a little gem! (18.5/20)
6. "Aigrette" (1:38) (5/5)
7. "Rifferama" (2:56) (8.5/10)
8. "Fol De Rol" (3:07) (8.75/10)
9. "Shaving Is Boring" (8:45) what begins as quirky, squeaky jazz develops into a more serious fare. (16.5/20)
10. "Licks For The Ladies" (2:37) (4.25/5)
11. "Bossa Nochance" (0:40) (>>)
12. "Big Jobs No 2 (By Poo And The Wee Wees)" (2:14) Richard doing what Richard does best. (9.5/10)
13. "Lobster In Cleavage Probe" (3:57) amazing harmonic arrangement! (10/10)
14. "Gigantic Land-Crabs In Earth Takeover Bid" (3:21) fun jazz fusion. (9/10)
15. "The Other Stubbs Effect" (0:38)
Total Time: 46:11
The album is lots of fun, with lots of short collective explorations, lots of experimentations with editing and mixing. Richard and Robert (on "Calyx") are at the peak of their vocal confidences--though I wish "The Northettes" got a little more air time (like their amazing work on "Lobster in Cleavage Probe"). We get a preview of some of the sounds made famous on Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" and Todd Rundgren's "Adventures in Utopia" on "Rifferama."
There is great bass play throughout the album from Richard, as well as top notch guitar and drum play. The wide variety of keyboard sounds Dave Stewart was experimenting with on this album don't get much traction from him on successive recordings but are fun and interesting here. Not quite as jazzy or proggy as others from this sub genre. Still, there's a lot packed into this album. Check it out!
Five star songs: 2. "Big Jobs (Poo Poo Extract)" (0:38); 4. "Calyx" (1:06); 5. "Aigrette" (1:39); 6. "Rifferama" (2:58); 11. "Big Jobs No. 2 (By Poo and The Wee Wees)" (2:16); 12. "Lobster in Cleavage Probe" (3:58), and; 13. "Gigantic Land-Crabs in Earth Takeover Bid" (3:22).
90.43 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor prog masterpiece and a stellar example of the best of what the Canterbury Scene has to offer the Progressive Rock genre. A bit silly at times but otherwise this album stands up well over time. Not quite the type of album that draws me back as much as some others from the sub-genre, but definitely a good one.
14. VIOLETA DE OUTONO Volume 7 (2007) Ever since I discovered this group with 2012's Espectro I have been in love. At the time my all-time favorite album from the classic "Canterbury Scene" was KHAN's Space Shanty and with Espectro I thought I was hearing a reincarnation of the one-off Hillage, Greenwood, Stewart & Peachy collaboration. Volume 7 only solidifies this feeling. While others note some kind of PINK FLOYD sound or feeling to them, I only hear the wonderful sounds of KHAN (and maybe a little CARAVAN). And yet, Brazil's Violeta De Outono, are a major force in and of themselves--and have been since the mid-1980s.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Fabio Golfetti / vocals, guitars, producer
- Fernando Cardoso / Hammond organ, synth, piano
- Gabriel Costa / bass
- Cláudio Souza / drums
1. "Além do Sol" (5:20) introduces us to the nostalgic sound of this band with lightly picked arpeggios on the electric guitar, Hammond organ, bass and drums. The vocalist has a bit of a STEVE HILLAGE sound to his voice--which is lightly doused in reverb and mixed into the background (as it usually is). The first instrumental solo, taking place in the third minute, goes to the Hammond, followed by the HILLAGE-like guitar in the fourth minute. Neither are anything too extraordinary but both are so perfect in further enhancing the KHAN-like nostalgia feel. If KHAN had ever continued, this is what they would have sounded like. (10/10)
2. "Caravana" (4:34) opens with a mellow vocal section using a melody line familiar from Pink Floyd's "Breathe" before amping up into a full out Canterbury jam and then returning for the end to the opening section. Great organ and guitar play with solid support from the rhythm section. Great pre-digitized sound to the recording. (10/10)
3. "Broken Legs" (3:08) a fairly straightforward pop/rock song with some jazzy rhythm guitar work, 1960s sounding vocals and slide guitar work. Could be off of an early BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST or REO SPEEDWAGON album! (7/10)
4. "Eyes Like Butterflies" (6:02) opens with organ, picked electric guitar, flanged lead guitar strums, and slow-paced drumming. The bass almost has the melody lead--sometimes distracting me from the vocal. The chorus melody is gorgeous, if understated. Piano, organ, and Southern Rock-like lead guitar riffs pop out from time to time making this song a real pleasure from the standpoint of unpredictability. Really a cool composition--again one that could have come from an early 1970s blues rock band like the ALLMAN BROTHERS. (8/10)
5. "Em Cada Instante" (5:12) great Canterburian jam in the middle. (9/10)
6. "Pequenos Seres Errantes" (7:49) opens with some sliding guitar notes floating, echoing around the soundscape in the vein of DAEVID ALLEN in the GONG pre-Radio Gnome Invisible era. As it evolves it continues to develop in the vein of a couple of the space jams from Camembert like "Fohat Digs Holes in Space" or "Tropical Fish" only with synths taking the place of the saxophones. Great song--one in which the drumming and bass also stand out for the fact that they are mixed farther into the foreground. Even the vocal sounds psychedelic-Daevid Allen-esque. Awesome song! (15/15)
7. "Ponto de Transição" (3:48) is another rather simply constructed melodic pop-rock song. The vocal has a bit of a melancholy feel to it (though I don't know its content since it's in Portuguese). Piano, bass, drums and guitar--slide for the ABACAB solo. (7/10)
8. "Fronteira" (10:19) is an awesome jazz-tinged Canterbury-styled epic with multiple instrumental jam sections featuring the HILLAGE-like guitar lead and all-pervasive presence of the almighty Hammond organ. Great drumming on this one. Some great fast-paced sections balanced by equally great slow, spacious and delicate sections. (20/20)
Total Time: 46:12
90.53 on the Fish scales = 5 stars; A-; a masterpiece of progressive rock music and one of the finest Canterbury style albums of the 21st Century. These Brazilians have mastered a sound that is, for me, one of the most engaging of all of progressive rock. And, should you find yourself liking this album, then you simply must check out 2012's masterpiece, Espectro--my favorite album of that year.
- Fernando Cardoso / Hammond organ, synth, piano
- Gabriel Costa / bass
- Cláudio Souza / drums
1. "Além do Sol" (5:20) introduces us to the nostalgic sound of this band with lightly picked arpeggios on the electric guitar, Hammond organ, bass and drums. The vocalist has a bit of a STEVE HILLAGE sound to his voice--which is lightly doused in reverb and mixed into the background (as it usually is). The first instrumental solo, taking place in the third minute, goes to the Hammond, followed by the HILLAGE-like guitar in the fourth minute. Neither are anything too extraordinary but both are so perfect in further enhancing the KHAN-like nostalgia feel. If KHAN had ever continued, this is what they would have sounded like. (10/10)
2. "Caravana" (4:34) opens with a mellow vocal section using a melody line familiar from Pink Floyd's "Breathe" before amping up into a full out Canterbury jam and then returning for the end to the opening section. Great organ and guitar play with solid support from the rhythm section. Great pre-digitized sound to the recording. (10/10)
3. "Broken Legs" (3:08) a fairly straightforward pop/rock song with some jazzy rhythm guitar work, 1960s sounding vocals and slide guitar work. Could be off of an early BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST or REO SPEEDWAGON album! (7/10)
4. "Eyes Like Butterflies" (6:02) opens with organ, picked electric guitar, flanged lead guitar strums, and slow-paced drumming. The bass almost has the melody lead--sometimes distracting me from the vocal. The chorus melody is gorgeous, if understated. Piano, organ, and Southern Rock-like lead guitar riffs pop out from time to time making this song a real pleasure from the standpoint of unpredictability. Really a cool composition--again one that could have come from an early 1970s blues rock band like the ALLMAN BROTHERS. (8/10)
5. "Em Cada Instante" (5:12) great Canterburian jam in the middle. (9/10)
6. "Pequenos Seres Errantes" (7:49) opens with some sliding guitar notes floating, echoing around the soundscape in the vein of DAEVID ALLEN in the GONG pre-Radio Gnome Invisible era. As it evolves it continues to develop in the vein of a couple of the space jams from Camembert like "Fohat Digs Holes in Space" or "Tropical Fish" only with synths taking the place of the saxophones. Great song--one in which the drumming and bass also stand out for the fact that they are mixed farther into the foreground. Even the vocal sounds psychedelic-Daevid Allen-esque. Awesome song! (15/15)
7. "Ponto de Transição" (3:48) is another rather simply constructed melodic pop-rock song. The vocal has a bit of a melancholy feel to it (though I don't know its content since it's in Portuguese). Piano, bass, drums and guitar--slide for the ABACAB solo. (7/10)
8. "Fronteira" (10:19) is an awesome jazz-tinged Canterbury-styled epic with multiple instrumental jam sections featuring the HILLAGE-like guitar lead and all-pervasive presence of the almighty Hammond organ. Great drumming on this one. Some great fast-paced sections balanced by equally great slow, spacious and delicate sections. (20/20)
Total Time: 46:12
90.53 on the Fish scales = 5 stars; A-; a masterpiece of progressive rock music and one of the finest Canterbury style albums of the 21st Century. These Brazilians have mastered a sound that is, for me, one of the most engaging of all of progressive rock. And, should you find yourself liking this album, then you simply must check out 2012's masterpiece, Espectro--my favorite album of that year.
15. MOTHER GONG Fairy Tales (1979) Spoken fairy tales with musical accompaniment: Isn't this the perfect match for progressive rock artists? I think so! The music created to support Gilli's accomplished and very professional rendering of three fairy tales is the best Gong music I've ever heard! The recording and engineering is almost perfect, with only a few issues between the voice track levels and those of the instruments, otherwise this is just a delightful album of melodies, musicianship, and creativity, with the bonus that it's all in support of these wonderful, meaningful stories.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Gilli Smyth / vocals
- Harry Williamson / guitar
- Mo Vicarage / keyboards
- Didier Malherbe / woodwind, reeds
- Trevor Darks / bass
- Ermano Ghisio Erba / percussion, drums
With:
- Eduardo Niebla / guitar
- Ronnie Walthen / Uilleann pipes
- Marianne Oberasher / harp
- Nicholas Turner / muzma, oboe
- Corrina ? / voices
1. "Wassalisa" (22:28) is musically my favorite thing Gong (in any of its incarnations and offsprings) has ever done. It's just mesmerizing! While Gilli's story is wonderful and theatric, there are times when the vocal track is mixed too low (or Gilli's voice modulates into lower volumes) so that her story gets lost in the music. This is acceptable mostly because the music is SO amazing, so engaging. In my third listen through I'm still having a terrible time trying to focus on the story because I am so in love with the music. It's like listening to Anthony Phillips' "Geese and the Ghost" for the first time (only with better sound production). Didier Malherbe is wonderful, but then so are the rest of the musicians. Great art! (42.5/45)
2. "The Three Tongues" (12:43) is a nice story with a good moral that is much better mixed with its musical accompaniment. The music here draws quite a bit from classical traditions with many sections featuring single instruments carrying the melody or weight of the theatric support--classical guitar, piano, steel-stringed guitars, oboe, Uilleann pipes, harp, keyboards, and, of course, plenty of woodwinds. The theatric incidentals used for sound effects and accents (including crowd noises) are amazing and add a great deal to the rendering. (24/25)
3. "The Pied Piper" (14:38) is sonically the most well-balanced song as well as the most confidently rendered story from the storyteller. The GENTLE GIANT/GRYPHON/circus-like music is my least favorite, least engaging, but is perfectly performed and makes the best theatric companion to Gilli's story. (Could they be partially improvised?) How much fun these professionals must have had making this album! (38.5/30)
Total Time: 50:17
Whether this music and album were created as a vehicle for children stories or Wagnerian-like operas, this is brilliant, masterful music; an album to hear, to fall in love with.
95.0 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock in the Canterbury tradition yet demonstrating the wonderful variability of purpose for progressive rock music in its use as companion/fabric over which children's stories are recited.
- Harry Williamson / guitar
- Mo Vicarage / keyboards
- Didier Malherbe / woodwind, reeds
- Trevor Darks / bass
- Ermano Ghisio Erba / percussion, drums
With:
- Eduardo Niebla / guitar
- Ronnie Walthen / Uilleann pipes
- Marianne Oberasher / harp
- Nicholas Turner / muzma, oboe
- Corrina ? / voices
1. "Wassalisa" (22:28) is musically my favorite thing Gong (in any of its incarnations and offsprings) has ever done. It's just mesmerizing! While Gilli's story is wonderful and theatric, there are times when the vocal track is mixed too low (or Gilli's voice modulates into lower volumes) so that her story gets lost in the music. This is acceptable mostly because the music is SO amazing, so engaging. In my third listen through I'm still having a terrible time trying to focus on the story because I am so in love with the music. It's like listening to Anthony Phillips' "Geese and the Ghost" for the first time (only with better sound production). Didier Malherbe is wonderful, but then so are the rest of the musicians. Great art! (42.5/45)
2. "The Three Tongues" (12:43) is a nice story with a good moral that is much better mixed with its musical accompaniment. The music here draws quite a bit from classical traditions with many sections featuring single instruments carrying the melody or weight of the theatric support--classical guitar, piano, steel-stringed guitars, oboe, Uilleann pipes, harp, keyboards, and, of course, plenty of woodwinds. The theatric incidentals used for sound effects and accents (including crowd noises) are amazing and add a great deal to the rendering. (24/25)
3. "The Pied Piper" (14:38) is sonically the most well-balanced song as well as the most confidently rendered story from the storyteller. The GENTLE GIANT/GRYPHON/circus-like music is my least favorite, least engaging, but is perfectly performed and makes the best theatric companion to Gilli's story. (Could they be partially improvised?) How much fun these professionals must have had making this album! (38.5/30)
Total Time: 50:17
Whether this music and album were created as a vehicle for children stories or Wagnerian-like operas, this is brilliant, masterful music; an album to hear, to fall in love with.
95.0 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock in the Canterbury tradition yet demonstrating the wonderful variability of purpose for progressive rock music in its use as companion/fabric over which children's stories are recited.
16. ZYMA Thoughts (1978) Outstanding recording engineering and sound clarity to support great performances from all musicians, great vocals from both Greg Lake-like male vocalist Meinrad HIRT and Amanda Parsons-like female vocalist (and violin, flute and percussion contributor), Dorle FERBER. The keyboard work from Günter HORNUNG is top notch throughout and the bass work from Bodo BRANDL also stands out.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dorle Ferber / lead & backing vocals, violin, flute, percussions
- Tim Pfau / guitars & vocals (6,7)
- Günter Hornung / piano, Fender Rhodes, Minimoog, harpsichord, organ & synth (6,7)
- Meinrad Hirt / flute, Hohner D6 clavinet, Hohner String, violin (4), backing vocals (absent from 6,7)
- Bodo Brandl / bass
- Udo Kübler / drums, lead & backing vocals, vibes, marimba, bass drums, congas, hand bells
1. "Thoughts" (8:19) flows along beautifully, superlatively, for the first four Zeuhlish minutes as choir intermittently exchange support and lead moments with lead singer Dorle Ferber--who sings wordlessly in a vocalise style. Steady, almost funky bass with rock-Zeuhl drumming while Günter Hornung plays on a number of different keyboards. By the time the violin takes the lead, the music has shifted to a more spacious jazz foundation. At 6:20 there occurs a rather radical shift into a kind of West Coast blues-jazz-pop with Dorle singing in English about what's going on in your brain. I like the first third the best. (12.75/15)
2. "Businessman" (12:33) spacey synth and jazzy keyboard opening with delicate cymbal play make it feel as if we're at the dawning of something. Separate drum kit and bass track emerges from 1:30 resulting in a quick-paced Fender Rhodes chord-based foundation over which synths and electric violin (and, later, female vocalese) solo and collectively repeat complex jazz melodies. At 4:15 clavinet and different (arp?) synth take over. Love the bass play throughout this one. Male lead vocal enters at 5:15--with stage musical-like background choral shouts. Raucous piano solo follows the second verse in the fifth minute. Another sound shift at 5:45 while bass and drums continue to play at their frenetic pace. Violin takes another turn alternating with synth sound soli. Rhythm section finally slows down and decays into near stillness in the tenth minute before a varied return occurs at 9:55. More synth soloing over clavinet while drums and bass race to the finish. Pretty amazing display of musicianship! (22.5/25)
3. "One Way Street" (8:04) oddly weird and, unfortunately, dated, but stands up due to great clarity and cohesiveness among the band members--unified focus. (12.75/15)
4. "We Got Time" (3:43) sounds like a little flower child pop songs like something from Britain's Sonja Kirsten (CURVED AIR), Lulu or Dusty Springfield. Catchy and upbeat if not wholly prog. (8.5/10)
5. "Wasting Time" (9:39) the centerpiece of the album and a Canterbury epic for the ages! I LOVE FLANGED DRUMS! Awesome bass line, drumming and piano work throughout this classic. One of the best, most definitive Canterbury songs ever. (20/20)
90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music. While not totally fitting into the classic Canterbury Scene, the experimental nature of the sound and stylistic choices definitely makes this album a shining example of the Canterbury approach to jazzier pop/progressive rock music.
- Tim Pfau / guitars & vocals (6,7)
- Günter Hornung / piano, Fender Rhodes, Minimoog, harpsichord, organ & synth (6,7)
- Meinrad Hirt / flute, Hohner D6 clavinet, Hohner String, violin (4), backing vocals (absent from 6,7)
- Bodo Brandl / bass
- Udo Kübler / drums, lead & backing vocals, vibes, marimba, bass drums, congas, hand bells
1. "Thoughts" (8:19) flows along beautifully, superlatively, for the first four Zeuhlish minutes as choir intermittently exchange support and lead moments with lead singer Dorle Ferber--who sings wordlessly in a vocalise style. Steady, almost funky bass with rock-Zeuhl drumming while Günter Hornung plays on a number of different keyboards. By the time the violin takes the lead, the music has shifted to a more spacious jazz foundation. At 6:20 there occurs a rather radical shift into a kind of West Coast blues-jazz-pop with Dorle singing in English about what's going on in your brain. I like the first third the best. (12.75/15)
2. "Businessman" (12:33) spacey synth and jazzy keyboard opening with delicate cymbal play make it feel as if we're at the dawning of something. Separate drum kit and bass track emerges from 1:30 resulting in a quick-paced Fender Rhodes chord-based foundation over which synths and electric violin (and, later, female vocalese) solo and collectively repeat complex jazz melodies. At 4:15 clavinet and different (arp?) synth take over. Love the bass play throughout this one. Male lead vocal enters at 5:15--with stage musical-like background choral shouts. Raucous piano solo follows the second verse in the fifth minute. Another sound shift at 5:45 while bass and drums continue to play at their frenetic pace. Violin takes another turn alternating with synth sound soli. Rhythm section finally slows down and decays into near stillness in the tenth minute before a varied return occurs at 9:55. More synth soloing over clavinet while drums and bass race to the finish. Pretty amazing display of musicianship! (22.5/25)
3. "One Way Street" (8:04) oddly weird and, unfortunately, dated, but stands up due to great clarity and cohesiveness among the band members--unified focus. (12.75/15)
4. "We Got Time" (3:43) sounds like a little flower child pop songs like something from Britain's Sonja Kirsten (CURVED AIR), Lulu or Dusty Springfield. Catchy and upbeat if not wholly prog. (8.5/10)
5. "Wasting Time" (9:39) the centerpiece of the album and a Canterbury epic for the ages! I LOVE FLANGED DRUMS! Awesome bass line, drumming and piano work throughout this classic. One of the best, most definitive Canterbury songs ever. (20/20)
90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music. While not totally fitting into the classic Canterbury Scene, the experimental nature of the sound and stylistic choices definitely makes this album a shining example of the Canterbury approach to jazzier pop/progressive rock music.
17. MANNA / MIRAGE Man Out of Time
A collection of Dave Newhouse songs that contain some of his most complex, well-developed ideas since he went solo. I love that there is so much going on within each song that I pick out entirely new and different things with each listening.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dave Newhouse / keyboards (1-6), woodwinds (1-3,5,6), voice (3), drums (4), yelling (4), electric piano (7,8), bass clarinet (7), saxophone (4)
- Sean Rickman / drums (1-3,5,6)
- Jerry King / bass (1,2,6), trumpet (5), trombone (1,5)
- Mark Stanley / guitar (1,5)
- Carla Diratz / vocals (2)
- Bret Hart / guitar (2)
- Dereck Higgins / bass (3)
- Rich O'Meara / vibes, marimba (3,8)
- Alanna Cohen Duvall / voice (3)
- Guy Segers / bass (5)
- Forrest Fang / violin (5)
- Gary Rouzer / cello (5)
- Fred Frith / guitar (6)
- Dave Newhouse / keyboards (1-6), woodwinds (1-3,5,6), voice (3), drums (4), yelling (4), electric piano (7,8), bass clarinet (7), saxophone (4)
- Sean Rickman / drums (1-3,5,6)
- Jerry King / bass (1,2,6), trumpet (5), trombone (1,5)
- Mark Stanley / guitar (1,5)
- Carla Diratz / vocals (2)
- Bret Hart / guitar (2)
- Dereck Higgins / bass (3)
- Rich O'Meara / vibes, marimba (3,8)
- Alanna Cohen Duvall / voice (3)
- Guy Segers / bass (5)
- Forrest Fang / violin (5)
- Gary Rouzer / cello (5)
- Fred Frith / guitar (6)
1. "What's the Big Idea?" (4:19) all musicians here seem to be traveling their own solo paths while somehow, amazingly, creating a wonderfully mature weave. (9.5/10)
2. "World Song" (3:49) great drumming beneath Carla Diratz' bluesy singing and the rest of the band's baseline weave. (8.5/10)
3. "In for a Penny" (4:34) great Canterbury slow groove (Fender Rhodes, horns, and bass) over which xylophone, flute, vocalise, and drums create some wonderfully melodic trails. (9/10)
4. "Red Ball Express" (2:56) one of Dave's more free-form, boundary-pushing, almost laughable, hot air balloon ride compositions that remains somehow tethered to the ground by the mellifluous winds. (4.25/5)
5. "4 Steps Back" (10:45) a very well conceived and realized Canterbury style jazz song with nice contributions from strings and Mark Stanley's electric guitar--and a most excellent contribution from drummer Sean Rickman. I love the Muffins-like eight and ninth minutes and then the pugillistic final two minutes. Great editing and mixing to get this one to sound so perfect. (18.75/20)
6. "Fred's Dream" (3:58) opens with a sound, styling, and pacing that is quite reminiscent of STEELY DAN or some other Gary Katz production (Rosie Vela or Love and Money). GREAT melodic and harmonic structure. (9.5/10)
7. "Silver Age" (4:00) opens like something from HAROLD BUDD and THE COCTEAU TWINS' The Moon and the Melodies 1986 album. Fun! (8.5/10)
8. "These Days" (2:32) beautiful, peaceful keyboard (Fender Rhodes) work over which Rich O'Meara splays his marimba work. (4.75/5)
Total Time 36:53
I am so grateful for Dave's detailed liner notes explaining the etiology of each song: they are so enjoyable to read. The Coronavirus pandemic definitely allowed Dave the time and room to fully and completely develop and rework his ideas into wonderfully complete feeling songs.
90.94 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5 stars; a minor masterpiece of Canterbury style jazz and one of my 10 favorite albums of 2021.
17. SUPERSISTER Pudding en Gisteren (1972) The original lineup of this band put together three albums in rapid fire succession: 1971-72 before losing a few members (one of which was leader, keyboard player, and producer Robert Jan Stips--who would go on to join Golden Earring through their monster hit album, Moontan). This is the third of that trilogy.
The band has grown. Their experimental nature has been nurtured further but they are also putting here on display a greater maturity in their lyrical content and a greater command and confidence in the polishing department and recording/engineering departments.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Robert Jan Stips / lead vocals, keyboards, vibes, harmonica
- Sacha Van Geest / flutes, tenor sax, vocals
- Ron Van Eck / 4- & 6-string basses, guitar, harmonica
- Marco Vrolijk / drums, congas, percussion, vocals
- Sacha Van Geest / flutes, tenor sax, vocals
- Ron Van Eck / 4- & 6-string basses, guitar, harmonica
- Marco Vrolijk / drums, congas, percussion, vocals
The second song, "Supersisteretsisrepus" (0:16) is one of those silly throw-away songs so common to early (pre-paralysis) Robert Wyatt project albums--this one a keyboard solo.
Song 3, "Psychopath" (3:58) is a tongue-in-cheek cabaret-like song in the Monty Python Life of Brian vein. Humorous, intelligent lyrics sung/spoken over piano and then piano and harpsichord duet in the middle section and then joined by Mellotron strings for the final third. (8/10)
4. "Judy Goes on Holiday" (12:38) is the epic that completes Side 1 of the album. It opens with a very catchy synthesizer/flute riff, which is then periodically repeated throughout the song in order to bring the band back to center before venturing off into some of the more EGG-heavy or CAMEL-light passages that make up the body of the song.
I find the mix of this song interesting for the consistent "compartmentalization" of each of the individual performers--keys in left, bass center up front, drums center in back, flute center-right and guitars full right.
An odd slow, spacious section begins in the fifth minute that allows the band some percussive playfulness. Then a slow keyboard and flute duet begins mid-song that is absolutely gorgeous--very much in a CAMEL/Latimer-Bardens or Hackett-Hackett way. Like Satie "Gymnopedia," I could listen to this forever.
The song eventually returns to the opening riff and pacing. (22.5/25)
5. Side 2 is filled with one song, one epic--one of the finest epics Canterbury music has to offer, the title song "Pudding in Gesteren...(Music for Ballet)" (21:00). From the opening riff and its variations which fill the first two minutes, to the organ and flute interplay and rolling bass lines in the more varied tempos of the second movement, to the smooth, cool grooves and key sounds in the CAMEL-esque third movement, this is an absolute masterpiece of instrumental music. I do love the way Supersister can cough up so many catchy and memorable and fun melodic riffs. Each section/movement of this piece is grounded in at least one of them. There must be about 20 of them through the course of this song!
I can often hear sections appropriate for ballet, as the title indicates, but not the majority--though there are a few themes that feel like variations on already-existing classic ballet themes. I mean, I know dancers can dance to just about anything, but as for your typical musical score intended specifically for ballet, I don't see this one as one of those. I'd like to see it staged as such. (38/40)
Definitely a weird and diverse album with questionable lows but with equally solid, mature, and memorable highs--namely the two epics; they are not to be missed. Accordingly, I think this album must claim its place among the pantheon of prog masterpieces.
88.82 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music delivered in the Canterbury style.
18. GILGAMESH Gilgamesh (1975) keyboard whiz Alan GOWEN's own project in the 70s, Gilgamesh is an obvious attempt to make a late stab at the Canterbury sound though none of the players are from any of the original bands from the Sixties. This album is produced, however, by none other than Dave Stewart--late of Hatfield and the North--whose sound this quite resembles.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Phil Lee / guitars (electric, classic, acoustic, 12-string)
- Alan Gowen / acoustic & electric pianos, clavinet, synth, Mellotron, vocal arrangements (7-c)
- Jeff Clyne / bass, double bass
- Michael Travis / drums, percussion
With:
- Amanda Parsons / vocals (1-c,7-c)
- Dave Stewart / vocal arrangements (7-c), co-producer
1. "One End More / Phil's Little Dance - For Phil Miller's Trousers / Worlds Of Zin" (10:20) collects several sounds and styles being used in the then current jazz world including the clavinet, Eric Gale/John Tropea-like guitar play (think Deodato's "Also Sprach Zarathustra") and some more laid back drumming with tight, quiet fills and lots of quirky accessory (cymbals, etc.) play.
The finale, "Worlds Of Zin," is the suite's shining moment in which a bluesy Santana-like guitar solos over some absolutely gorgeous support from the rest of the band--keyboards, bass, and drums. - Alan Gowen / acoustic & electric pianos, clavinet, synth, Mellotron, vocal arrangements (7-c)
- Jeff Clyne / bass, double bass
- Michael Travis / drums, percussion
With:
- Amanda Parsons / vocals (1-c,7-c)
- Dave Stewart / vocal arrangements (7-c), co-producer
1. "One End More / Phil's Little Dance - For Phil Miller's Trousers / Worlds Of Zin" (10:20) collects several sounds and styles being used in the then current jazz world including the clavinet, Eric Gale/John Tropea-like guitar play (think Deodato's "Also Sprach Zarathustra") and some more laid back drumming with tight, quiet fills and lots of quirky accessory (cymbals, etc.) play.
This one gets a (18/20) from me for its memorable melodic hooks and nice compositional organization--though the final section is a full 10/10.
2. "Lady and Friend" (3:44) opens with an acoustic guitar and Fender Rhodes playing off their gentle play to establish a melody. Then a rather dynamic section interrupts for a few seconds before we return to a very nice, gentle keyboard and bass interplay--which is later joined by gentle jazz electric guitar in a kind of Jan AKKERMAN style. The final 45 seconds shifts into a definite FOCUS sound and structure. Nice piece! (10/10)
3. "Notwithstanding" (4:45) is a bit more Herbie Hancock-like in its keyboard sounds and with some rather weak drumming and an Eric GALE-like guitar sound and style feeling as if it is detracting from the high caliber of skill required of the composition. (8/10)
4. "Arriving Twice" (1:36) revives the melodic theme from the album's opening song only in a slightly different arrangement and with a variation in the instruments used. (2.25/2.5)
5. "Island Of Rhodes / Paper Boat - For Doris / As If Your Eyes Were Open" (6:39) The opening section, "Island Of Rhodes," uses a repeated bass line as its rather simple foundation, but then the second section, "Paper Boat - For Doris" builds over this with the drums mixed quite a bit behind the dominant multiple keyboards and bass. The final section, "As If Your Eyes Were Open," allows the guitarist to show his chops (not bad!) over a bouncy clavinet and fast-paced drum play. Nice development and composition! (Especially considering its rather weak start.) (9.25/10)
6. "For Absent Friends" (1:11) is a pleasant acoustic guitar solo of the pseudo-classical vein. (2.5/2.5)
7. "We Are All / Someone Else's Food / Jamo And Other Boating Disasters - From The Holiday Of The Same Name" (7:48) opens with the electric guitar establishing the melody and tempo in the first section, "We Are All." I really enjoy the jazz rhythm guitar play beneath the Fender Rhodes electric piano solo toward the end of the movement. The bass play is a little simplistic but it does a nice job of holding the song together in terms of pace. And I LOVE the drum and guitar play at the end of the fourth minute--just before the transition into the brief countrified second section, "Someone Else's Food."
The third section, "Jamo And Other Boating Disasters - From The Holiday Of The Same Name," is an odd piece in which the keyboard goes from clavinet to piano and then Aarp-like synth while in this last part, being accompanied by layers of vocals as done by future 'Northette' Amanda Parsons.
Overall, this is probably the piece in which the band shines most instrumentally and compositionally--when they are at their most original and most technically proficient as well as tightest as a band. This is a song well worth repeated listens. (13.5/15)
8. "Just C (0:45) is a brief piano solo to close out the album. (2/2.5)
Total Time: 37:04
90.34 on the Fishscales = A-/ 4.5 star album rated up for its consistency and its compositional maturity. This is a very nice album full-on representative of the quirky jazz being produced in the style of the Canterbury masters at this point (1975) in the evolution of the music of the Scene.
Alan Gowan can play keyboards! Many!
19. EGG The Civil Surface (1974) Mont CAMPBELL, Dave STEWART, and Clive BROOKS' final EGG album was released over a year after the the band had broken up and the trio had gone separate ways. It was the incessant insistence of a small but vocal fan base that got the band to finally record some of the as-yet unrecorded material--which had been fan favorites from their live performances--that Dave gathered Clive and Mont back into the studio with a bunch of his current band members from Hatfield and the North, as well as a few other friends with whom he had recently worked--like Steve Hillage (on "Wring Out the Ground") from their KHAN collaboration.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dave Stewart / organ, piano, bass (6)
- Mont Campbell / bass, vocals, piano, French horn (2,7)
- Clive Brooks / drums
With:
- Steve Hillage / guitar (5)
- Jeremy Baines / flute (1)
- Lindsay Cooper / oboe, basson (1,6)
- Tim Hodgkinson / clarinet (1,6)
- Maurice Cambridge / clarinet (2,7)
- Stephen Solloway / flute (2,7)
- Chris Palmer / basson (2,7)
- Amanda Parsons / vocals (4)
- Ann Rosenthal / vocals (4)
- Barbara Gaskin / vocals (4)
1. "Germ Patrol" (8:32) opens with a cute Alice and Wonderland feel to it--even as the calliope-like organ, walking bass line, and beating of the toms play along in a kind of circus way. I think, from it's title, that it's supposed to sound millitaristic but it's too fun and quirky to do so. Definitely in the "tongue-in-cheek" realm of musical renderings. Even the 'conversation' of multiple keyboards in the sixth minute seem comical. The ensuing "buzz bass" solo is the song's most serious moment but it is bookended by Dave's circus-like organ and piano play. I like the horns around 6:50 and the French horn solo to fade. A very memorable if not awfully melodic song suite. (19/20)
2. "Wind Quartet 1" (2:20) is, truly, a wind quartet, complete with flute, clarinet, bassoon, and French horn (though I swear I hear an oboe, too). Nice piece with a nice, very British, more classical than jazz, arrangement. (8.75/10)
3. "Enneagram" (4:13) has Dave Stewart using an organ sound that is much familiar to us for its bombastic use by Keith Emerson around the same time in his early ELP concerts and recordings. A rather exciting uptempo song with wide dynamic variation. (8.75/10)
4. "Prelude" (4:18) has some of that classical church organ sound dating back to EGG's first album. Dave's cerebral experimentation is matched by Mont's bass play with no drum or percussion play until the 1:15 mark. The surprise entry of the odd choral section as presented by the future "Northettes" is a bit discordant and disruptive, but no weirder than the solo organ play to the song's end. I guess it all works in the scheme of the whole "prelude" thing. (8.5/10)
5. "Wring Out the Ground (Loosely Now)" (8:11) is a cool song that opens with some very odd lyrics being sung out by Mont and then a section of experimental sound/noises before the actual song foundations are allowed to be established--over which some nice keyboard soloing occurs before everything slows down again at the 5:50 mark for Mont's vocal to continue. This is a very strong section of the song--very solid and confident sounding. (14/15)
6. "Nearch" (3:12) is another neochamber piece with Mont's French horn, Clive's precision drum accompaniment, Lindsay Cooper's bassoon and Tom Hodgkinson's clarinet, with Dave Stewart playing bass! Interesting exercise/étude. Reminds me of some UNIVERS ZÉRO stuff. (8.5/10)
7. "Wind Quartet 2" (4:48) finds us returning to the flute-dominated winds of the third song. Some nice medieval-like melodies and moods evoked here. (9/10)
Total Time: 41:36
My only problem with The Civil Surface is that it feels so cerebral--as if Mont and Dave were working out very complex mathematical formulae together through their musical collaboration. This just makes the music a little colder, a little less accessible to me, the listener. No wonder Clive wanted his drums to be loud and forward in the mix!
This concludes the band's last album. Egg were a short-lived Canterbury band that definitely displayed the more classical side of the Canterbury jazz experimentation--and this while the members were only in their late teens and early, early 20s! They just happened to produce, however, some of the most interesting and some of my favorite music from the Canterbury Scene.
90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music from the Canterbury Scene.
- Mont Campbell / bass, vocals, piano, French horn (2,7)
- Clive Brooks / drums
With:
- Steve Hillage / guitar (5)
- Jeremy Baines / flute (1)
- Lindsay Cooper / oboe, basson (1,6)
- Tim Hodgkinson / clarinet (1,6)
- Maurice Cambridge / clarinet (2,7)
- Stephen Solloway / flute (2,7)
- Chris Palmer / basson (2,7)
- Amanda Parsons / vocals (4)
- Ann Rosenthal / vocals (4)
- Barbara Gaskin / vocals (4)
1. "Germ Patrol" (8:32) opens with a cute Alice and Wonderland feel to it--even as the calliope-like organ, walking bass line, and beating of the toms play along in a kind of circus way. I think, from it's title, that it's supposed to sound millitaristic but it's too fun and quirky to do so. Definitely in the "tongue-in-cheek" realm of musical renderings. Even the 'conversation' of multiple keyboards in the sixth minute seem comical. The ensuing "buzz bass" solo is the song's most serious moment but it is bookended by Dave's circus-like organ and piano play. I like the horns around 6:50 and the French horn solo to fade. A very memorable if not awfully melodic song suite. (19/20)
2. "Wind Quartet 1" (2:20) is, truly, a wind quartet, complete with flute, clarinet, bassoon, and French horn (though I swear I hear an oboe, too). Nice piece with a nice, very British, more classical than jazz, arrangement. (8.75/10)
3. "Enneagram" (4:13) has Dave Stewart using an organ sound that is much familiar to us for its bombastic use by Keith Emerson around the same time in his early ELP concerts and recordings. A rather exciting uptempo song with wide dynamic variation. (8.75/10)
4. "Prelude" (4:18) has some of that classical church organ sound dating back to EGG's first album. Dave's cerebral experimentation is matched by Mont's bass play with no drum or percussion play until the 1:15 mark. The surprise entry of the odd choral section as presented by the future "Northettes" is a bit discordant and disruptive, but no weirder than the solo organ play to the song's end. I guess it all works in the scheme of the whole "prelude" thing. (8.5/10)
5. "Wring Out the Ground (Loosely Now)" (8:11) is a cool song that opens with some very odd lyrics being sung out by Mont and then a section of experimental sound/noises before the actual song foundations are allowed to be established--over which some nice keyboard soloing occurs before everything slows down again at the 5:50 mark for Mont's vocal to continue. This is a very strong section of the song--very solid and confident sounding. (14/15)
6. "Nearch" (3:12) is another neochamber piece with Mont's French horn, Clive's precision drum accompaniment, Lindsay Cooper's bassoon and Tom Hodgkinson's clarinet, with Dave Stewart playing bass! Interesting exercise/étude. Reminds me of some UNIVERS ZÉRO stuff. (8.5/10)
7. "Wind Quartet 2" (4:48) finds us returning to the flute-dominated winds of the third song. Some nice medieval-like melodies and moods evoked here. (9/10)
Total Time: 41:36
My only problem with The Civil Surface is that it feels so cerebral--as if Mont and Dave were working out very complex mathematical formulae together through their musical collaboration. This just makes the music a little colder, a little less accessible to me, the listener. No wonder Clive wanted his drums to be loud and forward in the mix!
This concludes the band's last album. Egg were a short-lived Canterbury band that definitely displayed the more classical side of the Canterbury jazz experimentation--and this while the members were only in their late teens and early, early 20s! They just happened to produce, however, some of the most interesting and some of my favorite music from the Canterbury Scene.
90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music from the Canterbury Scene.
20. CARAVAN If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You (1970) After all the raves for In the Land of Grey and Pink I bought it and love it. Truly thought it couldn't get any better than that, but recent explorations within the Canterbury Scene keep turning up gem after gem--and here is another one! Though the album starts off with a couple lighter tunes (shades of things to come), I find this album much more pleasant, pleasurable, musical, and melodic, and definitely more breadth in the emotional spectrum than Pink and Grey or Plump in the Night. My only reservation is that because I do think Richard's voice is quite good--despite his hippy stream-of-consciousness style--on this album he hasn't quite developed his confidence or up-front 'leading man' presence yet. That begins with Pink and Grey. Love "Brother James"' contributions of flute and sax.
Why is it that so often the earlier into a band's career I explore the more I like them, the more I get them?
Line-up / Musicians:
- Pye Hastings / 6- & 12-string electric guitars, acoustic guitar, claves, vocals
- David Sinclair / organ, piano, harpsichord
- Richard Sinclair / bass, tambourine, vocals
- Richard Coughlan / drums, congas, bongos, maracas, finger cymbals
With:
- Jimmy Hastings / saxophone, flute
5 star songs: 7. "Can't Be Long Now/Francoise/For Richard/Warlock" (14:25) (30/30), 3. "As I Feel Die" (5:17) (9/10), 4. "With an ear to the ground you can make it/Martinian/Only cox/Reprise" (9:30) (17.5/20), and 8. "Limits" (1:33) (2.5/2.5).
1. "If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You" (3:08) a humorous, bluesy pop song intended as the album's welcomer. Not sure it fully succeeds. Wish the organ weren't so scratchy. (7.25/10)
2. "And I Wish I Were Stoned--Don't Worry" (8:18) opening with a little "Whiter Shade of Pale" organ before Richard Sinclair enters singing in a voice that sounds as if it wants to be taken seriously. Vocals are paired up with Pye Hastings more in the fore for the next verse and choruses. A solid song but nothing to write home about. Even the middle instrumental vamp is nothing so very special. The band has some distance to go before it is expressing its compositional and instrumental prowess.(15.5/20)
3. "As I Feel Die" (5:17) opens with two minutes of using a vocal melody line that sounds/feels like it came straight out of a classic Beatles song. Once the song kicks into full tempo and sound it takes on a sound all its own. The band is here beginning to show what tremendous potential it has. More polish necessary. (8.75/10)
4. "With an ear to the ground you can make it/Martinian/Only cox/Reprise" (9:30) the vocals here are awesome and the post-vocal instrumental section ("Martinian") is full, nuanced, cohesive, and beautifully soloed. The "Only cox" section is also beautiful with its subtleties. (17.5/20)
5. "Hello, Hello" (3:58) a cool rhythmic section of snare-rims and bubbling bass over which Richard sings his story narrative. (8.25/10)
6. "Asforteri" (1:22) (2/2.5)
7. "Can't Be Long Now/Francoise/For Richard/Warlock" (14:25) one of my all-time favorite Canterbury epics and probably my favorite Caravan song. A harbinger of great things to come for Caravan specifically and for the Canterbury Scene in general. (30/30)
8. "Limits" (1:33) cool Burt Bacharach-ish jazzy lounge piece. (2.5/2.5)
88.33 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near masterpiece of progressive rock music and one of my favorite Canterbury albums. Had the sound production been a little more polished and the band a little more skilled/proficient on their instruments this might have turned out even better.
- David Sinclair / organ, piano, harpsichord
- Richard Sinclair / bass, tambourine, vocals
- Richard Coughlan / drums, congas, bongos, maracas, finger cymbals
With:
- Jimmy Hastings / saxophone, flute
5 star songs: 7. "Can't Be Long Now/Francoise/For Richard/Warlock" (14:25) (30/30), 3. "As I Feel Die" (5:17) (9/10), 4. "With an ear to the ground you can make it/Martinian/Only cox/Reprise" (9:30) (17.5/20), and 8. "Limits" (1:33) (2.5/2.5).
1. "If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You" (3:08) a humorous, bluesy pop song intended as the album's welcomer. Not sure it fully succeeds. Wish the organ weren't so scratchy. (7.25/10)
2. "And I Wish I Were Stoned--Don't Worry" (8:18) opening with a little "Whiter Shade of Pale" organ before Richard Sinclair enters singing in a voice that sounds as if it wants to be taken seriously. Vocals are paired up with Pye Hastings more in the fore for the next verse and choruses. A solid song but nothing to write home about. Even the middle instrumental vamp is nothing so very special. The band has some distance to go before it is expressing its compositional and instrumental prowess.(15.5/20)
3. "As I Feel Die" (5:17) opens with two minutes of using a vocal melody line that sounds/feels like it came straight out of a classic Beatles song. Once the song kicks into full tempo and sound it takes on a sound all its own. The band is here beginning to show what tremendous potential it has. More polish necessary. (8.75/10)
4. "With an ear to the ground you can make it/Martinian/Only cox/Reprise" (9:30) the vocals here are awesome and the post-vocal instrumental section ("Martinian") is full, nuanced, cohesive, and beautifully soloed. The "Only cox" section is also beautiful with its subtleties. (17.5/20)
5. "Hello, Hello" (3:58) a cool rhythmic section of snare-rims and bubbling bass over which Richard sings his story narrative. (8.25/10)
6. "Asforteri" (1:22) (2/2.5)
7. "Can't Be Long Now/Francoise/For Richard/Warlock" (14:25) one of my all-time favorite Canterbury epics and probably my favorite Caravan song. A harbinger of great things to come for Caravan specifically and for the Canterbury Scene in general. (30/30)
8. "Limits" (1:33) cool Burt Bacharach-ish jazzy lounge piece. (2.5/2.5)
88.33 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near masterpiece of progressive rock music and one of my favorite Canterbury albums. Had the sound production been a little more polished and the band a little more skilled/proficient on their instruments this might have turned out even better.
21. HOMUNCULUS RES Della stessa sostanza dei sogni (2018) The third full-length album release from these creative artists from Palermo reveal a band that continues to grow and experiment though their sound and style while remaining as refreshingly quirky, humorous, and Canterburian as ever. The songs are far more complex, far more avant on some layers, while, gratefully, maintaining the light, even humorous approach to rendering music. I even feel somewhere in my gut that there has been a slight return to the loose, enjoyable spirit that was so prominent and prevalent throughout their 2013 debut, Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto, (one of my top five favorite albums of all-time).
Line-up / Musicians:
Dario D'Alessandro: guitar (R), voice, keyboards, bass (5)
Davide Di Giovanni: piano, organ, synth, acoustic guitar (9)
Daniele Di Giovanni: drums, percussions
Mauro Turdo: guitar (L)
Daniele Crisci: bass
With
Dave Newhouse (The Muffins, Rascal Reporters): saxophones, clarinets, flute (1, 2, 5, 9, 12)
Luciano Margorani (LA1919, NichelOdeon): guitar (5, 10)
Tommaso Leddi (Stormy Six): mandolin (5), trombone (10)
Rocco Lomonaco (Breznev Fun Club): winds orchestration (3), guitars and bass (11)
Petter Herbertsson (Testbild!): rhodes, keyboards, vibraphone, bass (final part) (6)
Lorenzo Leddi (Mamma Non Piangere, Ensemble Havadià): guitar (7
Giuseppe Turdo: oboe, french horn, english horn (3, 12)
Giorgio Trombino (Furious Gorgie): alto sax (1, 8), voice (5)
Paolo Botta (Ske, Yugen, Not A Good Sign): synthesizers, hammond, wurlitzer (1, 4, 5, 9, 10)
Dario Lo Cicero: flutes (3 and 7), chamois horn (12)
Alessandra Oria Bollino: voice (7)
Valerio Mirone (Utveggi): voice (2)
Sara Zerilli: voice (12)
Pivio: electronics and samples (5)
Giovanni Rotondi: clarinets (11)
Marco Monterosso: whistle (9)
1. "La Cabala" (4:00) smooth with typically catchy HR melodies (9.5/10)
2. "Faccio una pazzia" (2:49) more odd, humorous, and avant than before. Quirky vocals similar to those explored by AltrOck stable mates HUMBLE GRUMBLE on their early release, Flanders Fields. I love the thick fretless bass contrasted by the sharp, staccato, odd-tempo hits of the horns and rhythm section. Funky sax solo by Dave Newhouse at the end. (8.5/10)
3. "Bianco supremo" (03:32) a pretty, bucolic song with melodies and sound renderings that harken back to the idyllic summer musics of the late 1960s. How many instruments can one clearly weave into one song? (9/10)
4. "Non sogno più" (02:44) This one has the feel of a late-1960s Latin jazz pop song. Fun, engaging, danceable, and gorgeous. (9/10)
5. "Mentre dormi" (04:16) opens like a Ben Watt/Tracey Thorn song before becoming all HR. Great shift at 0:45. I love the woodwinds and mandolin in the mid-section. Another great shift just before the three-minute mark leads into the electric guitar solo in an awesome reed-based outro. A top three song for me. (9.5/10)
6. "Rimedi ancestrali" (03:39) an odd-tempoed piano-based song with aged electro-pop sounds (the return of the Casio VL-TONE Vl-1?!!) performing some of the song's base fabric. I love Dario D'Alessandro's vocals on this one. Another top three song. (9.5/10)
7. "Se la mente mentisse" (04:16) a fun pop song with lead vocals from Alessandra Oria Bollino. The second part, instrumental/post vocal, sounds so much like a 70s Canterbury song. Then we return to the poppy vocal section while Alessandra scats the main melody with "la-la-las" in place of the words. Great flute work here from Dario La Cicero. Just pure fun—makes me so proud to be a human being (despite our inanities)! I cannot decide between this song and the album opener for my third top three song. (9.5/10)
8. "Il nome di Dio" (02:34) a quirky jazzy song with odd multi-voiced vocals over the top (and below). Great jazz rhythms and horn work after the 1:00 mark. I like the multi-layered synth work in that solo in the second minute. The song bounces back and forth from quirk vocal to jazz section one more cycle while ending with a nice little Casiotone solo. (8.5/10)
9. "Denti cadenti" (04:41) presents a very different recording soundscape with tons of reverb on multiple tracks (not just the voices). Harpsichord and other older-sounding instruments. Even a Hammond and Mellotron to go with piano and other more-"classic/common" prog instruments. (9/10)
10. "Dopamine" (03:49) another song that uses instruments and sounds sounding like they're straight out of the 1970s Canterbury Scene bands' repertoires. Great raunchy electric guitar work over the jazzy organ-led foundation. (9/10)
11. "Preludio e distrazioni" (02:09) is a slow, sentimental song with piano and multiple layers of woodwinds. Pretty first minute, shifts, then more gorgeous, ending with acoustic classical and electric guitar duet. (9/10)
12. "La casa dei sogni" (02:54) fun, horn-based, carnivalesque song with lead vocals by female singer, Sara Zerilli. Starts out slow but then picks up at 0:37 becoming more bouncy and upbeat. This could almost be a Stereolab song. (8.5/10)
Total Time 41:20
90.42 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music in the Canterbury style. Not as amazing or ground-breaking as their debut, but I do like this one better than their sophomore release—which left me kind of flat.
1. "La Cabala" (4:00) smooth with typically catchy HR melodies (9.5/10)
2. "Faccio una pazzia" (2:49) more odd, humorous, and avant than before. Quirky vocals similar to those explored by AltrOck stable mates HUMBLE GRUMBLE on their early release, Flanders Fields. I love the thick fretless bass contrasted by the sharp, staccato, odd-tempo hits of the horns and rhythm section. Funky sax solo by Dave Newhouse at the end. (8.5/10)
3. "Bianco supremo" (03:32) a pretty, bucolic song with melodies and sound renderings that harken back to the idyllic summer musics of the late 1960s. How many instruments can one clearly weave into one song? (9/10)
4. "Non sogno più" (02:44) This one has the feel of a late-1960s Latin jazz pop song. Fun, engaging, danceable, and gorgeous. (9/10)
5. "Mentre dormi" (04:16) opens like a Ben Watt/Tracey Thorn song before becoming all HR. Great shift at 0:45. I love the woodwinds and mandolin in the mid-section. Another great shift just before the three-minute mark leads into the electric guitar solo in an awesome reed-based outro. A top three song for me. (9.5/10)
6. "Rimedi ancestrali" (03:39) an odd-tempoed piano-based song with aged electro-pop sounds (the return of the Casio VL-TONE Vl-1?!!) performing some of the song's base fabric. I love Dario D'Alessandro's vocals on this one. Another top three song. (9.5/10)
7. "Se la mente mentisse" (04:16) a fun pop song with lead vocals from Alessandra Oria Bollino. The second part, instrumental/post vocal, sounds so much like a 70s Canterbury song. Then we return to the poppy vocal section while Alessandra scats the main melody with "la-la-las" in place of the words. Great flute work here from Dario La Cicero. Just pure fun—makes me so proud to be a human being (despite our inanities)! I cannot decide between this song and the album opener for my third top three song. (9.5/10)
8. "Il nome di Dio" (02:34) a quirky jazzy song with odd multi-voiced vocals over the top (and below). Great jazz rhythms and horn work after the 1:00 mark. I like the multi-layered synth work in that solo in the second minute. The song bounces back and forth from quirk vocal to jazz section one more cycle while ending with a nice little Casiotone solo. (8.5/10)
9. "Denti cadenti" (04:41) presents a very different recording soundscape with tons of reverb on multiple tracks (not just the voices). Harpsichord and other older-sounding instruments. Even a Hammond and Mellotron to go with piano and other more-"classic/common" prog instruments. (9/10)
10. "Dopamine" (03:49) another song that uses instruments and sounds sounding like they're straight out of the 1970s Canterbury Scene bands' repertoires. Great raunchy electric guitar work over the jazzy organ-led foundation. (9/10)
11. "Preludio e distrazioni" (02:09) is a slow, sentimental song with piano and multiple layers of woodwinds. Pretty first minute, shifts, then more gorgeous, ending with acoustic classical and electric guitar duet. (9/10)
12. "La casa dei sogni" (02:54) fun, horn-based, carnivalesque song with lead vocals by female singer, Sara Zerilli. Starts out slow but then picks up at 0:37 becoming more bouncy and upbeat. This could almost be a Stereolab song. (8.5/10)
Total Time 41:20
90.42 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music in the Canterbury style. Not as amazing or ground-breaking as their debut, but I do like this one better than their sophomore release—which left me kind of flat.
22. ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS Mild Profundities (2003)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Matt Baber / keyboards
- Joff Winks / guitar, vocals
- Paul Mallyon / drums
- Brad Waissman / bass
1. "It's Pissing Don?" (6:26) part Post Rock, part Canterbury, part neo-classical jazz, this piano/keyboard and xylophone-led song features the very solid support of chunky bass, military-styled drums and guitars. (9/10)
2. "Little Machines" (4:50) my favorite song on the album has some very catchy melodic, structural and vocal moments. (10/10)
3. "M.O.D.A.R" (4:50) ambient techno-space house music for the first two minutes, pauses for a very spacey section before reacquiring the weave of techno sounds that it opened with. MIDIed solo from lower mid-register keyboard is mixed in with all the other. Is this the soundscape the Canterbury artists of old would be experimenting with if they were still doing their stuff in the 21st Century? Interesting if not great. (7/10)
4. "Keeny Woka Phoola" (3:08) sounds much more Canterbury-ish--even the squeeky synth taking on part of the lead melody making. At 1:35 it becomes much more poppy with the "beautiful people everywhere" vocal section--kind of like a 60s song from or from one of today's retro-psychedelic groups like Tame Impala or Arcade Fire. (9/10)
5. "Earthsong [With One Sugar]" (7:03) opens with a repetitive mid-to-high pitched electro-pulse over which electric piano plays a kind of étude with two series of chord progressions. Then, at 2:25, the song shifts into rock mode with full band and a very familiar Canterbury sound and structure--like something from the debut Hatfield and the North album. Catchy bass, drums, and keyboard lines form the foundation over which guitars and multiple synth sounds contribute. The song slips back into electronica experimentalism in the fifth minute while drums and other support instruments create their own melodies which eventually merge into a fairly cohesive weave. Recordings of a domestic argument are introduced over the final minute and a half. Interesting! (13.5/15)
Total Time: 26:17
88.18 on the Fishscales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music--this one in the psychedelic experimental spirit of the 1970s Canterbury artists.
- Joff Winks / guitar, vocals
- Paul Mallyon / drums
- Brad Waissman / bass
1. "It's Pissing Don?" (6:26) part Post Rock, part Canterbury, part neo-classical jazz, this piano/keyboard and xylophone-led song features the very solid support of chunky bass, military-styled drums and guitars. (9/10)
2. "Little Machines" (4:50) my favorite song on the album has some very catchy melodic, structural and vocal moments. (10/10)
3. "M.O.D.A.R" (4:50) ambient techno-space house music for the first two minutes, pauses for a very spacey section before reacquiring the weave of techno sounds that it opened with. MIDIed solo from lower mid-register keyboard is mixed in with all the other. Is this the soundscape the Canterbury artists of old would be experimenting with if they were still doing their stuff in the 21st Century? Interesting if not great. (7/10)
4. "Keeny Woka Phoola" (3:08) sounds much more Canterbury-ish--even the squeeky synth taking on part of the lead melody making. At 1:35 it becomes much more poppy with the "beautiful people everywhere" vocal section--kind of like a 60s song from or from one of today's retro-psychedelic groups like Tame Impala or Arcade Fire. (9/10)
5. "Earthsong [With One Sugar]" (7:03) opens with a repetitive mid-to-high pitched electro-pulse over which electric piano plays a kind of étude with two series of chord progressions. Then, at 2:25, the song shifts into rock mode with full band and a very familiar Canterbury sound and structure--like something from the debut Hatfield and the North album. Catchy bass, drums, and keyboard lines form the foundation over which guitars and multiple synth sounds contribute. The song slips back into electronica experimentalism in the fifth minute while drums and other support instruments create their own melodies which eventually merge into a fairly cohesive weave. Recordings of a domestic argument are introduced over the final minute and a half. Interesting! (13.5/15)
Total Time: 26:17
88.18 on the Fishscales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music--this one in the psychedelic experimental spirit of the 1970s Canterbury artists.
23. HOMUNCULUS RES Andiamo in giro di notte e ci consumiamo nel fuoco
My wife and I just sold our farm (happy/sad). We just returned from two days of cleaning out and driving to storage the family valuables (happy/sad). But then I opened up my computer after a couple days of absence to find that one of my favorite bands of the 21st Century had released its new album--on my mother's 85th birthday (happy/HAPPY). AUTO-BUY! I have to report that the band has (finally) returned to the (full) form of sophisticated Canterbury quirk of their 2011 debut. I am SO HAPPY to be listening to this beautiful yet happy music--especially in these COVID times. Thank you, Dario & company! And thank you to The Universe for releasing this album on my mother's 85 birthday! It will always make this album feel so special--like it was just for me.
Full, more detailed review in the days to come (as I will, no doubt, be listening to this album non-stop throughout the weekend). The PERFECT SUMMER ALBUM! If you want happy, melodic music to play on your days by the water, I could not think of a better one than this.
1. "Lucciole per Lanterne" (4.54) Canterbury and Homunculus Res perfection! (9.5/10)
3. "Buco Nero" (6:44) (8.75/10)
4. "Supermercato" (6:21) (8.75/10)
5. "La Spia" (4:36) (8.75/10)
6. "La Salamandra" (6:25) (9/10)
7. "In Girum" (3:37) sounds more like THE WINSTONS' debut album (and, therefore, MATCHING MOLE/Robert WYATT). (8.5/10)
8. "La Luccicanza" (4:27) (8.75/10)
9. "Tetraktys" (3:33) (8.75/10)
10. "Non Dire No" (3:45) opens as if a teacher/parent singing to (or for) children. When flute supplants vocal it becomes more rich and though still community feeling. Cool, different song. (9.5/10)
The album starts out on a real high with the first two fast-paced joy-fests, but then then tempos settle into the middle inviting the listener to tune in more carefully to hear the clever and quirky nuances that the band throws in.
90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music and such a refreshing addition to my (so far) rather weak 2020 collection.
P.S. How could ANYONE call this music anything but Canterbury???!!!! This is NOT a RPI band!
24. THE SOFT MACHINE Just hearing Soft Machine for the first time (I had never even heard of "Canterbury Scene" until joining ProgArchives in 2009!) What an awesome song is "Slightly All the Time"! (18:13) (35/35) I can see where their influences come from (Miles) and who was influenced by them (Magma, Brian Auger, Caravan, Traffic, Gong, Hatfield and the North, Brainbox, Focus, Supertramp, and so many others). And so much of "Moon in June" (19:08) (32/40) sounds/feels like early RPI music--as well as Focus and early Supertramp. So melodic, emotional, and theatric--as well as bluesy. While I became used to "Facelift" (18:47) (30/40) after a few listenings, it doesn't have quite the same warmth and exploratory freshness as the others. "Out-Bloody-Rageous" (36/40) has some awesome experimental keyboard work serving as intro, outro, and foundation to the up-tempo jam in the mid-section. Thanks to Terry C. Riley for the inspiration there! My favorite section is that which starts with the return to solo keyboards at the very middle of the song (synth & then piano). The song then builds on a more-traditional jazz motif--MILES DAVIS/JOHN COLTRANE- like--and then builds into an all-out jam--with kind of a "Love Supreme" feel to it. Beautiful! The outro sounds so much like future CAMEL! I love all the tempo and melody changes in this music. Great performances on each of the instruments.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Mike Ratledge / Lowrey organ, piano, Hohner pianet
- Elton Dean / alto sax, saxello
- Hugh Hopper / bass guitar
- Robert Wyatt / drums, vocals & piano & Hammond & bass (3)
With:
- Lyn Dobson / flute & soprano sax (1)
- Nick Evans / trombone (2,4)
- Jimmy Hastings / flute & bass clarinet (2,4)
- Rab Spall / electric violin (3)
- Elton Dean / alto sax, saxello
- Hugh Hopper / bass guitar
- Robert Wyatt / drums, vocals & piano & Hammond & bass (3)
With:
- Lyn Dobson / flute & soprano sax (1)
- Nick Evans / trombone (2,4)
- Jimmy Hastings / flute & bass clarinet (2,4)
- Rab Spall / electric violin (3)
85.81 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog rocker's music collection. I can see why so many consider this an essential album--but I fear that the reason for this is as much for its historic influence as it is the legacy of its four songs, but, IMHO, this is perhaps not essential for its songs. I do agree that it may be 'essential' for true music lovers for the understanding and appreciation of the history of this, our beloved 'progressive rock.'
25. PATRICK FORGAS Cocktail (1977) Patrick was a huge fan of the Canterbury Scene and especially the work of Robert WYATT. A drummer, he worked hard at his craft in order to try to emulate his heroes. Of course, Patrick couldn't help but make his music sound his own. Cocktail was his first release as an artist/bandleader. Though he played a lot of the instruments himself, he did bring in other professionals for the recording sessions. Side 1, made up of nine short pieces, used one cast of musicians while the recording of the single, side-long song of Side 2, "My Trip," used a different cast performing in a kind of live format. Cocktail is notable for it's funky rhythm tracks (drums, rhythm guitars, and very active bass), use of piano and multi-voice chords to set melody structures, use of violins, flutes, and saxophones for solos over the top, and its heavy use of flange--on just about everything--even drums!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Patrick Forgas - drums, vocals, percussion, guitar, keyboards, bass, sounds
With:
- Jean Pierre Fouquey - keyboards (1-10)
- Dominique Godin - keyboard, sax (11)
- Laurent Roubach - guitars (1-4, 6-8, 10)
- Gérard Prévost - bass (1-8, 10)
- Didier Thibault ? bass (11)
- Patrick Tilleman - violin (1, 2, 10, 12)
- Patrick Lemercier - violin (1, 3, 4, 6, 21)
- Francois Debricon - sax, flute (2, 3, 7, 9, 18)
- Bruce Grant ? sax (10)
1. "Automne 69" (0:50) (4.5/5)
2. "Monks (La danse des moines)" (4:20) a funky repetitive groove with some Jean-Luc PONTY-like violin and Hubert LAWS-like flute flashing in and out over the top. (9/10)
3. "Reflet d'ail" (1:05) (5/5)
4. "Coeur violon" (1:10) (4.5/5)
5. "Orgueil" (1:35) more fast-paced funk with some odd incidental instruments interjecting their slow delivery of single notes to create the harmony. (4.5/5)
6. "Vol d'Hirondelles" (1:25) funky bass, electric guitar arpeggi and flanged drums with violin soloing over the top with choral voices singing wordlessly. (4.5/5)
7. "Cocktail" (3:35) is a bit more laid back and jazzy though still happy and upbeat. The horns and piano and rhythm guitar chords are carrying the melody over the prominent bass and drums until the flute and alto sax enter at the end of the second minute. The shift at that point is very poppy-peppy but the song settles back into the original groove to the end. (8.5/10)
8. "Rituel" (1:15) flanged rhythm guitar and steady drum beat over Percy JONES-like bass guitar playing until guitar solo at end. (4.5/5)
9. "Rhume des foins" (5:30) opens slowly with a single bass arpeggio, joined by guitar and then keyboard also playing arpeggi in the mix before drums and bass line, rhythm guitar, horn hits and flute play fill the sonic space. Thought the song has solid rhythmic structure, the very breathy, fast flute play gives it a kind of dreamy psychedelic trippiness. In the fourth minute Forgas' breathy vocals add to this drug trip feel. I wish I had words to properly express what the flute and vocal are doing--it's just so weird and wonderful! (9/10)
10. "My Trip" (18:30) is a wild ride with a lot of Robert WYATT-like voice/vocalizations throughout, solid drumming (flanged?) and keys, wild Percy JONES-like rapid fire bass riffing (grace à former ZAO-member Gérard Prévost), flangey rhythm guitars (both acoustic and electric), melodic piano play, and very Jean-Luc PONTY-like violin soloing throughout. The song has many, many tempo and stylistic shifts throughout, making it a marvel of musician concentration. Many other instruments make sudden and quick appearances, including electric piano, flute, saxophone, as well as layers of Forgas' singing voice. A prog epic masterpiece. (38/40)
Total Time: 39:15
The rhythm guitars and backbeat of the drums throughout this album remind me of the disco music that was to come and dominate French and European club scene for the next 40 years--kind of pre-CHIC/Nile Rogers and Bernard Edwards. Yet, the overall reed and voice contributions and jazzy bass play keep this album's music firmly based in the Canterbury Scene that Forgas so loved and emulated.
92.0 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music and a late arrival to the Canterbury Scene that was inspired and influenced by, imitative and celebratory of, the music of mentor and friend Robert Wyatt.
With:
- Jean Pierre Fouquey - keyboards (1-10)
- Dominique Godin - keyboard, sax (11)
- Laurent Roubach - guitars (1-4, 6-8, 10)
- Gérard Prévost - bass (1-8, 10)
- Didier Thibault ? bass (11)
- Patrick Tilleman - violin (1, 2, 10, 12)
- Patrick Lemercier - violin (1, 3, 4, 6, 21)
- Francois Debricon - sax, flute (2, 3, 7, 9, 18)
- Bruce Grant ? sax (10)
1. "Automne 69" (0:50) (4.5/5)
2. "Monks (La danse des moines)" (4:20) a funky repetitive groove with some Jean-Luc PONTY-like violin and Hubert LAWS-like flute flashing in and out over the top. (9/10)
3. "Reflet d'ail" (1:05) (5/5)
4. "Coeur violon" (1:10) (4.5/5)
5. "Orgueil" (1:35) more fast-paced funk with some odd incidental instruments interjecting their slow delivery of single notes to create the harmony. (4.5/5)
6. "Vol d'Hirondelles" (1:25) funky bass, electric guitar arpeggi and flanged drums with violin soloing over the top with choral voices singing wordlessly. (4.5/5)
7. "Cocktail" (3:35) is a bit more laid back and jazzy though still happy and upbeat. The horns and piano and rhythm guitar chords are carrying the melody over the prominent bass and drums until the flute and alto sax enter at the end of the second minute. The shift at that point is very poppy-peppy but the song settles back into the original groove to the end. (8.5/10)
8. "Rituel" (1:15) flanged rhythm guitar and steady drum beat over Percy JONES-like bass guitar playing until guitar solo at end. (4.5/5)
9. "Rhume des foins" (5:30) opens slowly with a single bass arpeggio, joined by guitar and then keyboard also playing arpeggi in the mix before drums and bass line, rhythm guitar, horn hits and flute play fill the sonic space. Thought the song has solid rhythmic structure, the very breathy, fast flute play gives it a kind of dreamy psychedelic trippiness. In the fourth minute Forgas' breathy vocals add to this drug trip feel. I wish I had words to properly express what the flute and vocal are doing--it's just so weird and wonderful! (9/10)
10. "My Trip" (18:30) is a wild ride with a lot of Robert WYATT-like voice/vocalizations throughout, solid drumming (flanged?) and keys, wild Percy JONES-like rapid fire bass riffing (grace à former ZAO-member Gérard Prévost), flangey rhythm guitars (both acoustic and electric), melodic piano play, and very Jean-Luc PONTY-like violin soloing throughout. The song has many, many tempo and stylistic shifts throughout, making it a marvel of musician concentration. Many other instruments make sudden and quick appearances, including electric piano, flute, saxophone, as well as layers of Forgas' singing voice. A prog epic masterpiece. (38/40)
Total Time: 39:15
The rhythm guitars and backbeat of the drums throughout this album remind me of the disco music that was to come and dominate French and European club scene for the next 40 years--kind of pre-CHIC/Nile Rogers and Bernard Edwards. Yet, the overall reed and voice contributions and jazzy bass play keep this album's music firmly based in the Canterbury Scene that Forgas so loved and emulated.
92.0 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music and a late arrival to the Canterbury Scene that was inspired and influenced by, imitative and celebratory of, the music of mentor and friend Robert Wyatt.
26. VIOLETA DE OUTONO Espectro (2012) A prog album with a sound and style very familiar to 1970s Rock Progressivo Italiano--especially to that of LE ORME--it also has quite a Canterbury feel to it--like KHAN, STEVE HILLAGE or CAMEL. Despite the pleasant, easy timbre and style of the vocalist, it is the instrumental sections of all the songs that really stand out. The keyboard play is outstanding and the wonderful electric guitar sound and style is kind of a cross between that of ROYE ALBRIGHTON and STEVE HILLAGE. And the melodies are the kind that haunt you and stay with you for days, pulling you back again and again to listen to see if it was real or if you were just imagining it.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Fabio Golfetti / vocals, guitars, producer
- Fernando Cardoso / Hammond organ, synth, piano
- Gabriel Costa / bass
- José Luiz Dinola / drums, backing vocals (7)
With:
- Gabriel Golfetti / ocarina (3)
- Fred Barley / percussion (10)
- Fernando Cardoso / Hammond organ, synth, piano
- Gabriel Costa / bass
- José Luiz Dinola / drums, backing vocals (7)
With:
- Gabriel Golfetti / ocarina (3)
- Fred Barley / percussion (10)
The opening nine-minute 'epic,' "Formas-Pensamento" (8:54) (19/20) is repeated in a slightly longer English version as the album's last track, "New from Heaven" [9:26] (18/20]). It has a very familiar, laid-back vocal (uncanny likeness to that of LE ORME's Aldo Tagliapietra), and is a fairly simple song and instrumental construct with a relatively slow pace to it. Where it differs and excels is in the individual instrumental sounds and performances: synthesizer, guitar, and organ soli are all OUTSTANDING.
Other song favorites include: the refined, bluesy STEVE HILLAGE, CAMEL, and even SANTANA-like 4. "Ondas leves" (7:38) (Sample link is from a live performance.) (14.5/15); the amazing Latin-riffed SANTANA-like "Solsticio" (6:30) (Sample link is also from a live performance. Sorry for the poor quality.) (9.5/10); "Montanhas da mente" (5:14) (especially the awesome final three minutes; nice keyboard work all around; love the jazzy CAMEL/NEKTAR-like instrumental sections) (9.5/10); the upbeat, fast-paced CAMEL and PINK FAIRIES-like "Claro escuro" (5:06) (impressive drumming!) (8.25/10); the simple and very poppy, catchy, "Algum lugar" (4:14) (8.75/10); and the LE ORME throwback, "Anos-luz (Manito's Dream)" (4:47) (8.5/10). Heck! Even the little GONG-like percussion-and-slide-guitar experiment that is the title song is good! (1:12) (4/5) The only song that falls a little short is 3. "Dia Azul" (5:26) and this cuz it's a little dull and not as animated or emotionally charged as the others. (7.75/10)
Total time: 58:28
I gotta admit: There's no one out there doing music like this. It grooves, it's smooth, it's emotional, it's evocative, it's instrumental solos are so different than the rest of current prog. Here melody and feeling reign supreme. This is the modern equivalent to KHAN's classic (and my all-time favorite Canterbury classic) Space Shanty. The drumming, keyboard work, and guitar playing are all so mature and proficient--perfectly timed, packed with incredible emotion, and skilled as true virtuosos: they make it sound so easy. Espectro is also an album that keeps growing on me--inviting me back again and again instead of getting old and stale. Highly, highly recommended, folks! Especially if you like mostly steady-paced, highly melodic music with a lot of excellent, excellent soloing.
89.79 on the Fish scales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music. This album deserves to be heard. A lot!
- Toni Gafforini / electric piano, synths, Mellotron
- Ivan Vanoglio / guitars
27. MOOGG Le ore, i giorni, gli anni (2011) Wonderful Canterbury jazz in the vein of HATFIELD AND THE NORTH (without The Northettes)--all this from a quartet from Brescia!
Line-up:
- Gianluca Avanzati / bass
- Marco Dolfini / drums, percussion, vocals
- Ivan Vanoglio / guitars
1. "Le Ore I Giorni Gli Anni" (7:22) is a great jazz tune in the Canterbury/CARAVAN/HATFIELD AND THE NORTH tradition using many of the same instruments and sounds as well as constructions and stylings as those bands. Great song. And a pretty good voice from drummer Marcos Dolfini! I LOVE both of the two different guitar soli in the fourth minute. Such a fun song! There's even a bass solo! (13.5/15)
2. "Classe 21" (6:38) The drumming is so 1970s! So are the keys, rhythm guitar and bass lines. Wonderful replication and execution--yet sounding fresh! I love the second section with its vocals being run through an effects box and the awesome lead guitar sound. (9/10)
3. "Il Perche' Di Esser Me" (5:48) great song: pacing, melodies, mood, performances, and vocals. One of my favorite songs from the year! (9.5/10)
4. "Gli Arroganti" (instrumental) (7:18) has the definite vibe of 1970's Black Sexploitation movie soundtrack music. Herbie Hancock doing a Bill Cosby show soundtrack. (12.75/15)
5. "Responsabilità" (4:30) has such a HATFIELD sound and feel to it--thought the vocal is so AREA/Demetrio Stratos! My favorite part of the song is the instrumental soli! (8.5/10)
6. "Lunalia" (instrumental) (4:41) is a gentle, simple, pretty, four-chord, keyboard-driven soft-jazz instrumental. Nice but nothing earth-shatteringly new or beautiful here. (7.5/10)
7. "Moogugni" (instrumental) (3:06) another soundtrack that could easily come from the 1970s--AREA or some African-American funk-jazz band. Very tightly performed. (9/10)
8. "Welfare Botanico" (14:41) opens with an almost DEODATO "Also Sprach Zarathustra" sound and feel to it before everything quiets down and restarts with a hypnotic organ, bass, and drum line over which the electric guitar solos. By the end of the second minute, we've heard some bridges, transitions, and shifts which allow the keyboard a turn in the solo position. At 2:15 it turns back to the elgtr. until a stop-and-start bridge at the end of the third minute leads into a very pretty CAMEL-like section. This part could've been on Moonmadness! The fifth minute takes us through a few twists until at 4:35 Marco's mellifluous voice sings us into the palm of his hand. Beautiful! And powerful. Then, at the six minute mark, we turn into an awesome kind of KHAN Space Shanty-like jam section--which goes on at a great speed for over three minutes before we slow down at the 9:10 mark for a return to the Deodato electric piano sound and another spacey, jazzy hypnotic section. Nice drum play in this section! At 10:42 we move into a little more upbeat, almost disco-beat section. How HATFIELD-ish! Nice! Even the ensuing 'delicate' vocal section is fitting--especially as it precedes the crescendo of voice, synths and band into one of the high points of the album. How perfect! Not the most sensibly constructed song but it is an awesome rollercoaster ride--one that should not be missed! (29.5/30)
Total Time: 54:02
Total Time: 54:02
These guys have not only picked up the torch on some amazing sounds and influences from the 1970s but they've embraced and made it their own. Definitely a band to keep one's eye on for the future!
90.23 on the Fishscales = five stars; A-; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and a very welcome revival of all that was great with 1970s Canterbury style music.
28. BRUFORD Feels Good to Me (1978) The first of the three Bruford albums from the late 1970s, Feels Good to Me is so tightly wound, so concisely constructed and precisely performed, that it almost scared me off upon first listen. (I bought it when it came out). The angular and often dissonant lead guitar work of Allan Holdsworth took me some getting used to--as did the vocal stylings of Annette Peacock (though I was much more quickly won over by her than I was by Holdsworth). The funky "non-keyboard" keyboard work of Dave Stewart--especially on that (in retrospect, amazing) opening song took me by surprise (I had not at this point been exposed to any Canterbury-style jazz fusion). I knew BRAND X and, of course, drummer extraordinaire Bill Bruford. I also had quite a challenge in having to process and accommodate bass player Jeff Berlin's amazing speed, dexterity, and melodic choice-making. All in all, this was a form and style of music that pushed all of my musical buttons; I was just not ready for it! And yet I persisted and continued to play and accumulate Bruford albums and anything and everything he touched over the next three decades. Every song here is jaw-dropping for the virtuosity of its musicians as well as for the innovation of its compositional twists and turns. Great work from a collective of very strong-willed virtuosi. No wonder it only lasted a couple of years. As for the album's Canterbury-ness, it's a bit of a stretch when compared to the music of Caravan and Khan, but it is quite comparable, in my opinion, to that of the more "serious," jazz-oriented Canterbury artists such as Gilgamesh, National Health and later Soft Machine.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Allan Holdsworth / electric guitar (1-10)
- Dave Stewart / keyboards, synths
- Jeff Berlin / bass
- Bill Bruford / drums and percussion (tuned & untuned), co-producer
With:
- Annette Peacock / vocals (2,3,10)
- John Clark / electric guitar (11)
- John Goodsall / rhythm guitar (6)
- Kenny Wheeler / flugelhorn (3,7,9)
- Neil Murray / addit. bass
- Dave Stewart / keyboards, synths
- Jeff Berlin / bass
- Bill Bruford / drums and percussion (tuned & untuned), co-producer
With:
- Annette Peacock / vocals (2,3,10)
- John Clark / electric guitar (11)
- John Goodsall / rhythm guitar (6)
- Kenny Wheeler / flugelhorn (3,7,9)
- Neil Murray / addit. bass
1. "Beelzebub" (3:22) (9/10)
2. "Back to the Beginning" (7:25) (13/15)
3. "Seems Like a Lifetime Ago (Pt. 1)" (2:31) (8/10)
4. "Seems Like a Lifetime Ago (Pt. 2)" (4:29) (9/10)
5. "Sample and Hold" (5:12) (9/10)
6. "Feels Good to Me" (3:53) (8/10)
7. "Either End of August" (5:24) (8/10)
8. "If You Can't Stand the Heat..." (3:26) Jeff Berlin on display. (8.75/10)
9. "Springtime in Siberia" (2:44) Kenny Wheeler ballad/duet with Dave Stewart. (4.75/5)
10. "Adios a la Pasada (Goodbye to the Past)" (8:41) (18/20)
Total Time: 46:58
2. "Back to the Beginning" (7:25) (13/15)
3. "Seems Like a Lifetime Ago (Pt. 1)" (2:31) (8/10)
4. "Seems Like a Lifetime Ago (Pt. 2)" (4:29) (9/10)
5. "Sample and Hold" (5:12) (9/10)
6. "Feels Good to Me" (3:53) (8/10)
7. "Either End of August" (5:24) (8/10)
8. "If You Can't Stand the Heat..." (3:26) Jeff Berlin on display. (8.75/10)
9. "Springtime in Siberia" (2:44) Kenny Wheeler ballad/duet with Dave Stewart. (4.75/5)
10. "Adios a la Pasada (Goodbye to the Past)" (8:41) (18/20)
Total Time: 46:58
86.81 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent example of the jazz fusion side of progressive rock music.
29. EGG Egg (1970) I came into knowing the Mont CAMPBELL, Dave STEWART, Clive BROOKS project known as Egg with the followup to this one, The Polite Force, which is one of my favorite Canterbury albums. So, the self-titled debut had a bit of a hill to climb to please me. But it does! I love hearing some of the sounds and rhythms that will later come into make the amazing music of The Polite Force! #3. "I Will Be Absorbed" (5:12) (9.5/10) is an incredible song: great melodies, great singing, pretty tight musicianship. Definitely a favorite!
#4. The Bach "Fugue in D minor" (2:45) (9.5/10) and their own Stravinsky-influenced "Concerto" (20:41) are both quite enjoyable--even the trippy, experimental parts of "Blane" are interesting. But the highlight for me is the piano/organ experimental piece, "They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano" (1:21) (5/5) Perhaps a little autobiographical?
The two other vocal pieces, "While Growing My Hair" (4:03) (8/10) and "The Song of McGullicudie the Pusillanimous" (5:10) (9/10) sound a bit dated but, again, this is amazing stuff for 19 year olds!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dave Stewart / organ, piano, tone generator
- Mont Campbell / bass, vocals
- Clive Brook / drums
- Mont Campbell / bass, vocals
- Clive Brook / drums
1. "Bulb" (0:09)
2. "While Growing My Hair" (3:53) (8/10)
3. "I Will Be Absorbed" (5:10) (9.5/10)
4. "Fugue In D Minor" (2:46) (9.5/10)
5. "They Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano..." (1:17) (5/5)
6. "The Song Of McGuillicudie The Pusillanimous (or Don't Worry James, Your Socks Are Hanging In The Coal Cellar With Thomas)" (5:07) a wild ride into a horror house of psychedelia. So tight! And Mont Campbell's singing sounds a little like GIL SCOTT HERON! (9/10)
7. "Boilk" (1:00) de-stabilizing the tuning of a Mellotron? Interesting sonic experiment! (4/5)
8. "Symphony No 2" (22:26)
- a. Movement 1 (5:47) jazzy Keith Emerson-like variation on a familiar theme, organs in the lead with very solid, perfect accompaniment from bass and drums. Turns to slow blues mid-way through the fourth minute before re-upping the tempo for the final minute. (9.5/10)
- b. Movement 2 (6:20) opens with a drum exposition before piano and bass help establish a kind of marching rhythm but then the song cycles back to rolling tom-tom and cymbal play with distant organ and more active bass play. This pattern revolves a full three times before synth and organ play start to take off into realms of psychedelia. The recurring piano bars with the solid bass play and gentle drum support help keep it sane, keep it real. (9/10)
- c. Blane (5:28) is more of an experiment in the sound capabilities of the organ and "tone generator." Definitely a solo piece for Dave Stewart within which Clive Brooks offers subtle percussive help. Once the organ enters and gives the space a kind of church-in-waiting feeling there is a slight ease provided the listener, but this is soon taken away for a final foray into experimental sound. (8.5/10)
- e. Movement 4 (4:51) brilliant finale to a very engaging, melodic, and interesting "symphony."(9.5/10)
Total Time: 41:48
Also, I like Mont Campbell's voice! (Dave Stewart was Uriel's original guitarist?!!! Whoa!)
90.56 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; an astonishing debut album in the early days of both progressive rock music and the Canterbury Scene. Compare this album to the ones being released by Caravan, The Soft Machine, Gong, and even Emerson, Lake and Palmer during or before 1970 and you might begin to comprehend the extraordinary feat that this album is!
30. ROBERT WYATT Rock Bottom (1974) I've owned and listened to this album regularly for a few years now but to this day fail to feel the sadness others associate with listening to it. I know the story, and I can imagine Robert's mood and mindset whilst creating this album (how cathartic and, hopefully, healing!) To hear the man's shift in instrumental orientation is quite extraordinary. And the emotion in his voice is quite raw and beautifully, expressively carefree. The contributing band members must have been quite focused in the making of this one. The contributions of Richard Sinclair, Mongeza Feza, Gary Windo and Mike Oldfield are especially notable, though Fred Frith's viola play in the second half of "Little Red Robin Hood Hit The Road" is exemplarily of the album's seriousness.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Robert Wyatt / vocals, guitar (2), keyboards, percussion
With:
- Ivor Cutler / vocals (3,6), baritone concertina (6)
- Alfreda Benge / vocals (5)
- Mike Oldfield / guitar (6)
- Mongezi Feza / trumpet (3)
- Gary Windo / alto & bass clarinets (5)
- Fred Frith / viola (6)
- Richard Sinclair / bass (1,3,6)
- Hugh Hopper / bass (2,4,5)
- Laurie Allan / drums (2,6)
- Nick Mason / producer
With:
- Ivor Cutler / vocals (3,6), baritone concertina (6)
- Alfreda Benge / vocals (5)
- Mike Oldfield / guitar (6)
- Mongezi Feza / trumpet (3)
- Gary Windo / alto & bass clarinets (5)
- Fred Frith / viola (6)
- Richard Sinclair / bass (1,3,6)
- Hugh Hopper / bass (2,4,5)
- Laurie Allan / drums (2,6)
- Nick Mason / producer
1. "Sea Song" (6:32) is plaintively beautiful if a bit monotonous. (9/10)
2. "Last Straw" (5:47) is most remarkable to me for Robert's vocalized 'trumpet' play-- something I quite enjoy. (9/10)
3. "Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road" (7:41) is a gorgeous song with amazing piano chord play, bass lines, and multiple tracked trumpets weaving among and beyond the tick-tocking percussive play. The distorted and reverse-effected keys, guitars and vocals are used to amazing effect. The Hedgehog is just weird. (15/15)
4. "Alifib" (6:55) is probably the album's oddest, saddest foray into self-pity and opiate- induced nonsense. (12/15) Thank goodness it shifts into some more expressive free-form jazz with
5. "Alifie" (6:32), an excursion into some deeper, darker expressiveness primarily via the inspired saxophone play of Gary Windo. (8/10)
6. "Little Red Robin Hood Hit The Road" (6:09) is highlighted by some vintage Mike Oldfield guitar work (on multiple tracks) as well as some of Robert's cleverest wordplay. (9/10)
Total Time: 39:37
88.57 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of emotional, psychedelic progressive rock music. Definitely a better listen if on headphones and while giving it one's full attention. I have to admit that Rock Bottom has a timelessness to it that makes it rise above the 4 stars it might otherwise deserve. The Hedgehog is just weird.
"Dinsdale!" . . . "Dinsdale!"
31. THE SOFT MACHINE Volume Two (1969) Gone are founding members Daevid ALLEN and Kevin AYERS. The remaining members decide to produce an album as a trio with Robert WYATT on drums and vocals, Mike RATLEDGE on keyboards and flute, Hugh HOPPER on bass and alto sax, and special guest, Hugh's brother, Brian HOPPER on soprano and tenor saxes. What unveils is a masterpiece of supremely melodic and humorous exercises and experiments in modern and psychedelic jazz pop. I find the album eminently enjoyable to this day--one of my favorite start-to-finish 'adventures' in music listening. Each song is interesting for its experimental nature as well as for its lyrical content and instrumental performances. Robert is quite a talented drummer, Mike a wonderfully melodic piano and keyboard player, and the Hopper boys add quite a bit of colour and harmonic beauty. I don't really want to go through each of the seventeen songs, nor do I want to name my favorite or the "five star" songs as to my ears and mind the album is one continuous play experience, but if you really twist my arm I'd go out there to say that "Dada Was Here" is a wonderful composite example of all of the best qualities of this album--with the additional highlight of having Robert singing in Spanish! and that Side One is more engaging and more melodic than the more experimental and more instrumental Side Two--and yet I find the jazzier experimentations fascinating!
Line-up / Musicians:
88.81 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock and a true cornerstone of the Canterbury style of psychedelic jazz-rock fusion. Too bad Side Two couldn't continue the pace and quality of Side One.
33. NATIONAL HEALTH Of Queues and Cures (1978) A band of serious, mature musicians who desire to make challenging, sophisticated music. Though all coming from Canterbury roots, I consider this album more akin to good jazz fusion than spacey, psychedelic experimentalist fun and silliness that some of the Canterbury stuff was. (Though by this time, as we all know, the Canterbury flower-power era was all but over.)
Line-up / Musicians:
1. The Bryden 2-step (for Amphibians)" (8:55) begins with some floating instruments, finally gelling into a tightly woven, fast-paced collaborative piece. The recording quality is far superior to most of the Canterbury sounds coming before it, which is a big plus. Also, the instrumental mix is quite balanced with no one really going off to become the central show- person. The use of brass and woodwinds are effective. (16/20)
2. "The Collapso" (6:19) is fun experiment with Carribbean 'callypso' instrumentation and styles--more of a parody or play on them, really. Not any really memorable melodies or soli (maybe the fuzzed bass solo in the last minute?), it is another fairly tight group collaboration. (8/10)
3. "Squarer for Maud" (11:50) begins like 1960s European murder-mystery soundtrack: bass, piano, symbol play, cello, sustained electric guitar chords. With the rhythm-cum-melody established, Phil Miller takes the first lead with his electric guitar. At 2:15 arrives a little bridge to re-direct. The tones get heavier, more aggressive, as the sound effects on the stringed instruments get rougher around the edges. 4:07 another shift, this time into a more avant-jazz horn-led rhythm. Pip Pyle's drumming here is very tight, the glue that holds it all together--and continues to do so, along with Dave Stewart's wizardry at maintaining "controlled chaos"--Break! "Numinousness!" Quelle surprise! Slowed down piano chord progression but more frantic drum playing! The guitarist, too, brings his playing under control. The shift at 8:30 plays out into a frenetic, MAGMA-like frenzy of reckless abandon-- speed like that of a runaway train! Everybody's on board, now, they can't be stopped! Stewart and Miller are shining! the background accompanying brass is awesome! Then, spurt and sputter, it's a UNIVERS ZERO ending! Incredible song! (24/25)
4. "Dreams Wide Awake" (8:50) begins on the heavier side, like a MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA piece. The first soloist, Phil MIller, is awesome and ear-catching while his accompanists groove gets a little stale (this is jazz!) A rapid succession of key changes at 2:20 shift the music into Dave's World--organ and keyboard sounds we have all become quite used to associating with his work. The soloing is okay, but it's interesting to listen to Phil Miller's (too far up in the mix) accompanying rhythm guitar work. At 4:55 the band comes back together to give Phil and a couple of different guitar sounds another chance. At this point I'm realizing that the song is really just a basic jazz song trying to provide solid set ups for the two principle soloists to do their thing. Unfortunately, neither of the soloists is quite as captivating or mind-blowing as, say, a Lester Brown or John Coltrane. Good song. (14/20)
5. "Binoculars" (11:46) begins with multiple layered organs and horns(?) going through a beautiful progression of chords. At 1:08 Pip Pyle establishes a drum backbeat over which the others organize their chord progression (Those horns were Phil Miller's guitar!) over which some male voice sings a typically unforgettable flow-of-consciousness lyric. Nice delicate keyboard, bass, cymbol and flute work in the fourth minute lull section--and nice transition (by Pip Pyle) at the 3:53 mark taking the same melodic "pretty' part onto the expressway. 4:50 begins Dave's brief solo, before everything comes to a slowly rolling stop. (Very prettily, I might add--like a full orchestra! Is this a variation on that opening chord progression?) Horns and cacaphony until 7:55's return to bare-bones organ, cymbols and the singer's tribute to John Wayne and Rip Torn.
Very well recorded, this song! Excellent mix, balance and blend. Love the bass, drum and keyboard interplay in the tenth minute. Woodwinds and, later, Phil's screeching distorted guitar round out this final section of this beautiful song. Listen to John Greaves' bass work! Sublime. (23.5/25)
6. "Phlakaton" at 0:09, is this really a 'song?'
7. "The Bryden 2-step (for Amphibians) Part 2" (5:34) opens with 'Jaws' rolling bass line, around which drums, organ, and fuzz guitar weave aggressively. By the end of the third minute the song has developed into a tight combo presenting with the same clarity and unity as they did on the opening number. Npt sure I'd end the album with the same spacey 'random' instrument play as they started, but, there you have it. They've come around full circle. (8/10)
5. "A Sprinkling of Clouds" (8:55) is where the album really starts to stand up and shine. Part TANGERINE DREAM, part Indian raga, part CSN&Y/JESSE COULTER YOUNG, until it morphs into a driving groove by the 4:20 mark and then into a more Canterbury sound with the electric guitar and sax soli soon thereafter. Multiple synths, floating space guitar, and talking drum make for a good team in the first half, then nice bass groove takes us to the moon. (18/20)
6. "Perfect Mystery" (2:27) is only notable for its percussion work--is otherwise quite annoying in a pixie-ish kind of way. (3.5/5)
The next long song, 7. "The Isle of Everywhere" (10:22) is another pleasant space groove with GILLI SMYTH's ethereal vocals floating all around us, giving way to some very nice, subdued sax work around the 3:30 mark. Steve Hillage solos next--playing out to the song's fade out (the master fade makes it sound like the jam went on for quite some time longer). Nice play from the bass, sax, and drums. (18/20)
8. "You Never Blow Yr Trip Forever" (11:23) starts like the precursor to NEWCLEUS's Ewok voices in "Jam On It" before it shifts, late in the song, to a nice jazz piece. Odd mock-vocals and lyrics return. The song is just a little too surreal, silly, disjointed, and . . . well, pointless for my tastes. (12/20)
47. INNER EAR BRIGADE Rainbro (2016) COS and STEREOLAB comingled and recorded for the first time!
Line-up / Musicians:
2. "Oompah" (5:07) has some KC AND THE SUNSHINE BAND riffs and influence as well as feeling like some of FROGG CAFE's most CHICAGO-ishness. (8/10)
3. "Missing the Train" (3:41) feels a lot like a song coming from the 1960s Brazilian-influenced period of U.S. pop jazz. (8/10)
4. "Rainbro" (5:01) is perhaps my least favorite song on the album. It has more of a "bland" Stereolab feel to it--the melodies and chord changes are not quite as catchy as other songs--though I love the final 30 seconds. (7/10)
5. "Too Good to Be True" (4:12) has some social-political commentary like that commonly found in Stereolab songs as well as some nice XTC-like jazz guitar sound/work. (8/10)
6. "Somnambulist Subversion" (4:36) uses two long-out-dated instrumental effects: the cheesy synth and the ragged distortion strum of a punk-like guitar that begin the song. Once voice, horns and percussives, tuned and untuned, join in, the song takes on a more early Elvis Costello sound and feel. (9/10)
7. “Nutjob" (3:14) is an instrumental that begins in a tight Canterbury fashion: whole band chord staccato progression before settling down into a pleasant kind of jazz beat to support trade off solos from horns, Farfisa organ & crazy synths, distorted and jagged guitars, tuned percussives. (9/10)
8. “Forgotten Planet” (6:02) is my favorite. It begins with flute and tight Stereolab-like rhythm bass with vocalist Melody Ferris’s scatting Pascale Son (COS)-like. Wonderful Canterbury song! (10/10)
9. “Dirty Spoons” (5:13) begins with an acoustic guitar playing an arpeggiated chord sequence that is just heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Bandleader Bill Wolter is gradually joined by the rhythm section, keyboards and horns--which take over the presentation of the melodies on this awesome instrumental. Parts have an almost Acid Jazz feel to it, only without the house downbeat. Another favorite. (10/10)
10. “25 Miles to Freedom” is notable for both its length (10:31) and its different jazz beat--like a kletzmer-meets-Philip-Glass or like the 1988 Pat Metheny-Steve Reich collaboration on “Different Trains.” Melody Ferris’s jazzy vocals aren’t quite as warm or alluring on this one--and actually make it obvious that on this particular song it’s the instrumental sections that are the standouts--like the violin, sax, and vibraphone trio in the seventh minute, or the STEELY DAN-like sax solo in minute number eight. (9/10)
Total Time 52:36
My favorite songs in which Melody’s voice shine are the wordless “Forgotten Planet,” “Missing The Train,” “Oompah,” “Knee,” and “Rainbro.”
The more I listen to this album, in a variety of locations, the more I think that this is, in fact, a masterpiece of progressive rock music. (My favorite listening venue thus far has been in the car, uninterrupted highway driving.) This could be slightly tainted by the fact that the album gets better and better with each song, but could be also because I am so craving upbeat, happy prog--kind of like what we lost with the fadeout of the Canterbury Scene.
48. SUPERSISTER Iskander (1973) Gone are founding members Marco Vrolijk and Sacha van Geest, drummer and flute-sax player, respectively. Still, Robert Jan Stips and company manage to focus and take on a concept album, no less--a musical rendering and homage to the historical figure, Alexander the Great. I think they do it exceedingly well--and still in a very Canterburian way, despite their growth and the inputs of two new, jazz-oriented members. Though I miss the predominance of the flutes from the previous albums, I love the various saxes as played by Charlie Mariano. Ron van Eck's chunky bass feels and sounds more at home, more integrated within this new music--which is mixed much more thickly, with less separation and differentiation (pointing to Robert Jan's development on the engineering/production side of things). though there is definitely a stronger commitment to jazz tendencies the keyboard and chordal structures are still very much anchored in the Canterbury sound.
Line-up / Musicians:
A solid four star album from this wonderful Dutch band--and their best engineered album to date.
49. HOMUNCULUS RES Come si diventa ciò che si era (2015) While not quite as new, fresh, happy, upbeat, melodic, or loose and quirky as their debut, this is still an excellent album release fully within the Canterbury sound. The music feels to me as if it is now more work, more effort, less fun, less imbued with the frivolity of youth and its devil-may-care joy. I miss some of the layers and sudden stops and shifts, and I do not like the way the drums are recorded. I hope the future music of this wonderfully spirited band veers more toward songs like "Balacqua" (3:40) and the epic "Ospedale civico" (17:52) and less like the opening few songs here.
Line-up / Musicians:
51. THE SOFT MACHINE -- Fourth (1971) If one had never heard the previous albums with their quirky beginnings in psychedelia one might enter into the world of Mike Ratledge, Hugh Hopper, Robert Wyatt, and Elton Dean thinking that these guys are 1) serious jazz musicians and 2) great masters of their instruments. The only problem is: There is very, very little here that feels or sounds like Canterbury style music--a little in "Kings and Queens" and Virtually part 3." That's it.
While Dean's saxes will become more refined and creative in his more free-form future, the playing here of Robert Wyatt is the first and only time that I found myself thinking that "this is a really impressive musician." Ratledge and Hopper are really good and the addition of double bass from NUCLEUS founder Mike Babbington is awesome. Also, I still think it rather unique and brave of the band to go without a guitar player.
Line-up / Musicians:
3. "Fletcher's blemish" (4:35) pure free-form jazz in which the musicians exhibit some great control and, surprisingly, cohesiveness. (8.5/10)
52. ZOPP Zopp
Competent modern prog done in the Canterbury style most similar to Dave Newhouse's Manna/Mirage though I find Egg, Hatfield and the North, Supersister, and The Muffins also come to mind. Fine sound engineering and overall production for this sometimes simplistic and basic imitation of the best sounds of Dave Stewart, Robert Jan Stips, Phil Miller, Richard Sinclair, and others.
Line-up / Musicians:
53. CARAVAN Caravan (1970) Out of the ashes The DAEVID ALLEN TRIO and THE WILDE FLOWERS comes this debut album from one of the three most important contributors to the Canterbury legacy. Daevid Allen has moved to France, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers and the Hopper brothers are moving all over the place (Soft Machine to Matching Mole, et al.) which leaves the Hastings, Sinclair, and Coughlan families to sort out their own directions and desires.
Line-up / Musicians:
1. "Place of my own" (4:01) nice vocal melodies for this organ-based tune. (8/10)
2. "Ride" (3:42) rather bland and ordinary with Pye singing the lead up close and personal. (7/10)
3. "Policeman" (2:44) Richard Sinclair taking a turn at the lead--he's more conservative than we'll hear in a year or two. Quite a little similarity to THE BEATLE's "I am the Walrus" without the crazed, surreal lyrics. (8/10)
4. "Love song with flute" (4:10) a very catchy and almost perfectly polished prog pop song (using melodic themes that they would return to over the course of the next few years). (9.5/10)
5. "Cecil runs" (4:07) opens with experimental guitar chords, spaciousness and a new synth to play with. Chorale harmony vocals enter to announce the telling of a story. Animated organ play provides the action here. I love the beat to this one. And the theatric vocal displays. My favorite song on the album due to both it's experimental play and its unbound theatric storytelling. (9.5/10)
6. "Magic man" (4:03) serves notice to the fact that the boys are struggling to find the voice of their own, instead they are talented singer/musicians taking on sounds and styles others have had success with. This one is more of a combination of PROCUL HARUM's now-classic "Whiter Shade of Pale" and ELP's recent monster "underground" hit, "Lucky Man" (bass and guitar). Not bad! (9/10)
7. "Grandma's lawn" (3:25) Richard in lead again, organ and guitar are quite a bit looser here and the MOODY BLUES-like lyrics and vocal flow more extemporaneously. (8.5/10)
8. "Where but for Caravan would I be" (9:01) their first prog epic--containing a lot of elements reminiscent of contemporary bands like THE BEATLES, THE DOORS, THE ZOMBIES, and even THE MOODY BLUES, this organ-based blues-rock song is musically quite rudimentary yet contains some very interesting vocal and lyrical choices. The final 90 seconds is the best. Tidings of things to come. (16/20)
Total Time: 35:13
83.89 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a nice addition to any prog lover's music collection and an excellent example of the Canterbury style of music from the classic era of prog.
54. CAMEL Mirage (1974) Though I purchased 1976's Moonmadness in the year of its release and have played Side 2 fondly throughout my life, the rest of the Camel discography has only become known to me in the past ten years. None of it drew me in the way "Air Born" and "Lunar Sea" did. But it is growing on me.
Mirage is the band's most universally acclaimed album due to the presence of several longer suites, the Tolkein suite, "Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider" and "Lady Fantasy." I have included Mirage here in the list of Canterbury greats because I hear and feel many of the sounds and stylings in Camel's music that I associate with the Canterbury Scene sounds. They aren't really considered a Canterbury band, but they could be if one were willing to expand the definition a bit.
Line-up / Musicians:
1. "Freefall" (5:47) starts the album off showing a blues-rock/Canterbury side of Camel. Some nice, complicated tempo changes. (7/10)
2. "Supertwister" (3:20) has a bit more melody and mood to suck the listener in--almost too syrupy pretty--like a DEODATO or FOCUS song. Great melodic hook in the third movement--from which point the music does get very pretty (especially from the flute). (9/10)
3. "Nimrodel / The Procession / The White Rider" (9:12) exemplifies perfectly why I will never be able to grant a Camel album masterpiece status: the vocals and drums in the slow parts (and when does a fast part of a Camel song have vocals?) are dull, ordinary, soporific. Much better drums once the tempo picks back up, however, Michael Giles and Ward are two drummers I've never really appreciated. Perhaps they make it sound so easy, so straightforward, that they sound boring.
The fast sections are the most Canterbury-sounding parts. The final section is the best with its pedal steel guitar solo as it also has the album's best drumming section. (17.5/20)
4. "Earthrise" (6:42) is another Canterbury jam--one in which, IMO, the bass player stands out most. He's no Percy Jones, but he's good! Otherwise, nothing so very special here. Again, the faster section is the best. (11.5/15)
5. "Lady Fantasy: Encounter / Smiles For You / Lady Fantasy" (12:46) let's me know that STARCASTLE wasn't only YES-inspired. Nice recording and mix of this DOORS-like song. As a mater of fact, if I didn't know better, I would have guessed that Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger were sitting in on this one--a symphonic update of "Light My Fire."
I do like all of the song's shifts and changes--they do work rather well--or "seemlessly" as another reviewer on ProgArchives wrote. The music, however, is lacking the stunning soli and/or melodic 'hooks' necessary to draw me in. I've tried listening to this song over and over and over and, save but for a few moments here and there, without emotional impact. The ending has got to be one of the poorest ever--especially after coming right off that hard driving rhythm section part. (19/25)
Total Time: 37:47
A band I like but don't love. Of the second tier of "classic" prog "greats," I would invariably choose FOCUS, RENAISSANCE, CARAVAN or even SUPERTRAMP before I'd choose Camel.
80.0 on the Fishscales = C/a pleasant excursion into some cheezy, Canterbury-influenced progressive rock music. IMHO, Moonmadness is their best--and that not even close to being a masterpiece. This one is good, but certainly not essential. 3.5 stars.
55. MOVING GELATINE PLATES Moving Gelatine Plates (1971) Bursting onto the Canterbury Scene from across La Manche in 1971 came Moving Gelatine Plates with a much more dynamic, jazz foundation but with all the requisite quirky, silliness that The Softs had given the world in the previous two or three years. A quartet, the band was greatly enhanced by the multi-instrumental talents of organ and reed player Maurice HEMLINGER. The rhythm section is quite skilled and the compositional content is quite mature. Guitarist Gerard BERTRAM is quite creative and versatile.
Line-up / Musicians:
In my opinion the only song deserving of a full five star rating is the rollicking, hillarious, rollercoaster-ride that is "London Cab"--though the flute-dominated instrumental "Memories" is quite nice. The other songs are far more technically jazz tunes with some experimental production techniques and Canterbury structures. The down-tempo vocal section and final five minutes of "Last Song" is less jazzy and more experimental oddness, but not as fun or engaging as the like from EGG, The Softs, or NATIONAL HEALTH. Culturally, this album is quite an amazing accomplishment to come out of France after all of the political upheaval they had been through.
Based on the musicianship alone this album earns a four star rating.
85.33 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a solid contribution to the Canterbury style of jazz-rock fusion--though really more serious jazz-rock than loose and funny Canterbury.
56. NATIONAL HEALTH National Health (1977) This much acclaimed album from a virtual all-star band of Canterbury stars with the likes of Phil Miller, Pip Pyle, Dave Stewart, Alan Gowen, Jimmy Hastings, and Amanda Parsons helping out but this album has always left me feeling a bit on the outside, that is, I have problems engaging with (and, thus, enjoying) the music on this album.
Line-up / Musicians:
1. "Tenemos Roads" (14:32) Chunky rambling bass, a drumming style that seems very imitative of Bill BRUFORD, and the by-now "old"-sounding buzz organ. It's not until 5:50 that anything new or fresh or even Canterburian begins to happen. Even Amanda Parsons' crystalline voice is not enough to bring warmth to this experiment in dissonance. How dissonant, how jazzy can Canterbury get and still be called Canterbury? This is one example. Even Dave Stewart's solo Mr. Rogers electric piano doodling in the tenth and eleventh minutes fails to allow the listener hear consonance. Finally at the end of the twelfth minute Amanda and flute are given permission to use pleasurable Occidental harmonic structures for their melodies. (25/30)
2. "Brujo" (10:13) opens with Amanda's distant high-register vocal scatting interplaying with the dissonant melodies being played by the bass, synth, piano, and guitar in the foreground. In the second minute, slow, quiet piano arpeggi and random percussives provide a background for flute and then Amanda, to try to engage the listener with their slightly comforting melodies. At 4:11 the full band kicks into full gear with an uptempo section that puts Pip PYLE's drumming skills on display. Awesome! Then a kind of Chick COREA/RETURN TO FOREVER Latin-flavored section with mini-moog solo and awesome cymbal play and chunky bass lines in the WEATHER REPORT fashion helping out. Dave Stewart's nice buzz organ solo is then followed by a brief Phil Miller guitar solo before the band shifts gears again--signalled by the return of Amanda's high voice scatting. Piano and synth play again sound so much like Chick COREA. Decent song if derivative and imitative. (17/20)
3. "Borogroves (Excerpt from Part Two)" (4:12) does have a kind of Lewis Carroll feel to it in the way the keys, bass, and guitars toy around with their odd sounds in kind of childish experimentalist fashion. Everybody (even flutes) is just messing around seemingly in their own little world of make-believe. Then, around 2:30, the clavinet appears to signal integration and set up a foundation for Phil Miller to use his wah-pedal-effected guitar during an extended solo to the song's end. Not my cup of tea--no matter how deep into the rabbit hole I choose to venture. (7.5/10)
4. "Borogroves (Part One)" (6:29) Why these two Borogrove songs are ordered "part two" before the arrival of "part one" I can only surmise has everything to do with the Lewis Carroll theme alluded to in the title. Whether or not this was an alternative take on the same musical ideas I do not know. Could be. This version is much more structured in a rock band format with piano chords and steady, forward moving drum and bass lines. Though the music does have a kind of carnival Fun House feel to it, dissonance is still the rule, which continues to leave me feeling left out. (7.5/10)
5. "Elephants" (14:32) opens with more independent masturbatory instrument play from four musicians. For all I know, the four could very well have recorded these tracks in separate studios and then tried to splice them together later--that's how disparate they sound to me. And then at 4:11 they all come together for six brief seconds of cohesive harmony. Heaven!
The ensuing RETURN TO FOREVER jazz fusion section laying a steady base for the Moog to solo is at least familiar and coherent to me. Call me a musical retard, but I just don't get the joy and enjoyment of playing/performing the discordant dissonant parts. Is it all mental masturbation? Technical posturing?
The softer, dreamy section beginning at the end of the eleventh minute at least lets my nerves relax--which is a change of pace. But to have to go forty minutes into an album to final feel this? This is not the kind of album for me. (25/30)
I don't think of myself as a musical expert. Nor do I pretend to understand musical theory. But I do know when music fails to bring me into its fold--and this music does that for me. Oddly, there is a LOT of modern music from the jazz and classical realms that use dissonance and odd time signatures and structural formats that I love. This just happens to not be one of them.
82.0 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars, rated up for outstanding musicianship; a very good ambassador of the jazzy direction in which Canterbury style music evolved over the 1970s.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dave Newhouse / keyboards, reeds, guitars (1,4), kalimba (2), accordion (3), harmonica (6), everything (4,7)
With:
- Sean Rickman / drums (1,2,5,6,8)
- Guy Segers / bass (1,6)
- Michael Zentner / electric violin (1)
- Jerry King / trombone (1-3), bass (2,3)
- Mark Stanley / guitar (2,6,8)
- Michael Bass / drums (3)
- Forrest Fang / violin (3)
- Rich O'Meara / marimba (6), mallets, bells, percussion (8)
- Dereck Higgins / bass (8)
- Luciano Margorani / guitar (9)
1. "Phantosmia" (6:30) very interesting for its unusual (for Dave) rhythm track. Saxophone and Michael Zentner's Eddie Jobson-like violin lead us through the first three minutes but then the horn section takes over in the foreground while individual instruments try to vie for attention from behind the wall of winds. In the fifth minute the band falls into the Rock Creek as Jannick Top-like single-pluck bass notes reverberate in order to keep the song moving above multiple reverse guitar tracks. Interesting. (8.75/10)
2. "Rounded by Sleep" (8:36) great steady mini-big band foundation that reminds me of Herbie Hancock's 1970s music in the late 1960s and early 1970s sits beneath some really awesome fuzz-saw guitar playing from Mark Stanley. At 4:00 Mark's play and the drums and bass cut out and we're left with a Phillip Glass-like tuned percussion weave within which trombone, woodwinds, and piano play a little bit. Then, at 6:20, a new kalimba, bass, and electric piano weave fades in and takes over. Lots of tuned percussion joins in and VERY cool three-part song! (18.75/20)
4. "Section W" (4:56) a weave of stringed instruments: bass, guitar, percussed electric guitar, even banjo (dobro?) are all cycling within a steady repeating flow. Once established, radio tuning noises are strung into the mix giving it a Holger Czukay sound and feel. But then low flute (shakuhachi?) enters--on multiple tracks--providing a whole different feel and texture. (9/10)
5. "There Was a Time" (2:21) one of those classic beautiful piano-based chord progression songs that only Dave seems to be able to generate. Organ tracks, drums, keyboard bass, and some reeds provide most of the instrumentation for this little "soundtrack" ditty. (4.5/5)
6. "Close the Sky (5:52) a song of several parts, Guy Segers' heavily-treated bass and Mark Stanley's heavily-treated muted guitar play provide most of the foundational stuff for the first two minutes while reeds and harmonica provide entertainment on the sides, but then marimba takes the place of Mark's guitar for a minute, but then he returns for another solo--still playing off of Guy's interesting jazz bass. Then formally horn section step in to take the fore, providing their own tight melody as drummer Sean Rickman freestyles. (9/10)
7. "Instant Cloud Effect (3:18) opens with a descending chord progression of Fender Rhodes electric piano, bass, flutes, and clarinet, a pattern that is repeated with interludes of a second motif for the flutes and clarinet to do some flitting and flying off on their own. Nice. Peaceful. (8.875/10)
8. "Love Song for a Country" (5:30) slow and melancholy, this one feels as if the entire band are all on the same page--in the same mood--thus the song's overall feeling of uniformity--of the band's entrainment and indivisibility. It would've been interesting to hear this with Nick Prol's vocals. Nice avant garde guitar soloing from Mark Stanley in the last 90 seconds. Dave sure has a genius for great, nostalgic chord piano progressions. (9/10)
9. "Hope" (5:00) like Dave's swan song. I feel as if I'm listening to Dexter Gordon's playing from the film 'Round Midnight. (8.875/10)
Total Time 46:16
58. STEVE HILLAGE Fish Rising (1975) An album I've returned to fairly recently as it was one that never pulled me in back in the 70s. I was never very impressed with the engineering and production; most of the sounds could have benefitted from some better soundboard treatment, better mixing. Plus, though Steve is a master of pulling some absolutely heart-wrenching chords, chord progressions, and melodies out of his beautifully creative soul, his music still feels unrefined and raw, at times even abrasive; rarely do things behave with flow and coherence. I've never seen or heard Steve live, but I wonder how well he'd be able to recreate his songs on stage. (For some reason this is important to me. Not only the ability but the desire. Otherwise, what else is a studio recording but an 'on' and 'off'' switch of the recording machine whilst jamming. Replicability denotes effort, structure, discipline, planning, practice, and commitment to posterity.)
Line-up / Musicians:
2. "Fish" (1:23) is most remarkable for its GONG-like cosmological humor. (3/5)
4. "The Salmon Song": (8:45) quickly kicks into a nice little driving groove before layers of lead guitars begin to build. At 2:25 Steve begins his singing--nice but no really catching melodies. A little magic begins around the 3:45 mark: nice chords and effects, bassoon, scaled down support music. Almost TODD-like! Listening to this album reminds me once again that, for all the grief people give Todd Rundgren, he sure was years ahead of his peers in terms of production knowhow, talent and courage. Some nice space-lead guitar work beginning around 6:40. The bass and drums get a bit annoying. Interesting ending. (16/20)
5. Aftaglid: (14:46) begins like a Hare Krishna chant: hand/finger bells and simple guitar riffs. By 1:40 we see a transformation into the delayed 'space' guitar for which Steve is quite known. The foundations drum and bass lines are so simplisitic as to make you wonder if the boys thought this was just a sound check or whether they expected the jam to stop at any moment. By 3:50 it finally feels as if the band is clicking--as if the bass and drummer have finally figured out that Steve isn't going to quit, that this is a real 'take' so they'd better get their act together. But then it all disappears at 4:35, fade out everybody but some acoustic guitar, cymbol play and floating-in-the-distant-background space guitar. Gong-like. In the seventh minutes things shift to a more Indian raga-like sound: hand drums, Indian melody being repeated on the guitar; psychedelia in the heavily treated DONOVAN-like vocals here. It's actually kind of a cool, mesmerizing section. At 8:45 we shift back into simple blues-rock formalities (these guys are no Clapton, Bruce & Baker or Hendrix, Redding & Mitchell). As much you can like the signature Hillage space guitar sound, it can't be enough to brainwash you into thinking that this is exceptionally composed or performed music, can it? Perhaps I need(ed) more drugs. (21/30)
60. MATCHING MOLE Matching Mole (1972) Robert Wyatt and company's first effort with Robert playing a part in over half of the compositions. The music is often complex and avant/experimental (the last three songs, "Dedicated to Hugh, But You Weren't Listening," "Beer as in Braindeer" and "Immediate Curtain") but then it can also be very simple and melodic (the first half of the album, "O Caroline," "Instant Pussy," "Signed Curtain"). The middle two songs are so obviously David Sinclair's, they sound like they could be off of a CARAVAN album.
Line-up / Musicians:
61. GONG Camembert Electrique (1971) Let the silliness begin. The rhythms are still a bit too rock'n'roll-like with Pip Pyle on batterie, but one great song, "Fohat Digs Holes in Space" (6:23) (10/10), reveals some of the Gong genius and prepares the world for the great space/trance stuff to come (and this before the arrival of Steve Hillage).
Line-up / Musicians:
62. HUGH HOPPER & ALAN GOWAN Two Rainbows Daily (1980) An album of sensitive, somewhat melodic, protracted keyboard experimentation with support from jazz bass by two Canterbury artists still committed to the original spirit of Canterbury Scene artists. The problem herein is the lack of direction: each song sounds like it exists purely for study or experimentation with a certain sound, cadence, chromatic sense, rhythm, sequence, or nonmelody.
Line-up / Musicians:
1. "Seen Through A Door" (5:54) sounds an awful lot like some of ANTHONY PHILLIPS keyboard work from this era and later--soundtrack like in a rudimentary, almost rehearsal kind of way. (8.5/10)
2. "Morning Order" (6:32) again, sounding more like the background music to a segment of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, the keyboard work progresses nicely as the bass remains fully present and supportive. Again, more experimental in nature as there is very little melody presented for listener engagement. (8.5/10)
3. "Fishtank 1" (4:56) more keyboard "practice" as bass plays one chord every twenty seconds or so. Nice melody from the left hand of the keyboard. (8/10)
4. "Two Rainbows Daily" (4:14) piano-based with a little more lively bass support and interplay. Reminds me of Lyle Mays' work. The structured and complete-feeling song on the album so far. (9/10)
5. "Elibom" (5:04) a duet that feels quite equal in participation, though, again, the melodic sense makes it feel more like an étude or a television soundtrack. (7.5/10)
6. "Every Silver Lining" (5:23) sounds like a TERRY C. RILEY practice session or early Berlin School contrivance but certainly not a complete song. (7.5/10)
7. "Waltz For Nobby" (9:07) slow, delicate pace--could almost be a soundtrack for a children's story or an episode of Mr. Rogers. Very pretty melodies throughout and I love spaciousness. (18/20)
Total time 41:10
83.75 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars; a nice addition to any prog lover's music collection--even more so if you have a penchant for Canterbury music.
Bonus tracks on 1995 CD remaster: These have support of a percussionist but are much more demo-sounding in sound quality and, thus, more even more sparse, incomplete, and practice-like in their form. Nothing so very extraordinary here.
8. Chunka's Troll (4:03) experimental jazz
9. Little Dream (5:16) trio sublteties
10. Soon to Fly (4:03) classical piano bar
11. Bracknell Ballad (4:10) warm up of all instruments
12. Stopes Change (3:25) drums plus
63. SOFT MACHINE -- Volume One (1968) It begins: the silliness and psychedelic jazz experimentation that becomes known as the Canterbury Scene of jazz-pop begins with this album.
Line-up / Musicians:
2. "Joy Of A Toy" (2:56) an étude of low end electric guitar with band in gentle support (8/10)
64. MATCHING MOLE Little Red Record (1972) Robert Wyatt's brief post-SOFT MACHINE project has never really drawn me in. I can appreciate some of the humour, political commentary, and certainly the musicianship, it just never feels like something that I want to come back to. I tire of his tongue-in-cheek approach to singing and of some of the obtuse challenges his music poses to the listener. It's as if he purposely wants to test his fans for their loyalty by, at times, producing grating or cerebral music.
Line-up / Musicians:
1. "Starting in the Middle of the Day, We Can Drink Our Politics Away" (2:31) opens the album in a very positive, exciting fashion with 'operatic' vocals of M. Wyatt performing some awesome vocalese over Dave McRAE's pretty piano play backed by Brian ENO's synthesizers. (10/10)
2. "Marchides" (8:25) is a funky, fuzzy, fuguy feeling song of avant jazz leanings. The musicianship is excellent; the bass annoys. (7/10)
3. "Nan True's Hole" (3:36) psycho-sexual scene played out in the foreground that not even the presence of the guitar of Robert Fripp (7/10)
4. "Righteous Rhumba" (2:50) or the "King Crimson" sound can save these two songs. (8/10)
5. "Brandy as in Benj" (4:24) babeling Robert Wyatt over some solid, good instrumental music that gets better after the babeling stops. (9/10)
6. "Gloria Gloom" (8:06) more psycho-sexuality issues on full display while the music loses its lustre and momentum a bit. (7/10)
7. "God Song" (2:59) acoustic guitar and electric bass play behind Robert's plaintive voice. The three sound a bit out of sync and uninspired. (6/10)
8. "Flora Fidgit" (3:26) sounds like a demo or outtake of some excercise that was decided to be used at the last minute to fill space on the final album. The keyboard work in the second minute is nice. I don't like the bass mimicking the lead melodies from guitar and keys. (6/10)
9. "Smoke Signal" (6:37) the album's excellent finale does it's best to save the otherwise mono-focused album. Nice percussion play in the first two minutes, great keyboard-led dreamscape in the middle three, and nice chord base for the finale. (9/10)
Total Time: 42:56
79.0 on the Fishscales = C/three stars.
65. STEVE HILLAGE Green (1978) After being spoiled by Pierre Moerlin on drums, the slowly evolving Hillage sound experiment loses a lot of my interest and respect due to inferior drumming and Steve's rutted sound selection. There are plenty of interesting and engaging passages (especially when there are no drums) and one of the best progressive rock "pop" songs of the 70s in "Palm Trees," but overall this is an album that is best left alone, visited occasionally as one would a history book or old movie.
Line-up / Musicians:
A / Five Star Masterpieces:
1. HOMUNCULUS RES -- Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto (2013) - 97.2
2. MOTHER GONG -- Fairy Tales (1979) - 95.0
3. PICCHIO DAL POZZO -- Picchio dal Pozzo (1976) - 94.12
4. KHAN -- Space Shanty (1972) - 93.42
B / Four Star Albums of Virtue:
43. COS -- Postaeolian Train Robbery ** (1974) - 87.30
44. AMOEBA SPLIT -- Second Split (2016) - 87.05
45. INNER EAR BRIGADE -- Rainbro (2015) - 87.0
46. BRUFORD -- Feels Good to Me (1977) - 86.81
47. MOVING GELATINE PLATES -- The World of Genius Hans (1972) - 86.06
48. SOFT MACHINE -- Third (1970) - 85.81
49. THE MUFFINS -- Manna/Mirage (1978) - 85.79
50. HATFIELD AND THE NORTH -- The Rotter's Club (1975) - 85.43
51. MOVING GELATINE PLATES -- Moving Gelatine Plates (1971) - 85.33
52. THE WINSTONS -- The Winstons (2015) - 85.07
B- / 3.5 Star Albums of Distinction:
53. HOMUNCULUS RES -- Come s diventa ciò che si era (2015) - 84.29
54. THE SOFT MACHINE -- Fourth (1971) - 84.12
55. CARAVAN -- Caravan (1970) - 83.89
1. May I? (4:01)
2. Rheinhardt & Geraldine / Colores Para Delores (5:41)
3. "Lunatics Lament" (4:53) surprisingly like a pop Soft Machine version of the early Rolling Stones. (8/10)
4. Pisser Dans Un Violon (8:02)
5. The Oyster And The Flying Fish (2:37)
6. Underwater (3:54)
7. Clarence In Wonderland (2:06)
8. Red Green And You Blue (3:52)
9. Shooting At The Moon (5:52)
Total time 40:58
Despite poor sound quality, there are some very charming and Canterbury-worthy moments in this album from these Hatfield-inspired Japanese musicians.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Kamon Ryo / bass
- Konno Kazuhiko / drums
- Kasai Ken / guitar
- Yamashita Kojiro / organ, piano, synthesizer
Guest musician:
- Yorino Runchiee / vocals
1. "The Prime Ultimate" (6:16) nothing special. Poor sound gets in the way of listening enjoyment. (7.75/10)
88.57 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of emotional, psychedelic progressive rock music. Definitely a better listen if on headphones and while giving it one's full attention. I have to admit that Rock Bottom has a timelessness to it that makes it rise above the 4 stars it might otherwise deserve. The Hedgehog is just weird.
"Dinsdale!" . . . "Dinsdale!"
Line-up / Musicians:
- Mike Ratledge / piano, Lowrey Holiday Deluxe organ, Hammond (3), harpsichord (12), flute (3,10)
- Hugh Hopper / bass, alto sax (3,14-16), acoustic guitar (12)
- Robert Wyatt / drums, percussion, vocals, arranger (2,4-8)
With:
- Hugh Hopper / bass, alto sax (3,14-16), acoustic guitar (12)
- Robert Wyatt / drums, percussion, vocals, arranger (2,4-8)
With:
- Brian Hopper / tenor (3,9,10,14-16) & soprano (15,16) saxes
Side 1 - Rivmic Melodies:
1. "Pataphysical Introduction Pt. I" (1:00) (4.5/5)
2. "A Concise British Alphabet Pt. I" (0:10)
3. "Hibou, Anemone and Bear" (5:58) great, melodic, tightly performed, jazz instrumental of the distinctive Canterbury sound and style. A little Sinner Man-like in its near-reckless abandon. (9.5/10)
4. "A Concise British Alphabet Pt. II" (0:12)
5. "Hulloder" (0:52) great little jazzy construct with very witty lyrics. (5/5)
6. "Dada Was Here" (3:25) sung in Spanish! With great chord sequences, subtle quirk, and melody. A personal favorite. (9.25/10)
7. "Thank You Pierrot Lunaire" (0:47) Robert and the band showing their capacity for mastery of the difficult art of subtle beauty. (5/5)
8. "Have You Ever Bean Green?" (1:23) Motown vocal harmonies! (5/5)
9. "Pataphysical Introduction Pt. II" (0:50) (4/5)
10. "Out of Tunes" (2:30) Brian Hopper (saxes) and Mike Ratledge (flute) and Robert Wyatt cave-vocalise get set loose over cacophonous instrumental play. It kind of works! (8.5/10)
Side 2 - Esther's Nose Job:
11. "As Long as He Lies Perfectly Still" (2:30) great piano chord sequence ruined by Robert Wyatt's pitch-imperfect verbal diarrhea. (9/10)
12. "Dedicated to You But You Weren't Listening" (2:30) Hugh Hopper on acoustic guitar with Robert Wyatt trying to match his melodies with extemporaneous "poetry." Pre-Steve Hackett! I'll give Robert credit for matching Hugh's melodies impressively the full way through. (8.5/10)
13. "Fire Engine Passing With Bells Clanging" (1:50) more cacophonous free-for-all as in "Out of Tunes." What was the point? (3.5/5)
14. "Pig" (2:08) drummer Wyatt trying to keep up with a Vince Guaraldi-like piano rhythm. (Not well--the two are sorely out of sync.) Vocals suck. (3/5) Transitions into:
15. "Orange Skin Food" (1:52) an hypnotic rhythm track over which Hugh and Brian play some very distorted and supportive saxes. Okay, I admit it: It's kind of cool. (5/5)
16. "A Door Opens And Closes" (1:09) funky sound rhythm section like SMASHMOUTH's "Walking on the Sun" before second and third arpeggiated riff are added (and, for a while, vocalise) (4.5/5) Bleeds into:
17. "10.30 Returns to the Bedroom" (4:14) which is the band blazing ahead at full tilt, tight and showing off as much as possible. (9/10)
Total Time: 33:20
1. "Pataphysical Introduction Pt. I" (1:00) (4.5/5)
2. "A Concise British Alphabet Pt. I" (0:10)
3. "Hibou, Anemone and Bear" (5:58) great, melodic, tightly performed, jazz instrumental of the distinctive Canterbury sound and style. A little Sinner Man-like in its near-reckless abandon. (9.5/10)
4. "A Concise British Alphabet Pt. II" (0:12)
5. "Hulloder" (0:52) great little jazzy construct with very witty lyrics. (5/5)
6. "Dada Was Here" (3:25) sung in Spanish! With great chord sequences, subtle quirk, and melody. A personal favorite. (9.25/10)
7. "Thank You Pierrot Lunaire" (0:47) Robert and the band showing their capacity for mastery of the difficult art of subtle beauty. (5/5)
8. "Have You Ever Bean Green?" (1:23) Motown vocal harmonies! (5/5)
9. "Pataphysical Introduction Pt. II" (0:50) (4/5)
10. "Out of Tunes" (2:30) Brian Hopper (saxes) and Mike Ratledge (flute) and Robert Wyatt cave-vocalise get set loose over cacophonous instrumental play. It kind of works! (8.5/10)
Side 2 - Esther's Nose Job:
11. "As Long as He Lies Perfectly Still" (2:30) great piano chord sequence ruined by Robert Wyatt's pitch-imperfect verbal diarrhea. (9/10)
12. "Dedicated to You But You Weren't Listening" (2:30) Hugh Hopper on acoustic guitar with Robert Wyatt trying to match his melodies with extemporaneous "poetry." Pre-Steve Hackett! I'll give Robert credit for matching Hugh's melodies impressively the full way through. (8.5/10)
13. "Fire Engine Passing With Bells Clanging" (1:50) more cacophonous free-for-all as in "Out of Tunes." What was the point? (3.5/5)
14. "Pig" (2:08) drummer Wyatt trying to keep up with a Vince Guaraldi-like piano rhythm. (Not well--the two are sorely out of sync.) Vocals suck. (3/5) Transitions into:
15. "Orange Skin Food" (1:52) an hypnotic rhythm track over which Hugh and Brian play some very distorted and supportive saxes. Okay, I admit it: It's kind of cool. (5/5)
16. "A Door Opens And Closes" (1:09) funky sound rhythm section like SMASHMOUTH's "Walking on the Sun" before second and third arpeggiated riff are added (and, for a while, vocalise) (4.5/5) Bleeds into:
17. "10.30 Returns to the Bedroom" (4:14) which is the band blazing ahead at full tilt, tight and showing off as much as possible. (9/10)
Total Time: 33:20
88.81 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock and a true cornerstone of the Canterbury style of psychedelic jazz-rock fusion. Too bad Side Two couldn't continue the pace and quality of Side One.
32. MAGIC BUS Transmission from Sogmore's Garden (2014) Canterbury is back! Wonderful, wonderful fare from Devon's Paul Evans and friends. Nobody but nobody has so well captured the CARAVAN 1970-72 sound so well! And yet the songs are each pure and original (with a few borrowed riffs here and there). Excellent musical composition. Wonderfully quirky, hippyish lyrics and happy-go-lucky singing with outstanding contributions from guitars and flutes.
Hailing from "transition town" Totnes, Devonshire, UK, Tim has gathered around him a dedicated crew of accomplished musicians who all have one thing in common: they feel that the spirit of the late 1960s and early 1970s--especially the musical spirit of the San Francisco psychedelic rock scene and the Canterbury spirit of SOFT MACHINE and CARAVAN--is still alive and that they are merely expressing themselves in that same spirit.
The album opens with the innocuous little celebration of Nature and the joyous gift Life, "Sunflower" (3:51). It is very much a piece straight our of the hippy folk scene of the 1967 "Summer of Love." (9/10)
2. "Ballad of Lord Sogmore" (5:15) starts out sounding like it came straight off of the 1972 KHAN album, Space Shanty. The acoustic guitar strumming, electric guitar sound and riffs, and Jay DARLINGTON (formerly of KULA SHAKER and OASIS)'s vintage keyboard work make it a dead ringer for Canterbury Scene music. Even Paul EVANS' voice is quite similar to that of Steve HILLAGE (though it is also quite similar to that of Mont CAMPBELL). Then there is the Indian interlude, to seal the deal, before we kick back into KHAN-mode for awesome organ and electric guitar soli. (9/10)
3. "Cosmic Rays of Dawn" (3:47) opens with a gentle Canterburian soft jazz feel with arpeggiated organ chords and single note electric guitar accents before Evans' Robert WYATT-like voice sings a WYATT-like lyric in that emotionally vulnerable Robert WYATT way. At 2:36 an up-tempo, jazzy instrumental section with its trilling flute play ensues to the song's end. (10/10)
4. "Three Days" (7:32) opens quietly before a "Golf Girl" kind of groove establishes itself and the band and the flute play on about the sun, sunshine and nature. At 2:15 a muted voice sings over a bit of a tired-sounding carnival sound. Then, after a little jazzy bridge, by 2:55 we're back to the perky walk-through-the-park song established after the pastoral opening. At 4:10 we shift into a more somber, slowed down instrumental section that preludes a kind of FOCUS "Tommy" section. Very cool! Great groove and awesome guitar play and sound! Flute takes over the soloing around 6:10--for quite a stretch--before that old friend the Canterbury "buzz saw" organ takes a turn. The band in the background is having some fun with it's syncopated up-tempo, and then it's over! (10/10)
5. "Jupiter 3 AM" (8:37) opens with some very spacey synth washes fly around before Paul starts singing with his slowly-paced and well-spaced acoustic guitar strums. Then the full band joins in and the song slowly builds into a foundation for some jazz noodling--which then rather abruply dissipates into more of an instrumental étude. Then the music shifts into a chord and melody sequence that is quite reminiscent of that of NENA's "99 Luftballons" for about 20 seconds before bridging back to a minor key version of the opening music. At 4:55 a slow-bouncing organ and flute prep us for a full decibel breakout into a hard-rock variation on that NENA chord sequence. This then evolves into a swirling, speeding crescendo before some heavy chords are struck in syncopation before letting the music re-establish that happy-go-lucky NENA theme as it was in the fourth minute. Electric guitar and flute get the most solo exposure as the song plays out the final 75 seconds like this. Nice jazz excursion! I just love Jay DARLINGTON's mastery of the Canterbury organ sounds. (9/10)
6. "Seven Wonders" (5:33) opens like an early PINK FLOYD song before Paul EVANS' gentle vocal enters singing in a sensitive Robert WYATT/Steve WINWOOD/Peter GABRIEL way. Love the interplay of the recorder! Slow, plodding song--again, very much in the PINK FLOYD vein continues until 2:55 when a CSN&Y/AMERICA-like harmonized "la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la" bridges us to a heavier CARAVAN-like instrumental section--which just as elusively fades into a flute with guitar strum part before giving way to the real meat of the song: a full out Mike RATLEDGE-like "buzz saw"organ solo! This song has more trouble establishing itself--establishing a flow and identity, but it is still a brilliant reflection of all-things Canterburian. (8/10)
7. "Morning Mantra" (6:55) returns us to that happy-go-lucky CARAVAN music In the Land of Grey and Pink era, with a vocal very much in the style of the great RICHARD SINCLAIR. Flute solo fills most of the third minute before the vocal returns over a delicate arpeggiated descending chord progression. "I love my life" is the dominant lyric in this lazy song expressing one's slow morning love and appreciation for life and all it has to offer. Nice flute and electric guitar interplay in the fourth and fifth minute instrumental sections. "Love, love, love, love," seems to be the message here. You dig? (9/10)
8. "Earthpod" (4:44) the album's final song opens with fade in Mellotron giving way to a gently strummed guitar to support Paul's vocal about this tiny little planet we live on in a kind of lament for the passing of time (which one cannot help but wonder if his intention is with regards to the listening to this album or since the idyllic days of the 60s?). Organ support and the end of the first verse result in the entrance of the full band and the establishment of a more KHAN/STEVE HILLAGE song sound and melody (like "Hollow Stone"). Beautiful! Return to singing the second verse--this time with full band in subtle support (Mellotron, high-frequency flanged electric guitar, drums and gorgeous b vox!) Jay's Mellotron is actually given a solo in the fourth minute! The album closes with harmonized "Ahh"s and emotional flute solo. Gorgeous! (10/10)
90.0 on the Fish scales = a five star album; a masterpiece of progressive rock music. This album is so upbeat and refreshing--and polished! Truly a resuscitation of much that was once wonderful in the Land of Canterbury! One of my favorites from 2014!
33. NATIONAL HEALTH Of Queues and Cures (1978) A band of serious, mature musicians who desire to make challenging, sophisticated music. Though all coming from Canterbury roots, I consider this album more akin to good jazz fusion than spacey, psychedelic experimentalist fun and silliness that some of the Canterbury stuff was. (Though by this time, as we all know, the Canterbury flower-power era was all but over.)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Phil Miller / guitar
- Dave Stewart / acoustic & electric pianos, organ, Mini-Moog (3,4)
- John Greaves / bass, piano innards (3), crooning (5)
- Pip Pyle / drums, percussion & hand claps (3)
With:
- Jimmy Hastings / clarinets (3,5), flute (5)
- Phil Minton / trumpets (1,5,7)
- Paul Nieman / trombones (1,5,7)
- Keith Thompson / oboe (3,5)
- Georgie Born / cello (1,3,7)
- Rick Biddulph / bass (4)
- Selwyn Baptiste / steel drums (2)
- Peter Blegvad / voice (3)
- Dave Stewart / acoustic & electric pianos, organ, Mini-Moog (3,4)
- John Greaves / bass, piano innards (3), crooning (5)
- Pip Pyle / drums, percussion & hand claps (3)
With:
- Jimmy Hastings / clarinets (3,5), flute (5)
- Phil Minton / trumpets (1,5,7)
- Paul Nieman / trombones (1,5,7)
- Keith Thompson / oboe (3,5)
- Georgie Born / cello (1,3,7)
- Rick Biddulph / bass (4)
- Selwyn Baptiste / steel drums (2)
- Peter Blegvad / voice (3)
1. The Bryden 2-step (for Amphibians)" (8:55) begins with some floating instruments, finally gelling into a tightly woven, fast-paced collaborative piece. The recording quality is far superior to most of the Canterbury sounds coming before it, which is a big plus. Also, the instrumental mix is quite balanced with no one really going off to become the central show- person. The use of brass and woodwinds are effective. (16/20)
2. "The Collapso" (6:19) is fun experiment with Carribbean 'callypso' instrumentation and styles--more of a parody or play on them, really. Not any really memorable melodies or soli (maybe the fuzzed bass solo in the last minute?), it is another fairly tight group collaboration. (8/10)
3. "Squarer for Maud" (11:50) begins like 1960s European murder-mystery soundtrack: bass, piano, symbol play, cello, sustained electric guitar chords. With the rhythm-cum-melody established, Phil Miller takes the first lead with his electric guitar. At 2:15 arrives a little bridge to re-direct. The tones get heavier, more aggressive, as the sound effects on the stringed instruments get rougher around the edges. 4:07 another shift, this time into a more avant-jazz horn-led rhythm. Pip Pyle's drumming here is very tight, the glue that holds it all together--and continues to do so, along with Dave Stewart's wizardry at maintaining "controlled chaos"--Break! "Numinousness!" Quelle surprise! Slowed down piano chord progression but more frantic drum playing! The guitarist, too, brings his playing under control. The shift at 8:30 plays out into a frenetic, MAGMA-like frenzy of reckless abandon-- speed like that of a runaway train! Everybody's on board, now, they can't be stopped! Stewart and Miller are shining! the background accompanying brass is awesome! Then, spurt and sputter, it's a UNIVERS ZERO ending! Incredible song! (24/25)
4. "Dreams Wide Awake" (8:50) begins on the heavier side, like a MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA piece. The first soloist, Phil MIller, is awesome and ear-catching while his accompanists groove gets a little stale (this is jazz!) A rapid succession of key changes at 2:20 shift the music into Dave's World--organ and keyboard sounds we have all become quite used to associating with his work. The soloing is okay, but it's interesting to listen to Phil Miller's (too far up in the mix) accompanying rhythm guitar work. At 4:55 the band comes back together to give Phil and a couple of different guitar sounds another chance. At this point I'm realizing that the song is really just a basic jazz song trying to provide solid set ups for the two principle soloists to do their thing. Unfortunately, neither of the soloists is quite as captivating or mind-blowing as, say, a Lester Brown or John Coltrane. Good song. (14/20)
5. "Binoculars" (11:46) begins with multiple layered organs and horns(?) going through a beautiful progression of chords. At 1:08 Pip Pyle establishes a drum backbeat over which the others organize their chord progression (Those horns were Phil Miller's guitar!) over which some male voice sings a typically unforgettable flow-of-consciousness lyric. Nice delicate keyboard, bass, cymbol and flute work in the fourth minute lull section--and nice transition (by Pip Pyle) at the 3:53 mark taking the same melodic "pretty' part onto the expressway. 4:50 begins Dave's brief solo, before everything comes to a slowly rolling stop. (Very prettily, I might add--like a full orchestra! Is this a variation on that opening chord progression?) Horns and cacaphony until 7:55's return to bare-bones organ, cymbols and the singer's tribute to John Wayne and Rip Torn.
Very well recorded, this song! Excellent mix, balance and blend. Love the bass, drum and keyboard interplay in the tenth minute. Woodwinds and, later, Phil's screeching distorted guitar round out this final section of this beautiful song. Listen to John Greaves' bass work! Sublime. (23.5/25)
6. "Phlakaton" at 0:09, is this really a 'song?'
7. "The Bryden 2-step (for Amphibians) Part 2" (5:34) opens with 'Jaws' rolling bass line, around which drums, organ, and fuzz guitar weave aggressively. By the end of the third minute the song has developed into a tight combo presenting with the same clarity and unity as they did on the opening number. Npt sure I'd end the album with the same spacey 'random' instrument play as they started, but, there you have it. They've come around full circle. (8/10)
Total Time: 52:48
As an example of the twilight evolution of the Canterbury bands, this is a positve note: maturity, (relative) sobriety, music to be taken serious, to be admired, not just to be amused by. If everything was quite at the level of the two masterpieces, "Squarer for Maud" and "Binoculars" we'd have an uncontested masterpiece. As it is, I appreciate Dave Stewart's reserve on this one, love the work of Pip Pyle, am duly impressed with that of bassist John Greaves, but, unfortunately, don't see that Phil Miller's work did anything to make him rise up with the cream. He's good but lacks that je ne sais quoi that makes one great.
89.05 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars, marked up for its quality at a time when quality was lacking (in production) or waning (in progressive rock).
34. MOVING GELATINE PLATES The World of Genius Hans (1972) Definitely more on the jazzy side of what we call Canterbury music. Moving Gelatine Plates' second album--released only a year after their surprisingly mature debut--displayed a better quality of recording and engineering to equally mature and accomplished instrumental jazz arrangements. Other than the debut's "London Cab," I like this album hands down over the debut. There is more warmth in the songs and performances here--and a feeling that the band is more relaxed, as if they are just grooving and enjoying themselves and their unique sound.
Line-up / Musicians:
Total Time: 37:05
35. RASCAL REPORTERS The Strainge Case of Steve
2. "A Race Against Time" (2:40) piano-based 1980s synthesizer-infused jazz with an old, classic jazz-pop melody line tying it all together. The sound palette is still very much like early HATFIELD AND THE NORTH. (4.5/5)
3. "Papa Norco" (4:57) a bit of a militaristic take on some French street music (because of the strong presence of accordion, no doubt) with a definite Dave Newhouse pace and feel to it. The backing synth sounds like The Northettes! (8.75/10)
4. "Beetle Borscht" (5:15) cool piano opening, soon joined by synth before drums and rhythm section jump in. Really nice, relaxed, melodic HOMUNCULUS RES-like tune. Great melodies and instrumental contributions throughout. A top three song for me. (9.75/10)
5. "Over and Out" (3:05) melodic ZAPPA, Moogy Klingman-and-Homunculus Res-like synth pop sound performing a rigorous sound and skill test. (9/10)
6. "The Odor at Tavistock" (4:33) very pleasant Canterbury Style jazz-pop-rock with many completely different motifs sown into one song with the same sudden twists and turns that Homunculus Res uses\d on their 2012 debut album, Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto. I love the percussion and bassoon-dominated second motif. One of the most proggy-sounding songs on the album. A top three song for me. (9.5/10)
7. "How Archontic the Ankle Biters" (8:21) with its dominant piano base and synth-funk sound in the rhythm section, this is the jazziest, most classically-influenced, and most dated sounding song on the album--even during the click and pop motif in the second minute. A clever, humorous song that could have been created or produced by fellow-Detroiter Don Was. (17.5/20)
8. "Lady and the Old Codger" (2:27) an ambivalently malevolent and, at the same time, humorous song that really gets your attention. Like a scene out of an Eminem movie. Powerful! (5/5)
9. "Unknowable" (5:14) synth-o-mania! Interesting, but sounds and feels rather dated and more like an étude than something intended for consumer/listener pleasure. (8.6667/10)
10. "Love Is a Dead Smelly Fish" (4:34) another song on the jazz-side of the musical spectrum--as if Homunculus Res went more toward French street music or straight jazz. (9/10)
12. "Uh Oh (Lait Suspendu Fermenté)" (3:39) Singing! in French! By a female "NORTHETTES"-like choir (all Penelope Lovelace multitracked?)! Such a joyful song! My favorite song on the album! (10/10)
13. "Groom of the Stool" (3:32) lots of sound FX in the opening before a heavier early-DAVE STEWART-like piano chord progression opens up the minor-key song construct. It's like a soundtrack song from an European spy thriller. Interesting but nothing exceptional or ground-breaking. (8.75/10)
14. "Lurking in Shadow Fury" (3:41) piano and accordion and, later, synthesizer trading turns in the lead over staccato stop-and-go jazz foundation. A little hurky-jerky for me, too reliant on an oft-repeated melody line. (8.66667/10)
15. "Guns for Clones" (7:43) one of the more serious-sounding songs on the album, it's quite like the early Canterbury instrumentalists (Hatfield, Gilgamesh, or even National Health). I like the constantly shifting tempo and accordion work. (13.75/15)
16. "People Who Eat People" (8:53) again, there is an undefinable French street musicality to this music--and it's so carefree and happy-go-lucky--like a walk through several of the delightful neighborhoods in Paris' 2nd or 3rd Arrondissement coupled with the occasional encounter with the the Right Bank of the Seine or museum stroll through. (18.25/20)
Total Time 77:29
1. "Clockwise" (9:03) three songs in one--all three excellent and enjoyable. (18.5/20)
2. "Sundial Tick" (4:48) opens with a melody line as if from a classic 1950s or 60s Broadway musical (Porgy and Bess' "Summertime" comes to mind before the "Take Five"-like tempo and style take over). Three different melodic themes seem to rotate through the song with different harmonic structures explored by the big band each time. (what is that synth sound at the three minute mark?) Truly an exceptional and intricate though fun song. (9/10)
3. "The Book Of Days" (2:25) opens with chamber string quintet before what sounds like two vibraphones join in. How cool! The double bass and violin morph into more café jazz sound as the vibes continue and, eventually, take over. How clever! (4.5/5)
4. "Those Fading Hours" (8:34) opens with a dirty electric piano creating some chords and arpeggios before strings engage to add intermittent and constant accompaniment--violin becoming the first main melody maker (alternating with the flute). Has a very MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA feel with a lot of pent up, potential energy feeling ready to explode on us. Incidental "noises" from the organ and other keys only adds to that feeling that at any minute things are going to break loose. The synth solo that begins at 3:30 seems to open this door--and then a fuzzy electric guitar-sounding keyboard takes over and seems to unleash a little of the spirit of the Mahavishnu himself. Despite the loosening up of the belt for the rest of the band, the ensuing horn play seems to keep things in check--but no! the instrumentalists are suddenly all trying to solo at the same time! But what happens! The band shuts down at 6:45 leaving space . . . out of which emerges an acoustic guitar and moog synth making animal (or insect) mating calls as the infant children laugh their end-of-the day laughs. What a marvelously odd song! I love it! (19/20)
5. "Backwards All The Time" (8:22) opens as the most straightforward jazz song yet, but then at the 0:45 mark, it morphs into a classic 1970s jazz rock fusion confabulation--a cross between JEFF BECK's "Freeway Jam," DEODATO's "Super Strut," ALAN PARSONS PROJECT's "I Robot," and CHICAGO's "I'm a Man"!!! Weird and wonderful! The dual alien synth and piano soli in the fifth minute are just too weird for me. Then they're back to jazz with a trumpeter in the lead. (There's that "Summertime" theme again!) Then, at 6:20, the hammond takes over and brings it back into jazz rock territory. Such a chameleonic song! Not sure if it all works but it is brave and adventurous! I think it suffers a bit from lack of a coherent, consistent flow--too many stories being told here. (12/15)
6. "About Life, Memories And Yesteryears" (8:12) opens quite sedately, as compared to all of the previous songs, with long sustained melody solos coming from keyboard 'flute' and 'saxes.' Real horns eventually join in as a bouncy, churchy hammond organ plays in the back right channel. Chunky keyboard fuzz bass takes over as electric piano and drums take front and center at the 4-minute mark. Horn section is soon added. Perhaps the weakest song on the album if only for it's lack of catchy melody. I mean, it's not till the 6:40 mark that the first likable melodic hook is presented, before that it's all about (I think) displaying all of the things the keyboards can do. (11/15)
87.05 on the Fishscales = B/a strong four star album; highly recommended as an excellent addition to any prog rock music collection though, in my opinion, the band really misses the vocal and flute talents of founding member María Toro: she brought an entirely other dimension (or to) to the band's music.
38. MANNA / MIRAGE Man Out of Time (2021)
A collection of Dave Newhouse songs that contain some of his most complex, well-developed ideas since he went solo. I love that there is so much going on within each song that I pick out entirely new and different things with each listening.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dave Newhouse / keyboards (1-6), woodwinds (1-3,5,6), voice (3), drums (4), yelling (4), electric piano (7,8), bass clarinet (7), saxophone (4)
- Sean Rickman / drums (1-3,5,6)
- Jerry King / bass (1,2,6), trumpet (5), trombone (1,5)
- Mark Stanley / guitar (1,5)
- Carla Diratz / vocals (2)
- Bret Hart / guitar (2)
- Dereck Higgins / bass (3)
- Rich O'Meara / vibes, marimba (3,8)
- Alanna Cohen Duvall / voice (3)
- Guy Segers / bass (5)
- Forrest Fang / violin (5)
- Gary Rouzer / cello (5)
- Fred Frith / guitar (6)
1. "What's the Big Idea?" (4:19) all musicians here seem to be traveling their own solo paths while somehow, amazingly, creating a wonderfully mature weave. (9.5/10)
2. "World Song" (3:49) great drumming beneath Carla Diratz' bluesy singing and the rest of the band's baseline weave. (8.5/10)
3. "In for a Penny" (4:34) great Canterbury slow groove (Fender Rhodes, horns, and bass) over which xylophone, flute, vocalise, and drums create some wonderfully melodic trails. (9/10)
4. "Red Ball Express" (2:56) one of Dave's more free-form, boundary-pushing, almost laughable, hot air balloon ride compositions that remains somehow tethered to the ground by the mellifluous winds. (4.25/5)
5. "4 Steps Back" (10:45) a very well conceived and realized Canterbury style jazz song with nice contributions from strings and Mark Stanley's electric guitar--and a most excellent contribution from drummer Sean Rickman. I love the Muffins-like eight and ninth minutes and then the pugillistic final two minutes. Great editing and mixing to get this one to sound so perfect. (18.75/20)
6. "Fred's Dream" (3:58) opens with a sound, styling, and pacing that is quite reminiscent of STEELY DAN or some other Gary Katz production (Rosie Vela or Love and Money). GREAT melodic and harmonic structure. (9.5/10)
7. "Silver Age" (4:00) opens like something from HAROLD BUDD and THE COCTEAU TWINS' The Moon and the Melodies 1986 album. Fun! (8.5/10)
8. "These Days" (2:32) beautiful, peaceful keyboard (Fender Rhodes) work over which Rich O'Meara splays his marimba work. (4.75/5)
Total Time 36:53
I am so grateful for Dave's detailed liner notes explaining the etiology of each song: they are so enjoyable to read. The Coronavirus pandemic definitely allowed Dave the time and room to fully and completely develop and rework his ideas into wonderfully complete feeling songs.
90.94 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5 stars; a minor masterpiece of Canterbury style Jazz-Rock Fusion and one of my 10 favorite albums of 2021.
39. HATFIELD AND THE NORTH The Rotters' Club (1975) The second and final Hatfield effort that fails for lack of consistently high quality compositions (too much filler and fluff), unacceptably poor sound engineering, and disappointing neglect and underuse of one of the high points of the previous album, the Northettes.
Line-up / Musicians:
1. "Share It" (3:02) is a poppy tune that opens with some very CARAVAN-like music--complete with Richard Sinclair's unique voice taking center stage from the opening note through to the end (aside from a synth solo in the song's C part). Nothing too special here. (7.75/10)
2. "Lounging There Trying" (3:10) is an instrumental that sounds quite like an instrumental practice session for the opening song. A little more enjoyable than the opener due to the prominence of the instruments--especially the bass and unusual syncopation on the drums. Plus, it gets better as it goes along. (8.25/10)
3. "(Big) John Wayne Socks Psychology on the Jaw" (0:46) sounds like a brief intro or overture into something else. (2/2.5)
4. "Chaos at the Greasy Spoon" (0:30) which is another intro into something else. (2.5/2.5)
5. "The Yes No Interlude" (7:02) is an odd, fast-paced instrumental piece with impressive performances from the musicians but it totally lacks any engaging melodies or exciting events. (12/15)
6. "Fitter Stoke Has a Bath" (7:38) employs Richard Sinclair's now-famous underwater vocal technique while flutes, vocal scat and keyboards take turns weaving the melodic tapestry. In the fifth minute guitar is given its time--a rather Ernie Isley sound (if not the technique or effect). A pregnant time standstill occurs in the sixth minute as the instruments wind things down before a psycho-dream plays out to the end. Overall, the five-part song leaves one fairly empty and bewildered, void of any desire to come back to it. (12/15)
7. "Didn't Matter Anyway" (3:03) seems to complete the previous song--flute and Richard singing to take us out of the nightmare sequence of Fitter Stoke's bath. Again, rather innocuous and forgettable. Nice flute performance. (8.25/10)
8. "Underdub" (3:55) is a fast-paced jazz dittie that feels like some of the work being done in American R & B-influenced jazz fusion of the time. Great Fender Rhodes work, grooving upbeat rhythm section--not unlike some of JOE SAMPLE's great stuff of the time. I like the fact that some great team-play melodies are established and perpetuated throughout. One of my favorites from this album. (9/10)
9. "Mumps" (20:06) the highlight of the album is the (extremely) long playing "Mumps" suite--complete with the voice play of The Northettes and the inimitable Richard Sinclair.
a) "Your Majesty Is Like a Cream Donut (quiet)" (1:59) is a kind of keyboard chordal study with The Northettes' simple, breathy vocalise at play far in the background. (2/2.5)
b) "Lumps" (12:35) has the full band jumping into full gear. Some really nice clarity in the recording of this section--guitar, bass, keys, and drums are all sounding like they're right in front of you in the same room. In the middle section a three-part vocal weave from The Northettes gets featured with some bassoon! Then Richard sings for the first time at the 10:20 mark. The lyrics here found here sound rehearsed, not extemporaneously spewed forth as others of his do. The music remains interesting beneath and around Richard's vocal work--which is, to me, quite remarkable. By 12:42 he's done, drums kick into full and multiple tracks are devoted to guitar soli. Sax takes a turn with yet another, different (flange) effect on the soloing guitar. (22/25)
c) "Prenut" (3:55) notes a complete shift into a softer sound, flute, electric piano and female vocals filling the delicate, tension-filled soundscape. Very nice. Best section of the song and best passage on the album. (10/10)
d) "Your Majesty Is Like a Cream Donut (loud)" (1:37) (2/2.5)
Overall, "Mumps" is truly a masterpiece of performance and composition--showing a maturity that is sometimes missing in the earlier Canterbury works. (36/40)
85.43 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition to any Canterbury-loving prog lover's music collection.
40. COS Babel (1978)
Line-up / Musicians:
41. THE WINSTONS The Winstons (2016) The result of the effort of a trio of Milanese pop stars when they turn their efforts to the pop- and jazz-side of the 1960s and 1970s psychedelic, Canterbury Scene—most specifically the styles explored by Robert Wyatt.
Line-up / Musicians:
An album of refreshing mastery and creativity despite its draw from older music and artists. One of the few who has been able to synthesize older styles and sounds into a totally new and refreshing form. Very nice use of organ, jazzy drums and saxophone throughout. Kudos, Lino, Roberto and Enrico!
43. GONG Radio Gnome Invisible Part 2: Angel's Egg (1973) The second Gong album with guitarist Steve Hillage, but, more importantly, the first Gong album with virtuoso drummer/percussionist, Pierre Moerlin. When one hears the work of Pierre Moerlin one cannot help but notice. His timing and fluidity is on a par with only a handful of other percussionists I've ever heard. It's something extraordinary. It makes so many other drummer/percussionists seem/feel like horses, clods, and pugilists. What Pierre adds is special, effortless and otherworldly--as if we are privileged to call ourselves witnesses to his work.
There is a lot of experimental work with sound engineering on "Angel's Egg"--employed with voice tracks, synths, saxophones, guitar tracks, flutes, etc. Gilli Smyth's performance on "Prostitute Poem" is absolutely brilliant, I just don't think it a very good "song."
Line-up / Musicians:
Five star songs: 10. "Inner Temple" (2:34) (10/10); 9. "Outer Temple" (1:09) (4.5/5), and; 14. "Eat the Phone Book Coda" (3:09) (9/10)
Four star songs: 12. "Love Is How You Make It" (3:26) (8.75/10); 1. "Other Side of theSky" (7:39) (12.75/15); 3. "Castle in the Clouds" (1:10) (4.25/5); 8. "Oily Way" (3:38) (8.25/10); 13. "I Never Glid Before" (5:38) (8/10); 7. "Flute Salad" (2:10) (4/5); 6. "Selene" (3:43) (7.5/10); 4. "Prostitute Poem" (4:54) (7.5/10)
Total Time: 43:28
Politically relevant messages but a little too much silliness and dissonance for me.
82.08 on the Fishscales = C+/3.5 stars; a nice example of the experimental nature of the Canterbury style of music with some impeccable percussion work throughout.
44. THE MUFFINS Manna/Mirage (1978) America's only entry into the Canterbury style of music issued their debut in 1978 as the real Canterbury movement was fizzling out and/or filtering into other realms (jazz, new age, avant, eclectic, etc.). Still, they contributed a well-acclaimed gem in the true Canterbury style. Though I'm familiar with this album after repeated listenings to recognize each song and smile, I do not seem to be able to recall the Muffins sound when I am away from their music--when I am just trying to conjure up the "essence" of the band and their sound. All nice music, eminently listenable--and enjoyable--just, for some reason, not memorable. This is why this album isn't higher in my personal favorites. I remember that "Hobart Got Burned" (5:56) is an example of the band venturing off into the more challenging and dissonant realms of free jazz--though it does come together in a somewhat cohesive flow for the second half. (8/10)
Line-up / Musicians:
85.79 on the Fishscales = four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection. I am sure that this album would be an eminently more enjoyable listening experience for fans coming from (or for) a true jazz background, as there is a lot of that. The performances are all exquisite: high in technical skill as well tightly orchestrated.
46. GONG Radio Gnome Invisible, Vol. 3: You (1974) The inclusion of Gong among the list Canterbury Scene members has never felt quite right to me. The music of Gong feels and sounds quite different from the jazzier stuff that came out of Soft Machine, Caravan, Egg, National Health, and Hatfield and the North. I guess Gong's inclusion allows for the Canterbury scope to be broader, thereby allowing the presence of a greater number of bands--which is a good thing. Interestingly, I find far fewer imitators of the Gong sound than I do of the other afore-named Canterbury Scene bands.
You is definitely a space/psychedelia album. This incarnation of Gong is the one with Daevid Allen on his glissando guitar, percussionists Mireille Bauer, Benoît Moerlen and Pierre Moerlen, Tim Blake on Moog & EMS synths and Mellotron, Steve Hillage on lead guitar, Mike Howlett on bass, Didier Malherbe on saxes, flute, vocals, and Gilli Smyth on wee voices and b vox. A lineup of veritable Canterbury all-stars, to be sure, but, to my ears, it only begins to sound somewhat Canterbury-ish with the middle of the fourth song, "Master Builder" (6:08) (8/10). I love the synth and effects uses throughout this album and while the vocals are fair, the hippie lyrics make me smile. Again, it is my opinion that the space/psychedelic element of You far eclipse the Canterbury-ness of the album.
Line-up / Musicians:
1. "Thoughts For Naught" (1:30) a typical intro into the fairyland of Gong & Co. (3.5/5)
2. "A P.H.P.'s Advice" (1:37) a humorous and philosophical introduction to Daevid and Gilli's current life-advice and life-lessons. (3.25/5)
3. "Magick Mother Invocation" (2:11) Deep-voiced "aum," floating synth, and diaphonous soprano vocalise from Gilli (4.25/5) bleeding into:
4. "Master Builder" (6:09) a float-fest of synth, flute, cavernous, heavily treated and distant bass with Pierre Moerlen percussion turns into a spacey jazzy jam as saxophone takes over the lead over strong bass, drums, and synth play. Odd stop-n-start section in the middle of the fourth minute with Daevid speaking in tongues before he and Steve Hillage take turns duelling on thier axes. Mike Howlett's bass has quite a bit of trouble keeping up with Pierre's drumming as the song speeds along into the final third. (8.5/10)
As an example of the twilight evolution of the Canterbury bands, this is a positve note: maturity, (relative) sobriety, music to be taken serious, to be admired, not just to be amused by. If everything was quite at the level of the two masterpieces, "Squarer for Maud" and "Binoculars" we'd have an uncontested masterpiece. As it is, I appreciate Dave Stewart's reserve on this one, love the work of Pip Pyle, am duly impressed with that of bassist John Greaves, but, unfortunately, don't see that Phil Miller's work did anything to make him rise up with the cream. He's good but lacks that je ne sais quoi that makes one great.
89.05 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars, marked up for its quality at a time when quality was lacking (in production) or waning (in progressive rock).
34. MOVING GELATINE PLATES The World of Genius Hans (1972) Definitely more on the jazzy side of what we call Canterbury music. Moving Gelatine Plates' second album--released only a year after their surprisingly mature debut--displayed a better quality of recording and engineering to equally mature and accomplished instrumental jazz arrangements. Other than the debut's "London Cab," I like this album hands down over the debut. There is more warmth in the songs and performances here--and a feeling that the band is more relaxed, as if they are just grooving and enjoying themselves and their unique sound.
- Maurice Helmlinger / Hammond & Capri Duo organs, trumpet, alto, soprano & tenor saxophones, flute & backing vocals (1-7)
- Gérard Bertram / electric, 12-string & Leslie guitars, vocals (1-7)
- Didier Thibault / bass, guitar, synth & vocals (1-12)
- Gérard Pons / drums (1-7)
With:
- Claude Delcloo / backing vocals (1-7)
- Jean-Pierre Laroque / bassoon (1-7)
- Michel Camicas / trombone (1-7)
- Guy Boyer / vibraphone (1-7)
- Jean-Jacques Hertz / guitar (8-12)
- Dominique Godin / keyboards (8-12)
- Jean Rubert / saxophone (8-12)
- Marc Profichet / drums (8-12)
- Mico Nissim / MiniMoog (12)
- Gérard Bertram / electric, 12-string & Leslie guitars, vocals (1-7)
- Didier Thibault / bass, guitar, synth & vocals (1-12)
- Gérard Pons / drums (1-7)
With:
- Claude Delcloo / backing vocals (1-7)
- Jean-Pierre Laroque / bassoon (1-7)
- Michel Camicas / trombone (1-7)
- Guy Boyer / vibraphone (1-7)
- Jean-Jacques Hertz / guitar (8-12)
- Dominique Godin / keyboards (8-12)
- Jean Rubert / saxophone (8-12)
- Marc Profichet / drums (8-12)
- Mico Nissim / MiniMoog (12)
The opening song, the fourteen-minute epic title song, 1. "The World of Genius Hans" (14:05), is a very jazzy piece with some quite technically challenging ensemble sequences all working coherently and cohesively together. (27/30)
2. "Funny Doll" (4:29) opens with some light, bouncy interplay between sax and lead guitar with snappy bass and drum play beneath. Towards the end of the first minute the band gels into a full sound just before a male voice sings to us in a kind of Benmont TENCH kind of raspy way. The following jazz section is quite lovely, with the band playing really tightly and with some awesome multi-insturmental melodies. In the fourth minute it starts to get a little more mathematical just before a very fun section with a circus-master like vocal saying "good-bye" to us. Awesome song! (10/10)
3. "Astromonster" (6:20) opens with a rolling bass playing beneath some guitar, bassoon, and percussive oriental-sounding staccato melody weave. Then things slow down for a bit, as if to reset, before opening the third minute with some more straightforward, driving ensemble jazz with organ and fuzz bass. The fourth minute then brings in another shift--almost a bolero kind of Latin section with a very Santana sound and feel to it (except for the drums). The Santana-like melody is carried forward by the guitar until, at the end of the fifth minute, a faster paced start-and-slow alternating pattern is established for about a minute. The final minute sees a very slowed down regurgitation of one of the song's main melodies--from the flute! Weird but awesome song. (9/10)
The next song, 4. "Moving Theme" (3:56), feels like an étude, like a song created to exercise the group's dexterity and entrainment timing. Not particularly melodic or enjoyable except in the way one can appreciate the band members' command of their instruments and their ability to play tightly. It could just be what its title says: a theme for moving! (7/10)
5. "Cauchemar" (3:53) is a fast-paced piece that kind of follows one format for its entire four minutes--even trying to establish a melody line that follows the pop ABACAB-type of flow. (8/10)
6. "We Were Loving Her" (3:19) is a slow-to-unveil-itself piece that has a kind of MATCHING MOLE/SOFT MACHINE experimental feel to it. The song has nice melodies expressed by the saxophone in the last minute. (8/10)
7. "Un jour..." (1:30) has quite a SATIE feel to it despite it's being a bass and saxophone duet. (2/2.5)
Perhaps not as silly as their debut but not as serious either. While this is not my favorite type of Canterbury music--I go for the more melodic fun stuff of Caravan and Supersister--it is not my least. The musicians and compositional team of MGP are definitely amazingly good and awesomely confident. What feels like their step forward in World of Genius Hans is how relaxed and fun the band feels to be on this album. Too bad they never generated the interest or fan base to sustain their passion.
86.06 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a wonderful addition to any Canterbury-loving prog lover's music collection.
I'm not sure why, but here we have the Two Steves minus one Steve (Gore), yet the music is as happy, quirky, humorous, shifty, melodic, and wonderfully-Canterbury as ever!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Steve Kretzmer / organ, electric piano, clavinet, piano, synthesizer, keyboards, choir, bass synth, programming, arpeggiators, sound effects
- James Strain / bass, drums, guitars, melodica, piano, organs, fake horns, synthesizer, electric piano, fretless bass, sitar, bass synth, keyboards, gangsa, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, programming, beats, samples, sound design
With:
- Dario D'Alessandro / guitar (1,11), synthesizer (3,9,11)
- Dave Newhouse / horns, woodwinds (1,9,11)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Steve Kretzmer / organ, electric piano, clavinet, piano, synthesizer, keyboards, choir, bass synth, programming, arpeggiators, sound effects
- James Strain / bass, drums, guitars, melodica, piano, organs, fake horns, synthesizer, electric piano, fretless bass, sitar, bass synth, keyboards, gangsa, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, programming, beats, samples, sound design
With:
- Dario D'Alessandro / guitar (1,11), synthesizer (3,9,11)
- Dave Newhouse / horns, woodwinds (1,9,11)
- Penelope Lovelace / vocals (8)
- Guy Segers / bass (11)
- Kimara Sajn / bass (11)
- Jessica Martin Maresco / vocals (12)
1. "Fat Delivered (4:59) As if Dave Newhouse and Dave Stewart melded their Canterbury style musics together with Phil Miller's guitar and, at the end, into the form of some traditional Celtic pop song. (8.875/10)
- Guy Segers / bass (11)
- Kimara Sajn / bass (11)
- Jessica Martin Maresco / vocals (12)
2. "A Race Against Time" (2:40) piano-based 1980s synthesizer-infused jazz with an old, classic jazz-pop melody line tying it all together. The sound palette is still very much like early HATFIELD AND THE NORTH. (4.5/5)
3. "Papa Norco" (4:57) a bit of a militaristic take on some French street music (because of the strong presence of accordion, no doubt) with a definite Dave Newhouse pace and feel to it. The backing synth sounds like The Northettes! (8.75/10)
4. "Beetle Borscht" (5:15) cool piano opening, soon joined by synth before drums and rhythm section jump in. Really nice, relaxed, melodic HOMUNCULUS RES-like tune. Great melodies and instrumental contributions throughout. A top three song for me. (9.75/10)
5. "Over and Out" (3:05) melodic ZAPPA, Moogy Klingman-and-Homunculus Res-like synth pop sound performing a rigorous sound and skill test. (9/10)
6. "The Odor at Tavistock" (4:33) very pleasant Canterbury Style jazz-pop-rock with many completely different motifs sown into one song with the same sudden twists and turns that Homunculus Res uses\d on their 2012 debut album, Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto. I love the percussion and bassoon-dominated second motif. One of the most proggy-sounding songs on the album. A top three song for me. (9.5/10)
7. "How Archontic the Ankle Biters" (8:21) with its dominant piano base and synth-funk sound in the rhythm section, this is the jazziest, most classically-influenced, and most dated sounding song on the album--even during the click and pop motif in the second minute. A clever, humorous song that could have been created or produced by fellow-Detroiter Don Was. (17.5/20)
8. "Lady and the Old Codger" (2:27) an ambivalently malevolent and, at the same time, humorous song that really gets your attention. Like a scene out of an Eminem movie. Powerful! (5/5)
9. "Unknowable" (5:14) synth-o-mania! Interesting, but sounds and feels rather dated and more like an étude than something intended for consumer/listener pleasure. (8.6667/10)
10. "Love Is a Dead Smelly Fish" (4:34) another song on the jazz-side of the musical spectrum--as if Homunculus Res went more toward French street music or straight jazz. (9/10)
11. "I Cries Crimes" (3:56) Fender Rhodes! And, according to the liner notes, a whole host of all-star guests! The rhythm tracks are much more seamless and laid back than many of the other songs. Another favorite. (9.25/10)
12. "Uh Oh (Lait Suspendu Fermenté)" (3:39) Singing! in French! By a female "NORTHETTES"-like choir (all Penelope Lovelace multitracked?)! Such a joyful song! My favorite song on the album! (10/10)
13. "Groom of the Stool" (3:32) lots of sound FX in the opening before a heavier early-DAVE STEWART-like piano chord progression opens up the minor-key song construct. It's like a soundtrack song from an European spy thriller. Interesting but nothing exceptional or ground-breaking. (8.75/10)
14. "Lurking in Shadow Fury" (3:41) piano and accordion and, later, synthesizer trading turns in the lead over staccato stop-and-go jazz foundation. A little hurky-jerky for me, too reliant on an oft-repeated melody line. (8.66667/10)
15. "Guns for Clones" (7:43) one of the more serious-sounding songs on the album, it's quite like the early Canterbury instrumentalists (Hatfield, Gilgamesh, or even National Health). I like the constantly shifting tempo and accordion work. (13.75/15)
16. "People Who Eat People" (8:53) again, there is an undefinable French street musicality to this music--and it's so carefree and happy-go-lucky--like a walk through several of the delightful neighborhoods in Paris' 2nd or 3rd Arrondissement coupled with the occasional encounter with the the Right Bank of the Seine or museum stroll through. (18.25/20)
Total Time 77:29
Being that this all-instrumental album is so long and completely saturated with the crazily complex twist-and-turn compositions, it is a very hard album to review with my usual play-by-play style. Suffice it to say that all 16 of the songs retain a wonderfully high standard of consistency in enjoyable, melodic, quirky-yet-engaging, each feeling fresh and creatively unique. After my first listen I had one clear favorite: "Uh Oh (Lait Suspendu Fermenté)"--for its French lyrics sung by a Northettes-like female choir (I'm a sucker for both female choral vocals-specially when delivered in the French language). But then, after three listens, I have been able to pick out a few other favorites ("Beetle Borscht," "The Odor at Tavistock," "I Cries Crimes," and "People Who Eat People")--and the rest of the album just keeps growing in my esteem.
90.98 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; an amazingly refreshing collection of mostly "future jazz" songs from these Cuneiform-supported music masters; music every prog lover should hear--and will probably love! (Especially if you love Canterbury Style music.)
36. AMOEBA SPLIT -- Second Split (2016) A greatly anticipated second album from Spanish instrumental Canterbury Style jazz artists whose 2010 debut album, Dance of the Goodbyes, caused quite a stir in this old heart. The music here on Second Split is definitely on the jazzier side of things--much like Dave NEWHOUSE's MANNA/MIRAGE project from late in 2015. At times I'm hearing riffs from the DAVE BRUBECK/PAUL DESMOND age ("Sundial Tick" 4:48] [9/10]) and others more of a jazz- rock mode in the vein of CHICAGO or BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS--especially in the arrangements for the horn section. And then there are the uses of odd/funny-sounding instrumental effects and/or shifts within the music. This is truly a entertaining and mercurial album--as is each song--taking twists and turns that the listener couldn't possibly foresee--yet none are wasted or superfluous, all serve to explore new ideas, new rhythms and combinations of sound and harmony.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ricardo Castro Varela / Hammond, piano, electric piano, Moog, composer & arrangements
- Alberto Villarroya López / 12-string guitar, bass, electric piano, Moog, composer & arrangements
- Pablo Añón / alto sax
- Eduardo "Dubi" Baamonde / tenor sax, flute
- Rubén Salvador / trumpet, flugelhorn
- Fernando Lamas / drums, percussion
With:
- Felix Arias / 12-string guitar (6)
- Iago Mouriño / Hammond organ (1), Moog (4-6), piano (5,6), electric piano (6)
- Sara García / violin (3)
- Arantxa Vera / viola (4)
- Elena Fernández / viola (3)
- Lucía Quinteiro / cello (3)
- Risto Vuolanne / double bass (3)
- Israel Arranz / vibraphone (3)
- Alberto Villarroya López / 12-string guitar, bass, electric piano, Moog, composer & arrangements
- Pablo Añón / alto sax
- Eduardo "Dubi" Baamonde / tenor sax, flute
- Rubén Salvador / trumpet, flugelhorn
- Fernando Lamas / drums, percussion
With:
- Felix Arias / 12-string guitar (6)
- Iago Mouriño / Hammond organ (1), Moog (4-6), piano (5,6), electric piano (6)
- Sara García / violin (3)
- Arantxa Vera / viola (4)
- Elena Fernández / viola (3)
- Lucía Quinteiro / cello (3)
- Risto Vuolanne / double bass (3)
- Israel Arranz / vibraphone (3)
2. "Sundial Tick" (4:48) opens with a melody line as if from a classic 1950s or 60s Broadway musical (Porgy and Bess' "Summertime" comes to mind before the "Take Five"-like tempo and style take over). Three different melodic themes seem to rotate through the song with different harmonic structures explored by the big band each time. (what is that synth sound at the three minute mark?) Truly an exceptional and intricate though fun song. (9/10)
3. "The Book Of Days" (2:25) opens with chamber string quintet before what sounds like two vibraphones join in. How cool! The double bass and violin morph into more café jazz sound as the vibes continue and, eventually, take over. How clever! (4.5/5)
4. "Those Fading Hours" (8:34) opens with a dirty electric piano creating some chords and arpeggios before strings engage to add intermittent and constant accompaniment--violin becoming the first main melody maker (alternating with the flute). Has a very MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA feel with a lot of pent up, potential energy feeling ready to explode on us. Incidental "noises" from the organ and other keys only adds to that feeling that at any minute things are going to break loose. The synth solo that begins at 3:30 seems to open this door--and then a fuzzy electric guitar-sounding keyboard takes over and seems to unleash a little of the spirit of the Mahavishnu himself. Despite the loosening up of the belt for the rest of the band, the ensuing horn play seems to keep things in check--but no! the instrumentalists are suddenly all trying to solo at the same time! But what happens! The band shuts down at 6:45 leaving space . . . out of which emerges an acoustic guitar and moog synth making animal (or insect) mating calls as the infant children laugh their end-of-the day laughs. What a marvelously odd song! I love it! (19/20)
5. "Backwards All The Time" (8:22) opens as the most straightforward jazz song yet, but then at the 0:45 mark, it morphs into a classic 1970s jazz rock fusion confabulation--a cross between JEFF BECK's "Freeway Jam," DEODATO's "Super Strut," ALAN PARSONS PROJECT's "I Robot," and CHICAGO's "I'm a Man"!!! Weird and wonderful! The dual alien synth and piano soli in the fifth minute are just too weird for me. Then they're back to jazz with a trumpeter in the lead. (There's that "Summertime" theme again!) Then, at 6:20, the hammond takes over and brings it back into jazz rock territory. Such a chameleonic song! Not sure if it all works but it is brave and adventurous! I think it suffers a bit from lack of a coherent, consistent flow--too many stories being told here. (12/15)
6. "About Life, Memories And Yesteryears" (8:12) opens quite sedately, as compared to all of the previous songs, with long sustained melody solos coming from keyboard 'flute' and 'saxes.' Real horns eventually join in as a bouncy, churchy hammond organ plays in the back right channel. Chunky keyboard fuzz bass takes over as electric piano and drums take front and center at the 4-minute mark. Horn section is soon added. Perhaps the weakest song on the album if only for it's lack of catchy melody. I mean, it's not till the 6:40 mark that the first likable melodic hook is presented, before that it's all about (I think) displaying all of the things the keyboards can do. (11/15)
Total time 41:26
87.05 on the Fishscales = B/a strong four star album; highly recommended as an excellent addition to any prog rock music collection though, in my opinion, the band really misses the vocal and flute talents of founding member María Toro: she brought an entirely other dimension (or to) to the band's music.
37. DE LORIANS De Lorians
A new Canterbury-oriented Jazz-Rock Fusion band from Japan, of all places.
1. "Daytona" (6:14) opens with a little cacophony similar to the musics of MAGMA and the 1960s free jazz innovators like Sun Ra, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Pharoah Sanders before settling into a multi-tempoed groove that could be something The Soft Machine could've done in the mid-1970s. In the fourth minute things slow down to an almost childish, tongue-in-cheek pace and style (like a National Health maneuver) before clicking into overdrive again. Sax and electric guitar are doing most of the work up top while the bass and drums are working hard to provide the solid base below. Interesting and complex if not always enjoyable. (8.75/10)
2. "Magso" (3:59) opens with some of the drama of one of countrymen BONDAGE FRUIT's dinosaur homages. The tribalistic drums and synth "vocal" diatonic growls are cool. In the second minute, things smooth out into the purer sound of jazz-rock fusion à la CARAVAN. Then things slow down into a more hypnotic groove to the racous thirty- second end. (9.25/10)
3. "A Ship Of Mental Health" (5:21) Quirky, bouncy lounge jazz with saxes and keys enriching another CARAVAN-like soundscape before a beer-and-chip break inserts itself into the song for a bit. (I'm reminded of ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS.) The guitar-led two chord groove that follows is great but then it dissembles into a spacious stop-and-go interlude before restarting with the sax taking a turn screaming out the lead. A switch into more John Coltrane sound turns quirky-pop with angular guitar and sax interplay. (8.75/10)
4. "Gomata" (2:01) back to some of the jazzier BONDAGE FRUIT music before a CARAVAN-like groove establishes itself while synth "saw" solos over crazy weave of all of the other instruments. (5/5)
5. "Roccotsu" (3:29) quite reminiscent of some of the most memorable CARAVAN passages: slow and deeply emotional with its melodic lead saxophone. The kind of stuff that Picchio Dal Pozzo made such a great debut album off of. The second part picks up the pace with a 1970s film score type of rhythm and keyboard tracks. Most excellent. (9.75/10)
6. "Himalia" (3:06) opening with a militaristic drum and bass pulse, keys, guitars, and sax punctuate their melodic inputs over the top in robotic fashion. In the second minute there is a shift in tempo and foundational structure as space opens up for treated sax, ebowed guitar, and wacky synth play off one another in crazy King Crimsonesque melodies. (8.75/10)
7. "Daytona - Reprise" (0:34) nice non-percussive weave of the Daytona theme.
8. "Toumai" (7:19) another classic jazz opening--almost big band-like--which settles into a slow groove for a short while before shifting into a HOMUNCULUS RES-like quirky pop weave followed by some more CARAVAN/SOFT MACHINE soundscape motifs. I feel as if CARAVAN sound palettes are common yet the structures are arranged into styles and forms that are more consistent with mid-1970s SOFT MACHINE. (13.25/15)
Total Time 32:03
Overall an enjoyable listening experience both for the sounds and styles but also for the complex tapestries pulled together by this band of tightly collaborating skilled musicians.
1. "Daytona" (6:14) opens with a little cacophony similar to the musics of MAGMA and the 1960s free jazz innovators like Sun Ra, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Pharoah Sanders before settling into a multi-tempoed groove that could be something The Soft Machine could've done in the mid-1970s. In the fourth minute things slow down to an almost childish, tongue-in-cheek pace and style (like a National Health maneuver) before clicking into overdrive again. Sax and electric guitar are doing most of the work up top while the bass and drums are working hard to provide the solid base below. Interesting and complex if not always enjoyable. (8.75/10)
2. "Magso" (3:59) opens with some of the drama of one of countrymen BONDAGE FRUIT's dinosaur homages. The tribalistic drums and synth "vocal" diatonic growls are cool. In the second minute, things smooth out into the purer sound of jazz-rock fusion à la CARAVAN. Then things slow down into a more hypnotic groove to the racous thirty- second end. (9.25/10)
3. "A Ship Of Mental Health" (5:21) Quirky, bouncy lounge jazz with saxes and keys enriching another CARAVAN-like soundscape before a beer-and-chip break inserts itself into the song for a bit. (I'm reminded of ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS.) The guitar-led two chord groove that follows is great but then it dissembles into a spacious stop-and-go interlude before restarting with the sax taking a turn screaming out the lead. A switch into more John Coltrane sound turns quirky-pop with angular guitar and sax interplay. (8.75/10)
4. "Gomata" (2:01) back to some of the jazzier BONDAGE FRUIT music before a CARAVAN-like groove establishes itself while synth "saw" solos over crazy weave of all of the other instruments. (5/5)
5. "Roccotsu" (3:29) quite reminiscent of some of the most memorable CARAVAN passages: slow and deeply emotional with its melodic lead saxophone. The kind of stuff that Picchio Dal Pozzo made such a great debut album off of. The second part picks up the pace with a 1970s film score type of rhythm and keyboard tracks. Most excellent. (9.75/10)
6. "Himalia" (3:06) opening with a militaristic drum and bass pulse, keys, guitars, and sax punctuate their melodic inputs over the top in robotic fashion. In the second minute there is a shift in tempo and foundational structure as space opens up for treated sax, ebowed guitar, and wacky synth play off one another in crazy King Crimsonesque melodies. (8.75/10)
7. "Daytona - Reprise" (0:34) nice non-percussive weave of the Daytona theme.
8. "Toumai" (7:19) another classic jazz opening--almost big band-like--which settles into a slow groove for a short while before shifting into a HOMUNCULUS RES-like quirky pop weave followed by some more CARAVAN/SOFT MACHINE soundscape motifs. I feel as if CARAVAN sound palettes are common yet the structures are arranged into styles and forms that are more consistent with mid-1970s SOFT MACHINE. (13.25/15)
Total Time 32:03
Overall an enjoyable listening experience both for the sounds and styles but also for the complex tapestries pulled together by this band of tightly collaborating skilled musicians.
90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5 stars (rated down for brevity); an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection--especially if you like the Canterbury side of Jazz-Rock Fusion.
38. MANNA / MIRAGE Man Out of Time (2021)
A collection of Dave Newhouse songs that contain some of his most complex, well-developed ideas since he went solo. I love that there is so much going on within each song that I pick out entirely new and different things with each listening.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dave Newhouse / keyboards (1-6), woodwinds (1-3,5,6), voice (3), drums (4), yelling (4), electric piano (7,8), bass clarinet (7), saxophone (4)
- Sean Rickman / drums (1-3,5,6)
- Jerry King / bass (1,2,6), trumpet (5), trombone (1,5)
- Mark Stanley / guitar (1,5)
- Carla Diratz / vocals (2)
- Bret Hart / guitar (2)
- Dereck Higgins / bass (3)
- Rich O'Meara / vibes, marimba (3,8)
- Alanna Cohen Duvall / voice (3)
- Guy Segers / bass (5)
- Forrest Fang / violin (5)
- Gary Rouzer / cello (5)
- Fred Frith / guitar (6)
1. "What's the Big Idea?" (4:19) all musicians here seem to be traveling their own solo paths while somehow, amazingly, creating a wonderfully mature weave. (9.5/10)
2. "World Song" (3:49) great drumming beneath Carla Diratz' bluesy singing and the rest of the band's baseline weave. (8.5/10)
3. "In for a Penny" (4:34) great Canterbury slow groove (Fender Rhodes, horns, and bass) over which xylophone, flute, vocalise, and drums create some wonderfully melodic trails. (9/10)
4. "Red Ball Express" (2:56) one of Dave's more free-form, boundary-pushing, almost laughable, hot air balloon ride compositions that remains somehow tethered to the ground by the mellifluous winds. (4.25/5)
5. "4 Steps Back" (10:45) a very well conceived and realized Canterbury style jazz song with nice contributions from strings and Mark Stanley's electric guitar--and a most excellent contribution from drummer Sean Rickman. I love the Muffins-like eight and ninth minutes and then the pugillistic final two minutes. Great editing and mixing to get this one to sound so perfect. (18.75/20)
6. "Fred's Dream" (3:58) opens with a sound, styling, and pacing that is quite reminiscent of STEELY DAN or some other Gary Katz production (Rosie Vela or Love and Money). GREAT melodic and harmonic structure. (9.5/10)
7. "Silver Age" (4:00) opens like something from HAROLD BUDD and THE COCTEAU TWINS' The Moon and the Melodies 1986 album. Fun! (8.5/10)
8. "These Days" (2:32) beautiful, peaceful keyboard (Fender Rhodes) work over which Rich O'Meara splays his marimba work. (4.75/5)
Total Time 36:53
I am so grateful for Dave's detailed liner notes explaining the etiology of each song: they are so enjoyable to read. The Coronavirus pandemic definitely allowed Dave the time and room to fully and completely develop and rework his ideas into wonderfully complete feeling songs.
90.94 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5 stars; a minor masterpiece of Canterbury style Jazz-Rock Fusion and one of my 10 favorite albums of 2021.
39. HATFIELD AND THE NORTH The Rotters' Club (1975) The second and final Hatfield effort that fails for lack of consistently high quality compositions (too much filler and fluff), unacceptably poor sound engineering, and disappointing neglect and underuse of one of the high points of the previous album, the Northettes.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Phil Miller / guitars
- Dave Stewart / Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, piano, MiniMoog, tone generator
- Richard Sinclair / bass, lead vocals, guitar (7)
- Pip Pyle / drums, percussion
With:
- Mont Campbell / French horn (3,4)
- Lindsay Cooper / oboe, bassoon (3,5)
- Jimmy Hastings / flute (6-8,9), soprano & tenor saxophones (5,9)
- Tim Hodgkinson / clarinet (3,5)
- Amanda Parsons / backing vocals (6,9)
- Ann Rosenthal / backing vocals (6,9)
- Barbara Gaskin / backing vocals (6,9)
- Dave Stewart / Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, piano, MiniMoog, tone generator
- Richard Sinclair / bass, lead vocals, guitar (7)
- Pip Pyle / drums, percussion
With:
- Mont Campbell / French horn (3,4)
- Lindsay Cooper / oboe, bassoon (3,5)
- Jimmy Hastings / flute (6-8,9), soprano & tenor saxophones (5,9)
- Tim Hodgkinson / clarinet (3,5)
- Amanda Parsons / backing vocals (6,9)
- Ann Rosenthal / backing vocals (6,9)
- Barbara Gaskin / backing vocals (6,9)
1. "Share It" (3:02) is a poppy tune that opens with some very CARAVAN-like music--complete with Richard Sinclair's unique voice taking center stage from the opening note through to the end (aside from a synth solo in the song's C part). Nothing too special here. (7.75/10)
2. "Lounging There Trying" (3:10) is an instrumental that sounds quite like an instrumental practice session for the opening song. A little more enjoyable than the opener due to the prominence of the instruments--especially the bass and unusual syncopation on the drums. Plus, it gets better as it goes along. (8.25/10)
3. "(Big) John Wayne Socks Psychology on the Jaw" (0:46) sounds like a brief intro or overture into something else. (2/2.5)
4. "Chaos at the Greasy Spoon" (0:30) which is another intro into something else. (2.5/2.5)
5. "The Yes No Interlude" (7:02) is an odd, fast-paced instrumental piece with impressive performances from the musicians but it totally lacks any engaging melodies or exciting events. (12/15)
6. "Fitter Stoke Has a Bath" (7:38) employs Richard Sinclair's now-famous underwater vocal technique while flutes, vocal scat and keyboards take turns weaving the melodic tapestry. In the fifth minute guitar is given its time--a rather Ernie Isley sound (if not the technique or effect). A pregnant time standstill occurs in the sixth minute as the instruments wind things down before a psycho-dream plays out to the end. Overall, the five-part song leaves one fairly empty and bewildered, void of any desire to come back to it. (12/15)
7. "Didn't Matter Anyway" (3:03) seems to complete the previous song--flute and Richard singing to take us out of the nightmare sequence of Fitter Stoke's bath. Again, rather innocuous and forgettable. Nice flute performance. (8.25/10)
8. "Underdub" (3:55) is a fast-paced jazz dittie that feels like some of the work being done in American R & B-influenced jazz fusion of the time. Great Fender Rhodes work, grooving upbeat rhythm section--not unlike some of JOE SAMPLE's great stuff of the time. I like the fact that some great team-play melodies are established and perpetuated throughout. One of my favorites from this album. (9/10)
9. "Mumps" (20:06) the highlight of the album is the (extremely) long playing "Mumps" suite--complete with the voice play of The Northettes and the inimitable Richard Sinclair.
a) "Your Majesty Is Like a Cream Donut (quiet)" (1:59) is a kind of keyboard chordal study with The Northettes' simple, breathy vocalise at play far in the background. (2/2.5)
b) "Lumps" (12:35) has the full band jumping into full gear. Some really nice clarity in the recording of this section--guitar, bass, keys, and drums are all sounding like they're right in front of you in the same room. In the middle section a three-part vocal weave from The Northettes gets featured with some bassoon! Then Richard sings for the first time at the 10:20 mark. The lyrics here found here sound rehearsed, not extemporaneously spewed forth as others of his do. The music remains interesting beneath and around Richard's vocal work--which is, to me, quite remarkable. By 12:42 he's done, drums kick into full and multiple tracks are devoted to guitar soli. Sax takes a turn with yet another, different (flange) effect on the soloing guitar. (22/25)
c) "Prenut" (3:55) notes a complete shift into a softer sound, flute, electric piano and female vocals filling the delicate, tension-filled soundscape. Very nice. Best section of the song and best passage on the album. (10/10)
d) "Your Majesty Is Like a Cream Donut (loud)" (1:37) (2/2.5)
Overall, "Mumps" is truly a masterpiece of performance and composition--showing a maturity that is sometimes missing in the earlier Canterbury works. (36/40)
85.43 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition to any Canterbury-loving prog lover's music collection.
40. COS Babel (1978)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Pascale Son / vocals, oboe (9,10)
- Daniel Schell / guitar, Chapman stick (12-14)
- Marc Hollander / organ, alto & soprano saxes (4,7)
- Alain Goutier / bass
- Philippe Allaert / drums, percussion
With:
- Nicolas Fiszman / guitar & bass (12-14)
- Charles Loos / organ & piano (1-3,5,8-11)
- François Cahen / piano (2)
- Marc Moulin / organ (6)
- Dick Bogaert / soprano flute, vocals
- Alain Pierre / sounds (6) - not confirmed
- Daniel Schell / guitar, Chapman stick (12-14)
- Marc Hollander / organ, alto & soprano saxes (4,7)
- Alain Goutier / bass
- Philippe Allaert / drums, percussion
With:
- Nicolas Fiszman / guitar & bass (12-14)
- Charles Loos / organ & piano (1-3,5,8-11)
- François Cahen / piano (2)
- Marc Moulin / organ (6)
- Dick Bogaert / soprano flute, vocals
- Alain Pierre / sounds (6) - not confirmed
1. "Babel" (4:22) supreme COS playfulness over a disco beat. Intentionally making fun of the disco phenom or using it to gain listeners? Pianist Charles Loo and Pascale sure seem to be having a blast! (9.5/10)
2. "Good Wind" (3:16) starts out a little too slow and somnambulant for the listener to get excited about: you can't dance to it and you certainly can't jam to the guitar and piano solos. The bass player feels like he may fall asleep at any moment. (7.75/10)
3. "Cha Cha Cha" (4:00) again, Cos playing with a musical form: this time, cha cha. Was it adventure, boredom, or pure curiosity that drove them to do thus? Hopefully, they're having fun! (8/10)
4. "Mein Maschine Ist Schön" (8:34) close to a carnival/cabaret piece, Pascale sings in German in her inimitable way over the music. In the third minute all instruments but bass and percussion drop away while Pascale whisper sings. There follows an almost humorous guitar and organ duet over the bass and drums. Despite it's slow-build in volume and intensity over the second half, this song is, overall, a song of intimate subtlety and relaxed dexterity. Unfortunately, despite it's subtleties, it bears little draw for further study or review. (15/20)
5. "Sors Ton Pétard, Johnny" (4:30) another surprisingly sedate song, at least in its rhythmic foundation. There are some cool plays at odd tempos around the two minute mark and thereafter, and then the kazoos enter and take over. Ooops! those were two tracks of fuzzed up electric guitars! Interesting how the band has really become a piano-bass-drums-and-guitar combo (7.75/10)
6. "Oostend, Oostend" (2:55) very cool little chamber étude. (10/10)
7. "Greeneldo" (13:12) back to a disco beat for the rhythmic foundation, pleasant sustained organ chords provide the key support for Pascale to go off on one of her extended forays of vocal acrobatics. At the end of the fourth minute the reins get handed over to the percussionist and organist. In the fifth minute there is an unexpected choral bridge leading into a section of true Canterbury sound and more choral "hits." At 5:45 organ and Pascale team up again to explore, with more choral bridges. The first half of this is really awesome with a lot of STEELY DAN-ishness in it but an over-extended mid-section and tired and drawn out final two minutes make me feel as if the song should have been cut off after about seven minutes. (25.5/30)
Total Time: 40:49
Despite the strangeness of these compositions (the odd juxtapositions of musical styles upon and within each other), this is the best recorded and engineered of the Cos albums.
83.50 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars; a viable contribution to the lexicon of both Canterbury jazz fusion and progressive rock music but no masterpiece.
2. "Good Wind" (3:16) starts out a little too slow and somnambulant for the listener to get excited about: you can't dance to it and you certainly can't jam to the guitar and piano solos. The bass player feels like he may fall asleep at any moment. (7.75/10)
3. "Cha Cha Cha" (4:00) again, Cos playing with a musical form: this time, cha cha. Was it adventure, boredom, or pure curiosity that drove them to do thus? Hopefully, they're having fun! (8/10)
4. "Mein Maschine Ist Schön" (8:34) close to a carnival/cabaret piece, Pascale sings in German in her inimitable way over the music. In the third minute all instruments but bass and percussion drop away while Pascale whisper sings. There follows an almost humorous guitar and organ duet over the bass and drums. Despite it's slow-build in volume and intensity over the second half, this song is, overall, a song of intimate subtlety and relaxed dexterity. Unfortunately, despite it's subtleties, it bears little draw for further study or review. (15/20)
5. "Sors Ton Pétard, Johnny" (4:30) another surprisingly sedate song, at least in its rhythmic foundation. There are some cool plays at odd tempos around the two minute mark and thereafter, and then the kazoos enter and take over. Ooops! those were two tracks of fuzzed up electric guitars! Interesting how the band has really become a piano-bass-drums-and-guitar combo (7.75/10)
6. "Oostend, Oostend" (2:55) very cool little chamber étude. (10/10)
7. "Greeneldo" (13:12) back to a disco beat for the rhythmic foundation, pleasant sustained organ chords provide the key support for Pascale to go off on one of her extended forays of vocal acrobatics. At the end of the fourth minute the reins get handed over to the percussionist and organist. In the fifth minute there is an unexpected choral bridge leading into a section of true Canterbury sound and more choral "hits." At 5:45 organ and Pascale team up again to explore, with more choral bridges. The first half of this is really awesome with a lot of STEELY DAN-ishness in it but an over-extended mid-section and tired and drawn out final two minutes make me feel as if the song should have been cut off after about seven minutes. (25.5/30)
Total Time: 40:49
Despite the strangeness of these compositions (the odd juxtapositions of musical styles upon and within each other), this is the best recorded and engineered of the Cos albums.
83.50 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars; a viable contribution to the lexicon of both Canterbury jazz fusion and progressive rock music but no masterpiece.
41. THE WINSTONS The Winstons (2016) The result of the effort of a trio of Milanese pop stars when they turn their efforts to the pop- and jazz-side of the 1960s and 1970s psychedelic, Canterbury Scene—most specifically the styles explored by Robert Wyatt.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Enrico Gabrielli ("Enro Winston") / keyboards, woodwind, vocals
- Roberto Dell'Era ("Rob Winston") / bass, 12-string guitar, vocals
- Lino Gitto ("Linnon Winston") / drums, keyboards, vocals
With:
- Xabier Iriondo / soundmetak (?) performer (1)
- Roberto D'Azzan / trumpet (4)
- Roberto Dell'Era ("Rob Winston") / bass, 12-string guitar, vocals
- Lino Gitto ("Linnon Winston") / drums, keyboards, vocals
With:
- Xabier Iriondo / soundmetak (?) performer (1)
- Roberto D'Azzan / trumpet (4)
1. “Nicotine Freak” (4:32) starts out as a pure Robert Wyatt imitation—psycho-babble and all—and an amazingly accurate reproduction, at that. Organ, multiple voice tracks and a little intermittent background sax and electric guitar for the first two minutes. Then all hell breaks loose with the full band breaking into an awesome organ and bass pulse while the multiplicity of male vocal tracks play their weave over the top. Incredibly powerful second half! One of my top three songs for the album. (10/10)
2. “Diprotodon” (4:09) is probably the most solid Canterbury sounding song on the album (except for the chunky bass). The Farfisa organ play is so fun, so nostalgic! Very much in the same spirit as the two recent HOMUNCULUS RES albums, if a little more reliant on the horns (saxophones) and bass. Another top three song. (9/10)
3. “Play with the Rebels” (3:42) opens with flutes over organ and cymbal play. When the English vocal enters it takes on a kind of KOOP meets or Brit Pop like Eric Burden/The Animals, Rod Argent or Paul Weller or even Harry Nilsson late 1960s sophisticated intelligent pop feel to it. Aside from the Procul Harum-like organ, it is pure pop late 60s pop. Very, very good late 60s psychedelic pop. (9/10)
4. “…on a Dark Cloud” (7:53) opens like some kind of psycho journey until at 1:00 a pulsing STEREOLAB-like synth bass and Farfisa organ take the fore. Drums and horns begin their contributions at the 2:00 mark. At 2:37 another Robert WYATT-like vocal display takes center stage—only this time sounding more like John WETTON. The dominance of the heavy, chunky bass again takes us slightly away from Canterbury and more into King Crimson or even Zeuhl territory. (9/10)
5. “She’s My Face” (4:22) returns us to the late 60s organ-dominated psychedelic pop. Sounds a little more emo than it needs. The carnival mood set at the 1:54 mark is cool but weird, but we are quickly turned back into a kind of WHO-frenzy with some BYRDS-like 12-string electric soloing. The song definitely grows on you. Could be a PAUL WELLER-like radio hit. (8/10)
6. “A Reason for Goodbye” (6:01) opens with a kind of minimalist structure of bass arpeggio and sparse cymbal play while the male lead vocalist sings with a kind of combined Roger Daltry-Robert Wyatt-Joe Strummer form. The jazzy bridge in the middle of the fourth minute is a nice twist before the song simplifies for a return to the vocalist’s singing to Jennifer. The final 90 seconds has the band amping back up for a MOTORPSYCHO-like instrumental jam. (8/10)
7. “Dancing in the Park with a Gun” (5:17) is a definite Canterbury style song with a particularly direct social-political message. It is strongly imbued with the spirit of Robert Wyatt again. One of my top three songs of this album. Any song that uses the word “symmetry” is automatically held high in my esteem. Very psychedelic song. (9/10)
8. “Viaggio nel suono a tre dimensioni” (3:33) is an instrumental that opens and closes with a male voice speaking in Italian as if for radio/television or an advertisement. In between a kind of SIR DOUGLAS QUINTET frenetically paced round establishes itself. The bass play is fun, the swirling organ play, too. (8/10)
9. “Tarmac” (3:30) is a slowed down, bare bones piano-based dirge in which the Robert WYATT-like vocal performance exactly matches the melody play of the piano. So like Sir Robert’s solo work. Probably the weakest song on the album. Musically. (7/10)
10.“番号番号 (Number Number)” (6:11) is a very psychedelic take on the Canterbury style of music—with a Beatles/Doors influence as well. Apparently the lyrics for this song and 2. “Diprotodon” were written by Japanese artist Gun Kawamura (who did the album art) and sung in Japanese by Gabrielli and Dell-Era. The first half of the song drags on a bit, but the shift in tempo and style that begins with the bridge at 2:50 is awesome. Here is where the very distinct influence of The Beatles and The Doors can be felt. Good song. (8/10)
Total time 42:36
Total time 42:36
85.0 on the Fish scales = a 4.5 star album; B; a near-masterpiece of jazz-pop Canterbury-styled progressive rock music.
42. CARAVAN -- Waterloo Lily (1975) Having come to know Caravan (and, indeed, the entire Canterbury Scene of music) only in the last ten years, I am still struggling to catch up with all of the albums I have yet to hear--including this one. I've listened to snippets over the years but I've only just indulged in ownership of this collection of diverse songs--some of which sound like they came out of vaults ("Aristocracy"), some as if hardship efforts to make hits ("World Is Yours"), some as if the studio's record button was left on all day and then the better parts were spliced together ("Nothing At All/It's Coming Soon," "Songs and Signs"). The only songs that, to my ear, sound as if they are worthy of the Caravan hall of fame are the two that sound as if some real thought and sweat went into them. "The Love in Your Eye/To Catch Me a Brother/etc." is, as most of my fellow reviewers have noted, worthy of "masterpiece" status if not quite on a par with "Nine Feet Underground" and "For Richard..." and the album's title song actually has some real thoughtful, well-rehearsed, well-played and well-recorded music throughout. It is a song that has really grown on my and to which I look forward. Overall, however, Waterloo Lilly falls short of the expectations I've come to associate with Caravan-- especially after getting to know For Girls Who Plump in the Night and If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You (which did take more time than In the Land of Grey and Pink).
2. "Nothing At All /It's Coming Soon / Nothing At All (reprise)" (10:25) two blues-rock warmup jams spliced together to make . . . mud. (15/20)
4. "Aristocracy" (3:03) slightly funkier and uptempo with a Kinks' "Lola" sound/feel to it. Too bad they couldn't come up with a full-on chorus. (8/10)
5. "The Love In Your Eye / To Catch Me A Brother / Subsultus / Debouchement / Tilbury Kecks" (12:31) (23/25)
6. "The World Is Yours" (3:41) nice guitar work--strumming and jazzy chord changes--in the first 90 seconds before the vocals begin, then some equally nice delicate guitar picking. A polished pop, hippie, love-the-world, la-la-la song. (8.25/10)
42. CARAVAN -- Waterloo Lily (1975) Having come to know Caravan (and, indeed, the entire Canterbury Scene of music) only in the last ten years, I am still struggling to catch up with all of the albums I have yet to hear--including this one. I've listened to snippets over the years but I've only just indulged in ownership of this collection of diverse songs--some of which sound like they came out of vaults ("Aristocracy"), some as if hardship efforts to make hits ("World Is Yours"), some as if the studio's record button was left on all day and then the better parts were spliced together ("Nothing At All/It's Coming Soon," "Songs and Signs"). The only songs that, to my ear, sound as if they are worthy of the Caravan hall of fame are the two that sound as if some real thought and sweat went into them. "The Love in Your Eye/To Catch Me a Brother/etc." is, as most of my fellow reviewers have noted, worthy of "masterpiece" status if not quite on a par with "Nine Feet Underground" and "For Richard..." and the album's title song actually has some real thoughtful, well-rehearsed, well-played and well-recorded music throughout. It is a song that has really grown on my and to which I look forward. Overall, however, Waterloo Lilly falls short of the expectations I've come to associate with Caravan-- especially after getting to know For Girls Who Plump in the Night and If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You (which did take more time than In the Land of Grey and Pink).
Line-up / Musicians
- Pye Hastings / acoustic & electric guitars, lead vocals (3-5a,5d)
- Steve Miller / grand piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, electric harpsichord, Hammond organ
- Richard Sinclair / bass, lead vocals (1)
- Richard Coughlan / drums, percussion
With:
- Phil Miller / 2nd lead guitar (2)
- Lol Coxhill / soprano saxophone (1,2)
- Jimmy Hastings / flute & tenor saxophone (5b)
- Mike Cotton / trumpet (5b)
- Barry Robinson / oboe (5a)
- Steve Miller / grand piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, electric harpsichord, Hammond organ
- Richard Sinclair / bass, lead vocals (1)
- Richard Coughlan / drums, percussion
With:
- Phil Miller / 2nd lead guitar (2)
- Lol Coxhill / soprano saxophone (1,2)
- Jimmy Hastings / flute & tenor saxophone (5b)
- Mike Cotton / trumpet (5b)
- Barry Robinson / oboe (5a)
- Colin Frechter / strings arrangement (5a)
1. "Waterloo Lily" (6:47) a more effected, darker, more mature, more musically complex "golf girl 2.0" with Richard doing his thing again (which he was less and less want to do). Nice instrumental cohesion on display from all four of the band members. Why the soft slow down in the middle? (12.5/15)
2. "Nothing At All /It's Coming Soon / Nothing At All (reprise)" (10:25) two blues-rock warmup jams spliced together to make . . . mud. (15/20)
3. "Songs And Signs" (3:39) a cute, surprisingly complex little jazz-pop tune. Nice song arrangements--vocals as well. (8.5/10)
4. "Aristocracy" (3:03) slightly funkier and uptempo with a Kinks' "Lola" sound/feel to it. Too bad they couldn't come up with a full-on chorus. (8/10)
5. "The Love In Your Eye / To Catch Me A Brother / Subsultus / Debouchement / Tilbury Kecks" (12:31) (23/25)
6. "The World Is Yours" (3:41) nice guitar work--strumming and jazzy chord changes--in the first 90 seconds before the vocals begin, then some equally nice delicate guitar picking. A polished pop, hippie, love-the-world, la-la-la song. (8.25/10)
Total Time: 40:06
83.75 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars; the band members are maturing with instrumental prowess, group cohesion and songwriting complexity reflecting, yet I feel let down for inconsistency and what seems like a lack of freshness and/or inspiration. A big leap forward in the sound engineering department.
83.75 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars; the band members are maturing with instrumental prowess, group cohesion and songwriting complexity reflecting, yet I feel let down for inconsistency and what seems like a lack of freshness and/or inspiration. A big leap forward in the sound engineering department.
43. GONG Radio Gnome Invisible Part 2: Angel's Egg (1973) The second Gong album with guitarist Steve Hillage, but, more importantly, the first Gong album with virtuoso drummer/percussionist, Pierre Moerlin. When one hears the work of Pierre Moerlin one cannot help but notice. His timing and fluidity is on a par with only a handful of other percussionists I've ever heard. It's something extraordinary. It makes so many other drummer/percussionists seem/feel like horses, clods, and pugilists. What Pierre adds is special, effortless and otherworldly--as if we are privileged to call ourselves witnesses to his work.
There is a lot of experimental work with sound engineering on "Angel's Egg"--employed with voice tracks, synths, saxophones, guitar tracks, flutes, etc. Gilli Smyth's performance on "Prostitute Poem" is absolutely brilliant, I just don't think it a very good "song."
Line-up / Musicians:
- Daevid Allen / vocals, guitar
- Gilli Smyth / vocals
- Steve Hillage / guitars
- Tim Blake / VCS3 synth, vocals
- Didier Malherbe / tenor & soprano saxes, flute, backing vocals
- Mike Howlett / bass
- Pierre Moerlen / drums, vibes, marimba
- Mireille Bauer / glockenspiel
- Gilli Smyth / vocals
- Steve Hillage / guitars
- Tim Blake / VCS3 synth, vocals
- Didier Malherbe / tenor & soprano saxes, flute, backing vocals
- Mike Howlett / bass
- Pierre Moerlen / drums, vibes, marimba
- Mireille Bauer / glockenspiel
Five star songs: 10. "Inner Temple" (2:34) (10/10); 9. "Outer Temple" (1:09) (4.5/5), and; 14. "Eat the Phone Book Coda" (3:09) (9/10)
Four star songs: 12. "Love Is How You Make It" (3:26) (8.75/10); 1. "Other Side of theSky" (7:39) (12.75/15); 3. "Castle in the Clouds" (1:10) (4.25/5); 8. "Oily Way" (3:38) (8.25/10); 13. "I Never Glid Before" (5:38) (8/10); 7. "Flute Salad" (2:10) (4/5); 6. "Selene" (3:43) (7.5/10); 4. "Prostitute Poem" (4:54) (7.5/10)
Total Time: 43:28
Politically relevant messages but a little too much silliness and dissonance for me.
82.08 on the Fishscales = C+/3.5 stars; a nice example of the experimental nature of the Canterbury style of music with some impeccable percussion work throughout.
44. THE MUFFINS Manna/Mirage (1978) America's only entry into the Canterbury style of music issued their debut in 1978 as the real Canterbury movement was fizzling out and/or filtering into other realms (jazz, new age, avant, eclectic, etc.). Still, they contributed a well-acclaimed gem in the true Canterbury style. Though I'm familiar with this album after repeated listenings to recognize each song and smile, I do not seem to be able to recall the Muffins sound when I am away from their music--when I am just trying to conjure up the "essence" of the band and their sound. All nice music, eminently listenable--and enjoyable--just, for some reason, not memorable. This is why this album isn't higher in my personal favorites. I remember that "Hobart Got Burned" (5:56) is an example of the band venturing off into the more challenging and dissonant realms of free jazz--though it does come together in a somewhat cohesive flow for the second half. (8/10)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dave Newhouse / piano, organ, piccolo flute, alto & baritone saxophones, bass clarinet, whistle, percussion
- Tom Scott / piccolo, E-flat, alto & C-flutes, soprano, alto & baritone saxophones, B-flat & alto clarinets, oboe, soprano recorder, percussion
- Billy Swan / bass, piano, guitar, percussion
- Paul Sears / drums, gong, xylophone, vibes, percussion, "pots & pans", pennywhistle
With:
- Steven Feigenbaum / guitar (3,4)
- John Schmidt / baritone horn, tuba
- Doug Elliot / trombone
- Larry Elliott / trumpet (1)
- Greg Yaskovich / bubble trumpet (4)
Favorite songs: 4. "The Adventures of Captain Boomerang" (22:48) (38/45); 1. "Monkey with Golden Eyes" (4:02) (9/10), and; 3. "Amelia Earhart" (15:45) (25.5/30).- Tom Scott / piccolo, E-flat, alto & C-flutes, soprano, alto & baritone saxophones, B-flat & alto clarinets, oboe, soprano recorder, percussion
- Billy Swan / bass, piano, guitar, percussion
- Paul Sears / drums, gong, xylophone, vibes, percussion, "pots & pans", pennywhistle
With:
- Steven Feigenbaum / guitar (3,4)
- John Schmidt / baritone horn, tuba
- Doug Elliot / trombone
- Larry Elliott / trumpet (1)
- Greg Yaskovich / bubble trumpet (4)
Total Time: 48:36
85.79 on the Fishscales = four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection. I am sure that this album would be an eminently more enjoyable listening experience for fans coming from (or for) a true jazz background, as there is a lot of that. The performances are all exquisite: high in technical skill as well tightly orchestrated.
45. MANNA/MIRAGE Blue Dogs (2016) With a bit of a Canterbury Style music revival picking up steam it is no wonder that the USA’s only true contributor to the sub genre, The Muffins would chime in with a contribution of new music. Only, mid-production one of the band’s members had to excuse himself, leaving Dave Newhouse, Billy Swann, Paul Sears and friends with the decision of whether or not to move forward. Under the guise of the clear reference to the parent band’s 1978 debut album of the same name, Dave and company decided to go ahead and finish the album in progress. Apparently revived by their recent work with Cuneiform label stable mate GUAPO and AltrOck Productions’ HOMUNCULUS RES, as well as Richard Wileman’s KARDA ESTRA projects, Dave and Paul, respectively, have gathered enough impetus and support to self-produce this album of seven songs which come in at a rather brief 36 minutes in length. And boy are we fortunate and am I happy that they did! I’ve been dancing around the house and in my car to the likes of the ear candy opener, “Canterbury Bells” (4:50) (10/10), ever since! Everytime I play this in the house my wife says, “That’s so Seventies!” And I say, “So?!” The bass, drums, and steady yet-syncopated piano chords bounce us along at a nice walking pace while an odd array of horns and percussion build unusual chord and harmonic layers over the top. Just brilliant! Should be a soundtrack to a video/commercial! One of my favorite songs of the year!
Line-up / Musicians:
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dave Newhouse / keyboards, woodwinds, drums
With:
- Mark Stanley / guitar
- Steve Pastena / French horn
- Billy Swann / bass
- Paul Sears / drums
- George Newhouse / drums
With:
- Mark Stanley / guitar
- Steve Pastena / French horn
- Billy Swann / bass
- Paul Sears / drums
- George Newhouse / drums
2. “Duke Street” (4:47) opens a little more playfully, with a piano playing a little two-bar ditty over and over in a kind of 50s/60s be-bop style—like Duke Ellington (for whom the song is named and who is present via a tape recorded sound clip from an interview of his at the end of the song), Thelonius Monk, or even Paul Desmond. The foundation established, the jazzy brush-played drums, double bass, and multiple horns play in a kind of big band style—playing as a group in chordal unison while single instruments take turns soloing over the top. If I have any complaint about this song it’s that there really is no significant shift of the foundation. (9/10)
3. Muffin Man Redux” (7:23), we find out toward the end, is a jazz song that is built over the ditty that we know as “Do you know the muffin man?” Until the avant shift at the 2:20 mark, the song presents itself as another small-scale big band song—not far from the Glenn Miller or Stan Kenton style. At 3:25 a drum interlude preps us for a kind of carnival-atmosphere in which, at the 4:13 mark, the “Muffin man” theme is presented. At 4:30 the music moves into a very catchy, melodic section with piano, electric bass, and jazzy drums laying another steady foundation over which the
At 5:46, the lone piano seems to be beginning a return us to the muffin man melody—but no! another pretty melodic variation picks up and plays on until the final twenty seconds when a single microphone is used to pick up a man and his ukelele playing and singing out the “muffin man” nursery rhyme before saying “bye bye, everyone” in a condescending as-if-to-children voice. Some great sections to this humorous song. (8/10)
4. “Lost in a Photograph” (4:21) opens with a slow jazz big band foundations, double bass and flute gently standing out the most. At 1:10 a shift brings forth a “chorus” melody from the horn section before a sax takes on the lead duties over the original opening foundation. An eminently enjoyable little dirge that even takes on some nice STEELY DAN hues and in the third and fourth minutes. No complaints here! (As a matter of fact, I would not mind at all if this one went on longer!) (9/10)
5. “Blind Eye” (4:57) is the first song on the album that, to my ears, really sounds like an avant/RIO/Canterbury song. The initial rhythm and sounds established are familiar to me in a kind of BRUFORD/YUGEN way. The guitar soloing that begins in the second half of the second minute is quite angular and discordant. The section that begins at 2:15 is pure avant/RIO in a kind of UZED/PRESENT way. The ensuing section uses some very Middle Eastern or klezmer-type melodic sounds and structures—which is then varied and embellished over for the fourth and first half of the fifth minutes before fading away to leave an electric piano to delicately play out the final 40 seconds. An interesting song but not my favorite. (8/10)
6. “Shwang Time” (4:58) opens with a kind of Pink Panther-meets-James Brown kind of feel as double bass and snare drum play with and off of each other. At 0:49 the rest of the little big band joins in with multiple melodies and being represented simultaneously but woven together in a fun, 1960s kind of way. At 1:55 there is a shift into a more insistent, ascendant bass and chordal progression giving the song a kind of YES-like feel! A tom-only drum section allows for some different horn interplay—eventually morphing into what sounds and feels like a 1920s jazz dance piece (with a film-noire detective theme playing within.) Odd but fun song! (9/10)
7. “Rovian Cue” (4:10) obviously refers to Karl Rove’s cue ball shaped head. Regardless of the meaning of the title, the song has a kind of slap-happy, fun feel like one of Sweden’s DUNGEN’s happy songs or something from Sicily’s current Canterbury revivalists, HOMUNCULUS RES. The piano play in the final minute feels so much like that of VINCE GUARALDI (jazz pianist most famous for the original Charlie Brown television specials’ soundtracks). Next to the album’s opener, this is my favorite song on the album. (10/10)
Total time 34:05
A late comer to the 2015 catalogue of albums, this is one that is well worth everyone’s listen and patience—it’ll grow on you in a very pleasant way!
89.0 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
89.0 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
46. GONG Radio Gnome Invisible, Vol. 3: You (1974) The inclusion of Gong among the list Canterbury Scene members has never felt quite right to me. The music of Gong feels and sounds quite different from the jazzier stuff that came out of Soft Machine, Caravan, Egg, National Health, and Hatfield and the North. I guess Gong's inclusion allows for the Canterbury scope to be broader, thereby allowing the presence of a greater number of bands--which is a good thing. Interestingly, I find far fewer imitators of the Gong sound than I do of the other afore-named Canterbury Scene bands.
You is definitely a space/psychedelia album. This incarnation of Gong is the one with Daevid Allen on his glissando guitar, percussionists Mireille Bauer, Benoît Moerlen and Pierre Moerlen, Tim Blake on Moog & EMS synths and Mellotron, Steve Hillage on lead guitar, Mike Howlett on bass, Didier Malherbe on saxes, flute, vocals, and Gilli Smyth on wee voices and b vox. A lineup of veritable Canterbury all-stars, to be sure, but, to my ears, it only begins to sound somewhat Canterbury-ish with the middle of the fourth song, "Master Builder" (6:08) (8/10). I love the synth and effects uses throughout this album and while the vocals are fair, the hippie lyrics make me smile. Again, it is my opinion that the space/psychedelic element of You far eclipse the Canterbury-ness of the album.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Daevid Allen / vocals, guitar
- Gilli Smyth / vocals
- Steve Hillage / lead guitar
- Tim Blake / Moog & EMS synths, Mellotron, vocals
- Didier Malherbe / saxes, flute, vocals
- Mike Howlett / bass
- Pierre Moerlen / drums, percussion
- Benoît Moerlen / percussion
- Mireille Bauer / percussion
- Miquette Giraudy / backing vocals
- Gilli Smyth / vocals
- Steve Hillage / lead guitar
- Tim Blake / Moog & EMS synths, Mellotron, vocals
- Didier Malherbe / saxes, flute, vocals
- Mike Howlett / bass
- Pierre Moerlen / drums, percussion
- Benoît Moerlen / percussion
- Mireille Bauer / percussion
- Miquette Giraudy / backing vocals
1. "Thoughts For Naught" (1:30) a typical intro into the fairyland of Gong & Co. (3.5/5)
2. "A P.H.P.'s Advice" (1:37) a humorous and philosophical introduction to Daevid and Gilli's current life-advice and life-lessons. (3.25/5)
3. "Magick Mother Invocation" (2:11) Deep-voiced "aum," floating synth, and diaphonous soprano vocalise from Gilli (4.25/5) bleeding into:
4. "Master Builder" (6:09) a float-fest of synth, flute, cavernous, heavily treated and distant bass with Pierre Moerlen percussion turns into a spacey jazzy jam as saxophone takes over the lead over strong bass, drums, and synth play. Odd stop-n-start section in the middle of the fourth minute with Daevid speaking in tongues before he and Steve Hillage take turns duelling on thier axes. Mike Howlett's bass has quite a bit of trouble keeping up with Pierre's drumming as the song speeds along into the final third. (8.5/10)
5. "A Sprinkling of Clouds" (8:55) is where the album really starts to stand up and shine. Part TANGERINE DREAM, part Indian raga, part CSN&Y/JESSE COULTER YOUNG, until it morphs into a driving groove by the 4:20 mark and then into a more Canterbury sound with the electric guitar and sax soli soon thereafter. Multiple synths, floating space guitar, and talking drum make for a good team in the first half, then nice bass groove takes us to the moon. (18/20)
6. "Perfect Mystery" (2:27) is only notable for its percussion work--is otherwise quite annoying in a pixie-ish kind of way. (3.5/5)
The next long song, 7. "The Isle of Everywhere" (10:22) is another pleasant space groove with GILLI SMYTH's ethereal vocals floating all around us, giving way to some very nice, subdued sax work around the 3:30 mark. Steve Hillage solos next--playing out to the song's fade out (the master fade makes it sound like the jam went on for quite some time longer). Nice play from the bass, sax, and drums. (18/20)
8. "You Never Blow Yr Trip Forever" (11:23) starts like the precursor to NEWCLEUS's Ewok voices in "Jam On It" before it shifts, late in the song, to a nice jazz piece. Odd mock-vocals and lyrics return. The song is just a little too surreal, silly, disjointed, and . . . well, pointless for my tastes. (12/20)
Total time 44:19
Overall, the guitars, drums, vocals, lyrics, and saxes fail to impress. The synths, percussion, and mix/engineering are the real stars of this album. I could never call this an essential masterpiece of music, but it is a very interesting experience that.
78.88 on the Fishscales = C-/three stars; an odd contribution to the lexicon of human musical expression and a disappointing and superfluous waste of talent.
Overall, the guitars, drums, vocals, lyrics, and saxes fail to impress. The synths, percussion, and mix/engineering are the real stars of this album. I could never call this an essential masterpiece of music, but it is a very interesting experience that.
78.88 on the Fishscales = C-/three stars; an odd contribution to the lexicon of human musical expression and a disappointing and superfluous waste of talent.
47. INNER EAR BRIGADE Rainbro (2016) COS and STEREOLAB comingled and recorded for the first time!
Just kidding. This album is, however, for our times, quite unusual. At first I thought it "cute" and "interesting" but as I've given it many more listens I hear so much of two of my favorite "recent" or rather late in life joy-bringing discoveries in Canterbury styled music (of which there is so little coming out in the 21st Century) and, more specifically, the music of the unique Belgian group, COS. Actually, if you took 1970s COS and 2000 STEREOLAB you would have INNER EAR BRIGADE. Vocalist Melody Ferris sounds stylistically a bit like Kitchen Thieves’ AMY DARBY or Thinking Plague’s ELAINE DI FALCO, though the PASCALE SON (COS) and LAETITIA SADIER (STEREOLAB) comparisons are unavoidable. And these guys are from West Coast USA!
This is an album of pure joy and fun. Even the extended jazz grooves with their serious and accomplished horn play and solos are fun.
- Bill Wolter / guitars, keyboards, electronics
- Doug Port / drums (1-9)
- Pat Moran / bass (1-9)
- Andrew Vernon / keyboards, Farfisa Organ (1-9)
- Ivor Holloway / tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet
- Melody Ferris / voices
- David Shaff / trumpet (1-9)
- Nick Peck / Hammond B-3 Organ, clavinet, piano, electric piano, Moog synthesizer, mellotron (1-9)
- Ryder Shelly / vibraphone (1-9)
- David Slusser / Slussomatic, electronics (1-9)
- Shayna Dunkelman / vibes, crotales (10)
- Jordan Glenn / drums (10)
- Curtis McKinney / electric bass (10)
- Charith Premawardhana / viola (10)
- Max Stoffregen / piano, synthesizer (10)
- Doug Port / drums (1-9)
- Pat Moran / bass (1-9)
- Andrew Vernon / keyboards, Farfisa Organ (1-9)
- Ivor Holloway / tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet
- Melody Ferris / voices
- David Shaff / trumpet (1-9)
- Nick Peck / Hammond B-3 Organ, clavinet, piano, electric piano, Moog synthesizer, mellotron (1-9)
- Ryder Shelly / vibraphone (1-9)
- David Slusser / Slussomatic, electronics (1-9)
- Shayna Dunkelman / vibes, crotales (10)
- Jordan Glenn / drums (10)
- Curtis McKinney / electric bass (10)
- Charith Premawardhana / viola (10)
- Max Stoffregen / piano, synthesizer (10)
The opener, 1. “Knee” (5:02) is such an ear catcher! Sounds a bit like an ELVIS COSTELLO song as it might be performed by STEREOLAB. (9/10)
2. "Oompah" (5:07) has some KC AND THE SUNSHINE BAND riffs and influence as well as feeling like some of FROGG CAFE's most CHICAGO-ishness. (8/10)
3. "Missing the Train" (3:41) feels a lot like a song coming from the 1960s Brazilian-influenced period of U.S. pop jazz. (8/10)
4. "Rainbro" (5:01) is perhaps my least favorite song on the album. It has more of a "bland" Stereolab feel to it--the melodies and chord changes are not quite as catchy as other songs--though I love the final 30 seconds. (7/10)
5. "Too Good to Be True" (4:12) has some social-political commentary like that commonly found in Stereolab songs as well as some nice XTC-like jazz guitar sound/work. (8/10)
6. "Somnambulist Subversion" (4:36) uses two long-out-dated instrumental effects: the cheesy synth and the ragged distortion strum of a punk-like guitar that begin the song. Once voice, horns and percussives, tuned and untuned, join in, the song takes on a more early Elvis Costello sound and feel. (9/10)
7. “Nutjob" (3:14) is an instrumental that begins in a tight Canterbury fashion: whole band chord staccato progression before settling down into a pleasant kind of jazz beat to support trade off solos from horns, Farfisa organ & crazy synths, distorted and jagged guitars, tuned percussives. (9/10)
8. “Forgotten Planet” (6:02) is my favorite. It begins with flute and tight Stereolab-like rhythm bass with vocalist Melody Ferris’s scatting Pascale Son (COS)-like. Wonderful Canterbury song! (10/10)
9. “Dirty Spoons” (5:13) begins with an acoustic guitar playing an arpeggiated chord sequence that is just heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Bandleader Bill Wolter is gradually joined by the rhythm section, keyboards and horns--which take over the presentation of the melodies on this awesome instrumental. Parts have an almost Acid Jazz feel to it, only without the house downbeat. Another favorite. (10/10)
10. “25 Miles to Freedom” is notable for both its length (10:31) and its different jazz beat--like a kletzmer-meets-Philip-Glass or like the 1988 Pat Metheny-Steve Reich collaboration on “Different Trains.” Melody Ferris’s jazzy vocals aren’t quite as warm or alluring on this one--and actually make it obvious that on this particular song it’s the instrumental sections that are the standouts--like the violin, sax, and vibraphone trio in the seventh minute, or the STEELY DAN-like sax solo in minute number eight. (9/10)
My favorite songs in which Melody’s voice shine are the wordless “Forgotten Planet,” “Missing The Train,” “Oompah,” “Knee,” and “Rainbro.”
87.0 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars of fun, intelligent, joy and for resurrecting fresh, jazzy, Canterbury music.
48. SUPERSISTER Iskander (1973) Gone are founding members Marco Vrolijk and Sacha van Geest, drummer and flute-sax player, respectively. Still, Robert Jan Stips and company manage to focus and take on a concept album, no less--a musical rendering and homage to the historical figure, Alexander the Great. I think they do it exceedingly well--and still in a very Canterburian way, despite their growth and the inputs of two new, jazz-oriented members. Though I miss the predominance of the flutes from the previous albums, I love the various saxes as played by Charlie Mariano. Ron van Eck's chunky bass feels and sounds more at home, more integrated within this new music--which is mixed much more thickly, with less separation and differentiation (pointing to Robert Jan's development on the engineering/production side of things). though there is definitely a stronger commitment to jazz tendencies the keyboard and chordal structures are still very much anchored in the Canterbury sound.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Robert Jan Stips / keyboards, lead vocals, vibes
- Charley Mariano / saxophones, flute, bass clarinet, nadaswaram
- Ron Van Eck / bass
- Herman Van Boeyen / drums, percussion
With:
- Pierre Moerlen / marimba & percussion (6)
- Gerard Lemaitre / voice actor (6)
- Sacha Van Geest / flute (9)
- Charley Mariano / saxophones, flute, bass clarinet, nadaswaram
- Ron Van Eck / bass
- Herman Van Boeyen / drums, percussion
With:
- Pierre Moerlen / marimba & percussion (6)
- Gerard Lemaitre / voice actor (6)
- Sacha Van Geest / flute (9)
Total Time: 57:23
A solid four star album from this wonderful Dutch band--and their best engineered album to date.
49. HOMUNCULUS RES Come si diventa ciò che si era (2015) While not quite as new, fresh, happy, upbeat, melodic, or loose and quirky as their debut, this is still an excellent album release fully within the Canterbury sound. The music feels to me as if it is now more work, more effort, less fun, less imbued with the frivolity of youth and its devil-may-care joy. I miss some of the layers and sudden stops and shifts, and I do not like the way the drums are recorded. I hope the future music of this wonderfully spirited band veers more toward songs like "Balacqua" (3:40) and the epic "Ospedale civico" (17:52) and less like the opening few songs here.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dario D'Alessandro / guitar, Casiotone (2,7,12), MS10 synth (3,8-10,12), MS2000 synth (4,5,11), bass (4,7,10-12), glockenspiel (6)
- Mauro Turdo / guitar
- Davide Di Giovanni / Nord Electro synth (2), keyboards & synth (13), bass (8,13), drums & percussion (13)
- Daniele Crisci / bass
- Daniele Di Giovanni / drums, percussion
With:
- Aldo De Scalzi / vocals & organ & guitar (4)
- Wyatt Moss-Wellington / vocalese & backing vocals (10)
- Fabrice Chouette / Yamaha MOX6/CS15d (2)
- Patrick Dufour / Yamaha MOX6/CS15d (2)
- Jarrod Gosling / Mellotron, Philicorda organ & Octave Kitten synth (3,6)
- Paul "Ske" Botta / ARP Odyssey (5), OSCar synth (2,9), Roland RS 202 (11), mixing
- Steven Kretzmer / piano (8)
- Giuseppe Turdo / oboe & English horn (1)
- Giorgio Trombino / alto saxophone (3,5,14)
- David Newhouse / saxofones (soprano, alto, tenor & baritone) & bass clarinet (9,10)
- Dario Lo Cicero / flutes & flageolet (10)
- Mauro Turdo / guitar
- Davide Di Giovanni / Nord Electro synth (2), keyboards & synth (13), bass (8,13), drums & percussion (13)
- Daniele Crisci / bass
- Daniele Di Giovanni / drums, percussion
With:
- Aldo De Scalzi / vocals & organ & guitar (4)
- Wyatt Moss-Wellington / vocalese & backing vocals (10)
- Fabrice Chouette / Yamaha MOX6/CS15d (2)
- Patrick Dufour / Yamaha MOX6/CS15d (2)
- Jarrod Gosling / Mellotron, Philicorda organ & Octave Kitten synth (3,6)
- Paul "Ske" Botta / ARP Odyssey (5), OSCar synth (2,9), Roland RS 202 (11), mixing
- Steven Kretzmer / piano (8)
- Giuseppe Turdo / oboe & English horn (1)
- Giorgio Trombino / alto saxophone (3,5,14)
- David Newhouse / saxofones (soprano, alto, tenor & baritone) & bass clarinet (9,10)
- Dario Lo Cicero / flutes & flageolet (10)
1. "Operazione Simpatia" (2:11) (8/10)
2. "Doppiofondo del Barile" (2:50) (8/10)
3. "Vesica Piscis" (6:22) (8.25/10)
4. "Dogface reprise" (1:50) (/5)
5. "Opodeldoc" (4:26) (9/10)
6. "La Felicità" (1:27) (/5)
7. "Ottaedro" (2:45) (/10)
8. "Egg Soup" (0:50) (/5)
9. "Belacqua" (3:39) (9/10)
10. Ospedale Civico (17:52) (32/40)
11. Dogface (3:40) (9/10)
12. S invertita (0:52) (/5)
13. Paum/ (1:53) (/5)
14. Schermaglie (1:51) (/5)
Total Time: 52:28
2. "Doppiofondo del Barile" (2:50) (8/10)
3. "Vesica Piscis" (6:22) (8.25/10)
4. "Dogface reprise" (1:50) (/5)
5. "Opodeldoc" (4:26) (9/10)
6. "La Felicità" (1:27) (/5)
7. "Ottaedro" (2:45) (/10)
8. "Egg Soup" (0:50) (/5)
9. "Belacqua" (3:39) (9/10)
10. Ospedale Civico (17:52) (32/40)
11. Dogface (3:40) (9/10)
12. S invertita (0:52) (/5)
13. Paum/ (1:53) (/5)
14. Schermaglie (1:51) (/5)
Total Time: 52:28
84.29 on the Fishscales = B-/four stars; a decent album by but by no means a shining example worthy of high praise or universal recommendation. For those with an undying love for all things Canterbury.
50. ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS -- Double Egg With Chips And Beans (2006) The brevity of this album (19 minutes!) betrays the fact that this is already a band that is tiring of the Neo-Canterbury fun. Soon they'll be getting ready for the transition into the Neo Prog that will become their next incarnation as Sanguine Hum.
Line-up / Musicians:
2. "Son Of Cheese" (5:59) a bluesy opening with bluesy guitar betrays an odd song despite the Canterbury-esque singing and lyric. The chorus is good followed by some nice guitar, keyboard, and percussion work. Ends nicely with some cool upper octave vocalise. (8.25/10)
50. ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS -- Double Egg With Chips And Beans (2006) The brevity of this album (19 minutes!) betrays the fact that this is already a band that is tiring of the Neo-Canterbury fun. Soon they'll be getting ready for the transition into the Neo Prog that will become their next incarnation as Sanguine Hum.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Matt Baber / keyboards
- Joff Winks / guitar, vocals
- Paul Mallyon / drums
- Joff Winks / guitar, vocals
- Paul Mallyon / drums
- Brad Waissman / bass
1. "Double Egg" (4:25) nice pop tune with quirky Canterbury-like lyrics and phrasing. (8.5/10)
2. "Son Of Cheese" (5:59) a bluesy opening with bluesy guitar betrays an odd song despite the Canterbury-esque singing and lyric. The chorus is good followed by some nice guitar, keyboard, and percussion work. Ends nicely with some cool upper octave vocalise. (8.25/10)
3. "Son Of Bassoon" (3:26) brilliant little Satie-like étude (10/10)
4. "Shatner's Bassoon" (5:19) a raunchy full-band, electrified, avant garde version of the "Son of Bassoon" étude. Works okay. (8.75/10)
Total Time: 19:09
Total Time: 19:09
88.75 on the Fishscales = B+/four stars; rated down for brevity (this is an EP).
51. THE SOFT MACHINE -- Fourth (1971) If one had never heard the previous albums with their quirky beginnings in psychedelia one might enter into the world of Mike Ratledge, Hugh Hopper, Robert Wyatt, and Elton Dean thinking that these guys are 1) serious jazz musicians and 2) great masters of their instruments. The only problem is: There is very, very little here that feels or sounds like Canterbury style music--a little in "Kings and Queens" and Virtually part 3." That's it.
While Dean's saxes will become more refined and creative in his more free-form future, the playing here of Robert Wyatt is the first and only time that I found myself thinking that "this is a really impressive musician." Ratledge and Hopper are really good and the addition of double bass from NUCLEUS founder Mike Babbington is awesome. Also, I still think it rather unique and brave of the band to go without a guitar player.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Mike Ratledge / Lowrey organ, Hohner pianet, piano
- Elton Dean / alto sax, saxello
- Hugh Hopper / bass guitar
- Robert Wyatt / drums
With:
- Roy Babbington / double bass (1,3,4,6)
- Mark Charig / cornet (2-4)
- Nick Evans / trombone (1,2,4)
- Jimmy Hastings / alto flute (6), bass clarinet (1,6)
- Alan Skidmore / tenor sax (1,6)
- Elton Dean / alto sax, saxello
- Hugh Hopper / bass guitar
- Robert Wyatt / drums
With:
- Roy Babbington / double bass (1,3,4,6)
- Mark Charig / cornet (2-4)
- Nick Evans / trombone (1,2,4)
- Jimmy Hastings / alto flute (6), bass clarinet (1,6)
- Alan Skidmore / tenor sax (1,6)
1. "Teeth" (9:15) Jazz! Free jazz! At least, from the saxophone. From the opening notes this song presents the band as a jazz band with little or no ties to its previous incarnations. It's too bad as this is not one of the album's better songs--even the recording mix is "off." (15/20)
2. "Kings and queens" (5:02) slow and melodic with the gentle waves of keys, toms, and cymbals to support. Ratledge is brilliant in his support and Wyatt and Hopper and Dean are impressive as well. (8.75/10)
3. "Fletcher's blemish" (4:35) pure free-form jazz in which the musicians exhibit some great control and, surprisingly, cohesiveness. (8.5/10)
4. "Virtually part 1" (5:16) jazz, pure and simple, with some nice structural experimentation. The barebones-ness of this piece gives each instrumentalists plenty of space in which to shine. (8.5/10)
5. "Virtually part 2" (7:09) enter the Lowrey organ--the last vestige of the Canterbury sound--and multiple tracks given to Elton Dean for his two instruments. Great instrumental performances--especially true of Robert Wyatt--but nothing very special melodically or emotionally. (12.5/15)
6. "Virtually part 3" (4:33) sees a step back from pacing and walls of sound as the drums check out and everybody else goes into "tuning mode." The electric bass of Hugh Hopper takes the lead while everybody else offers a kind of gentle support. It's actually kind of pretty music despite the fuzzed bass up front. (8.75/10)
7. "Virtually part 4" (3:23) smoother and more cohesive, even melodic. My favorite section of the album and the one that allows me to keep this album in the list of Canterbury favorites. (9.5/10)
Total Time: 39:13
Total Time: 39:13
84.12 on the Fishscales = B-/low four stars; a nice jazz album for its time but not a very glowing representative of the Canterbury Scene.
52. ZOPP Zopp
Competent modern prog done in the Canterbury style most similar to Dave Newhouse's Manna/Mirage though I find Egg, Hatfield and the North, Supersister, and The Muffins also come to mind. Fine sound engineering and overall production for this sometimes simplistic and basic imitation of the best sounds of Dave Stewart, Robert Jan Stips, Phil Miller, Richard Sinclair, and others.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ryan Stevenson / keyboards, Mellotron M4000D, Hammond organ, Arturia analogue synthesiser, Korg CX-3 organ, piano, Hohner Pianet T, bass, electric guitars, Nord Electro synth, voice, sound design, noises, field recordings, percussion
with:
- Andrea Moneta / drums, percussion, drum recording
- Andy Tillison / piano (6), Hammond organ (3), Leslie processing (2,5,6), co-production (3,6,9)
- Theo Travis / flute (6)
- Caroline Joy Clarke / voice (1,7,8)
with:
- Andrea Moneta / drums, percussion, drum recording
- Andy Tillison / piano (6), Hammond organ (3), Leslie processing (2,5,6), co-production (3,6,9)
- Theo Travis / flute (6)
- Caroline Joy Clarke / voice (1,7,8)
- Mike Benson / tenor saxophone (9)
1. "Swedish Love" (1:32) pure and delightful Hatfield and the North . . . until the eerie/bizarre second half (4.5/5)
2. "Before The Light" (6:05) Eggish with some Supersister sprinkled in (8.75/10)
3. "Eternal Return" (5:06) I hear Supersister, Cos, The Muffins, and a little Khan in the first half of this one. The big pause in the middle brings forth a little Jean-Luc Ponty and Mike Oldfield feel! (8.25/10)
4. "Sanger" (3:20) sounds like The Muffins with Hugh Hopper's bass! (8.5/10)
5. "Sellanrå" (3:29) an interesting sound experimental starting with the organ start and some nature noises and then piano arpeggi and sparse echoing electric guitar notes and, later, faraway female vocalise. I actually really like this. (9.5/10)
6. "V" (6:37) using Andy Tillison as the time holder! Again, The Muffins and Manna/Mirage come to mind. Great bass and some really awesome Dave Newhouse-like melody lines. (8.75/10)
7. "Being And Time" (4:33) more regal and pretentious, like Black Sabbath or Deep Purple, but then turns into more melodic stuff á la Manna/Mirage. (8.67/10)
8. "Zero" (4:52) again, the individual layers of the tapestry are surprisingly simple, but the whole impresses as if some kind of Dave Stewart, Mike Rutledge, Dave Sinclair or even Alan Gowen composition--though, again, I hear Dave Newhouse melodies. (8.75/10)
9. "The Noble Shirker" (9:19) The most full and sophisticated song on the album, done in a style like AMOEBA SPLIT's 2016 album, Second Split.The sax is fun. (17.75/20)
Total time: 44:53
87.81 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music exploring the jazzier Canterbury veins.
53. CARAVAN Caravan (1970) Out of the ashes The DAEVID ALLEN TRIO and THE WILDE FLOWERS comes this debut album from one of the three most important contributors to the Canterbury legacy. Daevid Allen has moved to France, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers and the Hopper brothers are moving all over the place (Soft Machine to Matching Mole, et al.) which leaves the Hastings, Sinclair, and Coughlan families to sort out their own directions and desires.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Pye Hastings / guitars, bass (3,7), vocals (1,2,4-6,8)
- David Sinclair / organ, piano (?), backing vocals
- Richard Sinclair / bass, guitar (3,7), vocals (3,5-8)
- Richard Coughlan / drums
With:
- Jimmy Hastings / flute solo (4)
- David Sinclair / organ, piano (?), backing vocals
- Richard Sinclair / bass, guitar (3,7), vocals (3,5-8)
- Richard Coughlan / drums
With:
- Jimmy Hastings / flute solo (4)
2. "Ride" (3:42) rather bland and ordinary with Pye singing the lead up close and personal. (7/10)
3. "Policeman" (2:44) Richard Sinclair taking a turn at the lead--he's more conservative than we'll hear in a year or two. Quite a little similarity to THE BEATLE's "I am the Walrus" without the crazed, surreal lyrics. (8/10)
4. "Love song with flute" (4:10) a very catchy and almost perfectly polished prog pop song (using melodic themes that they would return to over the course of the next few years). (9.5/10)
5. "Cecil runs" (4:07) opens with experimental guitar chords, spaciousness and a new synth to play with. Chorale harmony vocals enter to announce the telling of a story. Animated organ play provides the action here. I love the beat to this one. And the theatric vocal displays. My favorite song on the album due to both it's experimental play and its unbound theatric storytelling. (9.5/10)
6. "Magic man" (4:03) serves notice to the fact that the boys are struggling to find the voice of their own, instead they are talented singer/musicians taking on sounds and styles others have had success with. This one is more of a combination of PROCUL HARUM's now-classic "Whiter Shade of Pale" and ELP's recent monster "underground" hit, "Lucky Man" (bass and guitar). Not bad! (9/10)
7. "Grandma's lawn" (3:25) Richard in lead again, organ and guitar are quite a bit looser here and the MOODY BLUES-like lyrics and vocal flow more extemporaneously. (8.5/10)
8. "Where but for Caravan would I be" (9:01) their first prog epic--containing a lot of elements reminiscent of contemporary bands like THE BEATLES, THE DOORS, THE ZOMBIES, and even THE MOODY BLUES, this organ-based blues-rock song is musically quite rudimentary yet contains some very interesting vocal and lyrical choices. The final 90 seconds is the best. Tidings of things to come. (16/20)
Total Time: 35:13
83.89 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a nice addition to any prog lover's music collection and an excellent example of the Canterbury style of music from the classic era of prog.
54. CAMEL Mirage (1974) Though I purchased 1976's Moonmadness in the year of its release and have played Side 2 fondly throughout my life, the rest of the Camel discography has only become known to me in the past ten years. None of it drew me in the way "Air Born" and "Lunar Sea" did. But it is growing on me.
Mirage is the band's most universally acclaimed album due to the presence of several longer suites, the Tolkein suite, "Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider" and "Lady Fantasy." I have included Mirage here in the list of Canterbury greats because I hear and feel many of the sounds and stylings in Camel's music that I associate with the Canterbury Scene sounds. They aren't really considered a Canterbury band, but they could be if one were willing to expand the definition a bit.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Andrew Latimer / guitars, flute, vocals (3,5)
- Peter Bardens / organ, piano, Minimoog, Mellotron, vocals (1,5)
[celesta, clavinet and Fender Rhodes unconfirmed]
- Doug Ferguson / bass, vocals (5)
- Andy Ward / drums, percussion
- Peter Bardens / organ, piano, Minimoog, Mellotron, vocals (1,5)
[celesta, clavinet and Fender Rhodes unconfirmed]
- Doug Ferguson / bass, vocals (5)
- Andy Ward / drums, percussion
1. "Freefall" (5:47) starts the album off showing a blues-rock/Canterbury side of Camel. Some nice, complicated tempo changes. (7/10)
2. "Supertwister" (3:20) has a bit more melody and mood to suck the listener in--almost too syrupy pretty--like a DEODATO or FOCUS song. Great melodic hook in the third movement--from which point the music does get very pretty (especially from the flute). (9/10)
3. "Nimrodel / The Procession / The White Rider" (9:12) exemplifies perfectly why I will never be able to grant a Camel album masterpiece status: the vocals and drums in the slow parts (and when does a fast part of a Camel song have vocals?) are dull, ordinary, soporific. Much better drums once the tempo picks back up, however, Michael Giles and Ward are two drummers I've never really appreciated. Perhaps they make it sound so easy, so straightforward, that they sound boring.
The fast sections are the most Canterbury-sounding parts. The final section is the best with its pedal steel guitar solo as it also has the album's best drumming section. (17.5/20)
4. "Earthrise" (6:42) is another Canterbury jam--one in which, IMO, the bass player stands out most. He's no Percy Jones, but he's good! Otherwise, nothing so very special here. Again, the faster section is the best. (11.5/15)
5. "Lady Fantasy: Encounter / Smiles For You / Lady Fantasy" (12:46) let's me know that STARCASTLE wasn't only YES-inspired. Nice recording and mix of this DOORS-like song. As a mater of fact, if I didn't know better, I would have guessed that Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger were sitting in on this one--a symphonic update of "Light My Fire."
I do like all of the song's shifts and changes--they do work rather well--or "seemlessly" as another reviewer on ProgArchives wrote. The music, however, is lacking the stunning soli and/or melodic 'hooks' necessary to draw me in. I've tried listening to this song over and over and over and, save but for a few moments here and there, without emotional impact. The ending has got to be one of the poorest ever--especially after coming right off that hard driving rhythm section part. (19/25)
Total Time: 37:47
A band I like but don't love. Of the second tier of "classic" prog "greats," I would invariably choose FOCUS, RENAISSANCE, CARAVAN or even SUPERTRAMP before I'd choose Camel.
80.0 on the Fishscales = C/a pleasant excursion into some cheezy, Canterbury-influenced progressive rock music. IMHO, Moonmadness is their best--and that not even close to being a masterpiece. This one is good, but certainly not essential. 3.5 stars.
55. MOVING GELATINE PLATES Moving Gelatine Plates (1971) Bursting onto the Canterbury Scene from across La Manche in 1971 came Moving Gelatine Plates with a much more dynamic, jazz foundation but with all the requisite quirky, silliness that The Softs had given the world in the previous two or three years. A quartet, the band was greatly enhanced by the multi-instrumental talents of organ and reed player Maurice HEMLINGER. The rhythm section is quite skilled and the compositional content is quite mature. Guitarist Gerard BERTRAM is quite creative and versatile.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Maurice Helmlinger / organ, trumpet, soprano & tenor saxophones, flute
- Gérard Bertram / electric & acoustic guitars, vocals
- Didier Thibault / bass, 12-string guitar, vocals, electric guitar & synth (6-9)
- Gérard Pons / drums, percussion
With:
- Petit-Jean Boret / arrangements (5)
- Jean-Jacques Hertz / guitar (6-9)
- Dominique Godin / keyboards (6-9)
- Didier Malherbe / sax (7,9)
- Jean Rubert / sax (6-9)
- Marc Profichet / drums, percussion, vibes & xylophone (6-9)
- Gérard Bertram / electric & acoustic guitars, vocals
- Didier Thibault / bass, 12-string guitar, vocals, electric guitar & synth (6-9)
- Gérard Pons / drums, percussion
With:
- Petit-Jean Boret / arrangements (5)
- Jean-Jacques Hertz / guitar (6-9)
- Dominique Godin / keyboards (6-9)
- Didier Malherbe / sax (7,9)
- Jean Rubert / sax (6-9)
- Marc Profichet / drums, percussion, vibes & xylophone (6-9)
In my opinion the only song deserving of a full five star rating is the rollicking, hillarious, rollercoaster-ride that is "London Cab"--though the flute-dominated instrumental "Memories" is quite nice. The other songs are far more technically jazz tunes with some experimental production techniques and Canterbury structures. The down-tempo vocal section and final five minutes of "Last Song" is less jazzy and more experimental oddness, but not as fun or engaging as the like from EGG, The Softs, or NATIONAL HEALTH. Culturally, this album is quite an amazing accomplishment to come out of France after all of the political upheaval they had been through.
1. "London Cab" (7:30) (14/15)
2. "X-25" (2:00) impressive little early-SOFT MACHINE-like jazz tune. (4.25/5)
3. "Gelatine" (8:10) (12.75/15)
4. "Last Song" (15:20) fast jazz, impressive extended drum solo, followed by slow C&W dance section with COWBOY JUNKIES-like singing over the top. (24/30)
5. "Memories" (3:15) skilled acoustic guitar play over which flute mellows us out. (9/10)
Total Time: 36:15
Total Time: 36:15
85.33 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a solid contribution to the Canterbury style of jazz-rock fusion--though really more serious jazz-rock than loose and funny Canterbury.
56. NATIONAL HEALTH National Health (1977) This much acclaimed album from a virtual all-star band of Canterbury stars with the likes of Phil Miller, Pip Pyle, Dave Stewart, Alan Gowen, Jimmy Hastings, and Amanda Parsons helping out but this album has always left me feeling a bit on the outside, that is, I have problems engaging with (and, thus, enjoying) the music on this album.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Phil Miller / guitars
- Dave Stewart / acoustic & electric pianos, organ, clavinet (3,4)
- Neil Murray / bass
- Pip Pyle / drums, gong, tambourine, glockenspiel (2,5), finger cymbals, shaker, bells, pixiphone (5)
With:
- Amanda Parsons / vocals
- Alan Gowen / Moog, acoustic & electric pianos
- Jimmy Hastings / flute, bass clarinet (1), clarinet (3,4)
- John Mitchell / percussion (1), temple blocks, guava (2), congas (3,4)
- Nick Levitt / Effects with EMS Synthi Hi-fli (5)
- Dave Stewart / acoustic & electric pianos, organ, clavinet (3,4)
- Neil Murray / bass
- Pip Pyle / drums, gong, tambourine, glockenspiel (2,5), finger cymbals, shaker, bells, pixiphone (5)
With:
- Amanda Parsons / vocals
- Alan Gowen / Moog, acoustic & electric pianos
- Jimmy Hastings / flute, bass clarinet (1), clarinet (3,4)
- John Mitchell / percussion (1), temple blocks, guava (2), congas (3,4)
- Nick Levitt / Effects with EMS Synthi Hi-fli (5)
1. "Tenemos Roads" (14:32) Chunky rambling bass, a drumming style that seems very imitative of Bill BRUFORD, and the by-now "old"-sounding buzz organ. It's not until 5:50 that anything new or fresh or even Canterburian begins to happen. Even Amanda Parsons' crystalline voice is not enough to bring warmth to this experiment in dissonance. How dissonant, how jazzy can Canterbury get and still be called Canterbury? This is one example. Even Dave Stewart's solo Mr. Rogers electric piano doodling in the tenth and eleventh minutes fails to allow the listener hear consonance. Finally at the end of the twelfth minute Amanda and flute are given permission to use pleasurable Occidental harmonic structures for their melodies. (25/30)
2. "Brujo" (10:13) opens with Amanda's distant high-register vocal scatting interplaying with the dissonant melodies being played by the bass, synth, piano, and guitar in the foreground. In the second minute, slow, quiet piano arpeggi and random percussives provide a background for flute and then Amanda, to try to engage the listener with their slightly comforting melodies. At 4:11 the full band kicks into full gear with an uptempo section that puts Pip PYLE's drumming skills on display. Awesome! Then a kind of Chick COREA/RETURN TO FOREVER Latin-flavored section with mini-moog solo and awesome cymbal play and chunky bass lines in the WEATHER REPORT fashion helping out. Dave Stewart's nice buzz organ solo is then followed by a brief Phil Miller guitar solo before the band shifts gears again--signalled by the return of Amanda's high voice scatting. Piano and synth play again sound so much like Chick COREA. Decent song if derivative and imitative. (17/20)
3. "Borogroves (Excerpt from Part Two)" (4:12) does have a kind of Lewis Carroll feel to it in the way the keys, bass, and guitars toy around with their odd sounds in kind of childish experimentalist fashion. Everybody (even flutes) is just messing around seemingly in their own little world of make-believe. Then, around 2:30, the clavinet appears to signal integration and set up a foundation for Phil Miller to use his wah-pedal-effected guitar during an extended solo to the song's end. Not my cup of tea--no matter how deep into the rabbit hole I choose to venture. (7.5/10)
4. "Borogroves (Part One)" (6:29) Why these two Borogrove songs are ordered "part two" before the arrival of "part one" I can only surmise has everything to do with the Lewis Carroll theme alluded to in the title. Whether or not this was an alternative take on the same musical ideas I do not know. Could be. This version is much more structured in a rock band format with piano chords and steady, forward moving drum and bass lines. Though the music does have a kind of carnival Fun House feel to it, dissonance is still the rule, which continues to leave me feeling left out. (7.5/10)
5. "Elephants" (14:32) opens with more independent masturbatory instrument play from four musicians. For all I know, the four could very well have recorded these tracks in separate studios and then tried to splice them together later--that's how disparate they sound to me. And then at 4:11 they all come together for six brief seconds of cohesive harmony. Heaven!
The ensuing RETURN TO FOREVER jazz fusion section laying a steady base for the Moog to solo is at least familiar and coherent to me. Call me a musical retard, but I just don't get the joy and enjoyment of playing/performing the discordant dissonant parts. Is it all mental masturbation? Technical posturing?
The softer, dreamy section beginning at the end of the eleventh minute at least lets my nerves relax--which is a change of pace. But to have to go forty minutes into an album to final feel this? This is not the kind of album for me. (25/30)
Total Time: 49:58
I don't think of myself as a musical expert. Nor do I pretend to understand musical theory. But I do know when music fails to bring me into its fold--and this music does that for me. Oddly, there is a LOT of modern music from the jazz and classical realms that use dissonance and odd time signatures and structural formats that I love. This just happens to not be one of them.
82.0 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars, rated up for outstanding musicianship; a very good ambassador of the jazzy direction in which Canterbury style music evolved over the 1970s.
57. MANNA/MIRAGE Autobiographie
Dave Newhouse and his ever-growing, ever-impressive collective of collaborators is back with yet another installment of the Manna / Mirage offshoot of the old Avant-Canterbury band, The Muffins.
- Dave Newhouse / keyboards, reeds, guitars (1,4), kalimba (2), accordion (3), harmonica (6), everything (4,7)
With:
- Sean Rickman / drums (1,2,5,6,8)
- Guy Segers / bass (1,6)
- Michael Zentner / electric violin (1)
- Jerry King / trombone (1-3), bass (2,3)
- Mark Stanley / guitar (2,6,8)
- Michael Bass / drums (3)
- Forrest Fang / violin (3)
- Rich O'Meara / marimba (6), mallets, bells, percussion (8)
- Dereck Higgins / bass (8)
- Luciano Margorani / guitar (9)
1. "Phantosmia" (6:30) very interesting for its unusual (for Dave) rhythm track. Saxophone and Michael Zentner's Eddie Jobson-like violin lead us through the first three minutes but then the horn section takes over in the foreground while individual instruments try to vie for attention from behind the wall of winds. In the fifth minute the band falls into the Rock Creek as Jannick Top-like single-pluck bass notes reverberate in order to keep the song moving above multiple reverse guitar tracks. Interesting. (8.75/10)
2. "Rounded by Sleep" (8:36) great steady mini-big band foundation that reminds me of Herbie Hancock's 1970s music in the late 1960s and early 1970s sits beneath some really awesome fuzz-saw guitar playing from Mark Stanley. At 4:00 Mark's play and the drums and bass cut out and we're left with a Phillip Glass-like tuned percussion weave within which trombone, woodwinds, and piano play a little bit. Then, at 6:20, a new kalimba, bass, and electric piano weave fades in and takes over. Lots of tuned percussion joins in and VERY cool three-part song! (18.75/20)
3. "Practicing Tonglin in a Time of War" (4:13) accordion and piano start up this European street song before drums, percussion, and bass join in. Second (or third?) accordion track doubles a violin to carry the melody for the first two minutes before a shift into a more Gypsy-klezmer-like weave incorporating horns and winds occurs. Now the violin and accordion are carrying one melody while the horns and winds carry a completely different one. At times it feels as if five or six separate melody lines are all woven together! (9/10)
4. "Section W" (4:56) a weave of stringed instruments: bass, guitar, percussed electric guitar, even banjo (dobro?) are all cycling within a steady repeating flow. Once established, radio tuning noises are strung into the mix giving it a Holger Czukay sound and feel. But then low flute (shakuhachi?) enters--on multiple tracks--providing a whole different feel and texture. (9/10)
5. "There Was a Time" (2:21) one of those classic beautiful piano-based chord progression songs that only Dave seems to be able to generate. Organ tracks, drums, keyboard bass, and some reeds provide most of the instrumentation for this little "soundtrack" ditty. (4.5/5)
6. "Close the Sky (5:52) a song of several parts, Guy Segers' heavily-treated bass and Mark Stanley's heavily-treated muted guitar play provide most of the foundational stuff for the first two minutes while reeds and harmonica provide entertainment on the sides, but then marimba takes the place of Mark's guitar for a minute, but then he returns for another solo--still playing off of Guy's interesting jazz bass. Then formally horn section step in to take the fore, providing their own tight melody as drummer Sean Rickman freestyles. (9/10)
7. "Instant Cloud Effect (3:18) opens with a descending chord progression of Fender Rhodes electric piano, bass, flutes, and clarinet, a pattern that is repeated with interludes of a second motif for the flutes and clarinet to do some flitting and flying off on their own. Nice. Peaceful. (8.875/10)
8. "Love Song for a Country" (5:30) slow and melancholy, this one feels as if the entire band are all on the same page--in the same mood--thus the song's overall feeling of uniformity--of the band's entrainment and indivisibility. It would've been interesting to hear this with Nick Prol's vocals. Nice avant garde guitar soloing from Mark Stanley in the last 90 seconds. Dave sure has a genius for great, nostalgic chord piano progressions. (9/10)
9. "Hope" (5:00) like Dave's swan song. I feel as if I'm listening to Dexter Gordon's playing from the film 'Round Midnight. (8.875/10)
Total Time 46:16
I swear, Dave's productions, compositions, and ideas just keep getting better and better with each successive album release. Beginning with 2015's wonderful surprise, Blue Dogs, through Rest of the Time, Face, and 2021's Man Out of Time (my favorite), the music has continued to evolve as it expresses and fulfills many of Dave's old ideas with new inspirations and inputs.
I really love how Dave puts detailed descriptions of the songwriting, studio recording, and evolution of each song into his album's "liner notes." It's a fascinating insight into the inner workings of the artist and his process.
I'd llike to add how much I enjoyed Sean Rickman's drumming; his is by far my favorite drumming on a Manna/Mirage album.
90.26 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; another minor masterpiece of progressive jazz-rock fusion from one of the longest-running, hardest working masters of the Canterbury Scene, Dave "The Muffin Man" Newhouse. Highly recommended. With this album and his previous release, 2021's Man Out of Time, you have two delightful masterpieces of the sub-genre.
58. STEVE HILLAGE Fish Rising (1975) An album I've returned to fairly recently as it was one that never pulled me in back in the 70s. I was never very impressed with the engineering and production; most of the sounds could have benefitted from some better soundboard treatment, better mixing. Plus, though Steve is a master of pulling some absolutely heart-wrenching chords, chord progressions, and melodies out of his beautifully creative soul, his music still feels unrefined and raw, at times even abrasive; rarely do things behave with flow and coherence. I've never seen or heard Steve live, but I wonder how well he'd be able to recreate his songs on stage. (For some reason this is important to me. Not only the ability but the desire. Otherwise, what else is a studio recording but an 'on' and 'off'' switch of the recording machine whilst jamming. Replicability denotes effort, structure, discipline, planning, practice, and commitment to posterity.)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Steve Hillage (aka Steve Hillfish) / lead vocals, electric guitar, co-producer
With:
- Dave Stewart / organ, piano
- Tim Blake (aka Moonweed) / synthesizers (Moog), tamboura
- Didier Malherbe (aka Bloomdido Glid de Breeze) / sax, Indian flute
- Lindsay Cooper / bassoon
- Mike Howlett / bass
- Pierre Moerlen / drums, percussion, marimba, darbuka
- Miquette Giraudy (aka Bombaloni Yoni) / vocals, glockenspiel, bells
With:
- Dave Stewart / organ, piano
- Tim Blake (aka Moonweed) / synthesizers (Moog), tamboura
- Didier Malherbe (aka Bloomdido Glid de Breeze) / sax, Indian flute
- Lindsay Cooper / bassoon
- Mike Howlett / bass
- Pierre Moerlen / drums, percussion, marimba, darbuka
- Miquette Giraudy (aka Bombaloni Yoni) / vocals, glockenspiel, bells
1. "Solar Musick Suite": (16:55) contains many flashes of beauty: in sounds, in collaborative outcome, in structural flow. It is not, however, IMHO, a masterpiece of a prog epic. I find it to be not memorable (other than for the fact that it reminds me several times of one of it's masterful predecessors of which I am QUITE fond: KHAN's Space Shanty). (28/35)
- a) Sun Song (I Love its Holy Mystery (6:15)
- b) Canterbury Sunrise (3:25)
- c) Hiram Afterglid Meets the Dervish (4:05)
- d) Sun Song (reprise) (3:10)
- b) Canterbury Sunrise (3:25)
- c) Hiram Afterglid Meets the Dervish (4:05)
- d) Sun Song (reprise) (3:10)
2. "Fish" (1:23) is most remarkable for its GONG-like cosmological humor. (3/5)
3. "Meditation of the Snake" (3:10) could be regarded as ground-breaking for its uses of delays, echoes, and loops, but, after that, is it anything memorable? The lead guitar that takes over for the final two minutes is so steeped--no, stuck--in blues scales that it almost sullies the other stuff. If you want a good experimentalist with guitar and sound effects, try TODD RUNDGREN. I know I do. (7/10)
4. "The Salmon Song": (8:45) quickly kicks into a nice little driving groove before layers of lead guitars begin to build. At 2:25 Steve begins his singing--nice but no really catching melodies. A little magic begins around the 3:45 mark: nice chords and effects, bassoon, scaled down support music. Almost TODD-like! Listening to this album reminds me once again that, for all the grief people give Todd Rundgren, he sure was years ahead of his peers in terms of production knowhow, talent and courage. Some nice space-lead guitar work beginning around 6:40. The bass and drums get a bit annoying. Interesting ending. (16/20)
- a) Salmon Pool (1:17)
- b) Solomon's Atlantis Salmon (2:08)
- c) Swimming with the Salmon (1:37)
- d) King of the Fishes (3:43)
- b) Solomon's Atlantis Salmon (2:08)
- c) Swimming with the Salmon (1:37)
- d) King of the Fishes (3:43)
5. Aftaglid: (14:46) begins like a Hare Krishna chant: hand/finger bells and simple guitar riffs. By 1:40 we see a transformation into the delayed 'space' guitar for which Steve is quite known. The foundations drum and bass lines are so simplisitic as to make you wonder if the boys thought this was just a sound check or whether they expected the jam to stop at any moment. By 3:50 it finally feels as if the band is clicking--as if the bass and drummer have finally figured out that Steve isn't going to quit, that this is a real 'take' so they'd better get their act together. But then it all disappears at 4:35, fade out everybody but some acoustic guitar, cymbol play and floating-in-the-distant-background space guitar. Gong-like. In the seventh minutes things shift to a more Indian raga-like sound: hand drums, Indian melody being repeated on the guitar; psychedelia in the heavily treated DONOVAN-like vocals here. It's actually kind of a cool, mesmerizing section. At 8:45 we shift back into simple blues-rock formalities (these guys are no Clapton, Bruce & Baker or Hendrix, Redding & Mitchell). As much you can like the signature Hillage space guitar sound, it can't be enough to brainwash you into thinking that this is exceptionally composed or performed music, can it? Perhaps I need(ed) more drugs. (21/30)
- a) Sun Moon Surfing (1:36)
- b) The Great Wave and the Boat of Hermes (1:51)
- c) The Silver Ladder (0:40)
- d) Astral Meadows (2:01)
- e) The Lafta Yoga Song (2:42)
- f) Glidding (2:23)
- g) The Golden Vibe/Outglib (3:33)
Total Time: 44:59
- b) The Great Wave and the Boat of Hermes (1:51)
- c) The Silver Ladder (0:40)
- d) Astral Meadows (2:01)
- e) The Lafta Yoga Song (2:42)
- f) Glidding (2:23)
- g) The Golden Vibe/Outglib (3:33)
Total Time: 44:59
75.0 on the Fishscales = C-/three stars; a mildly interesting example of progressive rock music more relevant for the tracing of one person's evolution within (and out of) the Canterbury Scene.
59. MAGIC BUS Phillip The Egg (2017) England's revivalists of the Bay Area psychedelia and Canterbury Scene have returned with another collection of one that flows and develops slowly in its complexity and dexterity over the course of the album. As a matter of fact, it seems to me upon repeated listens that the opening songs are fairly simple and pleasant and innocent while the trend progresses toward more expressions of anger and discord towards the end of the longer songs and the album itself.
1. "Mystical Mountain" (8:50) a nice epic with simple Canterbury-lite (witty a la CARAVAN) approach to the vocal sections. The instrumental sections are more experimental but very subtly so. (8.5/10)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Paul Evans / vocals, guitar
- Terence Waldstädt / guitar, backing vocals
- Jay Darlington / keyboards, backing vocals
- Vivien Goodwin-Darke / flute, percussion, backing vocals
- Wihll Mellorz / bass, guitar (7)
- Connor Spring / drums, guitar (7)
- Terence Waldstädt / guitar, backing vocals
- Jay Darlington / keyboards, backing vocals
- Vivien Goodwin-Darke / flute, percussion, backing vocals
- Wihll Mellorz / bass, guitar (7)
- Connor Spring / drums, guitar (7)
2. "Fading to Light" (3:36) absolutely gorgeous study in sound and space. I think the band are showing true signs of commitment to one another in diving deeply into their chemistry and technical proficiency. (10/10)
3. "Trail to Canada" (5:43) the first half is a bit innocuous but then a big shift and a rocking psychedelic second half lifts it up into memorability. (8.5/10)
4. "Zeta" (4:34) electronic psychedelia (reversed tracks) play from beginning before JEFFERSON AIRPLANE-like sound and structure establishes itself. The ethereal mid-section is interesting--perhaps a bit out of place. Nicely performed though there are a few sections that are a little drawn out with little or no development. (9/10)
5. "Distant Future" (7:11) is by far the most demanding both compositionally and of the listener--which is a good thing for this band. Discordant, edgie and syncopated, though still psychedelic--at least, until the fourth minute when a chorus temporarily gels it all together. The song returns briefly before going Fripp on us with some interesting lead guitar. I like the band's adventurousness here though it doesn't necessarily result in a beautiful or "shout about" song. (8.5/10)
6. "Kepler 226" (6:41) an instrumental that once again displays the band's cerebral commitment to technically complicated musics. (8.75/10)
7. "Kalamazoo" (3:30) a surprisingly sedate, more-acoustic-oriented approach to the band's sound. Nice but nothing extraordinary here. (8/10)
8. "Yantra Tunnels" (5:04) opens with harmonium and other Indian-sounding sounds. In the second minute Western instruments like drums and electric guitars enter and take over. This one rocks--like a good rockin' German Krautrock song from the 1970s. Even when it amps up a notch in the fourth minute it still (or even more) retains that Krautrock feel. (9/10)
Total time 45:06
I would have liked to hear more instrumental expressivity and complexity but am exceedingly happy for the input of this collection of songs that take me to a place that was much more innocent and carefree.
87.81 on the Fishscales = B+; 4.5; an excellent submission of psychedelic Canterbury-esque music. I predict that MAGIC BUS's next album is going to be a true masterpiece!
60. MATCHING MOLE Matching Mole (1972) Robert Wyatt and company's first effort with Robert playing a part in over half of the compositions. The music is often complex and avant/experimental (the last three songs, "Dedicated to Hugh, But You Weren't Listening," "Beer as in Braindeer" and "Immediate Curtain") but then it can also be very simple and melodic (the first half of the album, "O Caroline," "Instant Pussy," "Signed Curtain"). The middle two songs are so obviously David Sinclair's, they sound like they could be off of a CARAVAN album.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Robert Wyatt / vocals, drums, piano, Mellotron
- Phil Miller / guitar
- David Sinclair / Hammond organ, piano
- Bill MacCormick / bass
With:
- Dave McRae / electric piano
- Phil Miller / guitar
- David Sinclair / Hammond organ, piano
- Bill MacCormick / bass
With:
- Dave McRae / electric piano
Total time 40:03
61. GONG Camembert Electrique (1971) Let the silliness begin. The rhythms are still a bit too rock'n'roll-like with Pip Pyle on batterie, but one great song, "Fohat Digs Holes in Space" (6:23) (10/10), reveals some of the Gong genius and prepares the world for the great space/trance stuff to come (and this before the arrival of Steve Hillage).
Line-up / Musicians:
- Daevid Allen ("Bert Camembert") / vocals, guitars, bass (9)
- Gilli Smyth ("Shakti Yoni") / vocals & voice (space whispers)
- Didier Malherbe ("Bloomdido Bad De Grass") / tenor sax, flute
- Christian Tritsch ("Submarine Captain") / bass, lead guitar (9)
- Pip Pyle / drums, percussion
With:
- Edouard Louise ("Eddy Louiss") / Hammond organ & piano (3)
- Constantin Simonovitch / (phased) piano (5)
- Gilli Smyth ("Shakti Yoni") / vocals & voice (space whispers)
- Didier Malherbe ("Bloomdido Bad De Grass") / tenor sax, flute
- Christian Tritsch ("Submarine Captain") / bass, lead guitar (9)
- Pip Pyle / drums, percussion
With:
- Edouard Louise ("Eddy Louiss") / Hammond organ & piano (3)
- Constantin Simonovitch / (phased) piano (5)
1. "Radio Gnome Prediction" (0:27) (2/2.5)
2. "You Can't Kill Me" (6:18) (7/10)
3. "I've Bin Stone Before/Mister Long Shanks/O Mother/" (4:42) (5/10)
2. "You Can't Kill Me" (6:18) (7/10)
3. "I've Bin Stone Before/Mister Long Shanks/O Mother/" (4:42) (5/10)
4. "I Am Your Fantasy" (3:39) (8/10)
5. "Dynamite/I Am Your Animal" (4:32) (7.5/10)
6. "Wet Cheese Delirium" (0:31) (2.5/2.5)
7. "Squeezing Sponges Over Policemen's Heads" (0:12) (2/2.5)
8. "Fohat Digs Holes In Space" (6:22) (10/10)
9. "And You Tried So Hard" (4:38) (8.5/10)
10. "Tropical Fish/Selene" (7:36) (7.5/15)
11. "Gnome The Second" (0:27) (2.5/2.5)
Total Time: 39:36
5. "Dynamite/I Am Your Animal" (4:32) (7.5/10)
6. "Wet Cheese Delirium" (0:31) (2.5/2.5)
7. "Squeezing Sponges Over Policemen's Heads" (0:12) (2/2.5)
8. "Fohat Digs Holes In Space" (6:22) (10/10)
9. "And You Tried So Hard" (4:38) (8.5/10)
10. "Tropical Fish/Selene" (7:36) (7.5/15)
11. "Gnome The Second" (0:27) (2.5/2.5)
Total Time: 39:36
Pretty great drumming by Pip Pyle throughout (which must be challenging due to the strangeness of the songs). The rest is nonessential, even dispensable.
79. 41 on the Fishscales = C/three stars; an album to be experienced to see where Daevid Allen came from, to see some of that which was to come, and to hear "Fohat Digs Holes in Space."
62. HUGH HOPPER & ALAN GOWAN Two Rainbows Daily (1980) An album of sensitive, somewhat melodic, protracted keyboard experimentation with support from jazz bass by two Canterbury artists still committed to the original spirit of Canterbury Scene artists. The problem herein is the lack of direction: each song sounds like it exists purely for study or experimentation with a certain sound, cadence, chromatic sense, rhythm, sequence, or nonmelody.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Hugh Hopper / bass
- Alan Gowen / keyboards
With:
- Nigel Morris / percussion (8-12)
- Alan Gowen / keyboards
With:
- Nigel Morris / percussion (8-12)
1. "Seen Through A Door" (5:54) sounds an awful lot like some of ANTHONY PHILLIPS keyboard work from this era and later--soundtrack like in a rudimentary, almost rehearsal kind of way. (8.5/10)
2. "Morning Order" (6:32) again, sounding more like the background music to a segment of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, the keyboard work progresses nicely as the bass remains fully present and supportive. Again, more experimental in nature as there is very little melody presented for listener engagement. (8.5/10)
3. "Fishtank 1" (4:56) more keyboard "practice" as bass plays one chord every twenty seconds or so. Nice melody from the left hand of the keyboard. (8/10)
4. "Two Rainbows Daily" (4:14) piano-based with a little more lively bass support and interplay. Reminds me of Lyle Mays' work. The structured and complete-feeling song on the album so far. (9/10)
5. "Elibom" (5:04) a duet that feels quite equal in participation, though, again, the melodic sense makes it feel more like an étude or a television soundtrack. (7.5/10)
6. "Every Silver Lining" (5:23) sounds like a TERRY C. RILEY practice session or early Berlin School contrivance but certainly not a complete song. (7.5/10)
7. "Waltz For Nobby" (9:07) slow, delicate pace--could almost be a soundtrack for a children's story or an episode of Mr. Rogers. Very pretty melodies throughout and I love spaciousness. (18/20)
Total time 41:10
83.75 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars; a nice addition to any prog lover's music collection--even more so if you have a penchant for Canterbury music.
Bonus tracks on 1995 CD remaster: These have support of a percussionist but are much more demo-sounding in sound quality and, thus, more even more sparse, incomplete, and practice-like in their form. Nothing so very extraordinary here.
8. Chunka's Troll (4:03) experimental jazz
9. Little Dream (5:16) trio sublteties
10. Soon to Fly (4:03) classical piano bar
11. Bracknell Ballad (4:10) warm up of all instruments
12. Stopes Change (3:25) drums plus
63. SOFT MACHINE -- Volume One (1968) It begins: the silliness and psychedelic jazz experimentation that becomes known as the Canterbury Scene of jazz-pop begins with this album.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Mike Ratledge / Lowrey Holiday Deluxe organ, piano (13) & piano strings (5)
- Kevin Ayers / bass, piano (5), lead (10,12) & backing (7,9) vocals (& a little guitar)
- Robert Wyatt / drums, vocals
With:
- Hugh Hopper / bass (13)
The Cake vocal group:
- Jeanette Jacobs / backing vocals (12)
- Barbara Morillo / backing vocals (12)
- Eleanor Barooshian / backing vocals (12)
- Kevin Ayers / bass, piano (5), lead (10,12) & backing (7,9) vocals (& a little guitar)
- Robert Wyatt / drums, vocals
With:
- Hugh Hopper / bass (13)
The Cake vocal group:
- Jeanette Jacobs / backing vocals (12)
- Barbara Morillo / backing vocals (12)
- Eleanor Barooshian / backing vocals (12)
1. "Hope For Happiness" (4:22) (8.75/10)
2. "Joy Of A Toy" (2:56) an étude of low end electric guitar with band in gentle support (8/10)
3. "Hope For Happiness (Reprise)" (1:31) (3.75/5)
4. "Why Am I So Short?" (2:33) (8/10)
5. "So Boot If At All" (7:25) tight bluesy jazz with bass, organ, and drums having a blast. The bass sound and movement reminds me a lot of that of CHICAGO's Peter Cetera. The long version I own has quite a long drum solo and some fun child-like play with an upright piano--both inside and out. (12.25/15)
6. "A Certain Kind" (4:06) slowed down church organ chords with heart-pulsing bass and Robert singing from his heart (extemporaneously?). (7.5/10)
7. "Save Yourself" (2:26) a tight YARDBIRDS-like sound (7/10) that bleeds into:
8. "Priscilla" (1:05) a little trio étude (4/5) which bleeds into:
9. "Lullabye Letter" (4:26) (8.25/10) (a song that must have inspired and informed PETER GABRIEL and GENESIS for their debut collection of songs, From Genesis to Revelation as well as some of RICK WAKEMAN's sound stylings).
10. "We Did It Again" (3:40) one of the Softs' more memorable, cute, and anthemic songs. (9/10)
11. "Plus Belle Qu'une Poubelle" (1:05) an intro to the more famous follow up (4.25/5)
12. "Why Are We Sleeping?" (5:26) giving Kevin Ayers dry Alan Rickman-like diction the limelight in this vehicle for some flower-child poetry with a catchy world-class chorus. (9.25/10)
13. "Box 25/4 Lid" (0:48) bass or bass string of the electric guitar (3/5)
Total Time: 36:57
Total Time: 36:57
80.87 on the Fishscales = C/three stars; an average and dated album notable for its historical significance and attitudinal influence on other musicians (yes, music can be fun, filled with sarcasm and satire--even be silly.)
64. MATCHING MOLE Little Red Record (1972) Robert Wyatt's brief post-SOFT MACHINE project has never really drawn me in. I can appreciate some of the humour, political commentary, and certainly the musicianship, it just never feels like something that I want to come back to. I tire of his tongue-in-cheek approach to singing and of some of the obtuse challenges his music poses to the listener. It's as if he purposely wants to test his fans for their loyalty by, at times, producing grating or cerebral music.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Phil Miller / guitars
- Dave McRae / grand piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Hammond organ, (Eno's) synthesizer (8)
- Bill MacCormick / bass
- Robert Wyatt / drums, voice parts
With:
- Robert Fripp / producer
- Brian Eno / VCS3 synth (6)
- Julie "Ruby Crystal" Christie / vocals (3)
- Mike Harding / presenter (1-3 bonus)
- "Der Mütter Korus":
- Dave Gale / choir vocals
- Little Honest Injun / choir vocals
- Julie "Ruby Crystal" Christie / choir vocals
- Dave McRae / grand piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Hammond organ, (Eno's) synthesizer (8)
- Bill MacCormick / bass
- Robert Wyatt / drums, voice parts
With:
- Robert Fripp / producer
- Brian Eno / VCS3 synth (6)
- Julie "Ruby Crystal" Christie / vocals (3)
- Mike Harding / presenter (1-3 bonus)
- "Der Mütter Korus":
- Dave Gale / choir vocals
- Little Honest Injun / choir vocals
- Julie "Ruby Crystal" Christie / choir vocals
1. "Starting in the Middle of the Day, We Can Drink Our Politics Away" (2:31) opens the album in a very positive, exciting fashion with 'operatic' vocals of M. Wyatt performing some awesome vocalese over Dave McRAE's pretty piano play backed by Brian ENO's synthesizers. (10/10)
2. "Marchides" (8:25) is a funky, fuzzy, fuguy feeling song of avant jazz leanings. The musicianship is excellent; the bass annoys. (7/10)
3. "Nan True's Hole" (3:36) psycho-sexual scene played out in the foreground that not even the presence of the guitar of Robert Fripp (7/10)
4. "Righteous Rhumba" (2:50) or the "King Crimson" sound can save these two songs. (8/10)
5. "Brandy as in Benj" (4:24) babeling Robert Wyatt over some solid, good instrumental music that gets better after the babeling stops. (9/10)
6. "Gloria Gloom" (8:06) more psycho-sexuality issues on full display while the music loses its lustre and momentum a bit. (7/10)
7. "God Song" (2:59) acoustic guitar and electric bass play behind Robert's plaintive voice. The three sound a bit out of sync and uninspired. (6/10)
8. "Flora Fidgit" (3:26) sounds like a demo or outtake of some excercise that was decided to be used at the last minute to fill space on the final album. The keyboard work in the second minute is nice. I don't like the bass mimicking the lead melodies from guitar and keys. (6/10)
9. "Smoke Signal" (6:37) the album's excellent finale does it's best to save the otherwise mono-focused album. Nice percussion play in the first two minutes, great keyboard-led dreamscape in the middle three, and nice chord base for the finale. (9/10)
Total Time: 42:56
79.0 on the Fishscales = C/three stars.
65. STEVE HILLAGE Green (1978) After being spoiled by Pierre Moerlin on drums, the slowly evolving Hillage sound experiment loses a lot of my interest and respect due to inferior drumming and Steve's rutted sound selection. There are plenty of interesting and engaging passages (especially when there are no drums) and one of the best progressive rock "pop" songs of the 70s in "Palm Trees," but overall this is an album that is best left alone, visited occasionally as one would a history book or old movie.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Steve Hillage / electric, glissando & polyphonic (Roland GR500) synth guitars, lead vocals, Moog, arrangements & co-producer
With:
- Miquette Giraudy / ARP & EMS synthesizers, vocoder, vocals
- Curtis Robertson / bass
- Joe Blocker / drums, percussion
- Andy Anderson / drums (2,11,13)
- Nick Mason / drums (7), co-producer
- Dave Stewart / guitars (11,13)
- Paul Francis / bass (11,13)
- Christian Boule / guitars (12)
- Phil Hodge / keyboards (12)
- Basil Brooks / synthesizer (12)
- Colin Bass / bass (12)
- Clive Bunker / drums(12) With:
- Miquette Giraudy / ARP & EMS synthesizers, vocoder, vocals
- Curtis Robertson / bass
- Joe Blocker / drums, percussion
- Andy Anderson / drums (2,11,13)
- Nick Mason / drums (7), co-producer
- Dave Stewart / guitars (11,13)
- Paul Francis / bass (11,13)
- Christian Boule / guitars (12)
- Phil Hodge / keyboards (12)
- Basil Brooks / synthesizer (12)
- Colin Bass / bass (12)
1. "Sea-nature" (6:43) Foghat's "Slow Ride"? (8.25/10)
2. "Ether Ships" (5:02) (8.5/10)
3. "Musick Of The Trees" (4:53) (/8/10)
4. "Palm Trees (Love Guitar)" (5:19) (9.5/10)
5. "Unidentified (Flying Being)" (4:30) 8.25/10)
6. "U.F.O. Over Paris" (3:11) (8/10)
7. "Leylines To Glassdom" (4:06) (8.75/10)
8. "Crystal City" (3:36) (8/10)
9. "Activation Meditation" (1:03) (4/5)
10. "The Glorious Om Riff" (7:46) (11.5/15)
Total Time: 46:13
2. "Ether Ships" (5:02) (8.5/10)
3. "Musick Of The Trees" (4:53) (/8/10)
4. "Palm Trees (Love Guitar)" (5:19) (9.5/10)
5. "Unidentified (Flying Being)" (4:30) 8.25/10)
6. "U.F.O. Over Paris" (3:11) (8/10)
7. "Leylines To Glassdom" (4:06) (8.75/10)
8. "Crystal City" (3:36) (8/10)
9. "Activation Meditation" (1:03) (4/5)
10. "The Glorious Om Riff" (7:46) (11.5/15)
Total Time: 46:13
82.75 on the Fishscales = C+/3.5 stars; a nice collection of songs, not necessarily of the Canterbury style, more experimental electronic rock. BTW: lyrically, is Steve trying to be Todd Rundgren?
THE METRICS
1. HOMUNCULUS RES -- Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto (2013) - 97.2
2. MOTHER GONG -- Fairy Tales (1979) - 95.0
3. PICCHIO DAL POZZO -- Picchio dal Pozzo (1976) - 94.12
4. KHAN -- Space Shanty (1972) - 93.42
5. AMOEBA SPLIT -- Dance of the Goodbyes (2010) - 92.88
A- / Five Star Minor Masterpieces:
6. PATRICK FORGAS -- Cocktail (1977) - 92.0
7. CARAVAN -- In The Land of Grey and Pink * (1971) - 91.79
8. ZOPP Dominion (2023) - 91.6667
A- / Five Star Minor Masterpieces:
6. PATRICK FORGAS -- Cocktail (1977) - 92.0
7. CARAVAN -- In The Land of Grey and Pink * (1971) - 91.79
8. ZOPP Dominion (2023) - 91.6667
9. MAGICK BROTHER & MYSTIC SISTER Magick Brother & Mystic Sister (2021) - 91.39
10. EGG -- The Polite Force (1970) - 91.05
11. RASCAL REPORTERS The Strainge Case of Steve (2023) - 90.98
11. RASCAL REPORTERS The Strainge Case of Steve (2023) - 90.98
12. MANNA / MIRAGE -- Man Out of Time (2021) - 90.94
13. EGG -- Egg (1970) - 90.56
14. BILLIE BOTTLE'S TEMPLE OF SHIBBOLETH Billie Bottle's Temple of Shibboleth (2023) - 90.54
15. VIOLETA DI OUTONO -- Volume 7 (2007) - 90.53
16. HATFIELD AND THE NORTH -- Hatfield and The North (1973) - 90.43
17. HOMUNCULUS RES -- Della stessa sostanza dei sogni (2018) - 90.42
18. GILGAMESH -- Gilgamesh (1975) - 90.34
19. MANNA/MIRAGE Autobiographie (2023) - 90.26
16. HATFIELD AND THE NORTH -- Hatfield and The North (1973) - 90.43
17. HOMUNCULUS RES -- Della stessa sostanza dei sogni (2018) - 90.42
18. GILGAMESH -- Gilgamesh (1975) - 90.34
19. MANNA/MIRAGE Autobiographie (2023) - 90.26
20. MOOGG -- Le ore, i giorni, gli anni (2011) - 90.23
21. COS -- Viva Boma (1976) - 90.0
22. SUPERSISTER -- To The Highest Bidder (1971) - 90.0
23. EGG -- The Civil Surface (1974) - 90.0
24. ZYMA -- Thoughts (1978) - 90.0
25. CARAVAN -- For Girls Who Grow Plump in The Night (1973) - 90.0
26. MAGIC BUS -- Transmissions from Sogmore's Garden (2015) - 90.0
21. COS -- Viva Boma (1976) - 90.0
22. SUPERSISTER -- To The Highest Bidder (1971) - 90.0
23. EGG -- The Civil Surface (1974) - 90.0
24. ZYMA -- Thoughts (1978) - 90.0
25. CARAVAN -- For Girls Who Grow Plump in The Night (1973) - 90.0
26. MAGIC BUS -- Transmissions from Sogmore's Garden (2015) - 90.0
27. HOMUNCULUS RES -- Andiamo in giro di notte e ci consumiamo nel fuoco (2020) - 90.0
28. VOLARÉ -- The Uncertainty Principle (1997) - 90.0
29. DE LORIANS -- De Lorians (2019) - 90.0
B+ / 4.5 Star Near-Masterpieces:
30. VIOLETA DI OUTONO -- Espectro (2013) - 89.79
31. HOMUNCULUS RES Ecco l'impero dei doppi sensi (2023) - 89.77
30. VIOLETA DI OUTONO -- Espectro (2013) - 89.79
31. HOMUNCULUS RES Ecco l'impero dei doppi sensi (2023) - 89.77
32. NATIONAL HEALTH -- Of Queues and Cures (1978) - 89.05
33. MANNA / MIRAGE -- Blue Dogs (2015) - 89.0
34. SUPERSISTER -- Pudding in Gisteren (1972) - 88.82
35. ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS -- Double Egg With Chips And Beans (2006) - 88.75
36. SOFT MACHINE -- Volume 2 (1969) - 88.81
37. ROBERT WYATT -- Rock Bottom (1974) - 88.57
38. CARAVAN -- If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You (1970) - 88.33
39. ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS -- Mild Profundities (2003) - 88.18
40. SUPERSISTER -- Present from Nancy (1970) - 88.06
41. MAGIC BUS -- Philip the Egg (2017) - 87.81
33. MANNA / MIRAGE -- Blue Dogs (2015) - 89.0
34. SUPERSISTER -- Pudding in Gisteren (1972) - 88.82
35. ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS -- Double Egg With Chips And Beans (2006) - 88.75
36. SOFT MACHINE -- Volume 2 (1969) - 88.81
37. ROBERT WYATT -- Rock Bottom (1974) - 88.57
38. CARAVAN -- If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You (1970) - 88.33
39. ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS -- Mild Profundities (2003) - 88.18
40. SUPERSISTER -- Present from Nancy (1970) - 88.06
41. MAGIC BUS -- Philip the Egg (2017) - 87.81
42. ZOPP -- Zopp (2020) - 87.81
43. COS -- Postaeolian Train Robbery ** (1974) - 87.30
44. AMOEBA SPLIT -- Second Split (2016) - 87.05
45. INNER EAR BRIGADE -- Rainbro (2015) - 87.0
46. BRUFORD -- Feels Good to Me (1977) - 86.81
47. MOVING GELATINE PLATES -- The World of Genius Hans (1972) - 86.06
48. SOFT MACHINE -- Third (1970) - 85.81
49. THE MUFFINS -- Manna/Mirage (1978) - 85.79
50. HATFIELD AND THE NORTH -- The Rotter's Club (1975) - 85.43
51. MOVING GELATINE PLATES -- Moving Gelatine Plates (1971) - 85.33
52. THE WINSTONS -- The Winstons (2015) - 85.07
B- / 3.5 Star Albums of Distinction:
53. HOMUNCULUS RES -- Come s diventa ciò che si era (2015) - 84.29
54. THE SOFT MACHINE -- Fourth (1971) - 84.12
55. CARAVAN -- Caravan (1970) - 83.89
56. HUGH HOPPER & ALAN GOWEN -- Two Rainbows Daily (1979) - 83.75
57. COS -- Babel (1978) - 83.5
58. STEVE HILLAGE -- Green (1976) - 82.75
59. GONG -- Radio Gnome Invisible Part 2: Angel's Egg (1973) - 82.08
60. CARAVAN -- Waterloo Lily (1972) - 82.08
61. NATIONAL HEALTH -- National Health (1977) - 82.0
62. SOFT MACHINE -- Volume One (1968) - 80.87
C+ / Three Star Albums of Merit:
63. CAMEL -- Mirage (1974) - 80.0
64. GONG -- Camembert (1971) - 79. 41
65. MATCHING MOLE -- Little Red Record (1972) - 79.0
66. GONG -- You (1974) - 78.88
67. STEVE HILLAGE -- Fish Rising (1975) - 75.0
SUPERSISTER -- Iksander (1973)
MATCHING MOLE -- Matching Mole (1971)
ZYMA -- Brave New World (1979)
GONG -- Flying Teapot (1972)
STEVE HILLAGE -- L
MR. SIRIUS Barren Dream (1987) The remarkable and, in fact, quite shocking debut album from Japanese artist/composer/multi-instrumentalist Kazuhiro Miyatake. He is joined by extraordinary recruits, Hiroko Nagai, a mezzo soprano vocalist, and drummer Chihiro Fujioka.
The heavier, more intricate sections of the compositions sound much like country mates KENSO and AIN SOPH, while the more pastoral passages feel close to the stylings of ex-GENESIS soloists, ANT PHILLIPS and STEVE HACKETT, while the vocal passages feel forceful and dramatic enough to fit on the stages of Broadway or London's West End. The complexity of vocal symphonic passages are quite reminiscent of Keith EMERSON as well as jazz musicians like MANHATTAN TRANSFER and today's MOETAR
MR. SIRIUS Dirge (1990) After 1987's amazing and surprising debut, "Barren Dream," Kazuhiro Miyatake comes back for a 1990 follow up--and he brings back extraordinary mezzo soprano vocalist Hiroko Nagai and drummer Chihiro Fujioka with him. It is a solid and worthy followup if not quite as surprisingly fresh as the debut--which seemed to come out of nowhere with it's pristine sound, sophisticated compositions, and virtuosic performances.
As previous reviewers have remarked, the heavier, more intricate sections of the compositions sound much like country mates KENSO and AIN SOPH, while the more pastoral passages feel close to the stylings of ex-GENESIS soloists, ANT PHILLIPS and STEVE HACKETT, while the vocal passages feel forceful and dramatic enough to fit on the stages of Broadway or London's West End. The complexity of vocal symphonic passages are quite reminiscent of Keith EMERSON as well as jazz musicians like MANHATTAN TRANSFER and today's MOETAR .
AMPLEDEED is band of young musicians hailing from a variety of California art schools who unwittingly began creating upbeat, somewhat jazzy and frolicky progressive rock music that just happens to sound quite a bit like it came from the Canterbury artists of the 1970s. I say "unwittingly" because the band had no idea what Canterbury music was or who any of the Canterbury artists were; this is just the honest outcome of their own musical tastes and desires for expression. And yet, here we are.
SETNA is French Zeuhl band whose music often expresses the sounds, stylings, and upbeat "frivolity" while maintaining a high standard of compositional complexity and musicianship compatible with the Canterbury label. A music listener with some familiarity with Canterbury style music, need only hear SETNA's music--especially its keyboard sounds and unusual song structures--in order to feel that "Canterbury" feel. It seems undeniable--as expressed by many reviewers of their albums.
SYD ARTHUR is a young band from Canterbury, Kent, who have been mentored and helped along the way by PAUL WELLER and others. The Weller influence is quite strong, the band has a folk and blues foundation and orientation which is heavily steeped in electronic treatments of their instruments and vocals. Also, though the band has/had a predilection toward longer songs, with strung out psychedelia instrumental jam sections (á la THE AMAZING) their album producers have pulled in the reins and effected some "surprising" results. With only two full-length albums and two EP's under their belt, it remains to be seen where these lads will evolve.
A 2017 release, Apricity, proved highly disappointing as the band chose to leave their Canterbury leanings in favor of more Paul Weller sounds and styles.
VIOLETA DE OUTONO is a Brazilian combo that have been playing together since the 1980s. Their sound has always contained a feel of the Canterbury sound, even going back to their self-titled 1987 debut release--which also showed very strong influences of both the straightforward minimalism of Punk Rock (you can hear the sounds and riffs of bands like THE POLICE and THE GO-GO's in the stylings of the bass and drums), the psychedelia of San Francisco in the guitar, and even a little of the technological smoothness of New Wave eras. PINK FAIRIES also come to mind. From the beginning singer- songwriter Fabio Golfetti has had a voice that just cries out "KHAN" (more Nick Greenwood than Steve Hillage). Others have compared his vocal talents to those of ROBERT WYATT, as well.
Though Fabio took a break from the band in the 1990s to dedicate his energies to his Invisible Opera project--a project that he conceived with the help and encouragement (and some contribution) of Canterbury founder DAEVID ALLEN, a Violeta de Outono reunion with the original threesome (singer-guitarist Fabio Golfetti, bass & keyboard player Angelo Pastorello and drummer Claudio Souza) at the end of the 90s produced the 1999 album Woman on the Mountain. The band has subsequently morphed with changing lineups for the release of 2005's Ilhas (gone is Claudio), 2007's Volume 7 (gone is Angelo, back is Claudio Souza) and 2012's Espectro (my personal Album of the Year for that year--on which Fabio is the only remaining member from the founding trio).
I tell people that if you like the sound and spirit of KHAN's Space Shanty then you should check out Violeta de Outono.
A late 2016 release called Spaces came out to highly favorable reviews but failed to 'wow' me with anything new or innovative; it sounded and felt like good, solid Violeta de Outono.
INNER EAR BRIGADE is an American band out of the San Francisco Bay area whose quirky, jazzy music definitely falls under the umbrella of Canterbury-sounding music--though, with the presence of female lead vocalist, the band take on a bit more of the COS/HATFIELD AND THE NORTH branch of the Canterbury jazz sound. Their 2014 debut, Rainbro, is an excellent album of jazzy-poppy quirk and sophistica.
The band's 2017 release, Dromology, showed a very positive evolution: tighter structures, stronger melodies, improved band cohesion and more mature song constructs--as well as outstanding sound engineering and production. There is slightly more jazz and avant-jazz feel and slightly less quirky Canterburian pop feel to these songs, but it is definitely a more consistently high quality album start to finish. It not only rated higher than its predecessor, it ended up in both of my Year-End Top 30s.
ZOPP Dominion
THE NERVE INSTITUTE is the brain child of American musician. While THE NERVE INSTITUTE's music is not fully or always obviously in the Canterbury fold, it has many moments throughout it's 2015 album, Fictions that make the listener think "Canterburian."
BEYOND-O-MATIC is an American band out of San Francisco that have been producing a kind of crossover music since the early 1990s. Their most recent release, 2013's Relations in the Border Between, has many moments and even a few full songs that evoke the Canterbury sound and feel--one of the few that travels into the realms floated through by Daevid ALLEN's GONG. Relations is well worth checking out: it's a great album!
ALCO FRISBASS is a new band out of France and Italy from Italy's AltrOck Productions record label that has produced two albums (so far) of all-instrumental jazz music while using long-song formats (seven to twelve minutes). Like The Nerve Institute, Alco Frisbass's music is not totally imitative of Canterbury style music nor is it necessarily even Canterbury-centric, but there are many moments during the listening of each song that evoke the familiar Canterbury "feel."
- Carla Diratz (Diratz) / vocals (3)
- Bret Hart (Diratz) / guitars (8) ebow (8)
- Sean Rickman / drums (1-5,7)
- Mark Stanley / guitars (1,4)
- Jerry King / guitars (2) basses (2) lyrics (2) NS bass (3)
- Forest Fang / violin (3)
- Derek Higgins / bass (5)
- Guy Segers (Univers Zero) / bass (7)
- William Jungwirth / drums (8)
- Greg Segal / bells (3) tiny cymbals (3) klickety klack (3)
- Michele King / vocals (2)
From Devonshire, Billie has been making her presence felt since the late Naughties working with the likes of David Sinclair, Mike and Kate Westbrook as well as several versions of her own as a bandleader. Her affinity and allegiance for Canterbury Style music is without question yet she continually rides an edge that could fall into pop, jazz, indie, or even folk traditions.
Line-up / Musicians:
Billie Bottle: Voice, piano, synth bass, bass guitar, Hammond organ, organ, electric pianos, keyboards, mellotron, drum programming, programming, swanee whistle, vibraslap
Viv Goodwin-Darke: Flutes, voice, ‘cello, iron, crumhorn
Roz Harding: Alto sax, voice, treble recorder, kettle, wind chimes
Anna Batson: Bassoon, voice, crumhorn, hoover
Emma Holbrook: Drums, Cymbals, Percussion, pandeiro, voice
With:
Richard Sinclair: Guest bass guitar on "Ironing Days"
Martine Waltier: Voice
Rowan Porteous: Trumpets
Greg Hancock: Backwards voice
Hugh Nankivell: Viola
Geoff Bartholomew: Lyra-8 virtual synth
Geoff Bartholohowl, Otis & Vita Jarman-Pinto: Vocal howls
Amy Howard: Soprano sax
Ivo Stimpson: Backwards spoken word
Kimwei McCarthy: Penny whistle wolf
Lyndon Forster: Handpans
George Shilling: drum programming
Valborga: Bleat
Wyverne: Call
Lupinus: Howl
Shibboleth: Whinny
SANGUINE HUM as mentioned above, Sanguine Hum is an evolution of Oxford musicians Matt Baber and Joff Winks away from their previous Canterbury infatuation. Despite the overt and obvious foray into the realms of NeoProg music, one can occasionally hear the odd Canterburian song or moment in the three studio albums they have released since 2009.
MOVING GELATINE PLATES -- Moving Gelatine Plates (1971)
VOLARÉ -- The Uncertainty Principle (1997) The Canterbury-ness of this music is suspect, subtle, arguable. There are certainly instances, sounds, strikes, and pauses that sound Canterbury, feel Canterbury, and the song titling certainly fits, but there is a lot music here that one could call something like "textured jazz" or .
Line-up / Musicians
1. "Caught in a Combine" (4:33) interesting ethereal keyboard variety while drums and bass really suck the listener in. Nice song; great opener! (9/10)
KEVIN AYERS & THE WHOLE WORLD Shooting at the Moon (1970)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Kevin Ayers / vocals, guitar, bass, producer
AND
- Mike Oldfield / bass, guitar, vocals
- David Bedford / piano & jangle piano, organ, accordion, guitar, marimba
- Lol Coxhill / saxes & electric sax, "zoblophone" (7)
- Mick Fincher / drums, percussion
With:
- Robert Wyatt / vocals (3)
- Bridget St. John / vocals (5)
58. STEVE HILLAGE -- Green (1976) - 82.75
59. GONG -- Radio Gnome Invisible Part 2: Angel's Egg (1973) - 82.08
60. CARAVAN -- Waterloo Lily (1972) - 82.08
61. NATIONAL HEALTH -- National Health (1977) - 82.0
62. SOFT MACHINE -- Volume One (1968) - 80.87
C+ / Three Star Albums of Merit:
63. CAMEL -- Mirage (1974) - 80.0
64. GONG -- Camembert (1971) - 79. 41
65. MATCHING MOLE -- Little Red Record (1972) - 79.0
66. GONG -- You (1974) - 78.88
67. STEVE HILLAGE -- Fish Rising (1975) - 75.0
SUPERSISTER -- Iksander (1973)
MATCHING MOLE -- Matching Mole (1971)
ZYMA -- Brave New World (1979)
GONG -- Flying Teapot (1972)
STEVE HILLAGE -- L
GREAT Albums Given Questionable "Canterbury" Status
Line-up / Musicians:
- Alberto Villarroya López / bass, guitars, keyboards, compositions
- Ricardo Castro Varela / piano, electric piano, Hammond organ, arrangements
- Iago Mouriño / piano, electric piano, Moog, Hammond organ
- Fernando Lamas / drums & percussion
- Pablo Añón / tenor saxophone, alto clarinet
- Dubi Baamonde / soprano saxophone, flute
- Rubén Salvador / trumpet, flugelhorn
- Israel Arranz / vibraphone
1. "Quiet Euphoria" (7:18) what starts out a little bland (with slow lower register piano note play for the first minute) suddenly breaks into quite the jazz classic--with almost a big band feel, thanks to the horns. The bass, drums, and vibraphome really get a groove on over the second two-thirds of the song. I LOVE it! (And I love that vibraphonist Israel Arranz has not been promoted to a full band member.) The sound clarity given each and every one of the instruments is nothing short of astonishing. And I marvel as I listen to the unusual, "old" effected synths, bass, and keys. And thank you, THANK YOU, for recording the drums without that horrible gated effect! This is the way drums are supposed to sound! Even the kooky, laughter filled ending is both fitting and engaging. (14/15)
2. "Shaping Shadows" (5:20) Opening with a Japanese shamisen-sounding instrument, the song graduallly morphs into a very cool, gently relaxing vibe. Then, at 1:30, when the horn section joins in, the music takes on an almost like an old BURT BACHARACH lounge jam feel (if Burt, in fact, ever jammed, that is). I love the heavily-effected "old style" sound of the keys and guitars as the trumpet solos. And, me, such a sucker for the trumpet: I am in heaven! Great Latin drum stylin', too! Like our favorite comfort foods, this one just has a great feel to it. In the fourth minute I hear a little relaxed DAVE STEWART-like sound coming from the keys while the synth and drums go native. Then the PAUL DESMOND "Take Five" horns bring us back to center for the finish. Magical! (9.333/10)
4. "Divide and Conquer" (3:02) opening with an odd high-pitched electric-horn-like synth squeaking, the drums and band enter with a very SOFT MACHINE-like sound palette. As the musical groove gets established I'm hearing things that remind me of early British band NUCLEUS, THOMAS DOLBY, and even HOMUNCULUS RES (the Casiotone soloing). Nice weave. Very cinematic. (9/10)
5. "Thrown to the Lions" (7:23) Very pleasant modern Canterbury sound and feel to this one--not unlike some of DAVE NEWHOUSE's recent songs, or even a little bit of old MILES DAVIS. That rolling bass play coupled with the Fender Rhodes keyboard is killer! Reminds me of 1970s DEODATO. When things settle into a more laid-back combo format in the fourth minute, they sound more like Devonshire band MAGIC BUS's releases of the 2010s. I love the flute play and then the band's dynamic interplay with the horns. Man! The bass and drums are so synched in! Cool flute and wah-ed Fender Rhodes interplay in the sixth minute! (Weird ending: as if the drummer got caught in the springs beneath his snare!) (14.25/15)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Karl Jenkins / oboe, baritone & soprano saxes, electric & grand piano, celesta
- Mike Ratledge / organ, electric & grand piano, celesta
- Hugh Hopper / bass, sound effects (15)
- John Marshall / drums, percussion
LP 1 - Live Album (41:45)
1. Fanfare (0:42)
2. All white (4:46)
3. Between (2:24)
4. Riff (4:36)
5. 37 1/2 (6:51)
6. Gesolreut (6:17)
7. E.P.V. (2:47)
8. Lefty (4:56)
9. Stumble (1:42)
10. 5 from 13 (for Phil Seamen with love & thanks) (5:15)
11. Riff II (1:20)
LP 2 - Studio Album (34:40)
12. The soft weed factor (11:18)
13. Stanley stamps Gibbon album (for B.O.) (5:58)
14. Chloe and the pirates (9:30)
15. 1983 (7:54)
Total Time: 76:25
AMOEBA SPLIT Quiet Euphoria
Who is not excited for the release of another AMOEBA SPLIT album? The Galician (Spain) band's previous two albums--2010's Dance of the Goodbyes and 2016's Second Split--have been nothing short of masterpieces of Canterbury-inspired modern Jazz-Rock Fusion. And now, after a seven year gap, they release this, their third studio album. I am SUPER excited!
- Alberto Villarroya López / bass, guitars, keyboards, compositions
- Ricardo Castro Varela / piano, electric piano, Hammond organ, arrangements
- Iago Mouriño / piano, electric piano, Moog, Hammond organ
- Fernando Lamas / drums & percussion
- Pablo Añón / tenor saxophone, alto clarinet
- Dubi Baamonde / soprano saxophone, flute
- Rubén Salvador / trumpet, flugelhorn
- Israel Arranz / vibraphone
1. "Quiet Euphoria" (7:18) what starts out a little bland (with slow lower register piano note play for the first minute) suddenly breaks into quite the jazz classic--with almost a big band feel, thanks to the horns. The bass, drums, and vibraphome really get a groove on over the second two-thirds of the song. I LOVE it! (And I love that vibraphonist Israel Arranz has not been promoted to a full band member.) The sound clarity given each and every one of the instruments is nothing short of astonishing. And I marvel as I listen to the unusual, "old" effected synths, bass, and keys. And thank you, THANK YOU, for recording the drums without that horrible gated effect! This is the way drums are supposed to sound! Even the kooky, laughter filled ending is both fitting and engaging. (14/15)
2. "Shaping Shadows" (5:20) Opening with a Japanese shamisen-sounding instrument, the song graduallly morphs into a very cool, gently relaxing vibe. Then, at 1:30, when the horn section joins in, the music takes on an almost like an old BURT BACHARACH lounge jam feel (if Burt, in fact, ever jammed, that is). I love the heavily-effected "old style" sound of the keys and guitars as the trumpet solos. And, me, such a sucker for the trumpet: I am in heaven! Great Latin drum stylin', too! Like our favorite comfort foods, this one just has a great feel to it. In the fourth minute I hear a little relaxed DAVE STEWART-like sound coming from the keys while the synth and drums go native. Then the PAUL DESMOND "Take Five" horns bring us back to center for the finish. Magical! (9.333/10)
3. "The Inner Driving Force" (5:59) Despite the horns above (which open the song soloing as if in a processional for some mediæval king), and the initial MILES DAVIS Sketches from Spain feel, I hear a kind of combined CHICK COREA-VINCE GUARALDI piano foundation to this song. Great interplay between the soloists in the fourth minute. (8.875/10)
4. "Divide and Conquer" (3:02) opening with an odd high-pitched electric-horn-like synth squeaking, the drums and band enter with a very SOFT MACHINE-like sound palette. As the musical groove gets established I'm hearing things that remind me of early British band NUCLEUS, THOMAS DOLBY, and even HOMUNCULUS RES (the Casiotone soloing). Nice weave. Very cinematic. (9/10)
5. "Thrown to the Lions" (7:23) Very pleasant modern Canterbury sound and feel to this one--not unlike some of DAVE NEWHOUSE's recent songs, or even a little bit of old MILES DAVIS. That rolling bass play coupled with the Fender Rhodes keyboard is killer! Reminds me of 1970s DEODATO. When things settle into a more laid-back combo format in the fourth minute, they sound more like Devonshire band MAGIC BUS's releases of the 2010s. I love the flute play and then the band's dynamic interplay with the horns. Man! The bass and drums are so synched in! Cool flute and wah-ed Fender Rhodes interplay in the sixth minute! (Weird ending: as if the drummer got caught in the springs beneath his snare!) (14.25/15)
6. "No Time for Lullabies" (11:05) The opening two minutes of this one sound almost like a piece of classical music.. Such poise and deliberation! Then, beneath the alto clarinet, the piano begins to roam and flourish a bit--signalling a move into the realms of jazz. Electric guitar and synthesizer noises are companioned by the drummer's play on his kit's tom-toms before tenor saxophone joins in as the lead instrument. Do I hear some Coltrane riffs at the end of the fifth minute? Vibes join in with more prominent bass play as drums add cymbal play and synths continue to add their subtle magic. Synthesized trumpet and flugelhorn play off one another over ominous pipe organ cords in the seventh and eighth minutes. This is nowhere near the kind of music I was expecting--though there is something here that seems to tap into not only both John Coltrane's and Miles Davis' end-of-life albums but also the spirit of those early SOFT MACHINE/ROBERT WYATT albums.
Just when I thought the song was winding down--with some lullaby-like percussion instrument playing alone, a gentle piano and flute duet starts back up and then takes us out with an eerie sonic "sound-check overload" type of synth sound. Weird!
Though this was not what I was expecting, I definitely love it; I find myself totally in awe of the unusual avenue of expression explored here. (19.5/20)
Total Time 40:07
Total Time 40:07
I love the fact that the band has been able to keep the exact same lineup of members since their 2016 release, Second Split. It is, in fact, nothing short of amazing. Though the music here feels more rooted in old, classic styles of the lounge and early jazz-rock fusion jazz movements, I am impressed with the courageous use of odd synths and stylistic shifts within each of the songs. In fact, I am blown away by the subtle integration of old styles and sounds into these very original yet-familiar (and comforting) feeling compositions.
93.697 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a full-blown masterpiece of original Jazz-Rock Fusion--one that feels as if it is paying homage to many of the key shakers and movers of the 1960s and 1970s jazz-rock fusion movement.
THE SOFT MACHINE Bundles (1975) After two years off, Mike Ratledge, the only remaining member of the original Softs, pulls his previous lineup of former-NUCLEUS members together for one more time but this time recruiting one more recent NUCLEUS member into the fold: guitar phenom ALLAN HOLDSWORTH. What an injection of life and power he is! What results is one fine collection of jazz-rock fusion songs--one that is unfortunately often overlooked due to the band's previous history and, to many, disappointing evolution. (I think a lot of people had long given up on buying their new releases--myself included--which is sad as this is an absolutely stellar album.)
Many people refer to this album as the Allan Holdsworth breakout album as he would go on to work with many of the jazz fusion superstars in the next couple of years. I believe that this "breaktrhough" is made possible by the amazing cohesion of the Nucleus support crew--Babbington, Marshall, and Jenkins. As a matter of fact, this album, in my opinion, should have a different band name cuz they're not really The Soft Machine (history says that with Bundles Ratledge had given the reins over to Karl Jenkins). They're more Nucleus but not Nucleus. They're really the Allan Holdsworth Debut Project.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Allan Holdsworth / acoustic, electric & 12-string guitars
- Mike Ratledge / Fender Rhodes, Lowrey organ, AKS synthesizer
- Karl Jenkins / oboe, soprano sax, acoustic & electric pianos
- Roy Babbington / bass
- John Marshall / drums, percussion
With:
- Ray Warleigh / alto & bass flutes (12)
- Mike Ratledge / Fender Rhodes, Lowrey organ, AKS synthesizer
- Karl Jenkins / oboe, soprano sax, acoustic & electric pianos
- Roy Babbington / bass
- John Marshall / drums, percussion
With:
- Ray Warleigh / alto & bass flutes (12)
- Hazard Profile (5 part suite):
1. Part 1 (9:18) introducing: ALLAN HOLDSWORTH, NUCLEUS, and Mike Ratledge! (19/20)
2. Part 2 (2:21) soft, delicate interlude of piano and acoustic guitar (4/5)
3. Part 3 (1:05) interlude (/5)
4. Part 4 (0:46) interlude (/5)
5. Part 5 (5:29) (/10)
-
6. Gone Sailing (0:59)
7. Bundles (3:14)
8. Land Of The Bag Snake (3:35)
9. The Man Who Waved At Trains (1:50)
10. Peff (1:57)
11. Four Gongs Two Drums (4:09)
12. The Floating World (7:12)
Total Time: 41:55
2. Part 2 (2:21) soft, delicate interlude of piano and acoustic guitar (4/5)
3. Part 3 (1:05) interlude (/5)
4. Part 4 (0:46) interlude (/5)
5. Part 5 (5:29) (/10)
-
6. Gone Sailing (0:59)
7. Bundles (3:14)
8. Land Of The Bag Snake (3:35)
9. The Man Who Waved At Trains (1:50)
10. Peff (1:57)
11. Four Gongs Two Drums (4:09)
12. The Floating World (7:12)
Total Time: 41:55
An excellent jazz fusion masterpiece/near-masterpiece on the level of Nucleus, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea/Return To Forever, Tony Williams Lifetime, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Brand X, but NOT a Canterbury style album.
THE SOFT MACHINE Sixth (1973)
- Karl Jenkins / oboe, baritone & soprano saxes, electric & grand piano, celesta
- Mike Ratledge / organ, electric & grand piano, celesta
- Hugh Hopper / bass, sound effects (15)
- John Marshall / drums, percussion
LP 1 - Live Album (41:45)
1. Fanfare (0:42)
2. All white (4:46)
3. Between (2:24)
4. Riff (4:36)
5. 37 1/2 (6:51)
6. Gesolreut (6:17)
7. E.P.V. (2:47)
8. Lefty (4:56)
9. Stumble (1:42)
10. 5 from 13 (for Phil Seamen with love & thanks) (5:15)
11. Riff II (1:20)
LP 2 - Studio Album (34:40)
12. The soft weed factor (11:18)
13. Stanley stamps Gibbon album (for B.O.) (5:58)
14. Chloe and the pirates (9:30)
15. 1983 (7:54)
Total Time: 76:25
DEDALUS Dedalus (1973) From Italy--and pre-dating acclaimed compatriots Picchio dal Pozzo by three years--comes this very well produced album of very cool, very hip jazz--much of which reflects the mood and style of Eumir Deodato's huge international hit album, Prelude (which was released just the year before), but which also contains a lot of the playfulness and melodic as well as stylistic sensibilities of ROBERT WYATT and SOFT MACHINE. The brilliantly selfless keyboard work of Fiorenzo Bonansone provides the foundation for all songs--over which all of the other instrumentalists (drums, electric bass, electric guitar, saxophone, African percussion, electric cello) are allowed to shine. Likewise, the Robert Wyatt-like drummer, Enrico Grosso, is often the rock upon which all songs and all musicians are allowed to depend; he's not too flashy but rock solid.
There is a fullness, a richness, to the sound, to the music as a whole on this album that is really appealing to me. I think it might be the way in which the percussion is so full and prominent (and important). Plus, the album is so well recorded and engineered (except for the drums--they're a little dull and in the back of the mix).
BRUFORD One of a Kind (1979) Bill Bruford's continued excursion into the burgeoning and exciting world of electrified percussion using a jazzier prog medium--and a band of incredibly technically accomplished musicians. You would be hard-pressed to put together a band of more proficient instrumentalists than bassist Jeff BERLIN, keyboard wizard Dave STEWART, guitar genius Allan HOLDSWORTH and, of course, drummer unparalleled, Bill Bruford. Gone is mysterious chanteuse Annette PEACOCK (whose talents I actually love) and gone, too, are any attempts at songs with vocals. This is an experimental jazz fusion album, no longer representative of the Canterbury style of musical exploration. Accordingly, it takes the listener some time to become familiar and friendly to the sometimes obtuse or oblique sounds and styles of the music and musicians. But, if you put in the effort, I think that you will find this album well worth it. "The Sahara of Snow, Parts 1 & 2" Is probably one of my ten favorite prog songs of all-time--and definitely the best Allan Holdworth soloing ever.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Allan Holdsworth / guitar (1-10)
- Dave Stewart / keyboards and synths
- Dave Stewart / keyboards and synths
- Jeff Berlin / bass
- Bill Bruford / acoustic & electronic drums, percussion, voice of "The Mock Turtle" (5)
With:
- Sam Alder / voice of "Narrator" (5)
- Anthea Norman-Taylor / voice of "Alice" (5)
- Eddie Jobson / violin (8) - originally uncredited
1. "Hell's Bells" (3:33) (8.75/10)
2. "One of a Kind, Pt. 1" (2:20) (4/5)
3. "One of a Kind, Pt. 2" (4:04) (8/10)
4. "Travels With Myself - And Someone Else" (6:13) (8.25/10)
5. "Fainting in Coils" (6:33) (9/10)
6. "Five G" (4:46) Jeff Berlin getting Allan Holdsworth charged. (8.75/10)
7. "The Abingdon Chasp" (4:54) (8.25/10)
8. "Forever Until Sunday" (5:51) Throw away the slow Jobson first half and you have a GREAT song. (8.5/10)
9. "The Sahara of Snow, Pt. 1" (5:18) (10/10)
10. "The Sahara of Snow, Pt. 2" (3:24) (10/10)
Total Time: 46:28
Lots of noodling with too little structure to hold one's attention and make the songs memorable. The new synth-orientation is also less attractive and comprehensible than the sound palette of the band's previous album. However, as much as the first half of the album bores, the second half cooks.
87.89 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
ALCO FRISBASS ALCO Frisbass (2015) I’ve toiled with writing a review for this simple enjoyable debut AltrOck Productions album from the French duo of Patrick Dufour and Fabrice Chouette for over half a year now. And now I’ve finally figured out why! This is a Neo Prog album! This is a Neo Prog album by an artist who has an obvious affinity toward the keyboard-driven sounds and melodies of the Canterbury Scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, there is very little presence of the often complex, jazz- and classical-based structures experimented with and favored by those Canterbury artists in the music presented here by ALCO Frisbass. The sounds that Patrick and Fabrice create are obviously intended to replicate the sounds of the more common/famous instrumental sounds associated with the Canterbury “sound,” but to my ears, these sounds are not as close to the actual sounds of Canterbury artists like Mike Ratledge, Steve Hillage, Dave Stewart, Mike Oldfield, or Phil Miller as to be able to constitute the use of the word “replicate.” Plus, the use of guest musicians for the contribution of violin, guitar and mellotron actually serves to create a further divergence/distance/discord with the original mix of sounds used in the Canterbury scene.
The other flaw with this very likable, even enjoyable music, is in the simplicity of the music—especially in the rhythmic foundations of each song. There are very few dramatic shifts in tempo, key signatures or dynamics in these songs; all instrumental soli are played as if the artists handling the instruments be melody-conscious while somehow acting quite disconnected from or even oblivious to the musical base coming from the background foundational instruments (bass, drums, and keyboards). Plus, the feel I get from the bass, drums and keyboards is that they are there more for the exclusive purpose of creating a foundational base for other instruments to solo over which is not the usual feel I get from the background instrumentalists in jazz or Canterburian songs. The original artists of what we call the Canterbury Scene feel as if they each remained creative individuals despite their place in the musical mix—leader, supporter or soloist—each actively and creatively contributing to the mix that makes up the foundational harmonic and rhythmic structure of each song—even beneath the not-infrequent soloists.
The album’s best songs—2. “Pas à pas” (6:42) (9/10), 4. “La danse du pantin” (7:44) (9/10), and 6. “Judith Coupeuse de tête” (9:08) (8/10)—each captivate a lot of nice melodious Canterburian sound and feel yet fail to reveal anything new or innovative—and never fail to ever impress with instrumental prowess, creativity or technique. There are more similarities in this music to Neo Prog like fellow countrymen XII Alfonso or Minimum Vital: melody—often exceedingly linear and simplistic—dominates heavily over harmony and experimentation—which is fine. As I’ve said throughout, this is wonderfully listenable, even enjoyable music. Not bad, just not great.
A 3.5 star album. Nice songs with nice sound but lots of potential for growth here!
ALCO FRISBASS Le bateleur (2018) AltrOck's almost-Canterburians are back with their sophomore album and it will not disappoint those who loved their first album. I, however, continue to be disappointed with the lack of full commitment to one style and lack of engaging themes over the course of an entire song (which continue to be long [inexplicably though not necessarily unjustifiably so]).
Line-up / Musicians:
Frédéric Chaput: Bass, Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards, Synths & Modulars, Percussions
Fabrice Chouette: Keyboards, Synths, Electric Guitar
Patrick Dufour: Keyboards, Synths, Drums Programming
With:
Frédéric Chaput: Bass, Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards, Synths & Modulars, Percussions
Fabrice Chouette: Keyboards, Synths, Electric Guitar
Patrick Dufour: Keyboards, Synths, Drums Programming
With:
Thierry Payssan (Minimum Vital): Acoustic Piano (1, 3, 4)
Jean-Luc Payssan (Minimum Vital): Electric Guitar (4)
Eric Rebeyrol: Cornet (1, 4)
Jean-Luc Payssan (Minimum Vital): Electric Guitar (4)
Eric Rebeyrol: Cornet (1, 4)
1. "Soufre Et Mercure" (9:33) a song heavily doused in thick, chunky bass and swirling organ play, this is Zeuhlish! Nice keyboard work throughout but the electric guitar chord play is a weak spot. The third minute's Spanish-theme is also a bit disconnecting. Still, the mood remains dark and heavy, even through the Renaissance-themed section in the seventh minute. (8/10)
2. "Le Bateleur" (11:24) a basic and likable jam presents itself and then tries to get quirky and funky. Very nice keyboard work in the third minute. Also, a very engaging acoustic guitar-based section in the eighth minute that develops into a great GENESIS-á-la France section before decaying into boring and mundane. (8.5/10)
3. "Arcane Majeur" (7:13) nice jam with sections ranging on chaotic interspersed within a highly engaging and melodic tune. Things go downhill a bit once the piano enters. (9/10)
4. "Les Cartes Vivantes" (8:09) simplistic rhythm base from bass, drums, and keys with guitar and keys and cornet taking turns to lead with the melodies above. Awesome section with electric piano soloing over bass and R&B rhythm guitar in the seventh minute. (8/10)
5. "Ombre Terre" (7:54) the most Canterbury-sounding song on this round of ALCO FRISBASS tunes; very Hatfield and The North The Rotter's Club-inspired. The only problem is that it never really rises to that level of excitement or refreshing originality as one would hope, yea, the second half even starts to elicit feelings of irritability or disappointment. (8/10)
Total Time 44:13
83.0 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a solid contribution to the modern instrumental progressive rock catalogue.
QUIET SUN Mainstream (1975) Before I leave this lifetime I must stand up and post a review of this horrid album—and album I bought back in the 70s and immediately disliked but which, as I do with all of my purchases, I deigned to return to, to give it another chance, always thinking that my tastes, maturity, or musical knowledge would help me to better appreciate the “genius” of this work that so many others extoll.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Phil Manzanera / 6 & 12-string electric guitars, treated guitars, Fender Rhodes
- Dave Jarrett / piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Hammond & Farfisa organs, VCS-3 synthesizer
- Bill MacCormick / bass & treated bass, backing vocals
- Charles Hayward / drums, percussion, keyboards, vocals
With:
- Ian MacCormick / backing vocals
- Brian Eno / synthesizers, treatments
1. “Sol Caliente” (7:34) nice playing from all members except the grating sound of the second guitarist’s rhythm stokes. Melodically the song never really gets into the ear (maybe it’s not meant to—what with the experimental scales and chromatic devices practiced in the jazz world in those days). (8/15)
2. “Trumpets With Motherhood” (1:47) a cacophony of sound effects thrown into the wind for a couple minutes. (2/5)
3. “Bargain Classics” (5:48) Are the dreamy keys and/or angular rhythms of this song somehow expected to help us forget or wash away the waste of time and mental disturbance of the previous song that eventually emerges out of the chaos. Not for me! It remains silly, soporific, and self-indulgent. A song that adds nothing positive to my world. (8/10)
4. “R.F.D.” (3:23) keys and guitar effects drawn out much longer than they need be. Another odd presence on this album. (7/10)
5. “Mummy Was An Asteroid, Daddy Was A Small Non-Stick Kitchen Utensil” (6:00) interesting for the solo of its odd-sounding keyboard, while structurally it's first two minutes are boring in their straightforwardness. The Fender Rhodes' "Riders on the Storm" keyboard chord progression is distracting from the raunchy, grating rawness of the lead guitar(s). (Why does Manzanera get two tracks for two separate leads?) The rest of the band--drums, bass, and other keys--perform very nicely, with great unity. (8.75/10)
6. “Trot” (5:18) multi-layers of keyboards offset from one another make this song interest--which is hard since the dentist drill sound that Manzanera has chosen is outright obnoxious. Who is Dave Jarrett? He is talented. His work on this jazzy song are the highlight. People love Phil Manzanera's guitar work! I just can't get past the jarring, grating sounds he chooses. And they call this "Canterbury" style music?!?! Go figure! (8.5/10)
7. “RongWrong” (9:34) the lone epic of the album, it opens strongly and then denigrates itself by lurching into a cheezy, syrupy electric piano solo. Phil Miller-like guitar leads a transition into a kind of rudimentary Elton John-like pop section over which male singer opens his delivery. Singer Chris Hayward must have been the only volunteer to take on these duties as he is not very good--not very rehearsed and definitely not of polished singing voice. (Again: Maybe I just don't get it; maybe it's supposed to be bad--for some desired effect that only the British could appreciate.) Bass solo over piano and organ in the middle. Back to the pop song arrangement for the eighth minute. At least the lyrics are fairly loose extemporaneous in the Canterbury tradition. (Was it a tradition?) Sounds so 60s-ish. (17/20)
Total Time 39:23
80.30 on the Fishscales = C+/three stars; good but not an essential or even necessary listening experience. I'd even go so far as to call it "forgettable." Still, these were professionals; they made a serious (I think) attempt at releasing a sellable album. But this is not a Canterbury album much less a classic of the style. No way!
MR. SIRIUS Barren Dream (1987) The remarkable and, in fact, quite shocking debut album from Japanese artist/composer/multi-instrumentalist Kazuhiro Miyatake. He is joined by extraordinary recruits, Hiroko Nagai, a mezzo soprano vocalist, and drummer Chihiro Fujioka.
The heavier, more intricate sections of the compositions sound much like country mates KENSO and AIN SOPH, while the more pastoral passages feel close to the stylings of ex-GENESIS soloists, ANT PHILLIPS and STEVE HACKETT, while the vocal passages feel forceful and dramatic enough to fit on the stages of Broadway or London's West End. The complexity of vocal symphonic passages are quite reminiscent of Keith EMERSON as well as jazz musicians like MANHATTAN TRANSFER and today's MOETAR
MR. SIRIUS Dirge (1990) After 1987's amazing and surprising debut, "Barren Dream," Kazuhiro Miyatake comes back for a 1990 follow up--and he brings back extraordinary mezzo soprano vocalist Hiroko Nagai and drummer Chihiro Fujioka with him. It is a solid and worthy followup if not quite as surprisingly fresh as the debut--which seemed to come out of nowhere with it's pristine sound, sophisticated compositions, and virtuosic performances.
As previous reviewers have remarked, the heavier, more intricate sections of the compositions sound much like country mates KENSO and AIN SOPH, while the more pastoral passages feel close to the stylings of ex-GENESIS soloists, ANT PHILLIPS and STEVE HACKETT, while the vocal passages feel forceful and dramatic enough to fit on the stages of Broadway or London's West End. The complexity of vocal symphonic passages are quite reminiscent of Keith EMERSON as well as jazz musicians like MANHATTAN TRANSFER and today's MOETAR .
Strongly Evocative of the Canterbury Sound
AMPLEDEED is band of young musicians hailing from a variety of California art schools who unwittingly began creating upbeat, somewhat jazzy and frolicky progressive rock music that just happens to sound quite a bit like it came from the Canterbury artists of the 1970s. I say "unwittingly" because the band had no idea what Canterbury music was or who any of the Canterbury artists were; this is just the honest outcome of their own musical tastes and desires for expression. And yet, here we are.
SETNA is French Zeuhl band whose music often expresses the sounds, stylings, and upbeat "frivolity" while maintaining a high standard of compositional complexity and musicianship compatible with the Canterbury label. A music listener with some familiarity with Canterbury style music, need only hear SETNA's music--especially its keyboard sounds and unusual song structures--in order to feel that "Canterbury" feel. It seems undeniable--as expressed by many reviewers of their albums.
SETNA Guérison (2013) Imagine the most hypnotic Zeuhl grooves that MAGMA has ever given us, blend it with the accumulated best Canterbury instrumentation that any of Dave Stewart's bands ever gave us, arrange it all with the most positive, uplifting chord progressions and gorgeous male and female vocal melodies imaginable, then use the best technological advantages that 2013 gives us and you get a glimpse into what France's SETNA's second album, Guérison, has to offer. It is beautiful, sublime, hypnotic, and so spiritually uplifting! Each of the five songs is sub-divided, but, in effect, the album has a straight-through flow not unlike many Magma albums.
Every song and, in fact, each sub-song has idiosyncrasies worthy of high praise and long discussions (as well as repeated listens), but "Cycle II (c)," "Tryptique I (c)," "Tryptique II (a)," and "Tryptique III (b)" and "(c)" stand out particularly strong for me--should you want to listen to a few pieces in order to get a feel for the album, these might be just the ones cuz they display quite a broad spectrum of the sounds, feels and styles offered here.
The "Guérison" suite (link to YouTube extract) feels separate, a bit more atmospheric, more displaying of rhythms and percussion, and, until the interesting Part "(c)," a slight step down from the previous two suites (four songs, eleven sub-songs). Still, this is one of the best releases I've heard from 2013, one of the best Zeuhl or Canterbury albums I've ever heard, and an album that will likely grow in my esteem as it occupies my turntable for the upcoming months. Click here for access to YouTube video of a live performance of "Tryptique Part I."
96.0 on the Fish scales = 5 Stars; an unquestioned masterpiece of progressive rock music.
SYD ARTHUR is a young band from Canterbury, Kent, who have been mentored and helped along the way by PAUL WELLER and others. The Weller influence is quite strong, the band has a folk and blues foundation and orientation which is heavily steeped in electronic treatments of their instruments and vocals. Also, though the band has/had a predilection toward longer songs, with strung out psychedelia instrumental jam sections (á la THE AMAZING) their album producers have pulled in the reins and effected some "surprising" results. With only two full-length albums and two EP's under their belt, it remains to be seen where these lads will evolve.
A 2017 release, Apricity, proved highly disappointing as the band chose to leave their Canterbury leanings in favor of more Paul Weller sounds and styles.
VIOLETA DE OUTONO is a Brazilian combo that have been playing together since the 1980s. Their sound has always contained a feel of the Canterbury sound, even going back to their self-titled 1987 debut release--which also showed very strong influences of both the straightforward minimalism of Punk Rock (you can hear the sounds and riffs of bands like THE POLICE and THE GO-GO's in the stylings of the bass and drums), the psychedelia of San Francisco in the guitar, and even a little of the technological smoothness of New Wave eras. PINK FAIRIES also come to mind. From the beginning singer- songwriter Fabio Golfetti has had a voice that just cries out "KHAN" (more Nick Greenwood than Steve Hillage). Others have compared his vocal talents to those of ROBERT WYATT, as well.
Though Fabio took a break from the band in the 1990s to dedicate his energies to his Invisible Opera project--a project that he conceived with the help and encouragement (and some contribution) of Canterbury founder DAEVID ALLEN, a Violeta de Outono reunion with the original threesome (singer-guitarist Fabio Golfetti, bass & keyboard player Angelo Pastorello and drummer Claudio Souza) at the end of the 90s produced the 1999 album Woman on the Mountain. The band has subsequently morphed with changing lineups for the release of 2005's Ilhas (gone is Claudio), 2007's Volume 7 (gone is Angelo, back is Claudio Souza) and 2012's Espectro (my personal Album of the Year for that year--on which Fabio is the only remaining member from the founding trio).
I tell people that if you like the sound and spirit of KHAN's Space Shanty then you should check out Violeta de Outono.
A late 2016 release called Spaces came out to highly favorable reviews but failed to 'wow' me with anything new or innovative; it sounded and felt like good, solid Violeta de Outono.
INNER EAR BRIGADE is an American band out of the San Francisco Bay area whose quirky, jazzy music definitely falls under the umbrella of Canterbury-sounding music--though, with the presence of female lead vocalist, the band take on a bit more of the COS/HATFIELD AND THE NORTH branch of the Canterbury jazz sound. Their 2014 debut, Rainbro, is an excellent album of jazzy-poppy quirk and sophistica.
The band's 2017 release, Dromology, showed a very positive evolution: tighter structures, stronger melodies, improved band cohesion and more mature song constructs--as well as outstanding sound engineering and production. There is slightly more jazz and avant-jazz feel and slightly less quirky Canterburian pop feel to these songs, but it is definitely a more consistently high quality album start to finish. It not only rated higher than its predecessor, it ended up in both of my Year-End Top 30s.
INNER EAR BRIGADE Dromology (2017) It's been five years since the wonderful Rainbro but this little gem makes the wait all worthwhile. A little heavier and more serious this time around but the compositional skill and instrumental performances have improved a notch (amazingly!)
Line-up / Musicians:
Bill Wolter – Guitar
Chris Lauf – Drums
Stephen Wright – Electric Bass
Melody Ferris – Vocals
Ivor Holloway – Tenor, Alto, and Soprano Saxophone
Eli Wallace – Keyboards (1,2,4,5)
With
Theo Padouvas – Trumpet (1,2,4,5,6)
Andrew Vernon – Keyboards (3,6,7)
David Shaff – Trumpet (3,7)
Aharon Wheels Bolsta – Tabla (5)
1. "Dark Sleep Fortress" (6:40) opens the album with a heavier but still avant sound that is fully recognizable for people who are familiar with their previous album, Rainbro. The band is thick and tight! Forgot how much I like these horns and the voice of Melody Ferris. Nice keyboard solo and horn section work in the final two minutes. Unfortunately, the bass line here just gets too old--not enough movement and variation. (8/10)
2. "Black And White Taste" (5:56) avant in a math rock almost THINKING PLAGUE way. Almost feels like a study in whole-band (even vocal) weave using odd time signatures. I have to admit that I don't like it when Melody's voice is used in this way. Great bass, sax, and electric piano work. (8/10)
3. "Shaman Coin Toss" (6:51) nice opening with lots of fast-paced whole-band movement. Almost HAIRCUT ONE HUNDRED energy here. Melody's voice brings us back to solid ground (in a good way) before the horns and fast-play and changes take us in other directions--many! And moving so fast! This is fun! The 1960s Bay Area-style electric solo is unfortunate; turns me off. Piano section is nice, simple, a surprising twist--coupled with a softer side of Melody. FROGG CAFÉ comes to mind here. As with some of the previous album, the mid-song tempo and stylistic changes are a bit mystifying. Still, a pretty amazing composition. (9/10)
4. "Bobotut" (6:12) bouncy, upbeat multi-thread weave with instrument-like vocals mirrored by sax and other horns throughout. Part NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA, part Astrud & João Gilberto. Gorgeous! Maybe my favorite song on the album! (9.5/10)
5. "Dromology" (8:55) love the winding rondo weave of the separated horns on this with Melody's long drawn out singing notes. (9/10)
6. "Targa Floria" (4:22) horns, repeated electric guitar riff, and Fender Rhodes-like keys fill the opening before the horn section starts doing its magic in several weaves. This is all multi-layered instrumental jazz--a very intricate composition very tightly performed. The horns in the mid-section and second half are quite nostalgic in a BURT BACHARACH-kind of way. A top three for me. (9.5/10)
7. "Birdie In The Wall" (6:57) awesome big-band kind of opening turns into a more intricate staccato weave with Melody Ferris's smooth torch song vocal playing over the top. The second section gives this almost a SWING OUT SISTER sound. I love it! Such a great, smooth song! Definitely another top three song for me. (9.5/10)
Total Time 45:53
The further I get into the album I keep wondering why this wonderful bass player did what he did in the opening song.
89.29 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music. There's a little feeling of the genius of HOMUNCULUS RES here.
MAGICK BROTHER & MYSTIC SISTER Magick Brother & Mystic Sister
Delightful retro psychedelic funk bordering on Egg, Khan, and Caravan Canterbury Style music from this Spanish quartet. Bassist Xavi Sandoval sets up some very nice grooves for listeners to get hooked into while Eva Muntada's Burt Bacharach- and Northettes-like vocals an Maya Fernández's flutes lend their ethereal magic as well.
Line-up / Musicians:
Eva Muntada: piano, synthesizers, organ, mellotron & vocals
Xavi Sandoval: bass & guitars
Marc Tena: drums & vocals
Maya Fernández: flute
1. "Utopia" (4:56) opens like SOFT MACHINE's "Slightly All the Time" before going its own direction with Eva's lovely vocalise tracks and Maya's swallow-like flute. I'm in heaven! At 2:25 the song switches gears as it moves into CARAVAN territory to support some awesome synth and fuzz-organ work. The final minute sees us being carried off into the floating world of GONG guitars. Wow! What a trip into yesteryear! Amazing song! (9.5/10)
2. "Waterforms" (4:06) opens with a funkiness that could come from a 1970s Black Exploitation film! Isaac, Curtis, or Marvin! Amazing! Drive that Caddy with that Detroit lean! When Eva's voice penetrates my consciousness, my bubble is burst and I am back in Europe--though with a definite 1970s-feeling 21st Century West Coast Psychedelic Funk (a la BRIAN ELLIS and STARVING DAUGHTERS). (9.25/10)
3. "The First Light" (2:24) early PINK FLOYD psychedelia. A little too imitative. (4.25/5)
4. "Yogi Tea" (5:16) like a Burt Bacharach lounge funk psychedelia! Great keys, bass, and flute interplay with perfect jazzy drum support. I love Marc's voice--and vocal! He sounds like a god! (Or like KHAN's Nick Greenwood!) West Coast Psychedelic Funk at its finest! One of my favorite songs of the year! (9.5/10)
5. "Arroyo del búho" (4:49) almost a Ravel/Satie/or Gordon Brothers flute & piano duet. (8.75/10)
6. "Echoes From The Clouds" (4:07) another song that brings back so many flower power melodies of the late 60s and early 1970s--from Sergio Mendez's Brazil '66 to Caravan and "MacArthur's Park." Great flute and bass play. (9/10)
7. "Movement 2" (2:39) except for the flutes, this could be straight from a BRIAN ELLIS album! Awesome three-part James Bond/Austin Powers-like film soundtrack. Great presence from the congas. Excellent flute play. (5/5)
8. "Love Scene" (3:32) another perfect soundtrack imitation from late 1960s/early 1970s psychedelic filmdom. Awesome Hammond work, Eva! (9/10)
9. "Instructions For Judgment Visions" (4:33) hippy flute folk-psych with GONG-like narration. (Or is it Eric Burden's WAR's "Spill That Wine"?) (8.75/10)
10. "Les Vampires" (6:40) Burt Bacharach-Brian Auger collaboration for a soundtrack to a B-movie horror flick? (9.25/10)
Total Time 43:02
91.39 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of retro-psychedelic prog. So wonderful to hear this gorgeous funk!
Uber-talented multi-oinstrumentalist Ryan Stephenson is back after his very well received and highly acclaimed debut Canterbury-lite styled album of 2020. This one is a bit more sophisticated and imitative while drawing more distinctive styles into his purvey of musical vision (and execution).
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ryan W Stevenson / Hammond organ, Mellotron, Hohner Pianet, piano, electric pianos, acoustic & electric guitars, bass, vocals, Korg MS-20, synthesizers, percussion, flute, field recordings, sound design
- Andrea Moneta / drums & cymbals
With:
- Sally Minnear / voice (1)
- Caroline Joy Clarke / voice (1,2,7)
- Jørgen Munkeby / tenor saxophone & flute (7)
- Mike Benson / tenor saxophone (2)
- Rob Milne / tenor saxophone & flute (7)
- Tomás Figueiredo / French horn (1)
- Joe Burns / gong & additional cymbals (7)
1. "Amor Fati" (2:10) an exact and perfect duplication of the Hatfield & THE NORTH style for all those two-minute ear worms--even down to the quirky anti-rock construction, wordless vocals of two female vocalists (The Northettes 2.0!) and instrumental sounds. Brilliant! (5/5)
2. "You" (10:57) Vocals! Really fine, melodic ones, at that. It's as if Dave Stewart joined 10CC instead of Bruford. A great composition as well as a very engaging and enjoyable song. (19.5/20)
3. "Bushnell Keeler" (5:07) The sound is still based in the Canterbury familiarity, the composition is a bit more straightforward and simple (not unlike much of the music on Zopp's debut album). I like the addition/use of the thick wall of horns and flute to bring/carry the melody lines. But, like so many of Dave Newhouse's compositions of the past ten years, this one feels under-developed and kind of one-dimensional--like a bunch of instruments and their highly-specified sounds just trying to get to an end point; the music feels like it's merely a means to and end. (8.75/10)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ryan W Stevenson / Hammond organ, Mellotron, Hohner Pianet, piano, electric pianos, acoustic & electric guitars, bass, vocals, Korg MS-20, synthesizers, percussion, flute, field recordings, sound design
- Andrea Moneta / drums & cymbals
With:
- Sally Minnear / voice (1)
- Caroline Joy Clarke / voice (1,2,7)
- Jørgen Munkeby / tenor saxophone & flute (7)
- Mike Benson / tenor saxophone (2)
- Rob Milne / tenor saxophone & flute (7)
- Tomás Figueiredo / French horn (1)
- Joe Burns / gong & additional cymbals (7)
1. "Amor Fati" (2:10) an exact and perfect duplication of the Hatfield & THE NORTH style for all those two-minute ear worms--even down to the quirky anti-rock construction, wordless vocals of two female vocalists (The Northettes 2.0!) and instrumental sounds. Brilliant! (5/5)
2. "You" (10:57) Vocals! Really fine, melodic ones, at that. It's as if Dave Stewart joined 10CC instead of Bruford. A great composition as well as a very engaging and enjoyable song. (19.5/20)
3. "Bushnell Keeler" (5:07) The sound is still based in the Canterbury familiarity, the composition is a bit more straightforward and simple (not unlike much of the music on Zopp's debut album). I like the addition/use of the thick wall of horns and flute to bring/carry the melody lines. But, like so many of Dave Newhouse's compositions of the past ten years, this one feels under-developed and kind of one-dimensional--like a bunch of instruments and their highly-specified sounds just trying to get to an end point; the music feels like it's merely a means to and end. (8.75/10)
4. "Uppmärksamhet" (3:14) a song that takes its sweet time in defining itself much less a direction. It's more like an exercise or étude in creating a mood--a feeling of waiting, of Limbo. (8.5/10)
5. "Reality Tunnels" (4:11) rock-driven Canterbury sounds that attempt to cross over into the Hugh Banton/Van Der Graaf Generator realm of heavy prog (complete with Hugh's famous Hammond riff from "The Sleepwalkers"). It's quite successful at adopting that VDGG sound yet somehow it falls short in capturing the menace and gloom that Peter Hammill & Co. delivered. I think this is due to the fact that the music continues to remain mired in a palette of instruments and chords that comes from Ryan's Canterbury allegiances; it's as if the two styles (VDGG gloom and happy-go-lucky Canterbury-ness) are in conflict with one another. This conflict never seems to resolve itself and, to me, feels unsettling and deceitful. (8.75/10)
6. "Wetiko Approaching" (2:00) an interesting little dittie created out of a tonal étude--similar to the way Richard Sinclair and Dave Stewart used to work out interesting pieces from some of Dave's mathematical melodical explorations. (4.5/5)
7. "Toxicity" (14:22) opens with a clear attempt to fit into Gentle Giant's shoes. Not bad except that Ryan's Trevor Horn voice is not near enough to that of Derek Shulman. Still, this is a skillfully conveyed prog song of worthiness to stand on its own if we just let go of comparisons to the old masters. I love the Phill Miller-like guitar in the fifth minute. The BUGGLES-like lyrics and singing are actually quite enjoyable (and, of course, nostalgic) if a bit incongruous with some of the music. In the end it feels like a direction that a band of prog artists like ASIA could have taken had they wanted to retain their prog mantle and not travel so desperately into the radio-friendly pop realms. It does feel nice to hear someone finally giving props to Trevor Horn/Buggles (and maybe a little to Andy Partridge) with their vocal performance. In my opinion, they are both artists who are definitely worthy of more adulation and imitation.
All in all, this is actually quite an enjoyable romp through some very pleasant soundscapes. While I'm not sure this would qualify as an "epic," it is definitely an excellent adventure that Ryan has taken us on. (27.5/30)
Total Time 42:01
Total Time 42:01
Like countrymates ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS (who turned into SANGUINE HUM in 2010), I guess Ryan just wasn't content to stay in the Canterbury lane, he had to branch out into other forms and styles of progressive rock music--which is fine--especially considering the quality of the results! All fine melodic prog songs that continue to ring out nostalgic sound. The Dave Stewart keyboard sounds are all still here on this album, it's mainly some of the forms and flows that differ from the revered Canterbury styles of the 1970s. While I was not a fan of the simplistic "watered down" instrumental Canterbury-inspired music of Ryan's debut as Zopp, I am won over by this wonderfully mature and masterful collection of songs.
91.667 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Canterbury-based nostalgic prog rock and an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection. If Ryan continues in the future to develop and explore as he has to make this album, I will become an avid follower/admirer.
Mildly Evocative of Canterbury Sound
THE NERVE INSTITUTE is the brain child of American musician. While THE NERVE INSTITUTE's music is not fully or always obviously in the Canterbury fold, it has many moments throughout it's 2015 album, Fictions that make the listener think "Canterburian."
THE NERVE INSTITUTE Fictions (2009/2014) Originally released in 2009 and then re-released with a slightly changed format by AltrOck Productions in 2015, Kansas City's uber-talented multi-instrumentalist, Mike Judge has created a fine collection songs that he virtually created tout seul save for a little assistance from WHITE WILLOW's Jacob Holm LUPO (on songs 2 and 8). This album is so incredibly rich, diverse, and layered that it has taken me months to get to know it, get familiar with it, and even begin to contemplate organizing my thoughts and feelings into a review. Even now, with my umptieth listen, I am still uncovering gems of sound and style within each and every song. There are so many styles woven into this album--into each song--that it's very difficult to describe. This might be considered a Canterbury style album in its melodic, almost poppy jazz rock sounds and arrangements and biting, clever lyrics, but . . . it's not really. For a one-man band I have to say the the bass play, drumming, keys, vocals, lyrics, and, especially, guitar play are all top notch. And the sound production and mixing is superlative.
Five star songs: the GONG/Canterbury-like 7. "With Joy We Espy the Sarcophagus" (6:22) (10/10); 4. "Whistling Wire" (4:39) (10/10); 1. "The Confidence-Man" (6:13) (9.5/10); 6. "Rayuela" (4:43) (9.5/10); 8. "Grimoire" (3:34) (9.5/10); 3. "Knives of Winter - Coronation Day" (7:23) (9/10);
Four star songs: 2. "City of Narrows" (6:24) (8.5/10); 5. "Knives of Summer" (10:20) (8.5/10), and; 9. "Abrazo y Caminando" (4:11) (8/10).
91.67 on the Fishscales = a five star masterpiece of progressive rock music.
Check out it's wonderfully complex and mature songs, like "The Confidence Man," "Whistling Wire," and "With Joy We Espy the Sarcophagus."
BEYOND-O-MATIC is an American band out of San Francisco that have been producing a kind of crossover music since the early 1990s. Their most recent release, 2013's Relations in the Border Between, has many moments and even a few full songs that evoke the Canterbury sound and feel--one of the few that travels into the realms floated through by Daevid ALLEN's GONG. Relations is well worth checking out: it's a great album!
BEYOND-O-MATIC Relations in the Border Between (2013)
Part Canterbury fun, part Komische space rock, this is a eminently enjoyable album, start to finish. With a psychedelic sound reminiscent of the 60s and 70s San Francisco scene (which is, coincidentally, from where this band hails).
1. "In the C" (5:14) is a very GONG-sounding jam with plenty of wild electronic gadgetry playing around in the background throughout. (10/10)
2. "Tick Tock" (2:29) Again, Daevid Allen's GONG is all that comes to mind while listening to this one. (9/10)
3. "Wish" (15:38) With this song the band move into the realm of space/psychedelia. (Not that Canterbury bands--especially Gong and Steve Hillage--didn't use space/psychedelia sound palettes and techniques.) (9/10)
4. "In Two Os" (12:57) (8/10)
5. "Turn Switch to Trust" (10:43) is a very cool, very spacey, slow and ethereal journey into nether worlds--like a shamanic journey. Wonderful vocal layering throughout this beautiful song. (9/10)
6. "But the Love" (10:04) I love the slow build, "Hurdy Gurdy Man"-wavering of the guitar tracks and poetic lyrics of this one. (9/10)
7. "Out of C" (2:26) a true Country/Western-Bluegrass song! (8/10)
88.57 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
ALCO FRISBASS is a new band out of France and Italy from Italy's AltrOck Productions record label that has produced two albums (so far) of all-instrumental jazz music while using long-song formats (seven to twelve minutes). Like The Nerve Institute, Alco Frisbass's music is not totally imitative of Canterbury style music nor is it necessarily even Canterbury-centric, but there are many moments during the listening of each song that evoke the familiar Canterbury "feel."
MANNA/MIRAGE Rest of the World (2018)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dave Newhouse (The Muffins, Diratz) / keyboards, saxophones, percussion, woodwings, doumbek, bass drum, accordion
- Billy Swann (The Muffins) / double bass (8), bass (8)
- Bret Hart (Diratz) / guitars (8) ebow (8)
- Sean Rickman / drums (1-5,7)
- Mark Stanley / guitars (1,4)
- Jerry King / guitars (2) basses (2) lyrics (2) NS bass (3)
- Forest Fang / violin (3)
- Derek Higgins / bass (5)
- Guy Segers (Univers Zero) / bass (7)
- William Jungwirth / drums (8)
- Greg Segal / bells (3) tiny cymbals (3) klickety klack (3)
- Michele King / vocals (2)
1. "Catawampus" (7:32) multiple winds herald the opening of this song (and album) before moving bass and tight drums kick in to support the song's establishment. At 1:10 a baritone sax synth buzzsaw interjects its two notes into the equation (as the chorus?). Jarring but interesting. After the second "chorus" the song downshifts into a looser, more laid back pace within which electric guitarist Mark Stanley has a chance to show their chops. Then Dave shows off a more subdued organ solo before acoustic guitar and keys finish it off over decaying drum play. Interesting with new sounds and combinations but, overall, nothing too exciting or revolutionary. (8/10)
2. "Zed He Said" (4:22) Jerry King's simple, arpeggiated acoustic guitar chord sets the scene for Michele King's multi-tracked singing. Very nice melodies, friendly, inviting pace and structure, the instrumental mid-section is quite engaging and pleasant with some great melodies from the winds over the Vince Guraldi-like music. (8.5/10)
3. "Alchemist In The Parlor" (3:56) odd Beat-like song structure (to match the 1964 era of singer Carla Diratz's story?) turns mini-big band as the horns and keys bank together for the "chorus" sections between and after Carla's recitations. Fun music and song--kind of Jim Jarmusch-ish. Interesting story. (8.5/10)
4. "30 Degrees Of Freedom" (7:18) long introduction of keyboard rumbling and rolling as cymbols play turns into a smoother, more laid back and melodic piece at the two-minute mark. From that point on it is a very melody-oriented, two-chord groovin' song with drums and multiple horns and organ playing at complex harmonic chord play. Wailing electric guitar floats behind, panning around for a minute, before settling into a note-bending solo display in the sixth minute. Sounds really cool when the full ensemble of horns, bass tones, and keys are playing in full clutter behind. Sean Rickman is a madman! He must claim Keith Moon and The Muppets' Animal as influences! (9.25/10)
5. "Gonzalo's Paints" (2:42) very laid back, melodic, even bucolic full-band start eventually wends its way into very rich, cool, multi-track harmonies with a few instruments breaking off to solo here and there. Just a very cool, very rich tapestry, start to finish. (10/10)
6. "Miracle Walking" (3:14) three tracks (and later, more) of Dave's saxes weaving a kind of short-time rondo into chords. At the 90 second mark one sax veers off to go after a crazy free-jazz solo before returning to the fold just as the accordion makes it's debut. Nice construction! (8.5/10)
7. "Mini Hugh" (4:44) opening drum vamp as bass and, eventually, horns establish themselves. By the half-minute mark all have gelled into a steady jazz structure while the drums continue to be on full display. Sean Rickman can play! Organ, horn banks, and individual solos from alto sax, electric piano, fuzzed up bass guitar, and--all the while Sean keeps travelling over his kit as if he were on some kind of unmapped-yet-urgent walkabout. I hear some John Coltrane, Elvin Jones, and Jimmy Garrison in this music. (8.5/10)
8. "That Awful Sky" (4:49) kind of DAVID TORN (or ROBERT FRIPPertronics) and MAX ROACH/PAPA JO JONES meet STEVE REICH and PETER GABRIEL. Very cool, mesmerizing, haunting song. (9/10)
Total Time 38:37
87.81 on the FishScales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of jazz fusion/progressive rock. The music on Rest of the World is interesting--especially rhythmically, harmonically, and in its sound palette. It is diverse, melodic, deeply harmonic, and full of fun and even tongue-in-cheek jocularity. I know that Dave Newhouse is a school teacher; he must be a math teacher cuz every song he pens seems to be the expression of a mathematical possibility--an étude. Highly recommended!
BILLIE BOTTLE'S TEMPLE OF SHIBBOLETH Billie Bottle's Temple of Shibboleth
Line-up / Musicians:
Billie Bottle: Voice, piano, synth bass, bass guitar, Hammond organ, organ, electric pianos, keyboards, mellotron, drum programming, programming, swanee whistle, vibraslap
Viv Goodwin-Darke: Flutes, voice, ‘cello, iron, crumhorn
Roz Harding: Alto sax, voice, treble recorder, kettle, wind chimes
Anna Batson: Bassoon, voice, crumhorn, hoover
Emma Holbrook: Drums, Cymbals, Percussion, pandeiro, voice
With:
Richard Sinclair: Guest bass guitar on "Ironing Days"
Martine Waltier: Voice
Rowan Porteous: Trumpets
Greg Hancock: Backwards voice
Hugh Nankivell: Viola
Geoff Bartholomew: Lyra-8 virtual synth
Geoff Bartholohowl, Otis & Vita Jarman-Pinto: Vocal howls
Amy Howard: Soprano sax
Ivo Stimpson: Backwards spoken word
Kimwei McCarthy: Penny whistle wolf
Lyndon Forster: Handpans
George Shilling: drum programming
Valborga: Bleat
Wyverne: Call
Lupinus: Howl
Shibboleth: Whinny
1. "In the Temple" (4:42) opens rather straightforward piano-support but then turns electro pop with drum and percussion machine giving Billie's voice and music a very ROSIE VELA-like sound and feel. (8.75/10)
2. "Cantus" (5:35) though the music here is quite pleasant, the lead vocal and its lyric feel a little too adult contemporary or even religious oriented. It reminds me of Heather Findlay's 2016 breakout MANTRA VEGA album, The Illusion's Reckoning. (8.75/10)
3. "The Wash" (5:06) a song containing and expressing far more Canterbury quirk, humor, and musical sound and inclinations than any of the preceding songs--reminding me of Kavus Torabi's work. Now this is more of what I was hoping for. I love the "Northettes"-like b vox and crumhorns. (8.875/10)
4. "Ironing Days" (5:19) an absolutely beautiful female vocalist (Perhaps Viv Goodwin-Darke?) steps into the lead over this EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL-like jazz-pop song. Everything about this gently flowing song washes over me, into me, feeds me and melts my soul into a state of blissful detachment. (9.75/10)
5. "The Melting" (0:31) piano, cymbals, horns and reeds, and toms basically warming up and/or detuning with one another.
6. "The Mending" (9:43) a brilliant suite of light, melodic jazzy themes. I love the soundscape, the aid-back yet technical proficiency of all of the instruments as well as the lead female vocals. (18.75/20)
7. "The Brewing" (1:44) a heady, breathy sax warm up for the next song.
8. "The Mead" (5:48) more highly melodic spacious music uniquely blending multiple musical styles. Such great music--stuff that could've very well come from the likes of GILLI SMYTH, ANNETTE PEACOCK, HANNAH MOULE, or JULIA HOLTER. (9.5/10)
9. "Black Swan" (5:16) a disco beat! A song that sounds a bit like something from STEELY DAN's Gaucho or ROSIE VELA's Zazu (both produced by Gary Katz)--though there are also TREVOR HORN and even SWING OUT SISTER elements as well. Quite melodic and earwormy despite also being quirky. (9.25/10)
10. "The Harvest" (0:35) all-female choral arrangement with piano accompaniment. (4.5/5)
11. "The Wolf" (6:58) full-on Canterbury both in instrumental sound choices as well as melody lines and odd, shifting time signatures used. Really clever, fun lyrics as well. I love how the mood can remain light and even humorous even in the eerie section of little-girl-backwards-speak and crazed, dissonance. (13.5/15)
12. "The Rest" (7:28) this pretty straightforward lounge jazz song in which Billie returns to the odd "shibboleth" theme is my least favorite song on the album. (12.5/15)
Were it not for the rather inchoate "shibboleth" theme that Billie latched onto and expresses outwardly in the opening and closing songs, this would be a glowing collection of jazz-pop sometimes-Canterbury infused songs that I'd shout out as a masterpiece
90.54 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of creative, fun progressive rock music coming from a worshipper of Canterbury Style music and musicians.
SANGUINE HUM as mentioned above, Sanguine Hum is an evolution of Oxford musicians Matt Baber and Joff Winks away from their previous Canterbury infatuation. Despite the overt and obvious foray into the realms of NeoProg music, one can occasionally hear the odd Canterburian song or moment in the three studio albums they have released since 2009.
MOVING GELATINE PLATES -- Moving Gelatine Plates (1971)
VOLARÉ -- The Uncertainty Principle (1997) The Canterbury-ness of this music is suspect, subtle, arguable. There are certainly instances, sounds, strikes, and pauses that sound Canterbury, feel Canterbury, and the song titling certainly fits, but there is a lot music here that one could call something like "textured jazz" or .
Line-up / Musicians
- Steve Hatch / electric & acoustic guitars, mandolin, Fx
- Patrick Strawser / piano, organ, Fender Rhodes, Mellotron, synths (Minimoog, Roland Juno 6, Yamaha CS15)
- Richard M. Kesler / bass, saxophone
- Patrick Strawser / piano, organ, Fender Rhodes, Mellotron, synths (Minimoog, Roland Juno 6, Yamaha CS15)
- Richard M. Kesler / bass, saxophone
- Brian Donohoe / drums
1. "Caught in a Combine" (4:33) interesting ethereal keyboard variety while drums and bass really suck the listener in. Nice song; great opener! (9/10)
2. "Abcircus" (6:35) alternating between passages of heavenly, calming keys and raw/grating guitars with saxes plowing down some fields. At the end of the second minute we transition into a gentle Camel-esque jazz passage with Peter Bardens-like synth solo. Switch to electric piano for some distorted electric guitar soloing. After the halfway point guitar and piano arpeggiate while synth solos again and drums go cymbaling. This alternation of dynamics continues throughout. Pretty cool song. (8.75/10)
3. "Blitz" (8:47) (/20)
4. One Minute Of Thought.. (3:50)
5. "Midnight Clear" (5:04)
6. "...in Two Seconds Of Time..." (8:12)
7. "Vespers" (7:21)
8. ... (Incomplete, Broken And Abstract) (6:03)
9. Cropcircles (4:29)
10. Black And White (6:34)
Total Time: 61:28
3. "Blitz" (8:47) (/20)
4. One Minute Of Thought.. (3:50)
5. "Midnight Clear" (5:04)
6. "...in Two Seconds Of Time..." (8:12)
7. "Vespers" (7:21)
8. ... (Incomplete, Broken And Abstract) (6:03)
9. Cropcircles (4:29)
10. Black And White (6:34)
Total Time: 61:28
Line-up / Musicians:
- Kevin Ayers / vocals, guitar, bass, producer
AND
- Mike Oldfield / bass, guitar, vocals
- David Bedford / piano & jangle piano, organ, accordion, guitar, marimba
- Lol Coxhill / saxes & electric sax, "zoblophone" (7)
- Mick Fincher / drums, percussion
With:
- Robert Wyatt / vocals (3)
- Bridget St. John / vocals (5)
1. May I? (4:01)
2. Rheinhardt & Geraldine / Colores Para Delores (5:41)
3. "Lunatics Lament" (4:53) surprisingly like a pop Soft Machine version of the early Rolling Stones. (8/10)
4. Pisser Dans Un Violon (8:02)
5. The Oyster And The Flying Fish (2:37)
6. Underwater (3:54)
7. Clarence In Wonderland (2:06)
8. Red Green And You Blue (3:52)
9. Shooting At The Moon (5:52)
Total time 40:58
ZYMA -- Brave New World (1979)
GONG -- Flying Teapot (1972)
STEVE HILLAGE -- L
MAGIC BUS -- Magic Bus (2014)
MAGIC BUS -- One Sheet (2020)
GONG -- Flying Teapot (1972)
STEVE HILLAGE -- L
MAGIC BUS -- Magic Bus (2014)
MAGIC BUS -- One Sheet (2020)
STUBBS The Prime Moving Lumps (1985)
Despite poor sound quality, there are some very charming and Canterbury-worthy moments in this album from these Hatfield-inspired Japanese musicians.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Kamon Ryo / bass
- Konno Kazuhiko / drums
- Kasai Ken / guitar
- Yamashita Kojiro / organ, piano, synthesizer
Guest musician:
- Yorino Runchiee / vocals
1. "The Prime Ultimate" (6:16) nothing special. Poor sound gets in the way of listening enjoyment. (7.75/10)
2. "Jean Frazier" (6:54) for the first 2:15, this is just fuzz guitar and Fender Rhodes playing as if they are in their own separate universes. Then drums and bass join in, bringing some cohesion, though also somehow loosely connected to the others. Until 5:15, I find the drums the most compelling object of my attentions. Then it all goes downhill. (11/15)
3. "The Land Of Yellow Leaves" (4:55) opens as a 60s rocker with 80s techno drum effects before transitioning to a more rudimentary tongue-in-cheek Hatfleld-ish song. Quite humorous! (8.5/10)
4. "Pondes Ete" (3:48) Double-tracked guitar opens this before vuvuzela organ and drums and bass come rushing in. The song proceeds as a KING CRIMSON "Discipline"-like exercise or étude with a few familiar riffs and melodic hooks thrown in for good measure. (8.5/10)
5. "Under Pebble Wood" (9:56) nice slow pace allows sounds to shine in this EGG-like song. My favorite song on the album. (19/20)
6. "Eternity Is Infinity" (14:09) opens with a full minute of distant operatic soprano vocalise before band joins in. Techno-treated drums (machine?) and other cheap, toy-like instrumental sounds give this a rather Robert Fripp League of Gentlemen. At 4:15 there is a dramatic shift into an entirely new movement--one that is definitely in the HATFIELD universe (despite the CAN-like drum machine sounds). Great drum sound and play before the keyboard artist let's loose with some great vintage Canterburian sounds and displays. The crazy 8th minute sounds like SIR DOUGLAS QUINTET gone punk turning CAN crazy the further we go along. Interesting stretch from about 9:30 to 11:00 before some prime David Sinclair contemplative playing shines through. Got to admit: I love those final four minutes. (25.75/30)
Total time 45:58
Total time 45:58
While I love the keyboard work and am quite impressed with the bass play and Jaki Liebezeit drumming , the overall sound of this recording leaves much to be desired.
84.74 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an interesting homage to the 1970-74 era of Canterbury sound.
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