Riff Raff's self-titled effort from 1973 was the band's first album proper. Alan Marshall was not replaced when he left, with Tommy Eyre, Roger Sutton, and Pete Kirtley all taking turns on the vocal chores. The jazz -rock sound that Eyre and Sutton had explored with Mark-Almond was the springboard for the exploratory rock music made by Riff Raff. Here deep groove -- à la Brian Auger's Oblivion Express -- and tough rock choruses and dynamics were married to the jazz sense of structure and composition.
Far more "progressive" sounding than their early demos, this music nonetheless has little to do with the excesses of the Canterbury Scene. From the opener, with the glorious Fender Rhodes and electric guitar interplay in which the blues and jazz commingle in a rock picture frame, through the improvisational melodic and modal work on "Dreaming" to the glorious theatricality and drama of "La Même Chose" that closes the album, Riff Raff comes off as one of the most original, innovative, and brilliant bands of the early '70s. It's too bad they never got to America; they would have been as huge as their former bosses in Mark-Almond.
by Thom Jurek
1. Your World (Roger Sutton) - 7:39
2. For Every Dog (Peter Kirtley) - 3:46
3. Little Miss Drag (Thorpe, Richardson) - 3:12
4. Dreaming (Peter Kirtley) - 4:32
5. Times Lost (Tommy Eyre) - 4:15
6. You Must Be Joking (Peter Kirtley) - 7:29
7. La Même Chose (Roger Sutton, Tommy Eyre) - 12:12
Riff Raff
*Tommy Eyre - Hammond Organ, Piano, Acoustic Guitars, Concert, Bass Flute, Vocals
*Peter Kirtley - Guitar, Vocals
*Roger Sutton - Basses, Acoustic Guitars, Vocals
*Aureo De Souza - Drums, Percussion
Guest Musicians
*Bud Beadle - Saxophones
1974 Riff Raff - Original Man (2017 korean remaster)
1968 Joe Cocker - With A Little Help From My Friends (2015 SACD)
1969 Jody Grind - One Step On (2006 japan remaster)
1969 Jaklin - Jaklin
1969-70 The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation - To Mum From Aynsley And The Boys / Remains To Be Heard
1972 Roger Morris - First Album (korean remaster with extra tracks)
1974 Zzebra - Zzebra
1976 The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - British Tour
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very nice. thanks
ReplyDeleteHi! For some reason this fails to finish downloading....
ReplyDeleteRiff raff were at one of the reading festivals think 1973.. wish had the songs from that.. such a great band.. still not picked best lp both are incredible mix..
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