On Steve Hillage's 1978 release Green, the underground prog rock fan favorite issues more of his trademark thinking-man's music. Fans of mid- to late-'70s Pink Floyd will want to check this album out, since it possesses many of the same musical qualities, due to the fact that it was produced by Floyd drummer Nick Mason, along with Hillage. Although not as consistent as some of his other albums, it certainly has its moments. Hillage's recurring sci-fi influence is still felt in his music, especially on such tracks as "Sea Nature," "UFO Over Paris," and "Unidentified (Flying Being)."
Hillage uses the same band that appeared on his Motivation Radio album, which helps make Hillage's twisted songs even better (like his other albums, the musicianship is top-notch). Besides comparisons to Floyd, the album's music is also similar to David Bowie's late-'70s experimental electronic phase (check out the track "Crystal City," with vocals almost identical to Bowie). Hillage fans will definitely not be disappointed with Green.
by Greg Prato
Tracks
1. Sea Nature (Hillage, Giraudy) - 6:43
2. Ether Ships (Hillage, Giraudy) - 5:02
3. Musik Of The Trees (Hillage, Giraudy) - 4:53
4. Palm Trees (Love Guitar) (Hillage, Giraudy) - 5:19
5. Unidentified (Flying Being) (Hillage, Giraudy, Robertson) - 4:30
6. U.F.O. Over Paris (Hillage, Giraudy, Robertson, Blocker, Bynum) - 3:11
7. Leylines To Glassdom (Hillage, Giraudy) - 4:06
8. Crystal City (Hillage, Giraudy) - 3:36
9. Activation Meditation (Hillage, Giraudy) - 1:03
10.The Glorious Om Riff (C.O.I.T, Hillage) - 7:46
11.Unidentified (Flying Being) (Hillage, Giraudy) - 4:56
12.Not Fade Away (Glid Forever) (C. Hardin, N. Petty) - 7:26
13.Octave Doctors (Hillage, Giraudy) - 3:41
14.Meditation Of The Snake (Hillage) - 3:18
Tracks 11 and 13 Live At Glastonbury 1979
Track 12 Live At The Rainbow Theatre 1977
Personnel
*Steve Hillage - Vocals, Electric Guitar, Guitar Synthesizer, Synthesizer, Production
*Miquette Giraudy - Synthesizer, Vocoder, Vocals
*Curtis Robertson Jr - Bass
*Joe Blocker - Drums
*Nick Mason – Drums, Production Bonus Tracks Musicians
*Andy Anderson - Drums (Live At Glastonbury)
*Paul Francis - Bass (Live At Glastonbury)
*Dave Stewart - Rhythm Guitar And Glissando Guitar (Live At Glastonbury)
*Clive Bunker - Drums (Live At Rainbow)
*Colin Bass - Bass (Live At Rainbow)
*Christian Boule - Rhythm Guitar And Glissando Guitar (Live At Rainbow)
*Phil Hodge - Keyboards (Live At Rainbow)
*Basil Brooks - Synthesizer (Live At Rainbow)
There isn’t sufficient space here to give a full description of what has been collected on the three discs of this thoroughly deserved Deluxe Edition let alone explain just how good an album In The Land Of Grey And Pink is or its standing as one of the cornerstone albums of 70s prog and the Canterbury scene.
The in-a-nutshell list of ingredients is: what sounds like the 2001 remaster of the full album; Steven Wilson’s new mixes of the album in both stereo and 5.1 surround sound; a fascinating previously unreleased new version of Nine Feet Underground (completely different lead organ and sax tracks different vocal track on the second part – Dave Sinclair singing in place of Richard Sinclair); different versions and/or mixes of some album tracks and non-ITLOGAP songs including Frozen Rose and Aristocracy; five 70s radio-broadcast live sessions including Nine Feet Underground and the title track; video of Golf Girl and Winter Wine from contemporaneous German TV show Beat Club the latter previously unseen alone almost worth the price of admission given the scarcity of period footage around.
For many the jury’s still out on 5.1: clever for sure but is it what the artist intended their music to sound like? Whatever it’s here if you want it. And presumably with the right drugs you really can feel like you’re listening to the album from somewhere inside Dave Sinclair’s Hammond.
There’s nothing particularly radical in the new stereo mixes: it’s all quite subtle and unintrusive – a slight reduction in the presence of the guitars during the keyboard solo on the title track. Most noticeably the left-right dynamic has been tightened up with much less panning of individual sounds than there is on the original CD issue. On Winter Wine for example there’s less drifting of the angelic voices and the tinkling piano passage and the few seconds of wah-wah organ that used to pan back and forth rapidly is now anchored tightly in the centre; meanwhile the trombone at the beginning of Golf Girl has been moved in a touch from its original hard-right position.
Overall though there’s nothing in the new mixes that really stands out as being notably different from what fans will know and love which is what one would hope to be the case. And even though the album has been remixed rather than remastered (so no sound ‘polishing’ as such) there must have been some temptation given the studio technology voodoo available these days to ‘airbrush’ some things. But reassuringly the ‘pops’ when Dave Sinclair kicks in his wahwah pedal still pop and Richard Sinclair’s jarring bum-note (so wrong you can’t even call it jazz) 5’ 20” into Nine Feet Underground remains just as jarring – and now comes in glorious 5.1 surround sound.
With the 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition one of prog’s pivotal must-have albums has just got even more indispensable.
by Paul Henderson
Tracks
Disc 1 The Original Album Released As Deram SDL-R 1 On 8th April 1971
1. Golf Girl - 5:01
2. Winter Time - 7:36
3. Love To Love You (And Tonight Pigs Will Fly) - 3:04
4. In The Land Of Grey And Pink - 5:00
5. Nine Feet Underground - 22:44
6. Frozen Rose (I Don't Know Its Name Alias The World) (New Mix By Steven Wilson) - 6:10
7. Love To Love You (And Tonight Pigs Will Fly) (First Version New Mix By Steven Wilson) - 3:36
8. Nine Feet Underground (New Mix By Steven Wilson) - 22:39
Bonus Tracks 7-8
Disc 2 Album Session Recordings, December 1970
1. Aristocracy - 3:15
2. It Doesn't Take A Lot - 3:14
3. Love To Love You (And Tonight Pigs Will Fly) (Extended Version) - 3:36
4. It's Likely To Have A Name Next Week ('Winter Wine' Instrumental Demo) - 7:48
5. Nigel Blows A Tune (First Version) - 5:55
6. Group Girl ('Golf Girl' First Version)5:14
7. Love Song Without Flute - 3:33
8. In The Land Of Grey And Pink - 3:43
9. Love To Love You (And Tonight Pigs Will Fly) - 3:12
10.Nine Feet Underground - 14:27
11.Feelin', Reelin', Squealin' (Kevin Ayers) - 9:30
All songs by R. Coughlan, P. Hastings, R. Sinclair, D. Sinclair except where noted.
Tracks 7-9 Recorded For The BBC's 'Sounds Of The Seventies', 11th March 1971
Tracks 10-11 Recorded For John Peel's Sunday Concert At The Paris Theatre, 6th May 1971
The concept album rears its head -- and rears back about 500 years. While other progressive rock groups were doing album-length suites dealing with apocalyptic themes, Amazing Blondel were doing 20-minute multi-part pieces ("fantasia" is the best classical music term) depicting idealized love between man and woman, man and nature, and man and God. It all plays a little like the Strawbs' work of this same era without the sardonic edge, and is all achingly beautiful.
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
1. Fantasia Lindum - 20:13
.a Prelude and Theme
.b Song: Swifts, Swains, Leafy Lanes
.c Dance: Jig Upon Jig; Theme (Lutes And Recorder)
.d Dance (Galliard): God Must Doubt
.e Song: Lincolnshire Lullaby
.f Dance: Basse Dance Theme (Lute Duet)
.g Dance: Quatre Dance Pavan
.h Song: Celestial Light (For Lincoln Cathedral)
.i Dance: Coranto; Theme (Lutes And Recorder)
.j End
2. To Ye - 3:24
3. Safety In God Alone - 4:49
4. Two Dances - 1:56
.a Almaine (Edward Baird)
.b Bransle For My Ladys' Delight
5. Three Seasons Almaine - 3:32
6. Seige of Yaddlethorpe (Terence Alan Wincott) - 2:30
Music and Lyrics by John David Gladwin unless as else stated
Personnel
*John David Gladwin - Second Lute, Lead Vocals, Double Bass, Theorboe.
*Terence Alan Wincott - Recorders, Vocals, Piano, Crumhorn, Harpsichord, Harmonium, Other Woodwind
*Edward Baird - First Lute, Vocals, Glockenspiel, Dulcimer, Guitar
*Jim Capaldi - Drums
This is generally considered by Man fans to be one of the band's best works. Produced during one of Deke Leonard's periods of absence, it saw Phil Ryan and Will Youatt welcomed into the fold. There had been a huge amount of touring going on around this time, much of it on the continent, and this is the period they really established a solid reputation as a live band, and evidence to back this up was clear in the form of the many live albums (and bootlegs!) that came out of this era.
There are just four tracks, which probably reflects the serious jamming that was going on while performing live, allowing space for individual soloing. Also, it made it easier to fit in the quieter passages, such as in C'mon, where there is some especially effective organ and electric piano form Phil. Keep on Crinting further explores this laid back groove, which at times takes on an almost pastoral feel. Mellow picked guitar, steady, simple drumming, and cool synth sets this mood, before giving way to more aggressive wah wah.
Bananas became an immediate favourite and remains one to this day. The studio version is pretty much an organ driven piece and though the guitars make their presence felt later on, the organ does give this original version a sound not really reflected in the way the song developed in later years when performed live.
Life On The Road I see as the weakest song on the album. If you like shuffles, fine, but to me it's pretty nondescript. It was part of the live set for a while, but I can't work out how this studio version could have been thought to have advanced Man's cause as being a major act.
The playing throughout is excellent. As already hinted, it's very keyboard driven, and not having Leonard on board meant there was not as much of a contrast in guitar styles as in other band versions. Terry Williams... simply does not know how to play badly. The easy, relaxed style of this album never seems to stretch him though, which is a bit of a shame.
Time to own up : this actually isn't one of my favourite Man albums. It sounds like the band had got carried away with their live successes, and came out of the studio with an album which might just as well have been recorded on stage. I don't think it's a coincidence that the cover photo is a live shot (unusual in itself for a studio album). There's not much wrong with the songs, but nothing really stands out as having been crafted, and no effort seems to have been made to take advantage of the sophistication of the recording facilities. Of course, when they came to Rhinos, I think someone had noticed this tendancy, and they perhaps over compensated. Whatever. Anyway, for me this is a bit of an underachievement - the material is there, but more effort could have been put into the presentation.
Boasting an immensely talented line up consisting of singers/guitarists Eddie Baird, John Gladwin and Terry Wincott, The Amazing Blondel were easily as talented as fellow English folk-rock contemporaries such as Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span. Unfortunately, over the course of five early-'70s American album, the band never managed to attract the attention lavished on their competition. Part of the explanation may stem from the fact the group remained devoted to acoustic English folk music, largely avoiding rock overtones, sticking almost exclusively to acoustic jigs and ballads until relatively late in their recording career.
Gladwin and Wyncott actually started their musical collaboration in the rock band Methuselah (see separate entry). Following its break up the duo decided to continue their partnership as an acoustic duo. Subsequently joined by Baird, as The Amazing Blondel (the name drawn from Richard the Lionheart's favorite minstrel), the group was quickly signed by Bell Records (Chris Blackwell's Island Records acquiring American distribution rights).
Co-produced by Phil Brown and the band, 1973's "England" saw the trio retaining their interest in English folk, though the set saw a shift to a more commercial sound. That said, with all three members contributing material (Gladwin credited with the majority of six selections) the results were frequently stunning. For us the highlights included Gladwin's beautiful side-long suite "The Paintings" and the group's stunning harmony vocals (check out "Seascapes"). Acoustic material such as "Landscape" and "Cantus Firmus to Counterpoint" was soft, warm and highly melodic. While you couldn't exactly call it rock and roll (thoughts of an evening in an Irish pub quickly come to mind), it made for a great choice to play on a cold winter night, or an early Sunday morning.
Tracks
1. The Paintings (Three Pastoral Settings for Voices, Flute, Guitars and Orchestra) (John David Gladwin) - 17:31
...a) Seascape
...b) Landscape
...c) Afterglow
2. A Spring Air (John David Gladwin) - 3:41
3. Cantus Firmus to Counterpoint (John David Gladwin, Edward Baird, Terence Alan Wincott) - 3:21
4. Sinfonia for Guitar and Strings (From the Suite For My Ladys Delight) (Edward Baird) - 3:11
5. Dolor Dulcis (Sweet Sorrow) (John David Gladwin, Edward Baird) - 3:25
6. Lament to the Earl of Bottesford Beck (Terence Alan Wincott) - 3:11
Coming as it did after Crack the Sky's critically acclaimed first album, the darker, more cynical Animal Notes was something of a shock. The grim lyrics are still expressed with a dash of humor, but on the first four songs, the laughs are through clenched teeth. "We Want Mine," the opening cut, is a demand from a third-world native for a share of the world's wealth, a demand he knows will be ignored. "Animal Skins," which may be the best track on the album, skewers organized religion with bitter wit, and "Maybe I Can Fool Everybody Tonight" is told from the viewpoint of someone who is sure that his success is undeserved. Not until halfway through the album is there any lighter material, in the form of "Rangers at Midnight," a goofy pseudo-soundtrack about the Mounties.
The remainder of the album is lighter in tone but the lyrics are oblique; "Virgin...No" sounds fantastic, all stellar harmonies and guitar hooks, but the vague verses seem to have no relation to the upbeat chorus. After the bright throwaway pop of "Invaders from Mars," lyricist John Palumbo returns to the bleak outlook of the first half with the somber "Play On." Palumbo left the band halfway through their next album and recorded a solo album of pained, introspective material, and his career direction can be seen in most of Animal Notes.
It's generally a bad sign when the lead singer quits a band in the middle of an album, especially when that singer wrote every song on the band's previous two albums. It is therefore somewhat surprising that Safety in Numbers was not merely a good album, but one which rivals Crack the Sky's award-wining first release. Though departing leader John Palumbo contributed a few vocals before quitting the band, new singer Gary Lee Chappell and other bandmembers filled in nicely on a mix of Palumbo's songs and new tunes written by guitarist Rick Witkowski and various partners.
The two songs written by Palumbo aren't even the best -- that distinction would have to go to "A Night on the Town (With Snow White)," a delightful piece that mixes styles from the 1920s and progressive rock in a way that is probably unique. There are other lyrical gems here too, including the grim title cut and the sarcastic concert favorite "Lighten Up McGraw." Palumbo's "Nuclear Apathy" is five minutes of good song stretched to eight minutes, though the splendid guitar work and inspired arrangement does much to redeem the error. Taken as a whole, Safety in Numbers showed that there was more to Crack the Sky than John Palumbo, and that the band was ready to carry on in high style.
by Richard Foss
Tracks Animal Notes
1. We Want Mine - 4:54
2. Animal Skins - 3:33
3. Wet Teenager - 3:32
4. Maybe I Can Fool Everybody (Tonight) - 5:57
5. Rangers at Midnight" (Including 'Night Patrol' and featuring 'Let's Lift Our Hearts Up') - 7:34
6. Virgin… No - 4:55
7. Invaders from Mars - 3:31
8. Play On - 4:10 Safety Ιn Numbers
9. Nuclear Apathyn - 8:32
10.Long Nights - 3:59
11.Flashlight (Palumbo, Joey D'Amico, Joe Macre, Jim Griffiths, Rick Witkowski) - 4:45
12.Prelude to Safety in Numbers (Macre, Witkowski) - 1:15
13.Lighten Up McGraw (Rob Stevens, Witkowski, Macre) - 5:08
14.Give Myself to You (Witkowski, Stevens) - 3:23
15.A Night on the Town (With Snow White) (Witkowski, Deborah Kucan) - 3:25
16.Safety in Numbers" (Macre, Witkowski) - 6:41
All songs written by John Palumbo except where stated
Crack The Sky
*John Palumbo - Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonies
*Rick Witkowski - Electric Guitar, Harmonies
*Joe Macre - Bass Guitar, Harmonies
*Jim Griffiths - Electric Guitar, Harmonies
*Joey D'Amico - Drums, Harmonies
*Gary Lee Chappell - Lead Vocals, Back-Up Vocals, Acoustic Guitar (Safety In Numbers)
*Rob Stevens - Piano, Minimoog, Oberheim Synthesizer (Safety In Numbers) Additional Musicians In Animal Notes
*David Sackson - Concert Master
*"Singin' Mounties" - Vocals
*George Marge - Horns
*Robert "Chic" Diciccio - Horns
*Gotham City Swing Band - Horns
Flood were an act based in New York City, their sole album issued only as a promo on a private label in 1970. This garage flavoured psych album contains some killer fuzz guitars. This edition is transfert from a vinyl copy.
Tracks
1. Vacumn - 4:11
2. Idle Time - 4:28
3. Blessed Be The Young Children - 4:31
4. Pain - 3:58
5. Songbird Of Time - 3:30
6. Mr. Wickett - 6:18
7. Don't Take Me - 3:27
8. Hurting Time - 4:01
All songs by John T. Magazino, Fred Covino, George Cabating
The Flood
*John T. Magazino - Vocals, Conga, Tamborine
*Fred Covino - Bass, 2nd Guitar
*George Cabating - Acoustic, Electric Guitars
*Billy Carroll - Drums, Conga
The story of the making of the Czap lp started in 1969 when Tuesday's Children were asked by Philips Records to make an album. The line up of the band was then Mick Ware on guitar, Paul Kendrick on bass guitar, Bob Hodges on Hammond organ and Derrick Gough on drums. Tuesdays Children had already recorded a single for Philips which had been released on the Mercury label and staff producer Brian Shepherd was designated to work with the band.
The recording sessions started on the 17th January 1969, there were 12 in total, the final session being on the 27th February 1970. All the sessions took place at the Philips headquarters studio at Stanhope Place, near Marble Arch London.
Although Brian Shepherd was the nominal producer of the album, he did not attend many of the sessions and the two engineers, Dave Voyde and Roger Wake did the production in conjunction with the band. They are credited as 'Production Engineers' on the LP sleeve and whilst they looked after the technical side of the recording, it was left up to the band themselves to arrange the music in the way that they wanted.
The first songs that were recorded were covers, which included long version of the Byrds '8 Miles High'. After a couple of verses this went into a long improvisation section that included Mars from the Planets Suite by Gustav Holst. This had been a highlight of the live set but although this song was finished it was not included on the album, there are probably two reasons for this: the estate of Holst wouldn't let anyone release different versions of his music, and secondly, Philips wanted an album of original material.
One day in the spring of 1969 the band were round at Paul Kendrick's parents house in Leyton when Paul mentioned that he had written and recorded some songs. Both Paul and Mick Ware had bought stereo reel to reel tape recorders on which it was possible to bounce tracks which meant that you could multitrack, although there was significant loss of quality if you did it more than 4 or 5 times.
Anyway we sat and listened to Paul's songs and liking what we heard we decided to rehearse and record some of them. Armed with this original material we then went back into the studio and continued to record.
As 1969 progressed Paul wrote more songs which we recorded, Mick Ware was also busy and we recorded his song 'Today' later in the year. The band was also performing a lot, still as Tuesdays Children, and although some of the sessions were 3 hour mixing or vocal sessions, some of them were all nighters when the studio was not being used by anyone else, which gave us the freedom to experiment and also for me to use any of the hired instruments that were in the studio at the time ie. Mellotron, harpsichord, celeste.
We did perform all the songs on the album live, although I had to make do with just Hammond organ and electric piano on stage. One of our specialities was 3 part harmony vocals (we all sung except Derrick Gough), and we spent a lot of time in the studio on the vocals. Most of the vocals are double tracked, in those days you would lay down one vocal track and then sing another over the top of it which thickened up the vocal sound as the second track would be slightly out of synch. with the first.
Eventually we got to the end of 1969 and the band had completed most of the album, we had also decided to change the name and relaunch the band as 'Czar'. We felt that 'Tuesday’s Children' was too 'poppy' and as we were heading in a new direction, a new name was needed to go with the new music and image. the first gig as 'Czar' was at Londons' Marquee Club in Wardour Street on 17th January 1970, and although we still had a couple of gigs booked as Tuesday’s Children, after that we became known as Czar.
Unfortunately in January 1970 Derrick Gough decided to quit the band and we held auditions for a new drummer on 15th February 1970 at Bells Studios in Ilford, Essex.
by Bob Hodges
Tracks
1. Tread Softly On My Dreams - 6:42
2. Cecelia - 8:18
3. Follow Me - 3:23
4. Dawning Of A New Day - 6:12
5. Beyond The Moon - 3:47
6. Today (Mick Ware) - 8:01
7. Day In September - 7:39
8. Ritual Fire Dance (LP Outtake) (de Falla) - 7:39
9. Oh Lord I'm Getting Heavy (45 A-Side) - 4:03
10.Why Don't We Be A Rock and Roll Band (45 B-Side) - 3:38
11.(She's A) Lady Of Love (Demo) - 3:21
12.I'll Try Hard (Demo) - 4:15
13.Good Morning Sunshine (Demo) - 2:56
14.Oh Darlin' (Demo) - 2:41
15.I Laid It On The Line (Demo) - 3:28
All compositions by Paul Kendrick except where stated
Along with Randy Newman, Van Dyke Parks, Harry Nilsson, and some others, David Ackles helped widen the definition of contemporary singer-songwriters in the late 1960s. This was a group of performers open to incorporation of many non-rock pop and theatrical influences into their work, and not based in folk-rock, like so many of the other early singer-songwriters were. Nor were they conventional rock or pop singers. Somehow, nonetheless, they recorded albums that were marketed to the rock audience. Of all the names mentioned above, David Ackles is certainly the most obscure, even if his quartet of albums won him a cult audience that included Elton John and Elvis Costello.
David Ackles, his self-titled 1968 Elektra debut, was an unusual effort even by the label's own high standards for introducing original talents. Ackles's dark, brooding songs and low croon-rumble of a voice delivered cerebral lyrics painting the everyday adventures of misfits and their struggles to find meaning and spirituality. What could have been overblown in other hands was given a stately dignity by the stoicism, vacillating between determination and resignation, of Ackles's vocals and observations. Far more than any of his subsequent albums, the record's arrangements were tailored for rock ears, with ethereal psychedelic-tinged guitar and organ that weren't too unlike those heard on other Elektra LPs of the time, such as Tim Buckley's early releases.
Ackles's path to a record deal was about as strange as it could be for a late-1960s underground rock artist. Unlike virtually every other such performer of the era, David had virtually nothing in the way of either a folk or rock resume, or even professional experience as a solo live performer. Already in his early thirties, his principal background was in musical theater. He had met David Anderle in the theater department of the University of Southern California, where the two Davids had gone to school together. Years later, Anderle was working at Elektra Records' west coast office, and Ackles did some demos for his old friend.
It's still unclear whether the original intention was for Ackles to write songs for others, or to record him as a solo artist from the start. Before his death in 1999, Ackles told author Mark Brend (in the book American Troubadours), "My intention was to have lots of other, much better singers record my songs...I believe the truth is that [Elektra president] Jac Holzman couldn't interest any other singers on his label in recording my stuff, so was forced into offering that chance to me." To the recollection of Ackles's widow, Janice Vogel Ackles, "David Anderle called him and said he wanted David to write some songs 'cause he remembered how talented he was, or something to that effect. I think David Ackles's understanding initially was that they were interested in him as a songwriter, and then when he did some demos, everybody said, 'Well, I don't know who else is gonna sing this material. I think it's really your stuff, and you should do it.' I remember David Ackles telling me that once he submitted the material, he didn't think he was going to record it. He thought that they were going to farm it out to other people, so it came as a big surprise to him."
When Ackles first played his songs for Elektra, "I probably had some trepidation, 'cause David was very much involved in musical comedy music, which I hated," Anderle admits. "Then 'Road to Cairo,' 'Down River,' and these things just knocked me out. I realized he was writing those kind of songs, instead of the little musical comedy things he was writing in college. When David played the songs, I believe Russ Miller and I took him into the studio and cut some demos with him. Russ was running Jac's publishing company at the time. We played the demos for Jac, and Jac certainly gave the okay to proceed [with the album]." Anderle, not even a producer at the time (though he'd go on to produce many albums over the next couple of decades, including Judy Collins's Who Knows Where the Time Goes), and Miller would be co-producers for David Ackles.
The album's backing was supplied by musicians who had been in the Electric Flag and Iron Butterfly; guitarist Doug Hastings had been in the Daily Flash and, briefly, Buffalo Springfield. (Most of them would go on to play in the late-1960s Elektra rock band Rhinoceros.) "I remember what a bitch it was making that first album," says Anderle. "We used him and his piano as a bed, and added instruments afterwards. I'm not even sure if he cut anything with a band. We might have cut some of the things with the boys playing, but I remember working really hard matching stuff up after the fact. It was a lot of overdubbing, making stuff fit in, and it gave it a really interesting feel. It didn't sound like anything else." Though Ackles had never recorded with rock musicians or even done any solo live shows, Anderle maintains the singer-songwriter was comfortable being the showcased solo recording artist: "He was very adaptable and so full of music anyway. He went into it like a fish in water."
Standout tracks included "Sonny Come Home," which was something like the film The Swimmer set to music in its disconsolate tale of a disastrous attempt to go home again; "Down River," in which Ackles sounded just a bit like a counterpart to fellow grim balladeer Scott Walker; and the six-minute "His Name Is Andrew," with its quasi-religious tone and elegiac organ. Certainly the most popular tune, inasmuch as any David Ackles song could be said to be popular, was the first-person drifter narrative "The Road to Cairo," covered in Britain by Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger, & the Trinity (as their non-charting follow-up to their UK Top Five cover of Bob Dylan's "This Wheel's on Fire").
Anderle "never could understand why that wasn't a hit," and Ackles even put a French-language version on a B-side of a 1968 UK Elektra single. According to Anderle, "Somebody thought that David would have a shot in France, because of the nature of Charles Aznavour and the French ballad singers. Jacques Brel, I think, was the person that was mentioned. I think Elektra figured he would have a shot internationally, so he did the French version of the song." It didn't catch on in Europe, and David Ackles wasn't a hit anywhere, though like all his albums it was a success with critics. The pattern continued on his second album, Subway to the Country, in which he began to shift from rock to the more theatrical and orchestral foundations of his artistic vision.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. The Road To Cairo - 5:16
2. When Love Is Gone - 3:20
3. Sonny Come Home - 2:59
4. Blue Ribbons - 4:37
5. What A Happy Day - 2:14
6. Down River - 3:57
7. Laissez-Faire - 1:36
8. Lotus Man - 2:49
9. His Name Is Andrew - 6:11
10.Be My Friend - 4:48
All songs composed by David Ackles
It’s quite a challenge for me to write a good, subjective review on these guys. I’ve been a big fan of their music for some time now, probably since the first time I heard the opening chords of “The Viper” from Whistler, Chaucer, Detroit and Greenhill’s 1968 album, The Unwritten Works of Geoffrey, Etc - I was hooked. That album was more of a collection of studio experimentation/tracks whereas Space Opera (1973) was conceived as an actual album – the band played lots of live festivals/gigs during the Space Opera years.
The Space Opera LP shares many of the same characteristics that made the WCD&G album so enjoyable but in place of psychedelia (or psych pop) are the more structured, studied sounds of a good progressive rock band. It’s a classic record too, very different from the majority of “progressive rock” and “country-rock” albums being released at the time. Not many unknown groups who release one album in their lifetime have this many quality tracks lying around the cutting room floor. Therefore, I was shocked and excited to find out the release of these early demo tracks from the group’s prime years.
Space Opera are closer in sound to latter day Byrds or more distantly, Moby Grape. They had a knack for mixing blues, rock n roll, country, folk, and psych/progressive rock into something that still sounds fresh today and uniquely American (they were from Texas). Space Opera’s guitar sound leans towards the jazz/progressive end of the spectrum. Also, some of the tracks like the trippy reprise of ”Singers and Sailors” feature vibes and David Bullock’s trance-like flute work. The Exit 4 (named after Exit 4 studios) demos are the first 9 tracks (approximately 40 minutes) of this album, cut in 1970/1971, before Space Opera’s self title debut.
While the remaining 6 tracks, cut between 1975-1978 are very solid and musical (check out folk-rock gem “Snow Is Falling”), the Exit 4 demos are the real meat of the Safe at Home project. Exit 4 should have been Space Opera’s debut album. Both “Country Max” (their most popular song) and a heavily phased “Over and Over” make appearances on the Exit 4 album albeit in very good, early versions. The remaining cuts are unique to this compilation and are nearly the equal of anything on Space Opera - these cuts sound like finished tracks rather than demos.
Every track is strong and worth multiple spins. The album leads off with ”Singers and Sailors/Father,” a tough bluesy hard rocker with spiraling guitar leads and gutsy vocals. This track segues into the excellent “Journey’s End.” This cut has a country folk intro that eventually morphs into soft, tuneful rock that would have been fine radio fodder. The guitar playing throughout is outstanding. These guys were intelligent musicians that could have played any style well. Space Opera also knew how to balance out their instrumental prowess with quality songwriting.
Check out “Psychic Vampire”, another creative gem, which is similar to “Journey’s End” in it’s mixture of soft progressive sounds and fluid, expressive guitar work. Songs like “Marlow” and “Fly Away” show off the groups country and folk origins (with interesting chord progressions) and are no less potent than the aforementioned tracks. All in all, Exit 4 (and Safe at Home as a whole) is a superb album by one of America’s great lost bands.
by Jason Nardelli
Tracks
1. Singers And Sailors/Father (Scott Fraser, David Bullock) - 3:25
2. Journey's End (Phil White) - 5:11
3. Fly Away (David Bullock) - 5:08
4. Singers And Sailors (Scott Fraser, David Bullock) - 4:24
5. Country Max (David Bullock) - 3:15
6. Unless I'm Gone (Phil White) - 4:50
7. Marlow (Scott Fraser) - 4:00
8. Over And Over (Scott Fraser) - 6:24
9. Psychic Vampire (Phil White) - 3:54
10.Bells Within Bells (David Bullock) - 3:00
11.Still Life (David Bullock) - 4:19
12.Caledonia (Scott Fraser) - 3:37
13.Snow Is Falling (David Bullock) - 4:26
14.Play It Rough (Phil White) - 3:30
15.Squeeze Play (Scott Fraser) - 4:27
The Space Opera
*David Bullock - Flute, Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
*Scott Fraser - 12 String Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
*Phil White - Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
*Brett Wilson - Drums, Percussion
