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Posts tagged Phil Miller
National Health – Missing Pieces (1975-79) (@256)
22 Feb 2011
(Review from progreviews.com)
National Health was envisioned by its founders Alan Gowen and Dave Stewart to be a progressive rock orchestra playing the most dense, audacious music they could conceive. Despite composing some of the best music of the Canterbury scene, the original plan failed due financial difficulties and lineup shuffles.
Consisting of demo sessions from 1975 and radio sessions from 1976 (and some later after last album tidbits from winter 1979), “Missing Pieces” demonstrates how promising the original vision really was.
Following a brief wind piece performed by Mont Campbell, the first track of note on Missing Pieces is the dizzying “Paracelsus”, also composed by Campbell and originally used as an audition piece for unsuspecting drummers.
“Clocks and Clouds,” a Stewart composition, is a song composed in the Classic Canterbury style; however, Amanda Parsons’ vocals sound a bit anemic here. Next is the swampy and dense “Agrippa,” performed by the original line up. “The Lethargy Shuffle and The Mind-Your-Backs Tango” begins with an angular boogie and works its way into more familiar Hatfield territory.
“Zabaglione,” a Campbell composition, is perhaps the most complex track and gives a hint of the massive potential of the original lineup. “Starlight on Seaweed” is a beautiful, spacey Campbell art song, tastefully arranged by Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin.
For the National Health fan, this album is more than likely indispensable.
Line-up:
- Dave Stewart / keyboards
- Alan Gowen / keyboards
- Phil Miller / guitars
- Steve Hillage / guitars
- Phil Lee / guitars
- John Greaves / bass & vocal
- Mont Campbell / bass
- Bill Bruford / drums
- Pip Pyle / drums
- Amanda Parsons / vocals (3,6)
- Barbara Gaskin / vocals
Track List:
01. Bouree – 0:53
02. Paracelsus (inc. Bouree reprise) – 5:36
03. Clocks and Clouds – 6:47
04. Agrippa – 8:22
05. The Lethargy Shuffle & The Mind-Your-Backs Tango – 9:19
06. Zabaglione – 7:47
07. Lethargy Shuffle Part 2 – 4:36
08. Croquette for Electronic Beating Group – 3:51
09. Phlakaton – 0:25
10. The Towplane & The Glider – 5:12
11. Starlight On Seaweed – 3:07
12. Walking The Dog (extract) – 0:25
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National Health – D.S. Al Coda (1982) (@256)
21 Feb 2011
(Review from progreviews.com, progarchives.com)
After composer and virtuoso keyboardist Alan Gowen died of leukemia in 1981, as a tribute to him, National Health regrouped to produce an album of Gowen’s material, and thus D.S. al Coda was born.
D.S. al Coda is a fitting title, referring to “Dal Segno al Coda,” a musical notation instructing the player that when they get to a certain bar marked with a certain sign (segno), then they should skip over bars and jump to the final bars making up the end of the piece (the coda). Thus, the sense of jumping prematurely to the end. The album title can also acronymed as: “D[ave]. S[tewart]. Al[an Gowen] Coda”. This album is comprised entirely of songs that Gowen had composed and notated in the last years of his life.
The little qualities about or moments within a song, such as the sheets of intricate harmonies found on “Shining Water”; the ‘advanced fusion seminar’ sound of “T.N.T.F.X.,” akin to Allan Holdsworth’s material in the 80s; Phil Miller’s peaceful, guitar re-visitation of “Arriving Twice,” which had appeared on the first album of Gowan’s group Gilgamesh; and the wire-shock of Stewart’s synth solo mixed with rambunctious outbursts from Pyle in the opening of “I Feel a Night Coming On” which remind us of the power from their first two albums.
Line-up:
- John Greaves / bass
- Phil Miller / guitars
- Pip Pyle / drums, electric drums
- Dave Stewart / organ, pianos and tone generator
with
- Elton Dean / saxello
- Ted Emmett / trumpet
- Barbara Gaskin / backing vocals
- Jimmy Hastings / flute
- Amanda Parsons / backing vocals
- Richard Sinclair / vocals
- Annie Whitehead / trombone
Track List:
01. Portrait Of A Shrinking Man – 5:35
02. T.N.T.F.X – 3:12
03. Black Hat – 4:52
04. I Feel A Night Coming On – 6:37
05. Arriving Twice – 2:22
06. Shining Water – 8:53
07. Tales Of A Damson Knight – 1:56
08. Flanagan’s People – 5:20
09. Toad Of Toad Hall – 7:26
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National Health – Playtime (Live 1979) (@256)
20 Feb 2011
(Review from progreviews.com, progarchives.com)
Although together longer than any other variant of the band, this Alan Gowen-led quartet line-up didn’t produce any studio album. Recorded during their last tour before Gowen’s death from lukemia in 1981, this live album may not have extremely crisp recording quality but it more than compensates with a pair of fiery and inspired performances.
The material is taken from various sources, with only a couple of tunes coming from the two previous studio efforts. “Flanagan’s People” would later appear, in much shorter form, while “Play Time” actually comes from Gowen’s days in Gilgamesh. The other pieces had either been in live rotation for a while or were freshly written but not-otherwise recorded in the studio. Adding to the fairly unique product is the presence of a second guitarist, Alain Eckert, on three of the French tracks.
One thing certainly that this album proves is just how good these guys were as players. Gowen’s work, in particular, is an eye-opener. The complex twists and turns that mark the National Health style were handled with skill and flair. Only truly talented guys could rip through a vastly faster version of “Dreams Wide Awake” than emerged from the studio. Gowen favors a more improvisational approach to the music than did Dave Stewart. As a result not many tracks stick with you.
This is an interesting artifact of this period in the band’s history, and it is a fun listen.
Line-up:
- Alan Gowen / keyboards
- John Greaves / bass, vocals
- Phil Miller / guitars
- Pip Pyle / drums
- Alain Eckert / guitars (1, 3, 4)
Track List:
01. Flanagan’s People – 15:57
02. Nowadays A Silhouette – 6:32
03. Dreams Wide Awake – 8:18
04. Pleaides – 10:26
05. Rhubarb Jam – 1:17
06. Rose Sob – 1:46
07. Play Time – 9:38
08. Squarer For Maude part 1 – 5:11
09. Squarer For Maude part 2 – 7:51
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National Health – Of Queues And Cures (1978) (@256)
19 Feb 2011
(Review from progarchives.com)
If the first National Health album took a long time to materialize, their second one certainly didn’t make itself long to appear, as it came out the same year as the debut. It is also a fairly different beast than its predecessor, even if only the departed brilliant Neil Murray is now replaced with ex-Henry Cow bassist John Greaves. Although it might appear a minor line-up change, it also opens the studio gates to a bunch of other ex-Cows to participate to the album’s sessions. And this is where the difference appears. The music is less jazz-rock and more pure progressive, a la Egg/ELP-like.
Opening with a wandering bass line and birdsongs, the album on the book-ending Bryden 2-Step is soon a wild jazz-rock, much reminiscent of their first album, but an added slightly symphonic touch. The closing section of this track is the same riff repeated tiredlessly until interrupted its slow death. Collapso is a play on word (calypso) due to the steel drums but outside these drums, you won’t find any Caribbean music here. It is hard to call this track jazz-rock either, especially midway through, when the group members are giving it their all.
Greaves’ bass opens the lengthy “Squarer For Maud”, probably the most Cow-esque National Health track, with Born’s cello in the background with Hastings’ clarinets and Blegvad’s short spoken vocals. However the second part returns to a Caravan-type bossa improvisation, before going in an insane stop & go section to end it.
Just as demented is “Dreams Wide Awake”, where Stewart’s organ goes completely mad in the first part, then in a much quieter Caravan-styled second part, followed by Miller’s usual once-per-album wild solo. “Binoculars” is the only sung song (by John Greaves), features another of Miller’s sizzling solo.
This is another of these links between the RIO circle and the Canterbury family, but sadly seems to indicate that Canterbury is reaching its end as RIO is only really getting under way.
Line-up:
- John Greaves / bass, piano innards (3), crooning (5)
- Phil Miller / guitar
- Pip Pyle / drums, percussion / hand claps (3)
- Dave Stewart / acoustic & electric pianos, organ, Mini-Moog (3, 4)
with
- Selwyn Baptiste / steel drums (2)
- Rick Biddulph / bass on organ solo (4)
- Peter Blegvad / voice (3)
- Georgie Born / cellos (1, 3, 7)
- Jimmy Hastings / clarinets (3, 5), flute (5)
- Phil Minton / trumpets (1, 5, 7)
- Paul Nieman / trombones (1, 5, 7)
- Keith Thompson / oboe (3, 5)
Track List:
01. The Bryden 2-Step (For Amphibians) Pt1 – 8:54
02. The Collapso – 6:18
03. Squarer For Maud – 11:50
04. Dreams Wide Awake – 8:50
05. Binoculars – 11:45
06. Phlakaton – 0:08
07. The Bryden 2-Step (For Amphibians) Pt2 – 5:33
08. Apocalypso – 6:50
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National Health – National Health (1977) (@256)
18 Feb 2011
(Review from progarchives.com)
Founded in 1975, National Health was one of the last of the great “Canterbury-style” progressive rock bands.
With a frequently changing lineup, the band toured extensively, never getting close to studios and shop for two years. Indeed quite a lot of water went under the bridge from their formation as a sextet. With Bruford now gone and Campbell discouraged, both replaced, the two Gilgamesh members Gowan and Lee were also history, although the former is a guest on all tracks. Among the other guest are the frequent blows of Brother Jimmy Hastings, the percussions of John Mitchell and the acquired taste of ex-Northette Amanda Parsons’ vocals.
Coming with a typical semi-humoristic late 70′s-type of artwork depicting UK healthcare problems, the album holds four tracks over 10 mins+, even if “Borogroves” is divided in two movements, thus making indeed a fifth one.
Opening of the promising Tenemos Road, the group’s musical world clearly takes from where Hatfield (and Gilgamesh to a lesser extent) had left things off. The track jumps hurdles effortlessly and gets to typical Canterbury soundscapes. The following “Brujo” features Hastings’ delightful flute trading licks with Parsons’ almost Chinese-timbred voice. The track slowly gaining momentum until reaching an excellent funk groove where the two keyboards feud with the then-ala mode synth tones. Stewart returns to the fuzzed-out Hammond then Miller’s surprisingly (and short) heroic intervention. Then slowing down and returning on Parsons scats and a short rebuff to end the first side.
The flipside’s Borogoves is mostly an excuse for an excellent bass movement from Neil Murray where the rest of the band can show their chops. The closing monster track Elephants has some incredibly intense moments. In general it follows the colour of the rest of the album, first with an ascending riff, then a funky groove and then a haunting piano riff that allows the group to strut their stuff without showing off, before Parsons returning with sung vocals.
While it was rather clear that this kind of ultra-technical jazz-rock’s heydays were long past, National Health’s debut is still very much an excellent example of the genre
Line-up:
- Phil Miller / guitar
- Neil Murray / bass
- Pip Pyle / drums, cowbell / gong / tambourine (1), glockenspiel / finger cymbals / shaker / bells (2), Pixiephone (4)
- Dave Stewart / acoustic & electric pianos, organ
with
- Alan Gowen / Moog Pianos (1-3)
- Jimmy Hastings / flute (all), bass clarinet (1), clarinet (3)
- John Mitchell / percussion (1), temple blocks / guava (2), congas (3)
- Amanda Parsons / Vocals
Track List:
01. Tenemos Roads – 14:34
02. Brujo – 10:16
03. Borogoves (Excerpt From Part 2) – 4:11
04. Borogoves (Part 1) – 6:34
05. Elephants – 14:20
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Matching Mole – Smoke Signals (Live 1972) (@256)
23 Mar 2010
(Review from progarchives.com)
‘Smoke Signals’ was recorded in spring 1972 during an European tour mainly in Belgium and France. As these tapes were not planned for release the sound quality is just acceptable.
Most tracks appearing here were written by Dave Mc Rae and Phil Miller and would be recorded later for ‘The Little Red Record’. Dave Sinclair who started the tournee with the band had left and was replaced by keyboarder Dave Mc Rae who had already guested on the first record and brought with him some fine tunes like ‘March Ides’ and ‘Smoke Signal’ presented here for the first time in a rough version.
The band introduction by Wyatt, launches into ‘March Ides’.The theme is played by Phil Miller, who is soloing then over an ostinato bass line, followed by a drum solo. The second theme is ‘Smoke Signal’ (here re-named ‘Smoke Rings), maybe the most beautiful ‘Matching Mole’ theme by Dave Mc Rae. The theme is then followed by a longer improvisation until the re-exposure.
The next theme “Nan True’s Hole” was written by Phil Miller, who plays a repeated riff over which Dave Mc Rae plays an improvisation followed by another drum solo. ‘Brandy As In Benji’ follows the same structure of expostion solo, followed by a heavily distorted e-piano solo, that launches again into the ‘March Ides’ theme, followed by ‘Instant Pussy’ the only Robert Wyatt composition from the first record, with treated vocals by Robert and an e-piano improvisation.
The ‘Smoke Signal’ appears again, followed by another improvisation and a bass solo and finally the band launches into ‘Lything and gracing’ a Phil Miller composition, that would appear only as a Hatfield leftover on ‘Afters’.
The live sound of the band is for the most part instrumental fusion that point at which directions all future Canterbury related bands will go at. One might consider that Hatfield and the North, Gilgamesh, National Health are direct descendants from these live sounds provided on these archival tapes.
Line-up:
- Phil Miller / guitar
- Bill MacCormick / bass
- Dave McRae / electric piano
- Robert Wyatt / drums, vocals
Track List:
01. Intro – 0:44
02. March Ides I – 4:22
03. Smoke Rings – 7:51
04. Nan True’s Hole – 6:00
05. Brandy As In Benji – 4:22
06. Electric Piano solo – 1:11
07. March Ides II – 4:56
08. Instant Pussy – 2:52
09. Smoke Signal – 6:59
10. Lything & Gracing – 11:53
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Matching Mole – March (Live 1972) (@256)
22 Mar 2010
(Review from bbc.co.uk, progarchives.com)
By the time this album was recorded (March 1972, a month after Sinclair’s departure) the band were playing continuous sets with much room for collective improvisation amid the more arranged pieces. “March” captures both the uncertainties and glories of this method beautifully.
The material is drawn mainly from their eponymous first album, with guitarist Phil Miller’s rifferamas “Part of the Dance” and “Lything and Gracing” in full effect. Despite their progressive tricksiness, the Mole’s renderings of them are faintly haphazard, teetering on the brink of destruction then turning away at the last nanosecond. Wyatt’s extraordinary drumming comes across as a wired concoction of Tony Williams and Keith Moon; he and bassist Bill MacCormick sometimes appear to be operating in seperate time zones.
The sublime “Instant Pussy” features Robert’s trademark cosmic scatting, though without the usual echo (‘Where’s the sheets of sound?’ he repeats as the engineer desperately searches for the right buttons and fails to find them). Another vocal gem is “No Alf Measures”, Wyatt’s lovely arrangement of an early Kevin Ayers tune. Their cover of Caravan number Waterloo Lilly is surprising and vocal-less.
Miller’s distinctive playing has a keening, bluesy quality that sits nicely with his nibbled distortojazz stylings. His and MacCormick’s playing is kept in check by McCrae’s measured, shimmering electric piano.
So powerful, so thrilling, and so vital and lively their play should be.
Line-up:
- Bill MacCormick / bass
- Dave McRae / electric piano
- Phil Miller / guitar
- Robert Wyatt / drums, vocals
Track List:
01. March – 4:49
02. Instant Pussy – 4:53
03. Smoke Signals – 6:20
04. Part Of The Dance – 9:54
05. No Alf Measures – 5:44
06. Lything And Gracing – 11:36
07. Waterloo Lilly – 4:21
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Matching Mole – On the Radio 1972-1973 (@256)
21 Mar 2010
(Review from progarchives.com)
Over the year Matching Mole were together, they managed four BBC sessions but only one of them had been issued as “BBC in Concert” in 1992. This “On the Radio” album contains all four sessions (including the “BBC in Concert” session) with a good sound quality. The sessions aren’t chronologically ordered (the Jan 72 session is even broken up in two parts).
The first session we are subjected to is the April 1972 one, where all three tracks are meddled into a 20-mins — the band already has some tracks down for their second album. Indeed “Marchides” and “Smoke Signals” were only works-in-progress and both sound much different than in their future studio version (including a drum solo in the former); and are sandwiching “Instant Pussy” where Wyatt explodes his scat voice into echo effects.
Up next is the Jan 1972 session, broken up by the March 1972 session, with the delicious “Part Of The Dance” (with Sinclair still in the line-up and McRae in as well), with their first album just about to be released. The Miller-penned “Part of the Dance” song features both an Hammond organ and a Fender Rhodes, and even though the sound quality is a bit approximate, this is one of the album’s highlights. The two March session tracks (Sinclair was gone by then) are much clearer sounding, especially the Ayers cover “No ‘alf Measures” and the never studio-encapsulated “Lithing and Gracing” track, an exciting Miller, McRae & Wyatt composition. Rounding up the unreleased tracks is an extended version of “Immediate Kitten”, where Sinclair’s organ charms into the superb intro, then going fuzz into the body of the song. An extended and excellent workout that confirms that Matching Mole’s best moments were with both Sinclair and McRae in the band.
The second part of the album is an In Concert feature from late July 1972, just as their second album was almost finished; less than three months away from the group’s demise. This “session starts on the best Wyatt scat vocals ever with Instant Pussy, he yodels away madly in their best-ever version of this track. The next three tracks have been already featured in this archival release but are presented in much different versions and you’d have to be a chiefmasterconoisseur to guess blindly where “Lithing And Gracing” track begins. It sees Matching Mole in full madness roaring and “Marchides” sees McRae’s Fender Rhodes take a solid intro, before the group blinds us with their dexterity and virtuosity a bit further down the track. “Part Of The Dance” is again much livelier in this version than either the radio or studio version. Here, it is the pinnacle of Matching Mole’s short career, with Phil Miller shinning throughout the 6 minutes of the track. Absolutely essential stuff, with the closer ode to Benj (a roadie) melted in as a finale for the track.
Line-up:
- Robert Wyatt / drums, vocals
- Phil Miller / guitar
- Dave MacRae / e-piano.
- Bill MacCormick / bass
- Dave Sinclair / organ
Track List:
01. March Ides + Instant Pussy + Smoke Signal – 20:33
02. Part Of The Dance – 7:56
03. No ‘alf Measures – 6:49
04. Lithing And Gracing – 7:18
05. Immediate Kitten – 9:59
06. Instant Pussy – 5:47
07. Lithing And Gracing – 4:49
08. Marchides – 6:49
09. Part Of The Dance – 6:32
10. Brandy As In Benj – 1:16
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Matching Mole – Little Red Record (1972) (@256)
20 Mar 2010
(Review from progarchives.com)
Less than seven months after recording their debut album, having toured constantly recording a few radio sessions throughout Europe, Matching Mole entered the studios in July 1972 for their second (and last) album that was produced by Robert Fripp.
Starting on one of the most surprising track that Wyatt ever recorded, “Drink Our Politics Away” is a strange semi-operatic over some McRae keyboards and Eno synth layer. Directly and abruptly segueing into “Marchides”, the group takes its vengeance with a wild and torrid 100mph jazz-rock that veers a bit dissonant in its middle section, before coming back more relaxed. Some exceptionally inventive drumming from Wyatt on this track that had received much previous rehearsal since it was concert standard, but everyone contributes greatly. Again segueing straight into “Nan True’s Hole”, Robert develops some very strange gossipy vocals with him, wifie Alfie and friendly model Julie just yapping away over Wyatt’s jaw-dropping drumming and a Frippian guitar solo, courtesy of Phil Miller; the whole thing falling into “Righteous Rhumba” without really noticing much a change. Closing on the wild “Brandy as in Benj”, with McRae on a rare organ part at the start and Miller’s brilliant solo.
Being shutout throughout the first half of the album, McCormick scores “Gloria Gloom” as the flipside opens with the second centrepiece, which starts nightmarishly percussive and hauntingly spooky with Eno’s VCS-3 deranging many listeners and remaining dissonant through a few minutes, until chattering gossipy vocals take the track slowly into the middle section where Wyatt singing his heart out until Eno’s Martenot-like synth layers take us back to earth. After the popish “God Song” (sticking out like a sore thumb), “Flora Fidgit” where McRae’s el piano steals the show. The closing Smoke Signal is the third highlight, a slow developing ambient cosmic piece with Wyatt’s astounding drumming, and slowly dying in death throes.
Although Matching Mole’s last studio album is generally not as reputed as its debut album, it’s certainly as good as it, with this one being more of a group effort.
Line-up:
- Robert Wyatt / drums, mouth
- Phil Miller / guitars
- Dave McRae / grand piano, electric piano, Hammond organ
- Bill MaCormick / bass
with
- Brian Eno / synthesizers
Track List:
01. Starting In The Middle Of The Day We Can Drink Our Politics Away – 2:31
02. Marchides – 8:25
03. Nan True’s Hole – 3:36
04. Righteous Rhumba – 2:50
05. Brandy As In Benj – 4:24
06. Gloria Gloom – 8:06
07. God Song – 2:59
08. Flora Fidgit – 3:27
09. Smoke Signal – 6:38
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Matching Mole – Matching Mole (1972) (@256)
19 Mar 2010
(Review from progarchives.com)
With his first solo album under his belt, Robert Wyatt returned to Soft Machine, only to find that opposition to his vocal experiments had grown stronger than ever, and he left “this group that was making him so miserable”.
Wyatt called up Dave Sinclair, Delivery’s Phil Miller (brother of then-Caravan member Steve Miller), and found Bill McCormick during a Quiet Sun eclipse and formed his group, which only rehearsed three months before recording their debut album. About halfway through it became apparent that Sinclair wasn’t going to stay in Matching Mole, so the group added jazzman Dave McRae on electric piano, but supposedly as a guest.
The links between the two bands didn’t severe though. Not only did Wyatt name his new band after his former group’s French translation (Machine Mole >> hence Matching Mole), but the two groups spent much time touring together, the newcoming Matching Mole opening for the veteran Soft Machine.
Recorded around Christmas 1971, the band’s debut album is an uneven affair, with the record basically divided in three sections. The first section seems to elevate Wyatt as a superstar with his vocals brought to the fore, while the second movement is a wild fusion of jazz-rock and progressive rock, and the third part being quite experimental.
The opener “O Caroline” is a sentimental ballad with Wyatt’s fragile vocals accompanied by piano and mellotron sprawling all over the song. Next is the superb “Instant Pussy” where Wyatt orgasms into the microphone as if he was a woman, the whole thing over a tranquil bass line and a gentle jazz-rock rhythm. Segueing directly into “Signed Curtain”, Wyatt starts with his no nonsense “first verse and chorus” lyrics over a piano. After the first three songs celebrating Wyatt’s diverse fortunes as a singer, the albums veers (first gently with a soft electric piano) but less than a minute into Miller’s “Part Of The Dance”, we are deeply in hard-driving uncompromising jazz-rock, the type that fries your brains when looking out for the sun. This track blazes and smokes all the way throughout its 9-mins+.
The flipside starts on two tracks that could’ve easily come from the better Caravan albums, and it’s a bit surprising to find that Sinclair didn’t write these two. “Instant Kitten” is a slow developing track that pays tribute to its sister “Instant Pussy”, but once the second part of the track has arrives, it sounds stunningly like a Caravan track looking for home (Grey & Pink era). The next track, “Dedicated To Hugh” (after a Vol 2 Soft Machine track) starts on weird electronic noises, before returning to a Caravan sound (this time Waterloo Lily era), before veering completely insane RIO improvisation. “Beer As Braindeer” is a cosmic theme in its middle section, but takes upon the RIO realm for the opening and losing parts. The latter “Immediate Curtain” is spooky cosmic track that resembles eatly Tangerine Dream.
Matching Mole’s debut album is a bit of a confusing and uneven, but the qualities are so much greater than its flaws. Though it’s hard to recommend any Matching Mole albums to a novice Canterbury pilgrim.
Line-up:
- Robert Wyatt / drums, vocals, piano, mellotron
- Dave Sinclair / keyboards
- Bill MacCormick / bass
- Phil Miller / guitar
with
- Dave McRae / keyboards
Track List:
01. O Caroline – 5:05
02. Instant Pussy – 2:59
03. Signed Curtain – 3:06
04. Part Of The Dance – 9:16
05. Instant Kitten – 4:58
06. Dedicated To Hugh, But You Weren’t Listening – 4:39
07. Beer As In Braindeer – 4:02
08. Immediate Curtain – 5:57
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Hatfield and the North – Live (1990) (@192)
02 Sep 2009
Thanks to Crimsonking for the contribution.
(Review from progarchives.com)
The performance is taken from a TV series called “Bedrock” which Central Television (UK) put together to showcase British Rock. Hatfield and the North reformed for just this one gig. The line up here includes Richard Sinclair, Pip Pyle, and Phil Miller. Dave Stewart is however notable by his absence, his keyboards stool being filled by Pyle’s then girlfriend and jazz virtuoso Sophia Domancich.
This leads to a somewhat diverse set list, which includes “Share it”, “Halfway between heaven and Earth”, “It didn’t matter anyway” and “Underdub”. The rest of the tracks are not Hatfield’s songs. The excellent 13 minute “Shipwrecked” is a new composition by Pip Pyle, which includes lengthy keyboard and guitar improvisations.
“Cauliflower ears” is from Pyle’s then current band Equip’Out (which also included Domancich in its line up), while “Blott” is a Domanacich composition, and essentially her solo spot. “Going for a song” is a Sinclair song with lyrics by Pyle, and hence the most Caravan like of the pieces.
The set is a highly enjoyable experience, which ranges from the light, almost pop like vocals of Sinclair to the improvised jazz of Soft Machine. The sound is very much rooted in the Canterbury sounds of the (male) protagonists, Domanacich making a reasonable stab at recreating the keyboard atmospheres and styles associated with that genre.
The band’s performance has an under-rehearsed flavour but remember that this was just for one show and they had not played for some fifteen years.
Line-up:
- Phil Miller / guitar
- Sophia Domancich / keyboards
- Pip Pyle / drums
- Richard Sinclair / bass, vocals
Track List:
01. Share It – 3:26
02. Shipwrecked – 13:31
03. Underdub – 5:04
04. Blott – 8:56
05. Going for a Song – 4:23
06. Cauliflower Ears – 7:03
07. Halfway Between Heaven and Earth – 8:20
08. 5/4 Intro – 1:47
09. It Didn’t Matter Anyway – 5:36
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Hatfield and the North – Hattitude (1973-75) (@224)
01 Sep 2009
Thanks to Crimsonking for the contribution.
(Review from allaboutjazz.com, progarchives.com)
Another unmissable Hatfield and the North archival release. Just like its predecessor Hatwise Choice, Hattitude is a highly entertaining mixture of live recordings of Hatfield’s classics (in excellent sound) and expert improvisations, in which all four members of the band are given plenty of chances to shine.
There’s little in the way of new material here, and there’s considerable overlap with Hatwise Choice. Still, Hattitude stands on its own, thanks to the group’s energy and spontaneity, and drummer Pip Pyle’s outstanding editing work. The album takes material from fourteen different live and BBC radio dates, creating a largely continuous hour-long set that’s the next best thing to having been there. Once again Hatfield plays “Name That Tune” by retitling familiar songs with new titles that reference the originals only obliquely, if at all.
Hatfield in concert was every bit an improvising band, often significantly reshaping its studio material. Guitarist Phil Miller’s “Aigrette” (here titled “The Crest”) is expanded to include a longer vocal by bassist Richard Sinclair and a definitive solo by Stewart that begins on electric piano and ends powerfully on his signature tone generator. Sinclair’s metrically mind-boggling “Rifferama” (here “Pink & Green Machine”) is reduced to less than two minutes, but is as potent *and hilarious*as ever.
The majority of the music is culled from Hatfield’s eponymous 1973 Virgin debut, though there are small tastes of material from 1975′s The Rotter’s Club, including the finale to Stewart’s epic “Mumps” (“One of Wilde’s”), and the segue from Pyle’s “Fitter Stoke Has a Bath” (“Drowning Reprise”) into Sinclair’s bittersweet “Didn’t Matter Anyway” (“Goodbye for Now”). Miller sounds as idiosyncratic as ever, while Pyle delivers a richer blend of elegance and power than on his later, more jazz-centric efforts. Sinclair remains an underappreciated but highly imaginative bassist, while Stewart’s inventive harmonic approach renders criminal his longstanding moratorium on performing this kind of music.
Any progressive fan who likes the Hatfield’s magisterial studio albums will regret the fact that there are no more than two. So if you can’t get enough of those classic Canterbury sounds and you’d like to hear your favourite tunes (and lyrics) undergoing surprising transformations – look no further!
Line-up:
- Phil Miller / guitars
- Pip Pyle / drums, percussion, sheep noise
- Richard Sinclair / bass, vocals
- Dave Stewart / keyboards, tone generators
Track List:
01. Grosso Lavoro – 2:41
02. Drowning in the Bathroom – 6:00
03. K Licks (long) – 2:39
04. The Crest – 3:37
05. Pink & Green Machine – 1:44
06. Further Dances – 2:30
07. La Barbe Extract – 1:24
08. Confiture de la Barbe – 3:04
09. Born Again Crustacean – 4:11
10. Elevenses – 1:54
11. Farce Majeure – 1:47
12. Spaces Not Notes – 0:45
13. Song for All Our Mums – 2:34
14. Extract – 3:31
15. The Men’s One-Metre Dash – 6:29
16. K Licks (Short) – 0:51
17. One of Wilde’s – 1:48
18. Blane Over The Low Countries – 4:35
19. Drowning Reprise – 1:42
20. Goodbye For Now – 2:44
21. Al Clark Presents – 2:17
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Hatfield and the North – Hatwise Choice (1973-75) (@256)
31 Aug 2009
(Review from progarchives.com)
This album could be seen as a BBC sessions album and as a major release.
All material from BBC tapes (roughly 2/3 of the stuff) is of excellent sound quality, and among the rest, most of it is also. Only a few imperfections appear here and there. A lot of this stuff appears officialy for the first time, so much so that this album could almost be considered as a lost album.
The quality of the songwriting and musicianship is up to par with those historical two albums. Some sessions are previous to their debut album, but most of the tracks appear to have been written between the eponymous debut and The Rotters Club.
So all Canterbury freaks can dive in with no second thoughts, this is pure 100% Canterbury juice made from fresh fruits.
Line-up:
- Richard Sinclair / bass, vocals
- Phil Miller / guitars
- Pip Pyle / drums, percussion
- Dave Stewart / keyboards, tone generator
Track List:
01. Absolutely Wholesome (John Peel Show 1974) – 3:16
02. La Barbe est La Barbe (Top Gear 1974) – 6:51
03. Sober Song (Top Gear 1974) – 2:59
04. Hatitude Hatitude (John Peel Show 1974) – 3:13
05. Strand of the Green (John Peel Show 1974) – 1:02
06. Hotel Luna (John Peel Show 1974) – 3:34
07. The Lonely Bubbling Song (John Peel Show 1974) – 1:20
08. Stay Jung and Beautiful (John Peel Show 1974) – 0:56
09. Dave Intro (Live – London 1975) – 1:55
10. Take Your Pick (Live – London 1975) – 8:09
11. Son Of Plate Smashing Dog (Live – Emmen 1974) – 1:16
12. Thanks Mont! (Live – Emmen 1974) – 2:27
13. Amsterdamage 11/19 (Live – Amsterdam 1974) – 6:20
14. May The Farce Be With You (Live – Paris 1973) – 0:39
15. Finesse is for Fairies (Sounds Of The 70s 1973) – 1:28
16. Ethanol Nurse (Sounds Of The 70s 1973) – 2:56
17. Writhing and Grimacing (Sounds Of The 70s 1973) – 3:42
18. For Robert (Top Gear 1973) – 2:09
19. Blane over Paris (Live – Paris 1973) – 6:20
20. Laundry Soup (Top Gear 1974) – 0:57
21. Effing Mad Aincha (Live – Rotterdam 1973) – 2:58
22. Top Gear Commercial (Top Gear 1974) – 1:22
23. K Licks (Demo – Summer 1973) – 2:58
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Delivery – Fools Meeting (1970) (@256)
06 Nov 2008
(Review from progarchives.com)
Fools Meeting – and what a meeting it is!
This album features an eclectic blend of blues and jazz with a very progressive approach. Starring an impressive cast of (future) Canterbury luminaries ; Phil Miller (Guitars), his brother Steve on Piano, Pip Pyle (Drums) Roy Babbington (Bass Guitar) – one cannot help but to expect something special. Add to this the sweet, sweet voice of one Carol Grimes. Her vocal styling is full of tremolo, something akin to Grace Slick or Signe Anderson from the early Jefferson Airplane, and special guest Lol Coxhill (Saxophones), whose contribution to the songs is priceless.
Phil Miller’s trademark style of guitaring can be witnessed here, as he holds many solo spots, and is the main composer. Steve Miller’s jazzy piano playing has a unique air to it – at times his piano doesn’t have sustain, so his notes are short and sharp, making for a more interesting sound. The rhythm section is quite excellent – Babbington is already playing with amazing skill and dexterity, those that are familiar with the Karl Jenkins led Soft Machine should agree that he is quite a bassist. Pyle’s Drumming is very busy, and he shows often that he can play outside the confines of regular 4/4 beats. Coxhill is up there with the likes of Elton Dean and Gary Windo, with his lungs full of fury, blowing up a whirlwind of seldom heard sounds with his affected sax.
Of the 8 tracks on the album there is rarely a dull moment, each song is constructed in such a way that changes tempos regularly and never stays too long in one place. The music is not particularly indicative of ‘Canterbury’, the more Bluesy moments are when Grimes is singing, the instrumental parts suddenly take off in another direction, be it jazz, avant-garde or rock. I suppose if Steve Miller utilised some fuzzy organs it would be a genuine canterbury article. Highlights are possibly “Miserable Man”, “Home Made Ruin” , “The Wrong Time” and “Fighting It Out”, but the album as a whole is an enlightening experience.
Line-up:
- Steve Miller / piano
- Phil Miller / guitar
- Roy Babbington / bass, string bass
- Pip Pyle / drums
- Carol Grimes / vocals, percussion
with
- Lol Coxhill / soprano/tenor saxophone
- Roddy Skeaping / violin (2)
- Richard Sinclair / bass (13)
Track List:
01. Blind to Your Light – 5:06
02. Miserable Man – 8:28
03. Home Made Ruin – 3:23
04. Is It Really The Same – 5:45
05. We Were Satisfied – 4:03
06. The Wrong Time – 7:51
07. Fighting It Out – 5:49
08. Fools Meeting – 5:26
09. Harry Lucky (Bonus) – 3:42
10. Home Made Ruin (Bonus Alternate Take) – 2:57
11. Is It Really The Same (Bonus Live) – 5:20
12. Blind To Your Light (Bonus Live) – 5:32
13. One For You (Bonus) – 7:40
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Caravan – Waterloo Lily (1972) (@256)
18 Aug 2007
(Review from progarchives.com, vintageprog.com)
Waterloo Lily is Caravan’s most overlooked release from their golden age. By 1972, keyboardist Dave Sinclair had left the band and was replaced by Steve Miller, a guy who obviously preferred el-piano instead of organ. The music on this album turned into a much more jazz-influenced direction.
The presence of wind instruments (particularly saxophone) is much stronger here than on the previous albums, reinforcing the record’s more pronounced jazzy feel. Some passages of “Nothing at All”, for instance, can remind listeners of Soft Machine rather than of Caravan’s earlier output – which is no bad thing at all, though it might be somewhat disappointing for those who had loved “If I Could Do..” or “In the Land…”. Besides the jazzier numbers, however, there are the usual (for Caravan) catchier, poppier offerings, like the excellent “Aristocracy” and the closing “The World Is Yours”; while the Miller-penned “Songs and Signs” occupies a sort of middle ground between these two kinds of tracks. The album’s second suite, Pye Hastings’ “The Love in Your Eye”, is more typically progressive than the first, complete with string arrangements and great flute playing by Jimmy Hastings. The bonus tracks included in the remastered edition are all Pye Hastings compositions, all more than competent.
Line-up:
- Richard Coughlan / drums, percussion
- Pye Hastings / vocals, guitars
- Steve Miller / keyboards
- Richard Sinclair / vocals, bass
with
- Mike Cotton / trumpet (5b)
- Lol Coxhill / soprano saxophone (1-2)
- Colin Frechter / string arrangement (5a)
- Jimmy Hastings / flute, tenor saxophone (5b)
- Phil Miller / guitar (2)
- Barry Robinson / oboe (5a)
Track List:
01. Waterloo Lily
02. Nothing at all /It’s coming soon / Nothing at all (reprise)
03. Songs and signs
04. Aristocracy
05. The love in your eye / To catch me a brother / Subsultus / Debouchement / Tilbury kecks
06. The world is yours (3:41)
07. Pye’s June Thing (Bonus)
08. Ferdinand (Bonus)
09. Looking Left, Looking Right / Pye’s Loop (Bonus)
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