Record Reviews
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  | CARAVAN ~ ALL OVER YOU
TALKING ELEPHANT 090 (Barcode: 5028479009022) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1995 - 1996 Released: 2006
It doesn´t happen too often that a band takes a look back at its music recorded over 20 years earlier and decides to re-record it from scratch, as if from another perspective. But than again, CaravanFind albums by this artist, the legendary British Prog / Canterbury pioneering group, is hardly a "usual" band – one can always expect them to come up with the unexpected. This album is exactly that – a new look at the glorious material the band recorded in the 1970s and a new presentation of that material. Of course many fans saw this move as sacrilegious, holding the opinion that this classic Prog material should remain untouched. With all due respect to the fans, it´s really up to the band to decide what they wish to do with it, and honestly, considering how great this new versions are, this bold move truly paid off. Pye HastingsFind albums by this artist, Geoffrey RichardsonFind albums by this artist, Dave SinclairFind albums by this artist, Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist and Richard CoughlanFind albums by this artist (the Caravan lineup at the time this album was recorded) did a splendid job and this historic material sounds absolutely fresh and brilliant as it ever did and in some cases even better. Years of experience and evolution surely added layers of sophistication and understanding, which can, and in this case do outshine the youthful enthusiast and spirit of the original recordings. A must for any Canterbury music fan!
| | | CD 1 Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | CARAVAN ~ IN THE LAND OF GREY AND PINK (40TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION)
DERAM 533316 (Barcode: 600753331613) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1970 - 1971 Released: 2011
This is the 3rd album by CaravanFind albums by this artist, the ultimate Canterbury Scene band which defined the Prog sub-genre and laid out its musical boundaries. Guitarist Pye HastingsFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Dave SinclairFind albums by this artist, bassist Richard SinclairFind albums by this artist and drummer Richard CoughlanFind albums by this artist were not only superb players but also revolutionary composers, creating music which was new and completely different from anything else on earth. Aided by flautist / saxophonist Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist, the band recorded this masterpiece, which remains their best effort in a long and illustrious career. The original album is an iconic singularity as far as giant steps in music development are concerned and it still is an absolutely essential listening experience. This new edition expands even further the 2001 expanded edition, including BBC sessions, previously unreleased demos and alternate versions and a DVD with 5.1 Surround Sound mixes of the album by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist (of Porcupine TreeFind albums by this artist and BlackfieldFind albums by this artist fame) and TV video material. If any album deserves such a royal treatment, this is it, so enjoy every minute of it as there are certainly many minutes to be enjoyed. Beyond essential!
| | | 2CD+DVD 3 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | CARAVAN ~ IT`S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS
MADFISH 636551821223 (Barcode: 636551821223) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021
British Canterbury / Progressive Rock heroes CaravanFind albums by this artist are back with a new album, eight years after their last studio recording and well over fifty years since they started their journey in 1968. With vocalist Pye HastingsFind albums by this artist as the only original band member, the lineup includes violist / guitarist Geoffrey RichardsonFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Jan SchelhaasFind albums by this artist and drummer Mark WalkerFind albums by this artist. Two guests support them on this album: bassist Lee PomeroyFind albums by this artist and flautist Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, nine songs and one instrumental, nine of which are written by Pye Hastings and one by Richardson.
Obviously the music does not strike the same ecstatic reaction as that achieved while listening to the early albums by the group, but not because the music is less exciting. Simply we have all moved on and half a Century later we have a different perspective on everything, not only music. To be honest the music is quite faithful to the Canterbury spirit and mood, perhaps somewhat less ambitious but still offering great melody lines and fine instrumental support, and Hasting’s vocals sound fine to me, in contrast to the many critical reviews published about this album.
It is completely naïve, if not simply stupid, to expect anything else from a group in their sixth decade of activity and at least they manage to reproduce the spirit of the early days without being completely derivative or pathetic. This album is a nice piece of music which stirs warm memories without being blindly sentimental. Definitely well done, lads!
Overall, this is a nice effort by Prog veterans Caravan, re-visiting old memories and sentiments, and being completely professional and heartfelt. For Prog / Canterbury fans, who loved that music once, this is pleasant trip down the memory lane. If one does not have false expectations, one does not get disappointed!
| | Updated: 29/03/2024Posted: 29/03/2024 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | HATFIELD AND THE NORTH ~ THE ROTTERS` CLUB (EXPANDED EDITION)
ESOTERIC 2140 (Barcode: 5013929724020) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1975 Released: 2009
2nd album by the legendary Canterbury group Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist, probably the most iconic and unsurpassed masters of the genre. Comprising of keyboardist Dave StewartFind albums by this artist, guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist, bassist / vocalist Richard SinclairFind albums by this artist and drummer Pip PyleFind albums by this artist, with guests like Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist, Mont CampbellFind albums by this artist, Lindsay CooperFind albums by this artist and Tim HodgkinsonFind albums by this artist, they recorded what is considered to be the ultimate Canterbury masterpiece. The album represents everything that the genre stands for: brilliant melodies, strange harmonies, superb musicianship, quirk rhythmic patterns and a good dash of British humor. It is difficult to pinpoint why this album and its predecessor turned out to be the genre´s icons, but the fact that they are the first thing that come to mind when Canterbury is mentioned speaks for itself. Whatever the reasons, this is an absolute classic album, which lost nothing of its intrinsic beauty and musical perfection over time. Absolutely essential!
| | | CD 1 Slipcase Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | NATIONAL HEALTH ~ NATIONAL HEALTH
ESOTERIC 2129 (Barcode: 5013929722927) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1977 Released: 2009
1st album by the exquisite band National HealthFind albums by this artist, which was the last of the great original bands and the centerpiece crown jewel of the Canterbury scene, as it combined all the elements that made this musical excursion so unique and important, crystallizing a decade of development and constant search for new forms of musical expression. Formed by keyboardist / composer Dave StewartFind albums by this artist, who previously led such cornerstone Canterbury ensembles like EggFind albums by this artist and Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist, combining musicians of the last and another sublime ensemble GilgameshFind albums by this artist, which also recently fell apart. After several personnel changes, the band stabilized as a quartet, including in addition to Stewart guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist, bassist Neil MurrayFind albums by this artist and drummer Pip PyleFind albums by this artist, all veterans and immensely gifted players. The album also includes guest contributions of other Canterbury luminaries, like Alan GowenFind albums by this artist (keyboards), Amanda ParsonsFind albums by this artist (vocals), Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist (flute) and others. Overall National Health was an ideal tool to deliver the intricate melodic content of Stewart´s compositions, spiced with lengthy jazzy improvisations, which could go on for several minutes and allow ample opportunity for the players to stretch out, probably more that in any earlier Canterbury ensemble. There is never a dull moment here, with ideas chasing ideas at all times and the listener is drawn into the music completely. This album is a timeless masterpiece and an essential cornerstone of any serious record collection!
| | | CD 1 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | SOFT MACHINE ~ FOURTH (REMASTERED)
SONY BMG 687291 (Barcode: 828768729120) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1970 Released: 2007
4th album, which finds Soft MachineFind albums by this artist back in the quartet format with Elton DeanFind albums by this artist as the new permanent member. Following the direction set on the previous album, SM moved even further away from their original psychedelic direction into experimental Jazz-Rock, which was groundbreaking and innovative to the extreme and aeons ahead of its time. In similar fashion to the previous album, the band used a horn-section to utilize a much more powerful sound and limitless sonic possibilities, which included the creme de la creme of (then) contemporary and burgeoning young UK jazz scene, including Roy BabingtonFind albums by this artist – acoustic bass, Nick EvansFind albums by this artist – trombone, Mark CharigFind albums by this artist – cornet, Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist – saxes and Alan SkidmoreFind albums by this artist – saxes. This expanded ensemble recorded one of the most beautiful and most sophisticated albums of the era, which is completely timeless and inspiring to this very day. This new direction created some tension (to put it mildly) between the jazz oriented trio and the band’s original drummer Robert WyattFind albums by this artist, which led to Wyatt’s departure from the band by mid-1971 (to start Matching MoleFind albums by this artist), before the next album would be recorded. Therefore this was to be the last SM album to feature his extraordinary drumming skills. This beautiful new remaster finally (for the first time ever) gets rid of the muddy and hollow sound from which this album suffered badly, obscuring much of the music it contained. Absolutely essential!
Visitors' Comments
Christopher Brice
It´s great to hear this properly at last - I have been listening to it over and over again since I broke the seal last night!
| | | CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | SOFT MACHINE ~ THIRD (EXPANDED EDITION)
SONY BMG 687293 (Barcode: 828768729328) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1970 Released: 2007
3rd album by Soft MachineFind albums by this artist, originally released as a double LP. Although basically a trio at this point (Robert WyattFind albums by this artist, Hugh HopperFind albums by this artist & Mike RatledgeFind albums by this artist) they use a horn-section to expand the sound of the band, which includes among others Elton DeanFind albums by this artist (soon to be a full time SM member) and Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist (brother of Pye HastingsFind albums by this artist from CaravanFind albums by this artist). The music is of course one of the most pivotal recordings of the era and widely accepted as one of the greatest epics of Prog and Canterbury music, with brilliant improvisations and incredibly strong writing. Almost entirely instrumental, with Wyatt`s occasional scatting, this album marks the band’s transition from early psychedelic pop / rock to Jazz-Rock and later eventually to free jazz. With constantly changing lineup the band managed in the span of just a few months, between late 1969 and early 1970, to create an entirely new genre in itself, as nothing else done by any other band would ever sound similar to Soft Machine (of that period). This music is as revolutionary and groundbreaking as the stuff Miles DavisFind albums by this artist was creating at the time on the other side of the pond, and equally brilliant. The beautiful new edition adds a full bonus CD, which contains a live recording at the Royal Alert Hall (August 1970), done by the BBC (a trademark of sonic quality), previously unreleased. An absolute masterpiece, beyond essential!
| | | CD 2 Oversampling Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | CHRIS SQUIRE ~ FISH OUT OF WATER (DELUXE EDITION)
CASTLE 1545 (Barcode: 5050749415455) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1975 Released: 2007
1st and only album by YesFind albums by this artist bassist and founding member Chris SquireFind albums by this artist, recorded at a time when all Yes members took a break from group activity and recorded solo projects. This is a very ambitious undertaking, involving a large orchestra and a group of musicians playing music composed by Squire. The band members include Bill BrufordFind albums by this artist on drums, Patrick MorazFind albums by this artist on keyboards (both from Yes), Mel CollinsFind albums by this artist on saxophone (King CrimsonFind albums by this artist), Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist on flute and a few others. Squire plays bass and sings lead vocals (his voice sounding remarkably similar to Jon AndersonFind albums by this artist). The result is a classic Prog album, perhaps one of the last Prog classics of the Golden Decade and certainly more interesting than anything Yes as a group were doing at the time. The compositions are concise, but nicely developed, and there is none of the extravagant (and often pompous) typical Yes prolongation and repetition. All the players do a splendid job and Squire’s bass, often in the lead, is powerful and impressive. This new edition adds a bonus DVD, which includes two video clips filmed as promos for the album and a recent (2006) interview with Squire talking about the album. This is a must for all Yes fans and probably most Prog fans all over the world.
| | | CD+DVD 2 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | TREVOR TOMKINS / SEXTANT ~ FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
JAZZ IN BRITAIN 37 (Barcode: 5060774190395) ~ UK ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1980 - 1983 Released: 2023
This is an archival live album by British Jazz drummer Trevor TomkinsFind albums by this artist and his sextet called SextantFind albums by this artist, which also included saxophonist Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist, trombonist Chris PyneFind albums by this artist, pianist John HorlerFind albums by this artist, guitarist Phil LeeFind albums by this artist and bassist Paul BridgeFind albums by this artist. Saxophonist Brian SmithFind albums by this artist replaces Hastings on one of the recording sessions. The 2CD album, recorded in four different sessions between 1980 and 1983, presents fifteen tracks, six of which were composed by Lee, three by Horler, two are standards, three are by British Jazz composers: Stan SulzmannFind albums by this artist, Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist and Henry LowtherFind albums by this artist and finally one is by American composer Ralph TownerFind albums by this artist. The album offers splendid sound quality, which is close to studio recording excellence, and includes an extensive essay by Simon SpillettFind albums by this artist.
Although Tomkins was almost omnipresent on the British Jazz scene since the early 1960, and appears on dozens of seminal albums recorded over the decades, he never released an album as a leader and only one little know album as co-leader – an amazing fact, which is difficult to believe but true nevertheless. Following his death just a few months ago, the wonderful Jazz In BritainFind albums on this label label rushed to release this, his first album as a leader, to commemorate his invaluable input into making British Jazz what it is.
The music is, as expected, absolutely brilliant, all within the modern British Jazz mainstream, featuring mostly original compositions by the sextet members, which are highly melodic and beautifully structured.
The members of the sextet, especially Hastings and Lee, had close ties with British Jazz-Rock Fusion and Progressive Rock / Canterbury Scene in the 1970s, being members of CaravanFind albums by this artist / Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist / National HealthFind albums by this artist / Soft MachineFind albums by this artist / GilgameshFind albums by this artist (which also included Tomkins), but the music on this album has no relation to these excursions, being much closer to the work Tomkins experienced with the Don Rendell / Ian Carr QuintetFind albums by this artist or Michael GarrickFind albums by this artist ensembles in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Both the teamwork and the individual performances by the sextet members are absolutely phenomenal, showing great comradeship and mutual respect between the musicians. Horler plays some brilliant piano lines and is the quintessential catalyst, always there with his harmonic support behind the soloists. Lee plays amazing guitar soli and proves again that he deserves way more respect for his unique style and consistency. Hastings / Smith offer the Jazzy core with their solid presentations of the themes and inspired soloing. Pyne is a trombone virtuoso and his solos are all absolute gems. Bridge, a superb bassist, who sadly passed away prematurely in 2001, keeps the music swinging steadily, working hand in hand with the leader, who is more reliable than a Swiss clock and never ceases to amaze with his inventiveness.
Overall, this is another great addition to the string of releases produced by the Jazz In Britain aficionados, which makes our lives not only more interesting, but also bearable, all things considered. This music is so good it would have been a crime to leave it forgotten, so now when it is available, don’t hesitate even for a split second… This is an absolutely essential piece of British Jazz legacy!
| | Updated: 12/03/2023Posted: 12/03/2023 | CD 2 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
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