Record Reviews

SPOOKY TOOTH ~ THE ISLAND YEARS (AN ANTHOLOGY) 1967-1974 ISLAND 602547053114 (Barcode: 602547053114) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1974 Released: 2015 This magnificent Box Set collects all the recordings by the seminal British Rock band Spooky ToothFind albums by this artist, perhaps the most underrated of all British bands active at the late 1960s / early 1970s. It includes all seven albums recorded by the various Spooky Tooth lineups for Island records, before they disbanded, as well as the only album by the band Art, which was in fact an early version of Spooky Tooth and finally a previously unreleased live album by the band. Spooky Tooth formed when the four members of Art: vocalist / keyboardist Mike HarrisonFind albums by this artist, guitarist Luther GrosvenorFind albums by this artist, bassist Greg RidleyFind albums by this artist and drummer Mike KellieFind albums by this artist, were joined by the American (resident in UK at the time) vocalist / keyboardist Gary WrightFind albums by this artist, who was also a superb songwriter. The double lead vocals / double keyboards effect created a potent and incredibly spacious sound, which was completely unique among the bands active at a time, and combined with truly outstanding songwriting abilities by the band members simply placed them way at the top of the British scene as far as ambitious and original Rock is concerned. As all British Rock bands at the time, also Spooky Tooth owed a lot to the Blues revival, which swept the Isles a decade earlier. The Blues motifs are clearly evident in their music, but they are more subtle than in similar groups like FreeFind albums by this artist or Ten Years AfterFind albums by this artist. Therefore Spooky Tooth did not enter the Blues-Rock niche per se, as did many of their contemporaries, staying closer to the path set by melodic Hard Rock pioneers. It is obvious that Spooky Tooth paved the way for other British bands, like Humble PieFind albums by this artist, which included Greg Ridley as a founding member when he left Spooky Tooth to join Humble Pie. Spooky Tooth and Humble Pie have many similarities in their musical approach, which is based on solid melodic themes, great riffs, Bluesy vocals and extended instrumental soloing. The set includes the highly controversial album the band recorded with French Avant-Garde electronic music composer Pierre Henry, which is one of very few such experiments. The fact that the group recorded such daring projects and many of their other qualities firmly places Spooky Tooth as proto-Prog pioneers and to say the truth they had more Progressive tendencies than most other Prog groups at the time, although they were never credited and recognized as part of the Prog movement. This beautifully researched and lavishly packaged Box Set is a long overdue tribute to one of the best British Rock bands, including a plethora of bonus tracks, a well written booklet by the producer / researcher Mark PowellFind albums by this artist, who is well known for his love and total dedication to the subject. I can´t imagine a serious music collection without this box being a part of it. Truly essential piece of music history!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 9 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

WHITE NOISE ~ AN ELECTRIC STORM ISLAND 984319 (Barcode: 602498431979) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1968 - 1969 Released: 2007 1st album by UK experimental group White NoiseFind albums by this artist, which where pioneers of electronic music. The group consisted of Delia DerbyshireFind albums by this artist and Brian HodgsonFind albums by this artist, who worked at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop (famous for the many scores it produced for BBC productions like “Doctor Who”) and US-born David VorhausFind albums by this artist, who studied in London in the later 1960s and shared a common interest in electronic music with the two. IslandFind albums on this label’s owner Chris BlackwellFind albums by this artist heard some early recordings by the group and offered to release an album with their music, supporting them with a modest budget. The group constructed a special studio to record their music (as the existing facilities at the time we inadequate for electronic music) and eventually produced their opus, which was released on Island in 1969. The initial reaction to the album was very limited (it sold only a few hundred copies) but in time the album achieved a legendary status it deserves. The groundbreaking approach to music and the bold ideas were of course aeons ahead of their time, but the music still sounds quite fascinating today. David Vorhaus later kept the White Noise name alive by releasing several albums under the moniker. The album was out of print for extended periods of time and the remastered edition with extensive liner notes by reissue specialist Mark PowellFind albums by this artist is most welcome. A classic.

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend