Super electro-techno nugget!

This is what I'm after when I go out on the dig for records in charity shops and the like...

...An inscrutable plain white sleeve, with only: "Telex" and "Test", concealing, as hoped for, and expected, a white label test pressing with the same on label, but also: SRK 6062, in biro.

(Actually gives that wrong cat number with a 6 instead of the 7, which made for a temporary problem in trying to search online to find out what it was.)

While the name is of course a familiar one, and it certainly alludes to what may be inside, and on the disc, I didn't know this group, or what the were about when I found it, so only thing left to do was play it! :)

Delightfully surprised, for although the opening track is a bit so-so, fairly bland typical eighties electronica, it did have a vague scent of Kratwerk style about it, a good indicator, of what was to come, I thought...

...But it even exceeded these expectations, as although this very much comes from the same place as Kraftwerk, with a very strong whiff of them, it has much more besides!

For the next track: Pakmovast, is a stonker!

...Right from the get go, it's heavy, pronounced beat which continues at a fair nodding pace, conjured heavy aromas of later electro-dance demi-gods Daft Punk, and I also detected a powerful sense of Jean Michel Jarre throughout the album too.

But there's another note I caught in my audio nostrils too, that of certain instruments, and melodic phrases and motifs of the kind that Boards Of Canada would later allude to in their work, of a kind of undefined nostalgia for a fuzzy, out there, seventies electronic wildlife documentary vibe.

If I had to guess, I I could easily say this may be one the albums that inspired them!

(Especially, in the brief outro track to Side 2: Ca Plane Pour Moi)

The Opening to Side 2 ise very strong, and sung in English: Something to Say, and the final track: Twist A Saint Tropez is a very jaunty upbeat piece of electronica (research show this to have been a single, and quite a well known one too!)...

...These two, bookending the other two tracks on Side 2; The... um... er... interesting take on Rock Around The Clock, which a slower, meditative, almost mesmeric version of the Rock and Roll classic (barely recognisable to begin with), and also another corker of a track: Victime De La Societe, which sounds like a low, evocative, work which might be suited to the opening or closing credits of a movie like the Ryan Gosling mood piece: Drive, or some other nightscape and neon based, city noir thriller soundtrack.

Taking my tp as representative of the retail issue of this, I can report that unlike those aforementioned artists, this has a comparatively stripped down, minimalist approach to the same kind of music, which comes through excellently on this pressing, very solid, definite, fat bass, and broad sounding synths across the audio horizon and all on fairly standard 125g-ish vinyl. but lovely a press.

In all, an absolute nugget of a find for me, and what I live to find among the neglected crates of dingy nooks in charity shops. :)

(Should those RSD peeple happen upon this review perchance, I'd suggest this is a good pick for a new issue - certainly, I'd like a swanky new issue of it with the artwork, and maybe some guff about the band / group etc. - white labels are nice, but don't really tell a lot!)

1 person found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

This is a great sounding album!

A kind of blues to rock base overlayed with jazz rhythms, expanded upon with very new wave prog synths blended perfectly with Jeff's strident guitar playing, which is, by turns, big 'n' crunchy distortion, through intricate and virtuoso, down to subtle and soulful.

Bounces nicely between jazz, blues, rock and prog styles in such a way that you can't see the joins.

And while this is a pretty thin piece of vinyl (little floppy too), it is an absolutely great pressing, and really sounds audiophile quality, in terms of clarity, breadth, and scale, as well as detail in the quieter parts (where they exist!).

1 person found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Not the normal jazz album you may expect from the jazz keyboard player Bob James. This one is an electronic rendition of the music of the French Baroque composer Jean-Philippe Rameau.

I gather that this was originally recorded to give as Christmas gifts to his friends but obviously it made it to a general release.

IMHO this is a good listen if you enjoy Tomita, Wendy Carlos or the like.

1 person found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Hi, how are you?
So, I’ll make a little critic on the album shown here. I’m going to parts diving them in Cover, and Arrangement. Let’s begin.
Cover: so I’ll be quick. The cover is very interesting and nice, having a cartoonish style, as the Disney one, with the blue bird from the song and the song tittle and album in the top of all. At the end of the road there’s a mountain and a sun. Maybe it’s represents the 12 songs. I give it 6 of 10
Arrangement: after listening this album, I thought a lot of things.
“Zip-a-dee-doo-dah” is a slow and gospel tune, in my case giving me the creeps, but not of fear, of excitement and the creeps of loving this tune.
“Why do lovers break each other’s hearts?” Is a good redemption to Frankie Lymon and The Teenager’s tune “why do fools fall in love?” The first time I listened to this I thought it was a good tune, but when I listened to Frankie Lymon’s one and again the Powers-Greenwich composition i thought it was such a good thing, like a redemption well done.
“Let the good times roll” is a good one, playing very the horns and the drums, with a good lyric. Truly a good one, but not the best.
“My heart beat a little bit faster” is a good tune by Darlene love, and I must admit that the slowness of it makes perfect. I would classify this as one of my less favorite truly, but for you it may be something lovely and pleasant.
“Jimmy baby” is a good one. I would put it under the third one, but coming from the pen of Jackie DeShannon, it deserves a few listens to love.
“Baby (i love you)” composed by Spector, I would put this one as a gospel be, but not at the level of the first song of the album.
“The white cliffs of Dover” is truly a good redemption/cover by Bob B Soxx and the blue jeans to Vera Lynn’s song. Having a fast tempo, as a country style, this one feels magic and catchy, with the horns at the instrumental break and at the end, makes it the best, far away.
“This land is your land” sounds like a kid’s song, very joyful and giving the message of sharing and living together for making a peaceful world, as I may see it.
“Dear (here comes my baby)” is the best compositions of Spector alone, truly, a good twister and a lovely story, knowing a girl and having good time with people, while in the real world you can dance it as if there’s no tomorrow.
“I shook the world” is again, a good one from DeShannon, having good vocals from Darlene Love, which a good rhythm. A good one.
“Everything’s gonna be fine” is a good slowly one. I put myself at a smoky bar, a jazz cafe in the dark, with someone singing this with pain in himself. I think the backside is the same arrangement as in “Harry and Milt meet Hal B” instrumental track.
“Dr. Karla;’s office” is like a Halloween tune, with screams and horns over there, and trumpets, playing like if you were crazy. I think is a good way to think your psychologist after very much sessions.
So… my ending pointing is 8/10. A i could say, a good album under the Philles Records label.

1 person found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Ezra Furman's review for the Independent :read:

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Half... and half again.

I finally got round to listening to this in it's entirety, having found a copy the other week, and I've got to say I am not overly impressed.

As previously mentioned below, the original tracks are the best, the others are just self indulgent blues work-outs, the kind that only Eric Clapton enjoys for his own pleasure... mostly tedious.

So immediately, you can cut this album into two separate albums, leaving, after having left the blues stuff for the "Clapton = God" die-hards, the bones of a much better album... a tighter, and more focused single disc album...

...But even that could do with some culling, as those songs too, are a little over-long, with lots of unnecessary repetition to eek them out. Occasionally, it's justified, what with having Allman on board, he seems to challenge Clapton and bring the best out of him, but mostly, the songs are twice the length they need to be.

Paired down in this way (and maybe with the addition of a couple of other songs of this quality), I feel this could have been the basis of a great album, fully deserving of the esteem it seems to garner, instead of an unnecessary double album, which sounds more like an epic whinge... like that bloke we've all met who thinks he's the only person in the world to have had his heart broken, and after your initial sympathy, his incessant moaning begins to wear thin.

But as for the pressing, well, it's a Polydor Super, which have proven themselves to me to be among the best sounding albums I've heard, so you can't go wrong on that score at least.

1 person found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Enregistrements édifiants

Sous le titre global "La Bible ” on nous présente douze chansons, de la Genèse â l’exode. La musique est de Claude Henri VIC. Le découpage et les textes sont de Jacques Hourdeaux et sont chantés par Monique et Louis Aldebert.

Il y a douze textes de la genèse à l'exode qui sont entendus grâce à cet enregistrement.

J'aurais aimé une autre musique que ces airs ultra modernes. Si les auteurs et les diffuseurs de ces disques croient que par ce procédé et cette méthode ils peuvent rejoindre mieux le coeur de nos populations, alors me je résigne volontiers.

Nous avouerons que c'est une évolution quant à la musique accompagnant les textes de la bible.

Répétons-le afin de ne pas avoir l'air de diminuer l'intérêt et la valeur de ce disque en ajoutant que ce sont là des textes qu'une population chrétienne surtout doit connaître.

Au fond de la misère morale qui sévit actuellement en beaucoup de milieux au Canada français, il y a une ignorance chez beaucoup trop de la bible, de l'évangile, des dogmes et de la morale chrétienne.

Tous les moyens publicitaires modernes doivent être loués et mis en oeuvre si on juge que cela peut donner à nos populations en déroute le sens de ses origines chrétiennes.

Évidemment, je m'excuse de m'écarter de l'analyse proprement dite de ce disque, mais si les textes sont beaux, la musique qui ne manque pas d'allant est belle.

Il ne s'agit pas d'introduire le jazz à l'Eglise mais la nouvelle liturgie nous invite à des modes surprenants, tant mieux si par ce nouveau mode de véhiculer la pensée chrétienne on rejoint le coeur des masses.
(Rodolphe Laplante - L'Action Populaire, mercredi 24 mai 1967, Troisième cahier, page 5)


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This is entirely a live album from some club. Renditions are good, enough to be released as hit singles for some. Being on the Monument label they could not reuse his Mercury hits. Ahab The Arab is the short version, expanded here by audience and band sounds. This is the version where he shouts "my soul's American".
Sir Thanks-A-Lot and Bagpipes are great new songs. A fine album.

2 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Benny Hill Sings? Yes he does and very well at that. He also wrote his own material.

With top arrangement by Tony Hatch, it's a must for fans of humorous records and the work of Hatch. I like both, so it's a match made in heaven for me. The mono mix is also far better.

My only gripe is the lack of credit for the female co vocalist on a couple of songs.

Really is a fine album from start to finish.

3 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

I was never aware of this album. It turns out to be the same as Under The Boardwalk except it includes Drip Drop from the late 1950s in place of that hit. They must have just switched their attention to the Boardwalk LP soon after.
As a hits LP this one is dire. Only 3 hits. It illustrates the trouble they had after Leiber and Stoller left the company. The other staff were not very good at picking hits. B2 and B3 are rather bizarre compositions. It's possible to enjoy a few of the others.
Vaya Con Dios was a good single I thought, but radio decided it was just a remake of an earlier hit and did not promote it.

3 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

What wonderful arrangements and performances! I grew up with this LP – my father was a great Ellington fan, who had seen the Duke in concert in the US before I was born. (When I was a youngster, we saw the orchestra together twice at the Hammersmith Odeon in London in Ellington's last years).

The versions of "Sophisticated Lady" and "In a Sentimental Mood" on this record are symphonic movements in perfect miniature, with the subjects, developments and transitions compressed into a couple of minutes, somehow containing an expansive sound but intense and exciting because they are so concise. (You could call them the perfect antidote to Bruckner!).

Other highlights of these particular performances and arrangements include the controlled dissonance in "Caravan", the power and beat of "Black and Tan Fantasy", the propelling swing of "It Don't Mean a Thing" and the sweet vocal of "I let a Song go out of My Heart".

Other performances of these pieces recorded by the Ellington orchestra are equally wonderful but very different. I love hearing his different arrangements and performances of a given composition - it's part of the joy of listening to Duke Ellington - but I keep coming back to this LP. (I stream its tracks now - my copy is pretty scratched).

4 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Hi, you person who reads this. Hope you like this review.
First of all, this album is an important one, for young boys and girls who saw a “revolution” n these four man.
If I were an American little boy of 8/10 years old, this album, in any sound, would meant something, a something that people loves and appreciate.
Second a more deeper critic
Cover: truly, is a tiny big difference, leaving in evidence the difference of UK and USA until 1966/7 with the covers and songs.
Cold colors helps to notice this. The blue and serious faces are the best, with the promotion slogan.
Songs orders: yeah, I admit that is just a take-and-put album, but the arrangement is very energetic and appreciated. First, a little twist with touches of love; second is a twist and energetic dance with a wondrous story by the hand of Lennon-McCartney; third one is a big difference between those first two, talking about a heartbreaking situation for a young man; fourth seems like the case of the first two, with changing tempos; fifth is the same as the fourth, with another kind of arrangement; sixth one is a good closing face.
On the side two, first song, we star with a early George Harrison composition, which shows how dramatic and heart touching George can be. Seventh one, is like a cup of coffee, but a cup of energetic that makes your body moves. The third one is truly a good one by Paul cover. He did a great job, with the Spanish vocals and Spanish guitar. Fourth it isn’t my favorite, but I admit that h they did a great job, truly a decent one
Fifth song is a good one by Ringo. Is like some kind of tradition, he appearing on each album, with good vocals.
Sixth and last one is a good closing theme.

In abstract, a big hit and smash by the Fab Four.

4 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

I bought this album at an outdoor rock festival [Great Western Express] . I had seen a clip of HH&F on the OGWT and liked what I saw. I had borrowed their first album from a friend who raved about them and thought it was OK, but nothing special - but I bought it later. Luckily I had a plastic bag to keep the records dry as it pi**ed down all the time we were there. Every track on this album is very good and it hasn't aged all that much. Great drumming throughout and some nifty guitar work makes it still playable and enjoyable today. In fact I have it on CD with a couple of bonus tracks. Safety in numbers - Hot property - Jack Daniels are among my favourite tracks. I've since seen Albert Lee with the Everly Brothers and Chas Hodges in the 1960's with Screaming Lord Sutch.

It still gets a regular spin.
Well worth a listen if you can get hold of it.

6 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

A great album which I've owned since new. Very few "fillers" here, most are excellent compositions. I'd love to know whether it's Barbara Moore or someone else doing the glorious scat vocals on this album: given that it was Johnny Keating's orchestra and thus at least the backing was recorded in the UK (?), it's possible that that IS Barbara!

4 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Out of all the 70s K-Tel albums that's my favourite based on tracklist.

For me - and this is my personal opinion of course - the only really duff track is Y Viva Espana (but to be fair that's probably only because we went on a package holiday to Spain that year when I was a child and every singer in every cafe / bar was singing it.)

1 person found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Danny Kirwan's final album Hello There Big Boy is quite a bittersweet album, because it was the last one he would ever make and the sessions coincided with his mental health deteriorating to the point where he could no longer continue his music career after the album's release.

He did sing and play rhythm guitar, but it's unlikely that he played any lead guitar, although two songs, ironically, feature his own Fleetwood Mac replacement Bob Weston playing lead guitar. Bob Weston (I'm using his full name to avoid confusion with Bob Welch) did remember that Danny had totally fallen apart, because he could still play rhythm guitar, but incapable of playing lead guitar.

The first track "Wings of a Dove" has a very Rumours-like production sound and even ex-Fleetwood Mac manager Clifford Davis, who produced it, described the album as so bad and said that Danny had to finish it for contractual reasons.

It's very sad that Danny fell victim to alcoholism, mental illness and homelessness and never made any official return to music, not like Brian Wilson or Peter Green.

5 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

"Joie de ma jeunesse", un disque rempli de l'esprit nouveau

De tous les temps, les disques religieux n'ont pas atteint la popularité des classiques ou des chants à la mode. Pourtant, il en est qui manifestent bien l'esprit nouveau, qui sont excellents au point de vue technique et fort agréables à entendre pour peu que l'on soit dans le vent de l'oecuménisme et du renouveau liturgique. Tel est le cas du disque "Joie de ma Jeunesse'

Disons tout de suite que cette série de chants rythmés ne se veut pas des modèles du genre, mais nous croyons qu'ils peuvent servir d'inspiration aux chorales de jeunes qui affectionnent ces chants vraiment dans le vent.

Les chants suivants : Seigneur, prends pitié; Saint, saint est le Seigneur; Seigneur, tu es présent nous ont plus particulièrement. La voix sobre de John Littleton, le soliste, est bien appuyée par une chorale de jeunes. La musique est bien rythmée mais demeure généralement douce, bien différente d'une musique de cabaret. Pas de tambours trop éclatants, l'orgue demeure l'instrument de base.
(Père Emile Legault c.s.c., La Presse, samedi 21 septembre 1968, page 25)


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This album is originally released in 1957, and co-written by the late Bamber Gascoigne [of University Challenge, but sadly passed away on the 8/2/2022]. Also, this album launched the show rising careers of Kenneth Williams and Dame Maggie Smith. I`ll treasure this album as a tribute to Bamber Gascoigne [who`s my favourite quiz master].

4 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Must try harder is all I can say about it...strikes me as a bunch of under-developed ideas, there's barely a song worth talking about other than "Hopper"...

2 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Une jeune chanteuse québécoise qui en est à son premier microsillon. Même si la chanson Alabaloné qui tourne beaucoup actuellement et qui figure dans plusieurs palmarès ne le laisse pas deviner., Linda Mailho possède une formation classique Mais elle ne commet pas pour cela que des chansons "intellectuelles". Elle essaie plutôt de toucher à tous les genres de manière à rejoindre le plus de monde possible. Elle a été "découverte" lors de son passage à l'émission "L'Ami Boulanger"

Un album qui plaira aux amateurs de danses sociales puisqu'ils auront l’occasion, au fil des chansons, de "pratiquer " un peu ce qu'ils auront appris à leurs cours de danse. En plus du "meringue" de Alabaloné. il y a la samba de "Un soir" et plusieurs autres rythmes à la mode. La voix est belle, parfois prenante et cette jeune chanteuse pourrait faire son chemin. Une autre pièce à signaler. "Le musicien" sur un rythme un peu Antillais
(Bernard Custeau - La Tribune, samedi 12 avril 1980, page E4)

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Un très beau lancement pour PIERRE ROCHE

Pierre Roche qui avait ralenti quelque peu ses activités depuis quelques années reviendra tout probablement à la surface avec le nouveau microsillon qu'il a enregistré pour la maison Apex, et qui a été lancé officiellement la semaine dernière dans la Vieille Capital au Motel Congress Inn. On sait que ce nouveau microsillon a été enregistré directement de la boîte à chansons du Congres Inn, où Pierre est en vedette depuis déjà plus d'un an. Plusieurs personnalités artistiques et journalistiques de la Vieille Capitale et de la métropole assistaient à ce lancement qui s'est avéré un vrai succès.
(Télé-Radiomonde, samedi 25 février 1967, page 10)

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RENTRÉE DE PIERRE ROCHE SUR DISQUE

Pierre Roche, que l'on n'a pas entendu sur disque depuis quelques années, c'est à dire depuis qu'il a fait ''L'amour m'est venu'', vient de signer un contrat d'exclusivité avec la maison Apex, qui a décidé de le ''relancer''. Vendredi soir prochain, on enregistrera le tour de chant de Pierre au Motel Congress Inn de Québec. Le tout sortira sur un long-jeu au début du mois de janvier. Nule doute que cette nouvelle réjouira les amateurs de belles chansons.
(Télé-Radiomonde, Samedi 3 décembre 1966, page 5)


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After a good and long listening to this album album, I can tell you that this album is another view the the Beatles, with the Stu Phillips as the head of the arrangement and the Hollyridge strings, making it different, like an elegant and fancy orchestra playing Beatles “yeah, yeah, yeah” era songs, recreating them very freshly.
Yes, I can understand that For some, this album and many more is just trash of something, but for others, and this one includes me, this albums gives another kind perspective to the viewer, which wants to listen to good and rhythmic tracks while it’s doing something normal that is related to music.
And the stereo mix is something of another world.
The tracks are amazing, some are the best, some are a little lower for me.
The most important opinion this time and for all, is yours, you, the person who is reading this, I can promise you that you won’t be disappointed if you listen carefully this album

4 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Great big monster music, for those who fancy an extra dose of Led Zepp.

...Well, in part.

The first song is uncanny like AC/DC, and John Miles does an incredible impression of one of their tunes, with only a light flavouring of Jimmy Page / Zepp guitar work.

The next two are more bona fide Zepp style tracks, and big and thumpy and screechy wailing rock affairs (but again, with Miles' AC /DC style vocal, until the man himself arrives:

For Robert Plant himself turns up for vocal duties on The Only One... but oddly, this is less convincing Zepp tune... more llke latter day Zeppelin, when they began to wane a little.

And the A side concludes with a Zeppy instrumental workout.

The B-side however, employs the vocals of Chris Farlow, and the style of the music is more gritty, dirty Blues, both slower, and grimier than the A-side.

All of which makes this like two halves of different albums welded together:

A-Side, a hard and fast AC/DC / Zeppelin side, and the B-side a more straight up Blues album.

...Probably doesn't give you enough of either to be honest, and the contrast a little too different.

Oh, and "Blues Anthem" is anything but, if you ask me, it sounds more like a pipe and slippers sing-a-long... almost worthy of a Eurovision entry from back in the day! (nice tune though)

Odd.

But, this being one of those Alsdorf pressed marvels, the sonics are amazing throughout...

...It sounds enormous, huge and menacing, with big widescreen effect, and all with real power and grunt, as well as astonishing clarity.

Nice for a little extra Zepp fix in a couple of places, and maybe almost half a decent blues album.

2 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

First off, let's talk about that fantastically ugly cover...

...If you were to judge this particular album by it's cover, you might well wonder what on earth the music is like inside; Perhaps concluding it was some kind of late sixties hangover Victorian accordion based psych twizzling.

But you'd be quite some distance off the mark.

...As, despite the mega-paisley appearance, this is more punk-ish new wave -ish, pub-lite rock, which has more in common with a range of other band's music that was going on at the time...

(And, for some of whom, these guys were not coincidentally, the session musicians)

... There's a strong whiff of the Cars first album, The Jam, Wilko Johnson, Elvis Costello and an assortment of variious New Wave-ery going on.

I can't say I was that taken with the "Max" album previous, that I have (and is seemingly ubiquitous in record crates), as that was a little too much of lean toward the pub rock thing running parallel to the punk scene...

...But this is a much more bouncy, upbeat, tuneful, and melodic affair... lot's of great songs and tunes to get you nodding along.

The music is great, and the harmonies and backing vocals are all top notch, but the problem is really two things here:

(other than the cover! :)

Firstly, there's no convincing lead vocal on any of the tracks... they just don't have the lead vocalist required to push this all up a level. Not bad, just a bit flat and, well, sounding like a band member doing a run through of the vocal until the real vocalist arrives.

...And secondly, that flatness is a little in evidence in the music itself. Noticeable the more so, because the musical styles they are approximating, or emulating that I mentioned earlier, has all that, and this suffers by way of contrast... doesn't have the punch, and snap, and distinctiveness of those others... and bouncing a little ineffectually off all their respective musical walls, without committing too strongly to one, in order to leave dent.

This is really evident on the track (which is a good one, but could have been better, if there was more commitment): Writing In The Water, which is very strongly flavoured with The Police, especially, Message In A Bottle... they just can't compete with that kind of delivery.

But there's a couple of songs where they do elevate the whole thing (mostly due to those harmonies), like Tula, I Don't Want The Night To End, and Houston., but the rest is, a nice, jolly bounce, but which does seem to run a little out of steam towards the end, but only a little... and maybe gets a little more introspective too.

The other noteworthy track is Pyramids, which, while in terms of the song itself, is probably one of the weaker ones, but about two thirds of the way through bends with wailing, otherworldly guitar effects into a psych mind popper of a droning noise-fest - far out!

And to conclude the weirdness, and get back to that cover, it's a top-loader, with the spine text on all three other sides, left, right, and bottom.

Vinyl and pressing is nice though.

I think this will punch through my criticisms over time though, as it has all the hallmarks of a "Grower", that will just seep into me, by degrees, through the strength of the tunes.

It's also cheaply bought, so well worth a couple of coins of anyone's money.

[YouTube Video]

[YouTube Video]

[YouTube Video]

6 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Super-noodly!

...I missed this album first time around, having been basically distracted by other musical offerings at the time, which drew my attention away from bjork, and onto other things...

... And having found Medulla in a charity shop last year, and found it largely unlistenable, I wasn't really inspired to seek this out.

... But having had a lucky double tap a couple of weeks ago at a boot fair, of finding both this, and a 180g reissue of debut (a fave) for a fiver each (more than I would usually go for at a boot), I came home pretty pleased with my day's work, and was even more pleased to find that this is a really good album!

A double disc 180g in a lovely glossy gatefold, it is a very consistent, thoroughly immersive, lo-fi beats, programming, and electro-noodle affair with multi-layered bjork vocalisations which create a choral effect overlay, with a final layer of the familiar bjork-ish weirdness in the lead vocals.

... It sounds like a musical version of James Cameron's "The Abyss" saturated with a heavy Boards Of Canada style vibe... Very floaty, and absorbing, and likely to put you in a trance like state... Or electro-coma! :)

It conjures images in the mind of some undefined nostalgia that you can't quite put your finger on, and which you'd swear you'd never actually experienced, and touches something profound you could not even describe adequately, but all in a very memorably melodic way.

My copy was scratched on all four sides, so it was a double happy experience to find no blemishes at all in the playing, in what is a brilliantly pressed vinyl, full of the rich acoustic weight that comes with the vinyl sound, coupled with the clarity and precision of a CD.

One little note... The back cover gives the last track title as UnisonA ("a" on the end) but everywhere else gives it only as "unison"... Although you'd need a magnifying glass to see it!

... And all this, for a fiver!!!

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This is one of the most sublime albums I have ever heard. There is something so pure and authentic and beautiful about Gordeanna (pronounced Gordeena not Gordy-anna) McCulloch's voice that you cannot help be enthralled by it. I say authentic because it is possible to turn scots song into something only for the front parlour, something cleaned up and gentle. The music on this album is beautifully produced but sounds just like the music produced around the fires of a traveller caravan. The instruments are carefully arranged with fiddle, concertina, lowland pipes (a gentle sounding bagpipe far removed from the stridency of the highland pipes), tasteful acoustic guitar and the purest scots voice of Gordeanna McCulloch. Each song is a pearl with beautiful melodies even when not accompanied, her voice rings true. She hits every note with precision and sings with a craft that she has worked on for many years.

I cannot recommend this album highly enough. I should perhaps add a note of caution. If what you seek from this is Andy Stewart singing "Donald Where's Yer Trousers" then you will be sadly disappointed. If you don't like Scotch whisky because it's too strong or the waters of Loch Rannoch because they're too wet, then you may not like this record. But then what would you like that is pure?

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Fascinating custom-grown concept lp about the book of Genesis that aspires to great progressive rock opera heights despite its low-budget underpinnings. Very homemade rock mixture featuring trippy low-budget harpsichord, acoustic and electric guitars, organ, electric piano, piano and drums, alternating solo male and female vocals with choral youth singing. The themes in Genesis provide a great opportunity for creative dynamics, including a loud fuzz guitar outpouring, edgy underground electric guitar/organ passages, psychedelic marching organ and fuzz, and a noisy instrumental collage. Chants of “kill your brother right now!” decorate the Cain and Abel number.
On the quieter end are some fulfilling acoustic songs and moody keyboard sections. An amateur production for sure, but with a wonderful sincerity and innocence. Words and music written by Paul Eakin and Tim Wilborn, sung by The Celebration Singers of Spring Branch Presbyterian Church, plus various soloists and instrumentalists. Intricately doodled cover illustration (mostly black and white, with a handwritten note to “color this creation”). Reported to be a 50 press item. From Houston, Texas.
(Ken Scott - Archivist)

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UNE PREMIÈRE POUR LE GRAND CIRQUE ORDINAIRE

De nouveaux musiciens sont apparus sur la scène du rock québécois. Il s’agit du ‘Grand Cirque Ordinaire’, qui convoquait récemment la presse montréalaise afin de procéder au lancement de son premier disque tout simplement intitulé « Le Grand Cirque Ordinaire », sur étiquette Capitol.

Ils sont quatorze jeunes comédiens et musiciens, qui ont pris ce nom fort significatif. Ils ne veulent qu’expérimenter divers aspects du show-bizz québécois. Ils ont ainsi décidé de mêler agréablement la musique au théâtre.

Le groupe ne comprend pas moins de six comédiens et un peu plus de musiciens. À des noms déjà connus comme ceux de Gilbert Sicotte (qui a joué dans les « Vautours » de Labrecque) ou de Frédérique Collin (qui a joué dans plusieurs pièces de Tremblay) sont venus s’ajouter les noms de Michel Hinton, Louis Cuerrier, François Richard, Serge Boisvert, Paule Baillargeon, Benoît Fauteux, Claude Laroche, Jocelyn Bérubé, Pierre Curzi, Jean-François Garneau et les deux principaux compositeurs des musiques, Raymond Cloutier et Louis Baillargeon. C’est tout ça « Le grand cirque ordinaire ».

Sur le disque quelques noms connus sont venus leur prêter main forte. On reconnaît ainsi le nom de Michel Rivard de « Beau Dommage », qui joue de la guitare ou celui du batteur d’ « Octobre », Pierre Hébert, qui tappe sur « Beau malaise » et « Truchement ».

Cette première production musicale du « Grand Cirque Ordinaire » pourrait fort bien marcher, si on réussit à promouvoir le disque correctement. Un 45 tours fut simultanément lancé, qui porte le nom de « Blues d’hiver ». Ça devrait tourner très bientôt si ce n’est déjà fait.
(Le Petit Journal, dimanche 1er février 1976, page 15)

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Le disque s’ouvre sur une fanfare comique de Michel Hinton, une grosse fanfare amusante qui nous met tout de suite dans l’esprit du G.C.O. Puis c’est une série de chansons où les textes chevauchent entre le poétique hermétique et le réaliste accessible. La musique elle, hésite entre l’emportement (L’Atlantide, à la fin, et Suite pour un truchement et la monotonie. Les mélodies sont simples, parfois très simples.

L’espect le plus intéressant du disque est sans doute le « vécu », la dimension insaisissable de l’expression d’idées et de sentiments. Le théâtre mis en musique nous arrive avec des chanteurs qui peuvent donner beaucoup de sensibilité à la chanson québécoise nouvelle… Vive la famille! L’idée d’un grand groupe de comédiens-chanteurs et musiciens n’a pas encore atteint toute sa maturité, pour la simple raison que tout le monde financier de la business musical n’y voit pas son intérêt et cherche à y mettre les bâtons dans les roues. Pourtant il y a du monde assez courageux pour essayer… j’espère que ça va continuer et que des groupes comme le G.C.O. bourgeonneront, ils appartiennent à la grande famille des bandes nomades de troubadours, des réveilleurs de coin-de-rues… un peu comme The Perth County Conspiracy et Incredible String Band.(à une certaine époque).

Les chansons du G.C.O. sont presque toutes des petites chansons. Leurs structures est traditionnelle. Elles répondent à un goût installé dans le ventre de chacun. Un goût pour la complainte de chaise berçante qui fait partir les enfants vers… « l’autre à l’heure de l’émeraude, qui rejoindra l’autre à l’heure des merveilles ».
(Pierre Voyer - Mainmise, mars 1976, page 20)

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