Uncut The Ultimate Music Guide - November 2019
Uncut The Ultimate Music Guide - November 2019
Uncut The Ultimate Music Guide - November 2019
OGG ROCK
OC
T H E A R C H I V E C O L L E C T I O N
“PRETENTIOUS?
I CAN’T SEE IT”
40
GREATEST
“A FLASH
OF MAGIC”
PROG
50 YEARS OF
KING
ALBUMS
ELP
ON TOUR
CRIMSON
GENESIS
“WE GET OFF
ON FANTASY!”
“A GOOD
CONCEPT”
PINK
IN-DEPTH
FLOYD
...AND THE FULL STORY
PLUS!
YES
MOODY BLUES
JETHRO TULL
OF ’70s PROG ROCK CARAVAN
REVIEWS VAN DER GRAAF
GENERATOR
SOFT MACHINE
CLASSIC
ARCHIVE AFTERWORD BY
FEATURES ROGER DEAN
GATEFOLDS | CONCEPTS | COLLECTABLE PROG | FLUTE SOLOS
FROM THE MAKERS OF
JOE STEVENS
PROG ROCK
Welcome back
my friendsÉ
S
TRANGE to relate, since prog is one idiom range of influences beyond rock’s traditional base in
where he’s never set foot, but a decisive rhythm’n’blues. Literary inspirations. Classical
figure in the music’s development is motifs. While a listener’s mind wandered into the
Mick Jagger. This isn’t so much for his fantastic landscape of a Roger Dean sleeve, musicians
encouragement of King Crimson – who stretched themselves into strange new shapes beyond
appeared with The Rolling Stones at Hyde Park in the map of traditional songs. You engage with a prog
1969. More because for many of the musicians who LP less like a record and more like a book: prepared for
would come to define this music over the next a journey, and expecting the unexpected. No wonder
decade, Jagger represented the apogee of a traditional it was a genre that thrived on the university circuit.
rock showmanship to which they could never aspire. In this latest addition to our Ultimate Genre Guide
These instead were people with different musical series, you can read about the birth of UK prog
ambitions and inspirations, but no less determination rock (in prog’s house there are many mansions, but
– even if the traditional exchange between star here we will concentrate on the UK golden age, 1968-
and audience was not for them. It might be hard to 1978, so no Focus, no Rush, no Marillion, and no
reconcile with the fox head, the batwings and the angry emails please) from the most musically
makeup, but in his theatrical fronting of the classic accomplished end of the psychedelic movement
Genesis lineup in 1973 Peter Gabriel was, in fact, at the end of the 1960s, to its mutation
retreating from the limelight. into vaguely complex radio-friendly
With their masks and strong visual rock (Genesis), into scary new
presentation, prog musicians accommodated shapes (King Crimson) or benign
their perceived shortcomings as entertainers, revisiting of old glories (Yes).
and in so doing gave a powerful identity
d to In addition to the classic
this new and expansive music. c. Im
Imprisoned interviews collected here, you’ll
behind keyboards, Rick Wakemanem (right) also find deep engagement with
embraced capes. As their work rk
kmmoved the main players in substantial
away from songs and towardss d dynamic new career reviews. You’ll find a
instrumental suites, our coverr stars,
s rewarding trip to the wilds of
Pink Floyd, retreated from their
eiir record the Soft Machine catalogue,
sleeves and, live, hid behind a series a guided tour of the double
of disorientating projections. entendre-filled world of
When they launched The Dark Caravan and a moving and
Side Of The Moon at the insightful view of the career of
RICHARD E. AARON/REDFERNS
6THE MOODY
BLUES
1967: a Brummie outfit rejects the
becomes king of the
concept album
14KING CRIMSON
Robert Fripp and his 42SOFT MACHINE
Psychedelia, prog,
Magical musical worlds, from
Atomic Rooster and Camel to
multi-instrumentalist
18 CLASSIC INTERVIEW!
“What do we do?
Stop pushing ahead?”
46 CLASSIC INTERVIEW!
“We’re a
very unplanned group”
A cult in England, big in Europe,
the intense and singular misfits
became generally much loved – 100 CLASSIC INTERVIEW!
“I’m excited
As King Crimson become Soft Machine’s Robert Wyatt on even by punks by the visual aspect”
a sensation in the UK underground, bridging the jazz-rock divide Special effects, silly costumes,
a US tour nearly breaks them
24 EMERSON, LAKE
& PALMER
The Canterbury
Scene begins with an eclectic
work which lasts 25
minutes lying around
cusp of global fame and fortune
28 CLASSIC INTERVIEW!
“English
teapots, cosmic
jesters and
surrealist
76 PINK FLOYD
Prog goes stadium, with
sonic innovations, mighty concepts,
“We’re a
people’s band”
Yes mania engulfs the States as Jon
bands tend to be adventures in side-long song suites, amazing Anderson and Rick Wakeman speak
more theatrical” sound artwork and dramatic visuals out from the eye of the storm
ELP perfect their own
atmosphere and scale
the pinnacle of rock
theatrics – with the
58
“Maybe
CLASSIC
INTERVIEW! 80 CLASSIC INTERVIEW!
“The dark side is
inside people’s heads”
118 MISCELLANY
Prog tropes and the
Top 20 most collectable prog
help of 100 roadies! the next album, Neuroses, paranoia and pressure: albums, from King Crimson to
no pot-head 1973 sees one of the greatest concept Gentle Giant
34JETHRO
TULL
pixies…”
Gong blow minds in
albums of all time
EDITORIAL
EDITOR JOHN ROBINSON
UNCUT EDITOR MICHAEL BONNER
ART EDITOR MARC JONES
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MICHAEL CHAPMAN
DESIGNER LORA FINDLAY
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MICK MEIKLEHAM
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MIKE JOHNSON
PICTURE EDITOR PHIL KING
THANKS TO KEVIN GRANT
COVERS PRINTED BY
WALSTEAD ROCHE
TEXT PRINTED BY
WALSTEAD SOUTHERNPRINT
COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY
HIPGNOSIS
PRODUCTION &
OPERATIONS
PRODUCTION MANAGER
NIGEL DAVIES
PRINT WALSTEAD UK LIMITED
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AVP, COMMS & PARTNERSHIPS
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THE
MOODY
BLUES
Destination: “enlightenment”. Third eyes open, a Birmingham band reject the
club scene for classical motifs and religious overtones. By Nigel Williamson
O
NE night in early 1967, The that was about to become the sound of 1967.
Moody Blues were playing Shortly after, keyboard player Mike Pinder
a godforsaken cabaret club purchased a second-hand Mellotron. In
in Newcastle. Dressed in the early 1960s Pinder had worked for
frightful matching blue suits, the manufacturer, Streetly Electronics
they were feeling utterly dispirited. It had in Birmingham, and allegedly found the
been two years since they had hit No 1 with machine unloved and unused in the working
“Go Now” and they had failed to chart since. men’s club at Dunlop’s Birmingham factory.
Their dejection turned to despair when, A mechanically complex instrument
after a lacklustre show, an unhappy punter that used a system of pre-recorded tapes
barged his way into the backstage closet to create an atmospheric quasi-orchestral
that served as a dressing room and told sound, the Mellotron opened up new
them they were the worst band he had possibilities in symphonic pop. Psych
ever seen. Recognising a degree of truth was about to become prog.
in the complaint, guitarist Justin Hayward The Beatles had recently hired a Mellotron
burst into tears. for use on “‘Strawberry Fields Forever”, and
Yet it proved to be not only a turning point its trippy, swooning textures would soon
in The Moody Blues’ fortunes but also a become a key prog motif in the hands of
catalytic moment in the development of Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Genesis, Yes
what would soon come to be known as and others. However, few mastered the
progressive rock. notoriously temperamental instrument
With the Summer Of Love about to burst better than Pinder, and The Moody Blues put
forth in all its tie-dyed glory, the suits were the Mellotron at the heart of their next single,
mothballed and replaced by beads and “Love And Beauty”, and their debut album,
kaftans. More significantly, the group Days Of Future Passed, which they spent
underwent a complete musical rethink. much of the summer of 1967 recording.
Within weeks, Hayward’s “Fly Me High” By the time of its release, Sgt Pepper’s
was released as The Moody Blues’ next Lonely Hearts Club Band and Pink Floyd’s
single. A barely coded drug song (“I’m up to The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn had
the eyes and I love everyone”), it didn’t chart already dramatically changed the musical
but the group took encouragement from a landscape. Yet Days Of Future Passed
renewed sense of purpose on an engaging aspired to a higher ambition. As executive
early example of the psychedelic acid-pop producer Hugh Mendl wrote in the
of their seventh and eighth albums. True reuniting. Pinder was the most reluctant offered a comfortably plush substitute.
enough, they still preyed on classical music and declined to return to Britain, so the In recent years an extensive programme
Asking fewer
(“Isn’t Life Strange” drew inspiration from band travelled to California to record. questions: of expanded and remastered reissues of
Pachelbel’s Canon In D), and both Every The eruption of punk ostensibly made (top, l–r) their 1967–72 canon has resulted in a partial
Graeme
Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971) and it an inopportune time for a Moody Blues Edge, Ray re-evaluation of their influence, although
Seventh Sojourn (1972) went to No 1. But comeback, yet 1978’s Octave was welcomed Thomas, their perceived pomposity has remained
Mike Pinder,
times in a small way were changing. “The by conservative fans with surprising Justin a stumbling block to anything more
Story In Your Eyes” single was their last fervour. Over the next decade the group Hayward substantial. Half a century on, The Moody
and John
to feature their signature Mellotron. went on to sell as many records as ever. It Lodge in the Blues remain the last great unrehabilitated
Meanwhile John Lodge attempted to was as if ‘year zero’ had never happened. early 1970s band of the prog era. ●
“We had
to rethink
the whole
scene”
Cabaret is dead, but albums and exotic
philosophies are thriving. THE MOODY BLUES
move with the times, “coining it” on the
Continent and attracting huge but nefarious
crowds with their heady “progressive pop”.
“We wanted to get out of the singles rat race,”
says Mike Pinder. “We didn’t want to record
singles we didn’t believe in.”
NME AUGUST 31, 1968 “Voices In The Sky”, enters the singles
“CABARET is the chart this week at No 27.
graveyard of the Graeme and lead singer Justin Hayward
fallen pop groups popped round to the office to drag me out
and we didn’t want for a drink where we talked about their
to stick there and developments and plans. “Justin and John
die.” So says Moody had breakdowns during the cabaret,”
Blues drummer Graeme told me. “There’s nothing worse
Graeme Edge than playing music you don’t believe in to
explaining the northern audiences who aren’t interested.
outfit’s change of policy. From the days of “If we had stuck it, the group wouldn’t
loud, raucous straight pop numbers like have lasted until Christmas. We had to
“Bye Bye Bird”, the Moodies have turned stop and rethink the whole scene.”
PICTORIAL PRESS LTD/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
into a forward-looking and highly creative There was a 12-month integration period
group who are earning much praise from for Justin and John after they joined the
the people who know. group, during which time Justin had to
A few weeks ago, The Moody Blues come together with four natives of
played a concert at the Queen Elizabeth Birmingham who, he found, thought
Hall and gave everyone a nice surprise differently from him musically.
with their musical talent and abilities. “It was a gradual thing,” he explained.
Now, their near-perfect album In Search “Graeme played me his type of records
Of The Lost Chord is climbing the NME and I played him folk, things like Simon &
LP chart and a track from the album, Garfunkel albums that he had never
said. “The tracks are by different people and make a dramatic impact that we really believe in – things that we really
reflect their thoughts. We wrote it at the time upon the charts, but create enjoyed like Days Of Future Past.
when The Beatles were with the Maharishi. I significant best-selling “It’s not completely an accident when you find
think they expected too much from him, they albums and thoughtful, yourself successfully doing something that you
were looking for a miracle. sensitive singles, like like. If you really enjoy what you are doing, the
“At the time, everyone was getting involved in “Voices In The Sky”, which effort is that much more and the work, therefore,
false religions and false philosophies.” meander about the lower regions of the Top 30 that much better. The mental release is greater.
KING
CRIMSON
Amid much fanfare, a bunch of basement visionaries knock the crown of ’70s rock
askew. An odyssey of blown minds and ever-shifting goalposts ensues. By Sid Smith
I
N the early days of January 1969, wanted to be the best band in the world. It
London’s weather was prone to sleet. might have seemed laughable, but everyone
Understandably Robert Fripp, Michael that made the trek down the Fulham
Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald and Palace Road quickly found out that these
their roadie/lyricist Peter Sinfield were pretenders to the throne really could play
keen to get out of the cold as they lugged exceptionally well – and as “21st Century
their equipment, including a Mellotron that Schizoid Man” ably demonstrated, with the
took four people to lift, down into the new kind of dramatic precision that could knock
rehearsal room located by Sinfield a week their elders into the ground like so many tent
earlier. In that cramped space underneath pegs. If “…Schizoid Man” caught the violent
the Fulham Palace Road Café, they tinkered immediacy of its geopolitical surroundings
with cover versions that sometimes included as America and the Soviet Union fought
“Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and Joni proxy wars in Asia against the backdrop of
Mitchell’s “Michael From Mountains” as the moon landing, the portentous “Epitaph”,
well as nascent original material. wreathed in funereal Mellotron and Greg
At this point they’d only been together a Lake’s impassioned vocal, looked at the
matter of weeks, with Lake the last to join. longer-term prospects of a future generation
While Fripp, Giles and Lake had all worked and offered a pessimistic assessment.
on the West Country music scene in and In the following weeks a small stampede
around Bournemouth, Ian McDonald had of record companies beat a path to the
only recently returned from overseas where basement seeking to sign up this new act.
he’d been stationed as a bandsman in the Bands such as Yes and Genesis, Pink Floyd,
British army. As they searched for a name The Moody Blues and others watched in
as well as a distinctive musical identity, jaw-dropped amazement whenever
Sinfield came up with King Crimson, from Crimson gigged. Jimi Hendrix was spotted
one of his poems that had been kicking dancing around the tables at the back of the
around for a year or so and Ian McDonald Revolution club loudly shouting that “this
had just memorably set to music. is the best band in the world”, famously
It was a grand gesture of a name, a going up to the young guitarist from
declaration of intent and ambition by a band Wimborne in Dorset asking to shake his
of unknown nobodies punching way above hand. Some groups, such as Vertigo act
their weight. But a few more rehearsals Gracious, were so intimidated by the sheer,
down the line, this group decided they relentless musicality that, rather than
IN THE COURT IN THE WAKE LIZARD ISLANDS LARKS’ STARLESS AND RED
OF THE OF POSEIDON 1970, ISLAND ISLAND, 1971 TONGUES IN BIBLE BLACK ISLAND, 1974
CRIMSON KING ISLAND, 1970 6/10 7/10 ASPIC ISLAND, 1974 9/10
ISLAND, 1969 8/10 ISLAND, 1973 7/10
9/10 8/10
follow King Crimson on stage at a show in Michael Giles announced their intention to (l-r) John Wetton,
the provinces, they deliberately poured a quit at the end of the American trip. The David Cross,
Robert Fripp and Bill
pint of beer onto their power supply in order quintet’s dazzling, meteoric career from Bruford in the Larks’
to spare their blushes. start to finish had lasted a magical 335 days Tongues/Starless-
era Crimson, 1974
Everything went fast for this band who before burning itself out.
were convinced they had a ‘good fairy’ In January 1970, Greg Lake accepted Keith
looking out for them. By the time they Emerson’s offer to form a new group and
supported The Rolling Stones at Hyde Park King Crimson began to look like progressive
before 250,000 people in July, just two days rock’s most celebrated ‘one-hit wonder’,
after Brian Jones’ death, they’d already such was the impact and importance of that
recorded radio sessions for John Peel. In debut. The momentum accompanying the
the summer, after sacking Moody Blues group in that first year was now replaced by
producer Tony Clarke, who was to have chaos and uncertainty as Fripp and Sinfield,
worked on the first album, they recorded the only survivors from the original lineup,
and produced their debut, In The Court Of
The Crimson King. Such was the word of
mouth and press frenzy about the group,
upon its release in October it entered the The momentum
album charts on both sides of the Atlantic,
aided and abetted by the unsettling gaze accompanying the
of the screaming face adorning the cover.
One of the most striking LP covers ever to
group in that first year
fill a record shop window, it conveyed was now replaced by
something of the power of the music it
housed and quickly became the gold chaos and uncertainty
standard for what was then beginning to be
called progressive rock. navigated from one recording to another
Touring America, being ’coptered into with an ever-changing cast list of guest
shows at Palm Beach and blasting the players and a determination not to let
brains out of the assembled freaks and Crimson collapse. Recorded in the spring
hippies packed into the Fillmores East and of 1970, In The Wake Of Poseidon sought
West, it seemed like nothing could stop King to replicate the structural dynamic of its
MICHAEL PUTLAND/GETTY IMAGES
but with any crowd sounds skilfully mournful “Starless”. Moving and indeed some members
an
removed, posited an almost telepathic from an aching ballad to the of the band itself, entirely
means of sniffing out vivid atmospheres, glowering tension and release by surprise. With material
creating gravity-defying rhythms, razor- of its screaming one-note reimagined and redefined,
rei
sharp interactions that could be opaque guitar solo, it dramatically Fripp’s setlist going forward
Fr
and mysterious one minute and bone- closes the door on the to their 50th-anniversary
crunchingly direct and rocking out in-your- turbulence of the 1960s and celebrations in 2019 draws
ce
face the next. These sonic explorations, 1970s. Red’s brilliance rivals Crimson’s heavily on that tranche of songs such as
which owed as much to contemporary impressive ’60s debut. “Starless” that had lain unplayed for well
classical experimentation as they did Just as In The Court Of The Crimson King over four decades. In some cases – 1969’s
rock or jazz, were forged into a compelling had set the bar and inspired countless “Moonchild”, “In The Court Of The Crimson
hybrid that placed Crimson outside the bands at the time of its release and in King” complete with its apocalyptic coda,
programmatic conceptual-orientated epics subsequent years, so too Red changed the substantial portions of the gnarly Lizard
of their contemporaries. game for yet another generation of players. Disciplined: suite – they were being performed live for
Focusing all their efforts on working in the Between the span of Crimson’s releases, (above right, the very first time. Appearing at the Rock In
l–r) Fripp,
USA during most of 1974, where they played admirers as diverse as Uriah Heep’s Mick Bruford, Rio festival before 100,000 people and an
their final date at a packed Central Park in Box, Herbie Hancock, Joe Strummer, Adrian estimated live television audience of several
Belew and
New York, Fripp in particular was exhausted Henry Rollins, Kurt Cobain, Kate Bush, Tony Levin in million, King Crimson’s capacity to surprise,
and looking to bail out. Emotionally and Talk Talk’s Mark Hollis, Tool’s Adam Jones, Tokyo, 1981 shock and awe remains undiminished. ●
Stop pushing
ahead?” A new group called
KING CRIMSON becomes
a sensation in the UK
underground, but a US tour
nearly breaks them.
“I hope this doesn’t sound
pretentious,” says Michael
Giles, “but another group
could come along and simplify
what we play and they would
be away. There are strong
feelings in the band to get
into more involved music.”
WILLIE CHRISTIE
MELODY MAKER OCTOBER 18, 1969 NME NOVEMBER 8, 1969 thought, has been playing drums for 12 years,
AT the beginning of this FASHIONS are pleasant but first in Bournemouth alongside people like
year a new group arrived can be dangerously short- Zoot Money, Peddler Roy Phillips and Shadow
on the London club scene. lived. In roaring out from John Rostill and then in London from 1967.
None of its members were nowhere in a matter of half a Session work and various unsuccessful groups
known from past exploits dozen months to become the came before he formed Giles, Giles & Fripp with
with other bands but fashionable Underground Robert Fripp.
within a few months they attraction of the day, King Fripp himself, King Crimson’s lead guitarist,
were being talked about Crimson have a problem. had spent three somewhat soul-destroying years
as THE group in this year “It’s very worrying,” playing in a resident hotel band, backing cabaret
of the supergroups. agreed drummer Mike Giles, speaking from artists like Bob Monkhouse and Norman
Pete Townshend has described their first their manager’s Kensington mews house before Vaughan before the “forgettable” group with
album, In The Court Of The Crimson King, as an the group left for its debut tour of America. Mike Giles, about which they don’t like to talk.
“uncanny masterpiece”. They are Ian McDonald, “But I cannot see what on earth we can do about Ian McDonald, 23 and on sax, clarinet, flute
Pete Sinfield, Bob Fripp, Greg Lake and Mike it. How much are we responsible for what’s and Mellotron for King Crimson, is a former army
Giles, collectively known as King Crimson. happened? We started off doing our thing and bandsman who has played in all kinds of outfits
“We started rehearsing in January although after that it was not up to us at all. People either from classical orchestras to wind ensembles.
the people were together in the November before go to see you or they don’t. If they do and word Former draughtsman and member of the Gods,
getting the equipment together,” said Ian on his gets passed around, there must be some value where he switched from lead to bass guitar, Greg
first visit to the MM with Pete Sinfield. behind the fashion.” Lake is now the lead vocalist, while fifth member
“I wasn’t in a particular band, I was looking for The success of King Crimson’s first album, Pete Sinfield doesn’t actually play in the group
the right one. Bob, who plays guitar, and Mike, In The Court Of The Crimson King – in at No 14 but writes lyrics and operates the famed King
the drummer, were in a band together which in this week’s NME chart – really has been Crimson light show.
wasn’t a success and which nobody talks about. staggering, too staggering for some – notably the The group came together in January this year;
Greg was in a group called the Gods. groups who had been slogging round the circuit first Robert and Mike, closely followed by Ian and
“I joined Bob and Mike and I’d known Pete for only to discover King Crimson racing past them then Greg. Pete, a one-time computer executive,
about a year as we started writing songs together, to become the biggest potential success the drifted in later: “I thought how bad the lights
which we still do. I’d done various things and Underground has produced this year. So while were in some clubs and I said I would build
been in an army band for five years. Greg plays the majority of critics, underground connoisseurs them some to give colour on stage. At the
guitar and looks after the vocals. I play flute, sax, and musicians have been showering lavish praise beginning I was just changing the lighting for
clarinet, Mellotron and any other instrument in their direction – “original”, “sensational”, “the each song, but eventually I started ‘playing’ the
I can get my hands on.” new Beatles” – there has also existed a small but lights with the music.”
Pete Sinfield looks after King Crimson’s light vociferous band of detractors. All five brought different influences. Says Mike
show, an important part of their act, which aims “I think we have had our success a little too fast Giles: “You have got jazz from me, classics from
at total involvement. for some of the people who’ve been trying to make Bob, Beatles and Dylan from Pete and Ian and
“Originally I was just writing the words for some it for ages,” says Mike Giles. But although the heavy rock music from Greg. But the divisions
of the songs when I thought we should have some band could be called an overnight success, its aren’t really that satisfactory because we all like
lights. Just pure lighting, as the lights in some of members certainly couldn’t. Giles, a 27-year-old jazz, we all like Beatles and Dylan etcetera…”
the clubs were so bad. who speaks with deliberation and much fore- The group rehearsed for three months in a room
Then I got a bit more involved in it and tried to beneath a café in London’s Fulham Palace Road
get some intensity and feel into it. The first light and made its first public appearance in April.
show I had only cost £40 but I’m having one for
£500 by an electronic wizard.” “MOST PEOPLE ARE “There was a very hard core of people who gave
us support early on,” said Mike Giles. “They
Ian McDonald continued the King Crimson NOT QUITE SURE spread the good word for us around the clubs and
story: “We rehearsed for two months and then
did the opening gig at the Speakeasy and the WHAT TO MAKE OF when we went out and did our first gigs we found
a lot of people already knew about us.”
Lyceum, which was disastrous. But we got to US. WE MAY BE AHEAD Their biggest stroke of luck was a booking
OF OUR TIME”
the business end of the thing very quickly and on The Rolling Stones’ Hyde Park extravaganza.
we signed with Atlantic although Mercury It is no meagre tribute that more than a quarter
made a bigger offer.
“When we started nobody knew what
PETE SINFIELD of a million Stones fans who had sat for hours
on the hard ground raised howls of delight and
was going to happen. We just surprise for the aggressive music
knew it had to be good and it of King Crimson.
Schizoid men: King
had to be something different. Crimson in 1969 – Like many of their Underground
There are all sorts of influences. (l–r) Fripp, Sinfield, contemporaries, the group has a
Giles and Lake
Bob [Fripp] brings in a lot of loathing of ‘hype’, although Pete
classical things as he listens to and Mike say it has been somewhat
Bartók, Mike brings in a lot of exaggerated. “It was because
jazz, Greg brings in a lot of heavy everybody had been messed
things and I weave my way around by managers and agents,”
around the lot.” explained Pete. “Particularly Bob,
The group shortly tour America, Mike and Greg, who have been
where they hope they will be able through every bad scene in the
to write a lot of new material for a pop machine.”
MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES
“Pretending to be something you’re not,” MM and we have also had bits in the
I replied. underground papers here.
“Because we’ve been called pretentious,” “Among the people we have worked with so far
Pete continued, “and I can’t see it. is Al Kooper, who was disappointing. He was
“I think most people are not quite sure what backed by a new group, a second-rate soul band.
to make of us actually. Audiences aren’t quite We also worked with Om, a very nice heavy rock
sure which bits they should applaud. We may band, and Steve Miller. Audiences here still seem
be a little bit ahead of our time. They can see to favour English groups – perhaps because they
there is something worthwhile but they are seem to project more than the Americans. One
not sure what.” unexpected problem – the power seems rather
Mike: “What do we do? Stop pushing ahead, peculiar over here and I’ve been having trouble
cash in on what is simple for people to with the Mellotron. Every time the lights go down
understand, or go by our own standards? I hope it goes out of tune. Audiences seem pretty much
this doesn’t sound pretentious but another group the same as in England but we have re-paced our
could come along and simplify what we play and breakthrough, King Crimson is now in America. show so that it builds more to a climax.”
they would be away. They left last week for a two-month tour, Ian said there was a possibility of the group
“There are strong feelings in the band to get into complete with three tons of equipment, recording a single for Atlantic during the tour.
more involved music. If we did this straight away including Pete Sinfield’s lights. “It will cost BOB DAWBARN
I don’t think we would have an audience for it. a fortune to send,” said Mike. NICK LOGAN
Nevertheless, we enjoy what we do at the moment NME NOVEMBER 29,1969
and believe in it, and it earns us enough money to MELODY MAKER NOVEMBER 15,1969 THE number of British
set up the machinery to get into the music we “AMERICA is even more bands zig-zagging
want to in time.” American than we had lucratively across the
The group made its debut album three times: expected,” said King American continent rises
more through their own inability to be their own Crimson’s Ian McDonald monthly. Fleetwood Mac,
producers than for musical reasons. on the phone from Chicago. Nice, Jethro Tull, Led
Pete: “We were trying so hard. And we were “For example, they have Zeppelin, Fat Mattress and,
rushed at the end to get it finished. It could have a TV programme instead of course, The Rolling
been much better.” of our Epilogue called Stones were just a part of
Mike: “It could have been 50 per cent better. Sermonette – unbelievable!” the heavy British contingent on the US trail when
When we started we were going to be a recording Crimson are on their first trip to the States and King Crimson drummer Mike Giles phoned the
NME from a New York hotel last week.
TRINITY MIRROR/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
group more than a live group and it appears to will be away for eight weeks during which they
have turned out the other way. play a string of major dates, including a Miami In fact, resident at the same hotel at the same
“There is a definite lack of feel on the album concert with The Rolling Stones for which they time were Joe Cocker, Spooky Tooth and The
in some places and only about 30 per cent of are being flown by helicopter. Liverpool Scene. But for all our successful
the sound everybody wanted. What is missing “The album is out here now and seems to exports – in King Crimson’s experience – being
is the presence, the harshness, the attack. We be getting plays on all the New York stations,” new and British presents no easy access to fame
ideally need a sixth member of the band in the reported Ian. “Actually we were surprised to or instant acclaim.
shape of a producer.” find that people knew us when we arrived. This “We thought there might be a bit more
As is so often the case when a group makes its was partly due to people reading about us in appreciation because we were English, but
there wasn’t,” said Mike. “We have had to work musically. We saw the Steve Miller Band, who MELODY MAKER DECEMBER 20,1969
extremely hard and had to change round our are now down to a trio, and they were a WRITES Mike Giles to MM
equipment and bits of our act. We’ve moved disappointment as well. We also worked with from the USA: Good day
Greg [the vocalist] from the side of the stage to Al Kooper in Boston and weren’t impressed with to one and all from a very
the middle, for instance. him either – although he’s a nice chap.” homesick scribe on behalf of
“There have been no sort of instant reactions. The group haven’t had many chances to the Great Crimso, otherwise
On the first night in Boston there was just a ripple talk to young Americans but, says Mike, “the known as KC, Crimso The
of reaction from the audience. It was terrible. So Underground seems to be pretty strong, mainly Great or even King Crimson.
we had to work really hard the next few nights as a gathering point for young people. Since we last reported
and on about the third we were beginning to get “They are much more militant here about police back to MM, we have played
people with us. and social problems because they are affected Detroit, New York and the Palm Beach Festival.
“On the whole I think we have found audiences more. There’s also a lot of hostility towards At Detroit’s East Town Theatre we played with
more reserved than in England, but that may be people with long hair. There was a man in a The Band, who were excellent. Their songs,
because we are unknown and they know nothing supermarket making strong comments about arrangements and performance were all very
of our birth. The scene itself is very similar to that us, but we’ve tried to steer clear of that sort of together and we got the impression that they
in England. Reputations grow more by word of thing to avoid trouble.” were very sympathetic to each other’s musical
mouth. If somebody likes you they pass it on to In The Court Of The Crimson King, which is at attitudes and played to each other, thus creating
someone else.” 10 in this week’s NME LP Chart, had been on a complete band to listen to. There were, however,
Considering it was 5.30 in the morning New York release just five days when we spoke. “We’ve had flaws in their presentation although it didn’t
time, Mike sounded bright and cheerful as he a fair amount of FM radio,” said Mike, “and a few seem to matter.
consulted his diary for interesting things to pass people in the business spreading the word and The East Town Theatre was fairly well
on – but he admitted that in the first few weeks doing nice things.” organised and is a large old building complete
morale had sunk a little low. On their fifth week of the tour with four to with seats, food and drink for the groups, fair
“Well maybe not low, but it wasn’t that good. It go, the group is spending spare time writing dressing rooms and a good audience. We did
is improving now though. Mainly it was down to material for the second album, and have most of get the feeling, though, that our music was so
the fact that we were having to hang around for the ideas. They plan to record during February different from their usual diet that they will have
three or four days of each week with nothing to and March. “It will be different from the first,” to hear us again live and on record before they
do. But after all the bad luck, equipment breaking offered Mike, “and better.” can really get into it. But we were well received.
down, venues burning down and morale not too After a holiday over Christmas the group then We also played another Detroit theatre, the
good, things are looking up. embarks on a series of major concerts. Grande, with Jefferson Airplane. We were not
“We’ve yet to do the places that really count and “We hope to do some clubs as well,” said Mike. inspired by either.
we’re looking forward to them… like the Fillmore “I don’t think it would be fair to some of the Then on to New York with many days waiting
West, the Stones concert in Miami, Los Angeles audiences who cannot get to concerts – and also to play at Fillmore East with Joe Cocker and
Whiskey. We’re with Fleetwood Mac at the there are some nice clubs. But mainly it will be Fleetwood Mac. We did Friday and Saturday,
Fillmore. When we have done these places, if we concerts because it’s not only better for us but for two shows a night. Everyone must have heard
are worth knowing about then we will be known. the audience as well.” NICK LOGAN about the Fillmore so all I can say is that it is the
If we are not, we won’t. best place we have ever played. Their stage
“I think we are still learning,” Mike replied management, light show, facilities and
when I asked what the tour had taught the band.
“IT’S NOT THAT organisation are magnificent.
to do that with King Crimson. no plans to form a set group – “Just us two and A single will also be released during the three
“The group has a very broad mixture of music anyone else who might like to play” – and the months’ rehearsals to compensate for the long
but the average feel of the songs I was not happy same goes for live appearances, although none gap between albums.
with. It is not happy music. And I want to make have been fixed. And the new music? “One of the reasons for the
music that says good things instead of evil things. “I suppose it is a gamble,” concluded Ian, long rehearsals is to allow the personalities of the
“The music will be more varied. I doubt if there “but I have sufficient faith in the music.” new men to come out in the music.
will be much paranoia or aggression. There will So what then of King Crimson? Despite Ian and “I have a feeling it will go to extremes – and that
be less frustration.” Mike’s major contributions as both writers and will be a gas.” l NICK LOGAN
EMERSON,
LAKE &
PALMER A supergroup faithful to their heritage expand into a
keyboard-butchering behemoth. By Nick Hasted
C
IRCUMSTANCES made ELP jazz musicians such as Jan Garbarek, who
pantomime prog villains in the drew on his ethereal native folk music rather
summer of 1977, when they than stiffly replicate jazz’s socially loaded
were joined by an orchestra in black source. In a rock culture reliant on
Montreal’s snowbound Olympic authenticity signified by blues suffering and
stadium in the video for “Fanfare For The excitement, it left ELP on a lonely limb. Even
Common Man”, a No 2 UK hit whose release Lake came to doubt their stubborn stand.
was symbolically bracketed by the Pistols’ “I will always have a certain amount of
“God Save the Queen” and “Pretty Vacant”. regret somewhere deep down inside,” he
But it wasn’t punk that did ELP in – they confessed in his autobiography Lucky Man,
were uniquely despised from the start. “particularly as a singer, at not being able to
They were the definitive supergroup, embrace American soul, blues and country
uniting The Nice’s showman keyboardist music… as much as I would have liked.”
Keith Emerson, King Crimson’s bassist- In truth, Lake had reacted to rock’n’roll’s
singer Greg Lake and the less storied arrival as deliriously as his future rock peers.
20-year-old drummer Carl Palmer (late of Putting it to one side with ELP was both
Atomic Rooster). They were viewed as out- strategic, and a statement of intent. “Just to
of-touch, dues-dodging dilettantes in the play some rock’n’roll would have been very
hippie press long before the punk rock enjoyable,” he told Sounds, “but not serious
weeklies put the boot in. enough for us to take on as a band.” It was
ELP were also deliberately resistant to ELP’s keyboardist who was truly indifferent
being a rock band at all. Feeling the blues- to rock. While young Reg Dwight was having
rock field was played out, their stated his suburban Middlesex horizons blown
intention when they began in 1970 was to wide open by Jerry Lee Lewis and Little
abandon the black American motherlode Richard, over in the Sussex coastal
which had so entranced the previous backwater of Worthing, they left Emerson
decade’s Surrey delta prodigies. “We cold, in a classical and jazz-ruled boyhood.
wanted to… stick to our heritage,” Emerson ELP were prog’s perfect template in the
recalled to journalist Phil Harrison. “We’re way they abandoned every expectation
white, we’re European, we didn’t want to embedded in 12-bar blues, the epochal
pretend to be something that we’re not.” fission of ’50s rock’n’roll, and the resistant
This paralleled the ’70s declaration of spirit the Dylan-led folk revival had also
cultural independence by Scandinavian fused into rock’s DNA. Even if, as Emerson
EMERSON, TARKUS PICTURES TRILOGY BRAIN WELCOME WORKS WORKS LOVE BEACH
LAKE & ISLAND, 1971 AT AN ISLAND, 1972 SALAD BACK, MY ATLANTIC, 1977 VOLUME 2 ATLANTIC, 1978
PALMER 6/10 EXHIBITION 6/10 SURGERY FRIENDS TO 6/10 ATLANTIC, 1977 4/10
ISLAND, 1970 ISLAND, 1971 MANTICORE, THE SHOW 6/10
7/10 8/10 1973 THAT NEVER
6/10 ENDS –
LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN
MANTICORE, 1974
5/10
music is mechanical and does not have a feel Emerson, 1972 appropriation of such themes with The Nice recorded at Newcastle City Hall on March 26,
to it like most rock’n’roll,” even their engineer and the orchestral “Five Bridges Suite” on 1971, and you can hear this people’s band
Eddie Offord blithely told Melody Maker. their 1969 LP Five Bridges, Jon Lord’s 1969 among their people. All the prog-haters’
Yet this badly underestimates their Concerto For Group And Orchestra with Deep clichés about out-of-touch elitists melt away
emotional commitment. Emerson’s earliest, Purple, and George Martin’s chamber when you listen to a roaring audience
deeply comforting memories were of arrangements for The Beatles, gives the response reported throughout their early
drifting to sleep as his dad played accordion. album graceful light and shade at odds with tours; in Birmingham, they were still calling
Lake called his devoted, poor working-class ELP’s techno-rock reputation. for more 30 minutes after ELP had climaxed
parents’ Christmas present of a guitar when Lake’s 12-minute “Take a Pebble” is the with their version of Mussorgsky’s 1874
he was 12 “God”, and believed music was a album’s heart, its discrete sections finding piece of the same length, which forms the
gift based in love. “A lot of art comes out of room for his winsome croon and poetic title piece and near-entirety of this great live
difficulty, a lot out of rebellion,” Lake told lyrics, exploratory acoustic folk blues and LP. First heard by Emerson at the Royal
Festival Hall in 1969, he later called it “just with his new, ex-King Crimson effort on “Pirate”’s
a bunch of great tunes” – which, from this co-lyricist Pete Sinfield. The unflagging, swaggering,
tour de force to their hit with Copland’s 28-minute “Karn Evil 9” 13-minute orchestral high
“Fanfare”, was classical music’s biggest finally attempts the truly seas adventure that is ELP’s
boon to ELP. Lake’s own classical training conceptual suite that last hurrah.
can be heard in his limpid Spanish guitar “Tarkus” bluffed, decrying The accompanying
during “The Sage”, and his voice is chorister “loss of humanity as humanity orchestral tour that Emerson
pure on “Promenade Part 2”, gently supposedly progressed”. Its insisted on nearly bankrupted
supported by Emerson’s organ as he sings apocalyptic “show that never them. Works Volume 2, released
of “childhood tears as dry as stone”. ends” resembles Bowie’s late in 1977, was an amiable
Emerson’s wild Moog explorations during Ziggy in its extravagance, outtakes compendium that
“The Old Castle” and the crowd’s deliriously with Afro-Cuban remained largely unbought,
bonkers response to it all show the ELP interludes and sufficient, while Love Beach (1978) was
phenomenon at a joyous peak, as the show’s sustaining melody. a contractually obligatory
sheer newness and scale of achievement is The live triple-album Welcome Back, embarrassment in a sleeve showing them as
eagerly absorbed. It’s also a record of My Friends To the Show That Never Ends “the Bee Gees on holiday”, (as Lake put it).
tremendous, assured dynamics, with – Ladies And Gentlemen was intended to They split that year.
multiple switchback climaxes and melodic clear the deck for a new phase, but proves Emerson and Lake’s mild ’80s success
highs. The contrasting, Tchaikovsky-meets- as unwieldy as its title, only Emerson’s with Cozy Powell in an ersatz ELP (“Lots of
ballroom-blitz encore of B Bumble & The ragtime solos really brightening the mood drummers’ names begin with P,” Cozy
Stingers’ garage novelty “Nut Rocker” before the overblown, 35-minute climax of protested) and two full reunion records,
sees them leave to yet more mayhem. The “Karn Evil 9”. Black Moon (1992) and In the Hot Seat (1994) –
Quo Army and Bay City Rollers seem apt “a complete failure” for Lake – couldn’t turn
early ’70s comparisons to the delirium back time. The mood after a final gig at the
caught here, as high ambition is met with
matching delight: “something they could
First heard by Emerson High Voltage festival in London’s Victoria
Park in 2010 “was like a cross between a
feel proud of”, indeed. in 1969, he later called party and a funeral”, Lake recalled.
Mussorgsky’s Pictures
Trilogy (1972) fine-tuned ELP’s The Emerson I met around then was a
innovations, with their individual gentle, kind man, speaking slowly and
influences now fully absorbed. “From the
Beginning” is a laid-back hippie ballad with At An Exhibition “just a operating on his own wavelength, but at
peace with his past, and even his punk
Laurel Canyon guitar, “The Sheriff” eerily
Elton-esque in its vocal and Taupin-like,
bunch of great tunes” neighbour in LA, John Lydon. “I always
thought it was fucking great that you stuck
comic Western lyrics, while their first Aaron knives in your organ,” the one-time Johnny
Copland cover, the US hit “Hoedown”, Something in ELP now broke. Taking tax Rotten told him over lunch. His 2016 suicide
allows more rollicking Moog and Hammond. exile in Switzerland, where Lake did press- by shotgun was therefore a shocking end.
“Abadon’s Bolero” uses new, 48-track studio ups with his neighbour Bowie, unity had Just before his own death from cancer
capacity for massive overdubs, but goes been exhausted by the time 1977’s Works the same year, Lake tried to define the
nowhere noisily during its eight minutes. finally arrived, and commercial momentum melancholy that was perhaps his friend’s
MELODY MAKER DECEMBER 19, 1970 stage. I’ve been playing it a lot
“WHAT a waste of talent recently. I’ve been listening to all
and electricity!” Greg Lake the rock drummers, and they all
stepped back from the play in eights, you know — THAT
spotlight and winked into kind of rhythm.
the wings. He was on stage “There are so many more patterns
at the Limmathaus, Zurich. to play. There is much more music in
Keith Emerson and Carl the playing of Elvin Jones, and I’d like
Palmer were trading freaky to play more melodic drum patterns.
phrases on Moog synthesiser Jon Hiseman has sussed that out — he
and drums. The audience sat enraptured. gets away from the usual patterns.
Emerson, Lake and Palmer were on the final “My playing has really changed
lap of a Continental tour that had left them happy no end. In ELP I can use the other
and exhausted. The kind of biting criticism part of me. My playing is channelled
hurled at them in London, and paraphrased by now. I’m using two gongs instead of
Greg, seemed irrelevant. Swiss fans loved them two bass drums in my solo. I like to
and demanded three encores, just as they had roll on them and play patterns on my
done all the way from Vienna. bass drum.
And the ovation was justly earned. The three “I’m really trying to find my own
musicians have blended their talents in a way that thing. People have said ‘he’s fast’ but
did not seem likely even to their earliest admirers. somebody said I wasn’t funky, which
The music is exciting, satisfying and at all times really annoyed me. I have tried to get
sparked by energy and sincerity. Just how valid across this barrier of the funky thing over a thousan
thousand nd fa
fans sitting
itti on theh floor,
is their flitting from the classics to jazz and rock? and technique, and Keith has brought out a lot waiting patiently.
I neither know, nor care. more in me. At one time, I must confess, I nicked There was no room off the stage, and there was
And it doesn’t worry me if blues material is ideas from other drummers. I was playing Elvin so much equipment on stage, it was practically
barely found in their work and that Carl rarely Jones records the other day, then I went to see impossible to see the band. But they sounded
chops firewood on his drums. ELP are Buddy Rich at Birmingham. great as they roared through “Pictures At An
mercifully different and strictly non- “Buddy really has that technique and he swings. Exhibition”, “Barbarian”, and “Pebble”.
underground. Hallelujah. Now – if I could get the FEEL of Elvin Jones and Back to the hotel, Greg ordered Scotch and Coke
Still slightly shattered after a recent tip to the technique of Buddy – well I could be doing and we talked in the bar, until 1am.
Germany with Colosseum, I flew on wings of something new in modern rock drumming!” He revealed the group were not too keen
molybdenum from cluttered London Airport to to visit America, yet awhile. “We can make a
rainswept Zurich. living in England and Europe and be far happier
man who can argue with recalcitrant Swiss wants to get across to the masses as “There’s a piece of music written in 1964 by
lighting engineers, organise aeroplane tickets a big underground disc jockey. Ginestera – a piano concerto… it’s too much.
and rave into the small hours, without apparent If I don’t get some food soon I’m I still practise a lot. I’m more conscious
mental disorder. going to collapse – and that’s of getting into myself, finding out what
It was Mark who organised a marathon club putting it mildly!” music I have inside me, finding new
bash that evening for ELP who paraded the But there was no time for things to play.
cosmopolitan quarter of Zurich under the food. As the car squealed to “I like working with Greg. I get an
protective aegis of countless road managers. a halt, after getting lost in idea and ring him up at midnight
Next day we spent with Carl on a visit to the the rush-hour traffic jam, and ask him round to listen to
Paiste Cymbal factory in Lucerne, where the it was down to a quick something I’ve written. Carl comes
ancient craft of cymbal making is carried out on shower, and bundling as well, because he likes to be in on
the lake shores. sheet music, drum sticks arrangements from the beginning.
On the drive back to Zurich, Carl talked about and musicians into cabs. “Next year it’s
Greg
his drumming and the direction of ELP. The concert hall Lake, important to get
“I’m thinking of using my little jazz drum kit on was packed with 1970 our new LP out
and I’d like to make a solo piano and organ LP, that they are to close. in the band. He heard our
involving all sorts of styles, gospel, jazz, boogie And it is news that comes al
album and he especially
and blues. I’ve devised a technique for a different as a genuine shock liked Carl’s drumming.
li
style of 12-bar boogie, in 7/4 time. to musicians, fans, He may come to the
H
“This band is an ideal nucleus of talent, which promoters, managers. Fillmore
Fii tonight.”
will enable us to break out and do other things.” But if Bill Graham says The three once skinny
CHRIS WELCH he is tired and fed up English musicians briefly
En
with the rock business, compared pot bellies,
co
MELODY MAKER MAY 8, 1971 he maintains his sighed and climbed
si
BLOOD streaming from his enthusiasm for music. iinto
n their Cadillac.
head, a middle-aged man, His praise for Emerson, Now dark, the streets
N
white, well dressed, Lake & Palmer is outside were jammed with
ou
staggered into the fairly ecstatic. fans. In the foyer were heads
fa
headlights of the battered And, says a young New York fan jumping on little different from those you might see digging
Yellow Cab. The Puerto his seat behind me at the first show: “Christ – similar concerts in Berlin, Belfast or Birmingham.
Rican driver grinned and they’re brilliant!” Young, excited, they poured into the theatre,
looked at me quizzically. Earlier, over a meal before the show, Keith told slow-handclapping an underground movie,
The man’s son and wife me: “The act is really together now and things anxious for music.
pleaded with the driver. “It’s an emergency. are happening very quickly here. The audience Taking a seat, I felt a rising excitement with
Please take us to the hospital.” reaction has been really… well, inspiring.” Keith them. I had seen the band in Leicester, England,
“It’s up to him,” said the driver. “OK,” I said seemed genuinely surprised. only a few weeks before. How would their
with studied indifference, still expecting an “The album has sold 40,000 this week and incredible arrangements, Keith’s phenomenal
ambush. I think we only need a few more for a Gold. We artistry be greeted – here at the home of rock?
“You’ll never know how much this meant to have done five gigs so far, and the first one was in There was not long to wait for the answer.
us,” said the wife, helping her husband into the the outback somewhere – very informal – so we The New York fans seemed like really nice people.
emergency department. felt at ease.” Not in the least blasé, they responded with
“Thank you, thank you,” said the son, pushing Although Keith had been to the States before delighted yells to various outbursts of brilliance,
two dollars through the armour-plated screen with The Nice, Greg had been with Crimson and listened intently, told each other to keep quiet
that separates the cab driver from his passengers. Carl with the Crazy World, all felt the reaction to during the softs, and spontaneously roared
“You know – I think it was his wife who hit ELP has been nothing like the past. during the louds.
him,” giggled the driver, bumping and skidding “There has been a big change in the audiences,” “Right on!” yelled a kid nearby, “Far out!” And
through the 3am streets. said Keith. “Now they seem to know us, and they it didn’t sound phoney. “Christ, they really are
New York, New York. You can see the smog lying are really pleased to see us here. Our act is a little a super, super group,” another told a friend.
over the city as the Jumbo drops down from the shorter than it is in England, and we are not The band played magnificently, well aware
Atlantic crossing. doing Pictures At An Exhibition, because it would of the importance of the occasion, and perhaps
MICHAEL PUTLAND/GETTY IMAGES
Emerson, Lake & Palmer are playing at the make things too long. But we may play it when we even with a sense of history, in view of the
Fillmore tonight. And it seems like a good idea to do Carnegie Hall on May 26. We’re quite looking threatened closure.
go and see them. See Britain’s most exciting band forward to that! Keith was occasionally racing the already
blowing at America’s most exciting venue. “It’s a bit of a performance getting here with all furious tempos at times, perhaps through over-
Fillmore is a legendary name wherever rock our equipment and in some places we have excitement. But in view of the brilliant way Carl
music is played. And the day I arrive, Bill overloaded the power! But we have to use our and Greg kept up with the surges of power, the
Graham, the equally legendary owner, of both own PA. total effect was fairly devastating.
East and West Fillmores, announces on the radio “Apparently Miles Davis has shown an interest “Barbarian”, their Bartók-inspired opener,
i
instantly had the audience knocked back in their
seats, Keith leaping from organ to piano in his
shining, electric blue suit.
And the unleashing of “Tarkus”, the new
major work, induced screams at the twists
and explosions of the arrangement.
“Take A Pebble” was the subject of much
request as it is getting a lot of FM airplay.
This melodic tune has quickly developed into
Keyboard
a marathon to equal Pictures…, and among the warrior: Keith
highlights are of course Greg’s guitar feature, Emerson at the
Empire Pool in
which had the audience keeping time, and Keith’s Wembley, April
amazing piano tour de force. 1, 1974
He tore through a stream of improvisation
at the piano, moving into choruses from “Lady
Madonna”, a country hoe-down on electric hang on to their values, through rock music, minimised. He plays a singularly attractive
keyboard, then finally, breathless, back to the whoever plays it, and where ever it is played. brand of acoustic guitar, while his vocal style
ballad voice of Mr Lake, which proved too much CHRIS WELCH often reminds me of a schooled John Lennon, the
for the audience. notes pitched spot-on but given just a shade of
They stood up, and remained standing for the MELODY MAKER AUGUST 3, 1974 that nasal cutting edge, on original ballads like
rest of the show. Thence to the menace of “Knife GREG LAKE’S London home “C’est La Vie”.
Edge” and a cataclysmic “Rondo”. is a rare and impressive Will it affect his writing if ELP move to
Here Carl zapped into his solo with a kind of sight. A light glows outside a the States?
savage joy that held the audience in a trance. His town house in a quiet street “Yeah, I think it must do. Good or bad, you can’t
drums seemed to be revolving with him, like a that takes you back to the tell. You can see the difference between the
slow-motion spin dryer, while his hands were a 19th century. And there is American bands’ approach to music and
blur. Perhaps he has found a way to defeat the no doubt that Greg enjoys everything in general.
space and time barrier. At any rate, his sticks are the life that success with “English bands tend to be more theatrical and
going to catch fire one fine gig. Emerson, Lake & Palmer maybe the move will defuse a lot of the energy
The group literally staggered off stage, dripping has opened up to the one-time impoverished bass going into the theatrical side. I like to see a more
in sweat, and some minutes of yelling from the player from the West Country. all-round thing, more than just musicians
audience elapsed before they could be induced to But even when the subject for discussion playing, although I think the extreme theatrics
NORMAN QUICKE/EXPRESS/GETTY IMAGES; DAVID WARNER ELLIS/REDFERNS
offer up their encore. over dinner sometimes comes down to money of the rock business, of which we have certainly
Here a puzzling situation developed. On the and the problems of taxation, music is still the been a part, has reached a pinnacle. Everybody
Continent and in England, “Nut Rocker” is their guiding force for the amiable, slow-speaking is carrying their own light show now!”
finale, a kind of camp joke, which usually amuses third force in one of rock music’s most power- ELP really pioneered the big road show?
and entertains. The Fillmore people didn’t dig packed ensembles. “Yeah, they were a lot of the things we tried to
it. Perhaps Bee Bumble & The Stingers were Greg’s own music veers more towards the pretty get into. I think everybody does it so much now,
prophets unheeded in their own land. At any rate, ballad and meaningful song, usually written in it will count for very little.
the tune seemed unfamiliar. collaboration with poet Peter Sinfield, and it is a “It will go back to the roots. We are going to
Keith quickly sussed however and dropped cause for regret that perhaps more of this kind of carry on with the same show for this tour, but in
the number, to be replaced in a rescheduled material has not been forthcoming in ELP. places that haven’t seen it yet. The show we did at
programme. But they are the kind of band, with so much to the Empire Pool was the best show we’ve ever
It was an amazing weekend, and proved once play and choose from, where not everything can had, just without a doubt.
again just how today’s rock music HAS united the be made to fit. When there is a keyboard player “All the experiments we made, and all the
youth of the world against the crumby society. like Keith Emerson around and a percussionist of money we lost, paid off in the end because we
Bombarded with drugs, crime, war fever, the stature of Carl Palmer, then its small wonder learnt so much from the shows on the previous
pornography, traffic accidents, phoney that Greg sometimes gets a mite overshadowed. tours – what not to do – and in the end it paid off.
patriotism, the young shout their freedom and But Lake’s contributions should not be “Our basic idea was to perfect our own
atmosphere and recreate it each night. It was last show we do with this particular production. that to make a solo album would enhance their
a good idea but the problems involved were “We’ve just done a European tour, which was own identity. And so everybody was making
immense. We had one hundred road managers very necessary because we did so much damage solo albums. Which kinda put me off a bit, and
at one point, so you can see the cost. last time we went over. We were late for gigs, late still does.
“And yet we could justify each roadie, until setting up and this show was smooth! “I really don’t want to make it to come out like
we had a different system designed. It was “This show was twice as large and impressive a solo album. It certainly won’t be recorded like
really down to fatigue among the guys putting and it could go up in about five hours. Before, it ‘THE GREAT LAKE ALBUM’.
up the equipment. was ridiculous – it took all day. “I want it to have a title and be an album in its
“Now we have spent more time researching how “I’m glad we filmed that tour, looking back, own right. Then if people find out later that I’ve
unions work and how we can use them, and all because it was a step, a courageous step. done it, then great and that would be a fantastic
sorts of things – planning up front.” Everybody in the business said, ‘Don’t do it.’ dream for me.
How many roadies did the band have when they “But I want it to survive on its merits, and the
started in 1970? main motive is to see what, without compromise,
“Three – no, was it four?”
How did Greg feel about the new ELP album? “ALL THE my music will bring forth. Because in a band you
compromise and happily so. But it’s interesting to
“It’s the show. We’re doing all the things we EXPERIMENTS WE see what will happen when it’s just me.”
think people want to hear from our past records
and most of the new ones on Brain Salad Surgery. MADE, AND ALL THE Had Greg done many sessions?
“Just little demo things, little experiments, just
It’s just the live show.” MONEY WE LOST, really putting down tunes to see how they are
JETHRO
TULL
Hopping between genres, the one-legged minstrel becomes king of the
concept album, until the concepts nearly bury him. By Nigel Williamson
T
HE rich musical panoply of what of Anderson’s Tull to “do it all”. Eventually
in the late 1960s was fondly Anderson over-reached himself with
known as “the underground” War Child, conceived as an allegorical
contained a dazzling array of movie with a band-and-orchestra double
styles and subgenres. From the album soundtrack and a plot in which a
Fleetwood Mac-led British blues revival to teenage girl meets God, St Peter and Lucifer
the sledgehammer riffing of the “heavy” in the afterlife, choreographed by Margot
bands, from the pysch-folk of The Incredible Fonteyn and with John Cleese as a (much-
String Band to the jazz-fusions of Soft needed) “humour consultant”.
Machine and from the classical allusions of When the project collapsed under the
The Nice to the epic concept albums of the weight of its own pretension, Anderson
prog bands, it was a heady time to be alive. wasn’t sure whether to be frustrated
And Jethro Tull ambitiously managed to or relieved. Among prog rock’s more
pitch a tent in every camp. embarrassingly elaborate grand follies,
Tull debuted with a blues-rock album they surely didn’t get any grander or
that earned them a verse in The Liverpool more embarrassing, as the reddest of
Scene’s famous parody “I’ve Got These red rags to the punk hordes about to
Fleetwood Mac Chicken Shack John Mayall trample all over the carefully arranged
Can’t Fail Blues”. Leader and flautist Ian rococo furniture.
Anderson rearranged Johann Sebastian Anderson’s typically intransigent reaction
Bach for flute and rock band and stood on to punk was another concept album titled
one leg to play a Roland Kirk jazz standard. Too Old To Rock’n’Roll: Too Young To Die!,
The hit single “Sweet Dream” found Tull sending out a defiant fuck-year-zero
thundering as heavily as Led Zep. They challenge to those who denounced his band
went ISB fey-mystical on “The Witch’s as dinosaurs. Fads were ephemeral, he
Promise” and turned into latter-day Tudor declared, but “if you stick around long
troubadours on Minstrel In The Gallery. As enough, you come into fashion again”.
for concepts, from Aqualung and Thick As He had a point, too. Half a century on from
A Brick to A Passion Play and War Child, Tull Tull’s debut album, 2018 found Anderson
seemingly had them by the score. and the latest iteration of his band on a
In the sheer breadth of their scope and sold-out, celebratory world tour under the
ambition, arguably no prog rock band banner ‘Jethro Tull: The Prog Years’, which
rivalled the have-a-go determination continues in 2020.
THIS WAS BENEFIT THICK AS A BRICK WAR CHILD TOO OLD TO HEAVY HORSES
ISLAND, 1968 CHRYSALIS, 1970 CHRYSALIS, 1972 CHRYSALIS, 1974 ROCK’N’ROLL: TOO CHRYSALIS, 1978
6/10 7/10 8/10 6/10 YOUNG TO DIE! 7/10
CHRYSALIS, 1976
STAND UP AQUALUNG A PASSION PLAY MINSTREL IN 5/10 STORMWATCH
ISLAND, 1969 CHRYSALIS, 1971 CHRYSALIS, 1973 THE GALLERY CHRYSALIS, 1979
9/10 9/10 6/10 CHRYSALIS, 1975 SONGS FROM 6/10
7/10 THE WOOD
CHRYSALIS, 1977
8/10
playing rhythm guitar in his own group, to for British rock’n’roll. However, if you listen
take up another instrument.
Possibly influenced by The Moody Blues’
such names as Navy closely, in the Woodstock movie you can
hear Tull’s Stand Up being played over the
flautist, Ray Thomas, whose playing was Blue, Ian Henderson’s PA system between the live acts.
prominent on the recently released Days
Of Future Passed, Anderson picked up the Bag O’ Nails and The commercial success of Stand Up was
assisted by Tull’s insistence – unusual
flute, learning on the job and developing his
own uniquely idiosyncratic style, singing
Bag O’ Blues among ‘underground’ bands
a
– on continuing to release
non-album tracks as singles.
n
Between 1969 and 1971,
B
the band scored four Top 20
th
hits: “Living In The Past”,
h
““Sweet Dream”, “The Witch’s
Promise” and “Life Is A
P
Long Song”, all of which
L
were only available on
w
sseven-inch vinyl.
The follow-up album, Benefit,
marked a final farewell to Tull’s roots
m
as a blues band, Anderson’s densely
a
lliterate lyrics set against folkish
melodies with rock arrangements,
m
ccreating a similar soft/heavy dynamic
tto Led Zeppelin III. Yet it was mostly
a dress rehearsal for what was to
ccome next.
The first three Tull albums had
ffollowed what Anderson called
““a gentle progression”. Insisting
tthat the fourth album had to be
““different”, he was also determined
tto take full creative control and to
make a “serious” statement. He
m
ttook as his theme one of the
Pilgrim in the afterlife, no less. Presented in contained spoken-word intros and To Branches).
four “acts” and set variously in purgatory, a 17-minute four-part suite titled The glory days of Tull were long
heaven and hell, with a comic spoken-word “Baker St Muse”, while Too Old To gone,
g but old prog rockers can never
interlude that sat uncomfortably between Rock’N’Roll: Too Young To Die! was stop
s conceptualising. As a solo artist
AA Milne and an Aesop fable, the album intended as the soundtrack to a A
Anderson was still fashioning epic
was ferociously slated. muddled rock musical. Thankfully albums well into the new millennium,
a
NME called it “the fall of Jethro Tull”, it was never staged, and even iincluding
n a Thick As A Brick sequel,
Melody Maker found it “rattles with fervent Tull fans generally regard released on the 40th anniversary of
re
emptiness” and Rolling Stone dismissed it the album as an artistic nadir. the original. l
th
MELODY MAKER OCTOBER 16, 1971 football. You give up smoking and do deep-
PLAY CARDS”
religious fervour. is written off completely to adjust to the time
It is a stirring tale, this changes. Then you get bored and start writing or
pioneering by bold bands of practising. That’s something we’re just beginning
adventurers across the prairies, mountains and
IAN ANDERSON to do – practice. I’m starting to practise the flute
deserts in search of limitless treasure. for the first time.
See them battle with the pirate agents and taking drugs. But after playing four nights a “Basically, I have always just jammed in the
promoters. Thrill to the sound of savage week, suddenly my attitudes changed. America studio. But because of the structure of what the
audiences whooping a greeting to electric became the place to play and England was where band is doing now, we have to improve ourselves
warriors from far lands. I wanted to live. technically. I find I’m writing things I can’t play. I
And when they return, battle weary and “On our last tour we actually had a few days can only play in four keys, and I remember being
triumphant, the rock crusaders strip off their off. Yes, I remember now – we had a day off in given a piece of rock on a wooden stand for flute
boots, sink into a pile of skins and recount their Vancouver!” playing by the MM. If I’m going to win another bit
deeds, hardships and struggles, eyes glinting, Does Ian feel physically exhausted after an of rock next year, I’d better start practising.
lips curled over their teeth. evening of fluting, “I’ve been practising the violin lately – well it’s
“It’s often extremely guitaring and leaping?
gu all music. I bought a violin in New York and cut it
difficult to find a “Not really exhausted up to fit it with frets. Then I taped on a pick-up. I
launderette,” said one – if you keep a sensible finally used a hack-saw to take out a great lump,
such hunter, Ian Anderson pace, and don’t use all
pa and inside saw the maker’s name – ‘Stradivarius.’
of Jethro Tull, this week. your energy right away.
yo Oh, I’m sure it’s a fake. I couldn’t be that unlucky.
Ian has plenty of It’s like a game of
It’ I’ve got another violin which is a much better
experience in the art of
touring America. His band
“It’s not a dressing
has been 10 times, on each gown!”: Anderson
occasion building up their fronting Tull at
the Isle Of Wight
reputation, until now they Festival August
stand as one of the most 30, 1970
popular and highly paid.
It’s often difficult for
fans at home to realise
just how big are some of
the groups they used to see at their local
bierkeller or jive bar. Jethro are giants in the
States, but on their native heath... “they hardly
played Aqualung, our last LP”.
Just how did Ian and the lads crack that
impenetrable continent? What was the story
of Tull’s success? And what of launderettes?
Read on.
“America is consistent for us but here it’s
trailed off as far as most people are concerned,
in that we are not talked about so much. In the
final analysis – we do all right. We were too fast
coming up in England. In America it was very
slow. I saw Yes in America and they went down
well – much better than we did on our first tour.
We bombed out in a lot of places.
“Our first tour was in January ’69 when we
played the Fillmore in New York. All our gear
had been sent to Boston, and we were on with
Blood, Sweat & Tears. We were completely up
the creek. They vaguely knew our albums,
but basically we were unknown.
“At the time I thought it would be our first and
last tour. I thought England was the place and
that we were a little club group. In the States, the
groups at the time were like the MC5 and we were
a little more subtle. I was surprised when we
started to get a good reaction.
“After 13 weeks we lost money, so we had to
go back. The second tour was with Led Zeppelin
DAVID REDFERN/REDFERNS
in
instrument. I don’t think I could play it on stage, launderettes, for – er – highly But apart from
but it would be good for sessions.”
b personal wash. None of us t
trouble with
Tull have a kind of maxi-single on release at wash our stage gear.” llaundry – what
the
th
h moment with five songs, which Ian I mentioned that Ian’s about the mace
a
describes as an interlude between albums.
d famous old dressing gown battles, the
b
They have a new album on the way about looked like it hadn’t been untamed
u
which he waxed enthusiastic and they are
w cleaned for half a century. audiences, the
a
playing a British tour this month.
p “It’s not a dressing gown!” brutal police?
b
“It’ll be nice to do a proper tour of England, said Ian with mild “It’s pretty humdrum
“I
where it will be so much more relaxed than
w indignation, eyes rreally. But once we
the States.”
th popping slightly. played at Hampton Beach…”
pl
How much of a strain was it on the road? “It cost £60 and I had Go on...
“It’s a routine. Sometimes it’s a ’plane job. it made in Carnaby “And we played the most
Sometimes you can go by car, which means
S Street. But it has got disastrous
di
i set of the tour. We
you can see something of the country. Usually
y slightly ripped. If I played so badly we decided to
pl
it’s a two hour ’plane trip. If you’re late you go
it don’t wear it – I feel get them clapping on the
ge
straight to the gig. If you’re early you get a
st uncomfortable. It stinks beat. People started jumping
be
ssound check. After the gig it’s straight to the something awful, but it’s on the stage and fighting.
hotel, and it’s difficult to sleep because you
h part of me. It’s a personal The promoter tried to snatch
Th
are shattered, so you play cards. We play
a piece of memorabilia, the microphone away from
th
‘Black Bitch’ and if my wife travels with us,
‘B and as much a part of me and kept yelling, ‘I’m
m
sshe’s one more hand at cards. There’s no club playing as my flute. It’s the promoter – get off,
th
MICHAEL PUTLAND/GETTY IMAGES
SOFT
MACHINE
Psychedelia, prog, rock and jazz fusion, all lightly brushed with absurdism – Wyatt’s
undulating crew proved an endlessly pliable sonic machine. By John Lewis
S
OFT MACHINE have been several single, “Love Makes Sweet Music” – a piece
different groups over the course of charming freakbeat, not quite poppy
of their existence – a freakbeat enough for Ready Steady Go!, yet not quite
combo who morphed into pioneers freaky enough for the Summer of Love.
of psychedelic whimsy; an Its flipside, “Feelin’, Reelin’, Squealin’”,
experimental prog band who eventually is closer to the hippie ideal, a piece of
became a rigorous jazz rock act. The bulk of flute-drenched psychedelia featuring a
their output has been instrumental, but they growling baritone-voiced Kevin Ayers on
still managed to spawn three distinctive the verses and a tenor-pitched Dadaist
vocalists – Robert Wyatt, chorus from Wyatt. It would also be the
Kevin Ayers and Daevid Allen – who last recording that the band would release
questioned the fundamental nature of featuring a guitar for nearly a decade.
Anglo-American rock music. An early live engagement saw them on the
Uniquely among prog-rock bands, Soft French Riviera, playing in a production of
Machine tended not to use guitars, but Picasso’s outrageous, erotic play Desire
they’ve still managed to feature several of Caught By The Tail and already displaying
Britain’s top guitarists – Andy Summers a fondness for jazz-inspired improvisation.
from The Police, fusion guru Allan Allen left the band on the way home –
Holdsworth and jazz luminary John denied re-entry to the UK for overstaying the
Etheridge. And the band has been the terms of his initial visa from Australia, he
seedbed for dozens of other hugely stayed on the Continent to form the Anglo-
successful musicians – film composer French outfit Gong – but his surrealist vision
Karl Jenkins, big-name saxophonists lived on for the first two Soft Machine
Elton Dean, Ray Warleigh and Theo Travis, albums. In particular was Allen’s interest in
and drummers John Marshall and Gary the teachings of the French “pataphysicist”
Husband have all passed through the band’s Alfred Jarry, an eccentric, proto-Dadaist
ranks over the past half century. prankster who counted Picasso, Gauguin,
The band formed in 1966, from the ashes Duchamp and Oscar Wilde as friends.
of the Daevid Allen Trio and the Wilde The three-piece band’s debut album,
Flowers, featuring drummer Wyatt, bassist 1968’s The Soft Machine, is a wonderfully
Ayers, Aussie guitarist Allen and organist endearing collection of skewed pop songs. It
Mike Ratledge. The only recording made by was played with a certain rigour that owed
this quartet would be the February 1967 much to the band’s contemporaries the
THE SOFT VOLUME THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIX SEVEN BUNDLES SOFTS
MACHINE TWO CBS, 1970 CBS, 1971 CBS, 1972 CBS, 1973 CBS, 1973 HARVEST, 1975 HARVEST, 1976
ABC PROBE/ PROBE, 1969 9/10 6/10 7/10 7/10 6/10 8/10 7/10
BARCLAY, 1968 8/10
8/10
Jimi Hendrix Experience (whom the band “Orange Skin Food” both spin out into the
would support on a mammoth US tour that kind of territory explored by Frank Zappa on
year), but Wyatt, Ayers and Ratledge all After a US tour Hot Rats, with Hugh’s brother Brian Hopper
wore their experimentalism lightly – like
Alfred Jarry, this was a band who were very with Jimi Hendrix, playing harmonised solos on multiple reed
instruments. Best of all might be “Hulloder”,
consciously not taking themselves too
seriously. “Why Am I So Short?” is a hymnal
Kevin Ayers left, to be presumably written in the States, where
Wyatt checks his privilege over the course
piece of Wyatt whimsy, “So Boot If At All” replaced by the band’s of a lengthy, stream-of-consciousness
has a certain heavy rock swagger, with
organist Mike Ratledge playing like a roadie Hugh Hopper ramble (“If I was black and I lived here/I’d
want to be a big man in the FBI… but as I’m
metal guitarist; “Why Are We Sleeping” not/And because I’m free, white and 21/I
prefigures early Blur; while “We Did It into a shorter series of segued tracks to don’t need more power than I’ve got/Except
Again” is a hypnotic one-chord groove maximise on publishing income). The first sometimes when I’m broke”).
that anticipates the motorik krautrock that of these, “Rivmic Melodies”, is a 17-minute The entire album is a cornucopia of ideas,
Can would be making a few years later. suite filled with compelling shorter pieces. any one of which could have seen them
The album’s highlight might be “Lullaby “Good evening, we now have a choice moving in a dozen different directions. The
Letter”, an angular proto-punk miniature selection of rhythmic melodies from the direction that they did end up taking, like
with unusual chord changes that sounds Official Orchestra of the College of many other jazz-loving rock musicians, was
oddly reminiscent of Nirvana, with Ratledge Pataphysics,” announces Wyatt over a inspired by Miles Davis’s album Bitches
again playing a heavy metal solo on his jazzy, loping groove, before launching Brew. At the end of 1969, Wyatt visited a
Lowrey organ. into a Sesame Street-style recitation of London jazz club where the pianist Keith
After the US tour with Hendrix (when the alphabet over a quirky melody Tippett was performing with his eight-piece,
Andy Summers briefly joined the band), (track four, “A Concise British one that would later feature on his 1970
BIPS/GETTY IMAGES, PICTORIAL PRESS LTD / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
Ayers left, to be replaced by the Alphabet, Pt II”, repeats the Polydor album You Are Here... I Am There.
band’s roadie Hugh Hopper, and the track with the alphabet Wyatt was impressed by the horn frontline
band regrouped to create the 1969 recited in an entirely random that lurched between tightly written
LP Soft Machine Volume Two, which order). Anchored by Ratledge harmonies and free improvisation. “We
takes the Jarry-esque absurdism playing suspended chords on asked if we could borrow them to add spice
of the first album into an almost the piano, often with him to our distinctive but inflexible ‘bees-in-a-
symphonic dimension. The overdubbing buzzsaw organ bottle’ sound and they generously agreed to
influence of the band’s friends Pink riffs over the top, it’s a help out,” says Wyatt.
Floyd is strong (Wyatt, Ratledge and thoroughly appealing album, Elton Dean (alto saxophone), Marc Charig
Hopper had backed Syd Barrett on his and a fine vehicle for Wyatt’s (cornet) and Nick Evans (trombone), along
1968 solo debut, The Madcap Laughs). plaintive, mischievous choirboy with Lyn Dobson (flute and alto) and Jimmy
But the band also take a conceptual tenor voice. “Dedicated To You But Hastings (flute and bass clarinet), were
direction that owes much to Frank Zappa You Weren’t Listening” is a lovely added to the Soft Machine lineup, forming
(apparently, on Zappa’s recommendation, Mike Ratledge baroque ballad, while “Hibou a short-lived septet (Soft Machine weren’t
they split the album’s two dominating suites Anemone And Bear” and alone in their admiration of Tippett’s band
“We’re a very
unplanned
group”
Fresh from new collaborations,
SOFT MACHINE’s Robert Wyatt
is bridging the jazz-rock divide.
“I think of myself as a catalyst
for the real musicians,”
he tells Michael Watts
possessed under the hot lights of the Albert Hall [Windo] and Nick [Evans], that a whole different
excite us at the moment to whatever other I talk about it I think that if you think of it
area seems to excite us. Even the simple as a blanket thing you’re in trouble; a band
things, like the gaps, the lack of gaps, is created out of generalised theories sounds
because we are embarrassed, I think, to like one to me, always. And a band made out
have a silence on stage where the audience of people who’ve met and work together well
there, or even getting them together and at it. If I who’d gone out there – poets and writers – and his album. I haven’t heard it, but what he’s said
was really into drums as an end I’d be sitting here their children, their grandchildren, got invited about it I recognise, and I think a lot of us do.
practising. But I haven’t got a practice pad! So long out there by the people who stayed on there – you “In fact, it’s becoming a long syndrome in music
as I can play well enough to pin down what’s going know, the children of the people who went back – people going from complexity to simplicity. But
on and to emphasise the pace that’s necessary. to England during the war. And I’m one of them. I still feel very lost, actually. Sometimes I’m back
“From the technical point of view I’m just He’s no relation, though my father’s first wife was where I started six years ago. I’ve to go through
nowhere, really. I’ve always felt a bit his secretary. the cycle all over again now.” l
CARAVAN
From the Canterbury crucible comes an unserious but highly dextrous unit, out
of step but always in time. If they could do it again? They still are! By Paul Moody
C
ANTERBURY, APRIL 6, 1968. It was the beginning of a journey that
For the hundred or so regulars would take Hastings and the various
squeezed into The Beehive Club incarnations of Caravan from this sleepy
at 52 Dover Street, the rangy Kent backwater to stadium tours of America
figure at the front of the stage and the brink of stardom, all while
with the aquiline features and flowing exhibiting an eclectic array of influences
ginger locks looked strikingly familiar. that ran counter to pop orthodoxy.
Still just 21, Pye Hastings was already Where rock’n’roll was traditionally the
a fixture in a febrile music scene that had sound of the city, drawing its creative energy
seen local heroes Soft Machine become the from the streets, Caravan’s music – inspired
darlings of the UK underground over the by Anglican church music, jazz, folk and
previous six months. classical as much as soul and R&B –
However, this debut performance under tapped into a more meditative tradition,
the name Caravan – taken from the Duke as divorced from reality as Oliver Postgate’s
Ellington tune – marked a radical change creations during the period in nearby
of direction. Dispensing with the renditions Blean – Bagpuss, Ivor The Engine and
of jazz, soul and R&B standards they’d Noggin The Nog.
relied on in previous outfit The Wilde “I think the best definition is Robert
Flowers, the charismatic Hastings and Wyatt’s, which I heard from his own lips
fellow band members Richard Sinclair a couple of years ago at the University of
(bass), David Sinclair (organ) and drummer Kent,” says the band’s viola player, Geoff
Richard Coughlan – all casually dressed in Richardson, today. “Canterbury in the ’60s
flowing shirts and flared jeans – delivered was like the Galápagos Islands, where due
three sets of original material laced with to its isolation from the rest of the evolving
both a quirky pop sensibility and a sense world, strange things evolved unlike
of civic pride, encapsulated in standout anywhere else.”
track “A Place Of My Own”. Much like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales,
“The gig went down really well, Caravan’s story involves a rolling cast of
considering it was our first chance to try characters and more than its fair share of
out our own compositions on the public,” bawdiness. The son of a professional banker
recalls Hastings today. “Naturally, we in the Bank of India (his mother’s father had
loved it. The feeling was that we had been a police commissioner in India in the
something different.” days of the Raj), Pye Hastings’ musical
CARAVAN IF I COULD IN THE LAND WATERLOO FOR GIRLS CUNNING BLIND DOG AT BETTER
DECCA, 1968 DO IT ALL OF GREY LILY WHO GROW STUNTS ST DUNSTANS BY FAR
8/10 OVER AGAIN, AND PINK DECCA, 1972 PLUMP IN DECCA, 1975 BTM, 1976 ARISTA, 1977
I’D DO IT ALL DECCA, 1971 5/10 THE NIGHT 7/10 6/10 5/10
OVER YOU 9/10 DECCA, 1973
DECCA, 1970 7/10
7/10
GONG
O mother, don’t do it again! A cosmic joker blasts off from Planet Gong into
colourful, absurdist new universes of sound. By Jon Dale
D
OWN to their very core, French- anarchic goofball wisdom with great gusto.
British-Australian prog group The end result is a body of work that takes
Gong were deeply silly. At their some time to navigate, but yields continual
peak, in the early-to-mid 1970s, rewards. It’s a mission that Gong pursue, on
Gong was basically a grown and off, to this day.
man leading a troupe of musicians into an At the centre of it all was Australian
imagined world of surrealist adventure, full transplant Daevid Allen. A peripatetic
of Pothead Pixies, Octave Doctors and other figure, he turns up at odd moments
dippy-trippy stuff. But they were deep, too: elsewhere in the prog story – as a founding
their intention, ultimately, was nothing less member of The Soft Machine; through
than to bring about their audience’s psycho- connections with Caravan – his position
spiritual awakening. If other prog bands as the English beatnik-hippie’s beatnik-
could get a bit too portentous, Gong’s hippie guaranteed by his friendship with
humour and lightness of touch was a William Burroughs and Terry Riley, and
welcome reprieve, and offered yet another his involvement with the May ’68 protests
take on prog’s multifaceted aesthetic. in France. Allen cottoned on to the
Gong amplified the whimsy of the early seductive power of absurdity early in his
Canterbury scene and added a kind of life, figuring out that playing the holy fool
spiritual illumination drawn from Dadaism allowed him to sneak past the squares:
and pataphysics, populist mysticism, and “Behind a smoke screen of silliness, the
the socio-cultural turbulence of their times. cosmic joker could infiltrate anywhere while
Part of a number of scenes, but somehow teaching unhindered the ‘heresy’ of gutsy
existing out on their own, Gong’s tale is one spiritual transformation.”
of communes and the cosmos, jams and It was his French connection, though, that
jazz, “floating anarchy” and freaked-out really got things moving. An early lineup of
fusions – nothing less than the Gong appeared playing in Stockholm in
interplanetary and outerplanetary travels early 1968 alongside Don Cherry, with
of the expanded mind. It took them to some luminaries like Yoko Ono and Ornette
pretty weird places, but one impressive Coleman checking out their gigs. But
thing about Gong is just how much they Gong really first materialised on the
did – the group churned out plenty of counterculture’s collective radar thanks
albums across the 1970s, toured a whole to their debut album, 1969’s Magick Brother,
lot, and generally spread their message of released on the French label BYG, which
was connected to the a documentary about fuzzed-out guitar venom from Allen on
magazine Actuel, and deep motorcycle rider Jack songs like “Fohat Digs Holes In Space”.
in the zone with Paris’s Findlay. Most importantly, By now, Allen was also injecting his
bustling free jazz scene. though, the group laid signature “glissando guitar” into the Gong
With prog still in its down their first classic, sound, a warbly, tinnitus-ring drone he
developmental stages, Camembert Electrique. created by “glissing” the strings of the guitar
Magick Brother was With a team of sympathetic with a metal rod (apparently, handles of
an extension of early musicians on board – surgical implements were particularly good
Soft Machine’s psych- Pip Pyle, Shakti Yoni (aka tools). It makes his guitar sound hypnotic,
pop whimsy and Gilli Smyth), Bloomdido as though it’s playing itself, drifting on
playfulness, with an Bad De Grass (aka Didier eternally, hovering somewhere out there in
added, spacier dimension. Malherbe), The Submarine the ether. The group’s creativity felt endless
Indeed, throughout the Captain (aka Christian at this point, as though there were no limits
album, there are great pop Tritsch), with Allen as Dingo to their possibilities; but the truth of the
gems, and Allen certainly Virgin or Bert Camembert – matter was, Gong were in trouble, with
had some facility with catchy melody – “Behind a they finally got the collective Gong magic various members coming and going, record
smokescreen
even if he’d eventually drop that for Gong’s of silliness…”: on tape: almost 50 years later, this still plays label uncertainty, and Allen feeling pretty
extended space-prog jams. Magick Brother Gong circa 1974 as their strongest set, the most potent much as though he was on his last legs.
– (l–r) Laurie
also introduced the witchy “space whisper” Allan, Didier collection of psych-space-prog-rock-pop Help came from Simon Draper of Virgin
of collaborator and Allen’s partner, Gilli Malherbe, playfulness they ever recorded. Records, who made Gong one of the
Tim Blake,
Smyth. During this time, Gong were living Stevie Dunn, Part of what makes it compelling is how label’s first signings, alongside German
as a gang in a country house out near Daevid Allen, rough’n’ready it all sounds. “You Can’t Kill group Faust, and a young kid named
Steve Hillage
Fontainebleu, in France, sorting out their and Miquette Me” oscillates around a cyclical, driving riff Mike Oldfield. With the support of an
trip, getting together with two managers Giraudy that slams into the ground as a sax rudely independent label who were in the business
and starting to develop the cosmology blurts and blasts its way onto the tapes. “I’ve of thinking big, Gong entered their imperial
that would help elevate some of their Been Stone Before” follows, a drowsy anti- phase. Around this time, the group also met
greatest music. An Allen solo album, hymn, a church organ preset plotting the Steve Hillage, a guitarist who’d been a part
Banana Moon, followed suit in 1971, chords while Allen leers and swoops the of early proggers Archazel, and who’d led
recorded when Allen returned to England melody across the top. On “O Mother”, the Khan for a year or so. Hillage was the final
briefly, reuniting with Robert Wyatt and repetitive “don’t do it again” seems to wink at piece of the Gong puzzle, the person who’d
paying homage to old friend Kevin Ayers The Soft Machine’s “We Did It Again” riff- help to pull it all together, allowing the
with the affected plummy machine; “I Am Your Fantasy” group to make their now-legendary Radio
baritone of “White Neck Blooze”. loses itself in a wash of space Gnome Invisible trilogy.
1971 was a busy year for Gong. whisper and trip-flip-out By now, Gong were fully settled in their
Once Allen was back in France, meditations. Throughout, Fontainebleu commune and ready to get
the group embarked on a number the group unpin the songs, to work on their “magnum opus”. Allen
of projects. They backed poet let them loose from their was using Gong to plot out his visions,
Dashielle Hedayat on his oft- moorings. It’s a total trip, realising his desire to impart the wisdom
overlooked but beautiful album a plenitude of space-rock he’d accrued from years of inner and outer
Obsolete, a stunning, longform wildness, miniaturised exploration. If it comes across as slightly
set of improvisations. They also psych-prog operas, cult-ish, well, there was definitely a risk it
recorded a fine mini-album interstellar noise interference, could all look that way, but thankfully,
soundtrack for Continental Circus, and some soaring, searing Gong’s trademark humour undoes any
are her egg”. Here, Gong stretch bored, and indeed, this would be his last
things yet further, Allen’s goof- ’70s album with Gong; Hillage left soon
mystic pronouncements adrift in a after, only guesting on 1975’s jazz-rock
sea of drone and space blues, while stumbler Shamal.
songs like “Sold To The Highest Allen left the group in typically outlandish
Buddha” invent what feels like, fashion, freaking out at a gig in Cheltenham,
oddly enough, a kind of space-rock/ sensing a malign force at work and
prog-jam/music-hall genre mash-up. subsequently running out of the venue,
“Castle In The Clouds” is a beautiful hitchhiking home in full stage costume and
example of Hillage’s liquid multiplex makeup. With Pierre Moerlen subsequently
guitar playing, spiralling out speed- installed by Virgin as the group’s new
freak arpeggios that get caught up in leader, Gong became a different beast,
the twists and turns of a delay pedal. continuing down the fusty jazz-rock path
Angels Egg may not be the best – the tricksy playing and funkless grooves
album in the trilogy, but it’s probably of 1977’s Gazeuse! signalled this intent. It
the best entry point, simply as it tries was a betrayal of Allen’s, and Gong’s, wide-
to do so much: built from short eyed wonder. You could still hear that
snippets of spacey meditations, wonder, though, if you picked up the live
whimsical prog tunes, percussive albums of Allen-era Gong that were released
toy-pattern minimalism, and some in 1977 (Gong Est Mort… featured a briefly
overthinking, any abject seriousness. So, The Shamal Canterbury-esque driftsongs, with Smyth’s reunited classic-era Gong, from the ’77 Gong
instead of reams of theory and didactic, lineup, 1976: (l–r) “space whisper” and Allen’s colloquial Reunion showcase in Paris). Hillage went
Sandy Colley,
obscurantist proclamations, Radio Gnome Patrice Lemoine, pataphysics ever-present, it’s a lovely album solo, with Virgin supporting him as a kind
Invisible told the story of Planet Gong, a Mireille Bauer, where everyone’s playing sympathetically, of low-rent Mike Oldfield: his first three
Pierre Moerlen,
projection of an ideal Earth, through the Mike Howlett, fully inhabiting the Gong universe. If it all albums (Fish Rising, L and Motivation
wanderings of cartoon-ish characters like Jorge sounds kind of bonkers-visionary, that’s Radio) feature some good songs and
Pinchevsky,
Zero The Hero, whose travels have him Didier Malherbe because, well, it is, but it’s an absolute blast. delightful playing, but none of it quite
encountering the Pot Head Pixies, the By the following year’s You, though, the sparks like his work with Gong, and it
(Below) Steve
Octave Doctors, teapot vendors, the “great Hillage solo, balance in the group had shifted towards wouldn’t be until 1980, and the New Age
beer yogi”, and more, in a loosely mapped supporting the the more muso Pierre Moerlen, and the classic Rainbow Dome Musik, that he’d
Electric Light
quest for knowledge and transformation. Orchestra on result is the beginnings of a streamlined, really find his métier.
Was it ridiculous? Undoubtedly. Was it their North fluid jazz-rock: the surrealism is dumped, And what of Allen? He and Smyth retired
American tour,
compelling? That depends on your fondness February 1977 replaced with rutting musicianship. There to Deya in Spain, sustained by royalties
for absurdism. But there’s certainly are a few lovely moments, but Allen’s getting from French TV News’s use of Gong’s
something deeply fun going on with these “Continental Circus” as a theme tune,
outer-space radio broadcasts from Radio and recorded a few pleasant-enough solo
Gnome Invisible, “a telepathic pirate radio
network operating brain-to-brain by crystal Camembert Electrique albums, before heading back to Britain to
hook up with travelling proggers Here &
machine transmitter”. The first such
broadcast, 1973’s Flying Teapot, benefits
is the most potent set of Now, and their punk pals Alternative TV,
going out on the road as Planet Gong for
both from Hillage’s contributions and the
space-chamber bliss-outs of synth player
psych-space-prog- their Floating Anarchy Tour.
Gong would prove to have a hardy
Tim Blake. Some of the caustic edge of rock-pop playfulness constitution, and would take a number of
Camembert Electrique is gone, butt
it’s replaced by a joyously they
tth
h ever recorded forms over the decades, Allen rejoining at
some point in the ’90s, helping to pilot
free, open-armed things until his death in 2015, while
anarchy that inviting groups like the similarly minded
sometimes cohered Japanese psych-rock commune Acid
into surprisingly Mothers Temple into the extended Gong
disciplined jams, family. Indeed, Gong are still a going
like the epic ride concern, even after both Allen and
that is “Flying Smyth have passed, releasing a new
Teapot”, which album, The Universe Also Collapses, in
shifts from a 2019 and a boxset of Gong’s Virgin
fluid jazziness recordings, Love From The Planet Gong,
to the hilariously collecting core albums and
British chant, contemporaneous live material.
“Have a cup of tea, At this pace, Gong could go on forever,
have another one, ’ave or at least until Planet Gong arrives:
a cuppa tea”. according to Allen’s prophecy, we’ve
The tea was spiked, clearly. By only got to wait until 2032. At the very
the time of “Witch’s Song/I Am Your least, though, we have Gong to thank
Pussy”, Smyth is swoon-breathing into for giving prog rock permission to
your ears, promising to “cover you with smile, to laugh, to breathe out and take
a warm, dark mothering, fill you with an itself just that bit less seriously – all the
MICHAEL PUTLAND/GETTY IMAGES
animal love, carry you away in the sky”, better to bring the audience closer to
before her maniacal laughter lifts the having the kinds of revelatory
song into a clattering, lackadaisical encounters that powered Allen, all
groove, Hillage’s wah guiding it with an those years ago, when he was
incipient funk. Smyth calls you back to assembling the cosmology that made
the world at the beginning of the second Gong possible. You could do much
part of the trilogy, 1973’s Angels Egg: worse than to get in your glider and
“She is the mother of everything, and you ride the tide with them. ●
Gnome-mad land:
Gong in 1974 – (l–r)
Steve Hillage, Gilli
Smyth, Mike Howlett,
Miquette Giraudy,
Didier Malherbe,
Daevid Allen and
Pierre Moerlen
next album,
pixies…” In their spiritual home
– France – GONG
blow minds, to a pre-
converted “Planet
Gong” crowd. Change,
however, may be on
the cards. As Didier
Malherbe tells
Chris Salewicz,
“There is
a need for
cleaning up…”
ÒI
to gig tonight. It should take – and quite possibly WOULD like to go upstairs in
about 30 seconds from the world, actually – my bathroom,” smiles Didier
bedroom to dressing room. really do have a need Malherbe benignly. “Because
All in all, quite handy. for the Gong. in my bathroom I ’ave fantastic sound,
It’s not necessarily going Paris is depressed you know. I would like to bring all the
to be that handy for Daevid Allen, however. and grey and, most of people who are in the Salle Wagram in
A couple of days previously, you see, he’d all, enervating. A freak my bathroom.
realised how pleasant it would be to fly heatwave lifting the “Just for the solo. Because it has
down to visit a chateau in the Balearic Islands. temperature into the the perfect sound, man, for the
And he obviously hadn’t thought it terribly lower 60s coincides perfect solo.”
necessary to bother anyone with the trivia of with the band’s stay in Sandwiched between the Salle
his whereabouts. the capital. Wagram and the chintzy pomposity
Now the thing is, the various members of Gong For the meantime the of the Paris Habitat the Gong
do rather have this tendency to… to wander, strikes are over – but a saxophonist and flautist is holding
would perhaps be a reasonable way of putting it. cab driver tells me authoritatively of impending court in a cafe. His presence does not go
Steve Hillage, for example, handed his key into revolution – though sinister bus-loads of CRS riot unobserved by the rest of the customers. It is,
reception immediately after checking into the police can be seen on the move everywhere. one supposes, not unusual to see a Frenchman
hotel. Didier Malherbe has also gone missing, No-one seems to know exactly why. wearing a black beret. It is, though, perhaps a
although it’s generally believed he’s visiting an The next day, Bill and Carolyn Bruford and little odd that on top of the beret there should be
uncle whose pornographic books and mistress he myself play at tourists, and come across 500 two plastic fried eggs and a rasher of equally
had once been so fond of. police guarding the front of the Ministere Des plastic bacon.
The lampshade-skinned face of Tim Blake, Finances. Some seem merely impatient, others “The beret is a part of a face. It’s a plane, you
however, has been located peering over the edge are rammed full of uprightness, while a few seem know?” I am told somewhat obliquely. “And if
of his bedspread at a battery of ingeniously genuinely scared as they stand around waiting you take a swim with your beret you can pick up
oriental mind destroyers. for a demo that, in fact, never was. lots of jellyfishes.
Eventually he and Mike Howlett emerge to While Gong are actually on stage – yes, the gig “And if you have a beret that is solid enough you
join manager and record label owner Richard does happen – the dressing rooms are rifled by a can also have some teapots landing, obviously…”
Branson – out checking on the troops as it were ratpack of switchblade-carrying blousons noirs – Good, good, good. We’re there already. This
– and tour manager Didy Brooks and myself over the French version of Hells Angels who are, in obsession with teapots… Umm, why?
a late lunch in a nearby brasserie. reality, closer to a bunch of Puerto Rican extras “I don’t know…It’s a nice one, isn’t it?” And
As the wine is being poured, a certain Mr and from West Side Story. Didier points to a teapot out of which another
Mrs Bill Bruford are noticed ambling down from Two hundred police arrive in full battle gear to customer has been drinking. The customer, who
the direction of the Etoile Metro. Bill Bruford, late deal with them. And Gong arrive in France and looks as if he should live close to Guildford,
of King Crimson and Yes, is, as you are possibly sell out all their gigs and play numbers which settles his bill and departs. Didier adjusts his
aware, currently the Gong drummer. frock coat and silk scarf and places the bacon-
Confusion is indubitably regnant, and whether and-eggs beret at an even more rakish angle.
it’s Gallic or Gong reasoning it’s been decided that
the new arrivals should stay at the Hotel “IF YOU THINK THE However, while we’re on the subject of teapots,
perhaps I could ask how long Gong will be
MacMahon some four blocks away. IDEA COMES BEFORE associated with pot-head pixies?
they created Gong and not Gong The Gong’s all here:
Daevid Allen and
creating the pot-head pixies.” bassist Mike Howlett
Yes, yes, yes. But does the music at the Croydon
Greyhound, Surrey,
actually need the pot-head pixies? September 29, 1974
“Well, pot-head pixies are green,
and for me, in my very subjective
associations, green is associated with
music… And I never thought of that
before I met a guy called Burton Green
with whom I have recorded the first
album that has my name on it.
“But to tell you a more widespread
idea about the whole thing concerning
that… is that Daevid himself – you
know, Dingo – suggested that the next
album would be completely empty of
pot-head pixies. And no more relation to
the mythology.
“A lot of people have been putting him
down for that. I was very surprised
when he said that… But maybe the next
Gong album,” states Didier with a sage
smile, “no more pot-head pixies… No
more anything of that.
“I can see that there is a need for a
cleaning up, you know. But I think
that in a few years time the pot-head
pixies will make a reappearance. They
help us a lot.”
At 11.20, Daevid Allen (“aluminium
croon and banana guitar”) is
trailing Spanish flu germs
around the dressing rooms of Sticking with
the pixies?:
the Salle Wagram as he shares Gong’s 1974
the porcelain jar of luminous tour drummer
Bill Bruford
facial cream with Tim Blake
and Didier Malherbe.
He mentions – in passing,
as it were – how lucky he had
been to get on a flight, though
even after the gig Daevid
appears to feel discussion of
his possible non-appearance
to be both unnecessary and
inconsequential. And you The band plays for a solid two hours, with
Which is almost certainly know what? The
k perhaps the true pièce de résistance being the
correct as it soon transpires Gong are really
G seguing of “Flute Salad” into “Oily Way”: Didier
that the concert was most in rrocking. I mean Malherbe mimes flute playing with a loaf of
danger from guitarist Steve iin no way had I French bread before picking up the real
Hillage, who’d been almost eever previously instrument and creating molton squelches of
indecently keen for Gong to tthought of their mini-volcanic eruptions until the audience clap
knock the Paris date on the music as more
m and sway with the anarchic rhythm that begins to
head altogether so that he could have gone off to than impeccable jazz rock. But this is raunch emerge from Blake’s synthesiser.
the Parc Des Expositions to see Clapton. of the first order, with Hillage playing mental The rest of Gong pick up the flow and “Oily
Somehow, though, the gig is totally sold out, acrobats with his guitar before virtually Way” drifts into a thrusting mass of Zappa-esque
with some 300 people outside trying to blag their disembowelling it on “Perfect Mystery”, the high-grade steel power.
way in. second number. Daevid Allen, the man who nearly wasn’t there
Bill Bruford strolls through the tatty backstage Bruford’s niche in the band is quite perfect, on the purely musical level of the gig, needn’t
curtaining looking a little more dapper in his and obviously a permanent place within the have turned up.
coney-skin coat than your standard Gong band could benefit Gong immensely. Indeed, if Allen, however, it emerges from both his
member. He strips down to his white T-shirt and only on a more ephemeral level Bruford himself activity on stage and from post-gig conversation,
JOHN DICKENSON/GETTY; MICHAEL PUTLAND/GETTY
jeans as the sound of Tim Blake’s synthesiser has obviously gained in freedom of drumming is an essential to Gong more in the function of
slides into the backstage area. “Masterbuilder” expression, as his onstage confidence tells. catalyst – as the only representative of the band
– aka The Om riff – builds and builds as the However, from conversations with him it would still totally at one with its ideal of absurdity, and
rest of the Gong join Blake on stage. The recent appear that Bill Bruford’s future is still very much thereby welding together into a (non)corporate
King Crimson percussionist immediately in the open; that he genuinely doesn’t know module the diversified insanities of ability that
makes his presence felt with some splashes of whether to remain with the Gong beyond the end have evolved through individual growth.
clashing cymbals that Malherbe duets with in of their European tour on December 18. Despite his personal lacklustre performance –
some organismic sax swirls that filter about It also does seem on the cards that life with the due almost certainly to his illness and his rather
Blake’s sounds. band could prove to be a little too much at the unrealistic voyage to the Mediterranean – the
And then Steve Hillage and Mike Howlett take opposite end of the psychic spectrum to the more presence of Daevid Allen hovers over Gong as an
off on their respective guitars and basses as Allen Calvinistic existence he was used to leading with essential constant.
adds some fairly perfunctory rhythm guitar. Robert Fripp and King Crimson. Or, as they say, “Gong is one and one is you.” l
THE 40 BEST
UK PROG ROCK
ALBUMS
1968–1978 Rather glorious! From the common room to the topographic ocean,
40 albums to access magical musical worlds. By Jim Wirth
T
HE lexicon of pop writing was still a work in rock, Afro rock, country rock, ‘singer-songwriter’ and post-psychedelic
progress when Melody Maker reviewed the 1970 ‘underground’ sounds are also something distinct from progressive rock,
debut album by Gentle Giant. You can sense the meaning our list does not include the Groundhogs, Man, Osibisa, Fairport
great vacuum where the word “prog” ought to Convention, Traffic, the Pink Fairies, Roxy Music or Roy Harper.
be as the writer struggles to put this new sound To further reduce our options, and abiding by the parameters of the
into words: “Musical content is actually rather magazine, we have worked on the premise that first-flower progressive
glorious, with powerful heavy chords and weird, rock was a British phenomenon, which only really made sense in a world
nightmarish-sounding vocals traversing a sky of of sixth-form common rooms, Monty Python and damp army surplus
complex, playful rhythm – all good stuff for an active imagination.” greatcoats. Frank Zappa’s music had jazzy elements and silly time changes
The term “progressive rock” was used in the sleevenote to the first but it isn’t prog, and nor is Mountain’s Nantucket Sleighride, Amon Düül II’s
Caravan LP, released in 1968, but did not become a catch-all term for the Yeti, or Can’s Tago Mago (despite ostensible similarities). That also means
brand of forward-looking, intellectually inclined music exemplified by no place for yodelling Dutchmen Focus, French fantasists Magma or ELP-
Yes and King Crimson until a good while later. Contemporaries didn’t approved Italians PFM, for which we can – in our slightly supercilious
necessarily know what prog rock was, so – for the purposes of compiling British way – only apologise.
our Top 40 prog LPs – the first challenge was to define what it wasn’t. Final principle: to ensure the broadest possible spectrum of releases,
Our first arbitrary principle: no genuine progressive rock was made we have included nothing by artists who have a chapter dedicated to them
earlier than 1967 (when Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” was in this magazine, and no more than one record by any single act (with the
released) or later than 1975, Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here representing slightly awkward exception of Robert Wyatt, who gets in with Matching
the wistful end of an era. Anyone making music that sounded like Genesis Mole and as a solo act). That leaves us with 40 records, which (hopefully)
or The Moody Blues later than that could no longer claim to be questing for are – to quote that same Melody Maker review – “exceedingly clever…
new musical territory. with a good sense of make-believe and vision”. Or, to put it more briefly,
Blues rock, hard rock, heavy rock, jazz rock, glam, boogie, folk rock, art quintessentially prog.
VAN DER
GRAAF
GENERATOR
Prog’s “intensity engine”, beloved even of punks. Peter Hammill and band
channel the electric crackle of convulsing times. By Nick Hasted
V
AN Der Graaf Generator were tensions, as their music’s black-hole
always too fearsome to heaviness was matched by currents around
comfortably fit even prog’s it, forcing them to regularly split up when it all
open house of public school got too much. “We were fuelling this intensity
freaks and outsized ambitions. engine,” Evans believed, looking back.
Though they filled vinyl sides with song- The charge-sheet of weirdness is extensive,
suites performed with hurricane virtuosity, reading like a cross between the Fortean
their inherent extremity was nearer to punk. Times and The Godfather. In short order in
“A true original,” Johnny Rotten enthused July 1977, a booking at Ibiza’s first music
of the band’s leader Peter Hammill, when festival saw the successive near drownings
he played two tracks from his glam-garage of bassist Nic Potter and then Evans’ seven-
solo record Nadir’s Big Chance (1975) on year-old daughter, witchy black-clothed old
Capitol Radio in 1977. “I love all his stuff.” women giving the evil eye at their gig, a
David Bowie, Mark E Smith, Nick Cave and widely reported UFO apparition, and a sense
Graham Coxon have also been in Hammill’s of oppressive psychic dread that followed
catholic if select fan club. Evans back to London, as if he and the band
Van Der Graaf’s uniqueness certainly were briefly cursed.
centres on their singer-songwriter, perhaps An infamous 1977 tour of Italy resulted in
prog’s only great example of each discipline masked forces – either Fascist or Communist,
(Peter Gabriel and Roger Waters’ the lines were blurred – raining potentially
compositional peaks notwithstanding), fatal missiles onto the stage, before the Van
who has consistently mined gold from his Der Graaf truck ploughed through the
theme of fated human foolishness over more venue’s glass wall to escape. The truck’s luck
than 50 group and solo records, sung in a ran out when the Mafia kidnapped it. “It all
vaulting, possessed voice that was compared spoke of ‘Van Der Graaf must be stopped,’”
at the time to Hendrix’s use of guitar. Jackson believed. “We’re not a political
In the band’s classic ’70s lineup, electric band, but our music was bloody weird,
twin-sax showman David Jackson, Brian powerful stuff, exciting enormous emotions,
Wilson-influenced organ innovator Hugh and the authorities would not accept it. The
Banton and jazz-schooled drummer Guy police escorted us to the border.”
Evans were equally essential to their power. These incidents happened to Van Der
But what is just as striking is how much Graaf at such frequency in such convulsing
VDGG acted as a lightning rod for the ’70s’ Latin nations because this was their
PETER HAMMILL
OVER CHARISMA, 1976
8/10
PETER HAMMILL
SINGULARITY FIE!, 2006
7/10
PETER HAMMILL
THIN AIR FIE!, 2009
9/10
blues of Hammill, 21, at the finish rregular theme. “And then one of heady sense of romance within his seeming
of a west London flat-share with us or something would blow up,”
u message of human futility, “Killer” anyway
friends Mike McLean and actress Hammill has laughed of Van Der
H concludes with him singing “we need love”,
Susan Penhaligon. But when he Graaf’s similar pursuit of some
G voice softening on the last word.
sings that “west is Mike and undefined, tantalising Grail. At
u H To He… kept some of the earlier albums’
Susie” here, it seems to describe any rate, the warmth of “Refugees”
a approachability, and Van Der Graaf’s
lying around
N
sun-drenched lake in Switzerland. In Britain lies nightmare on the dipper. Jackson breaks out into OW the scene is a small reading room in
our roots, and the Charisma tour has sought out a spreading disease of rash brass, exploding full a Southport hotel. It’s raining, and the
all corners of human existence in this land. The of fire. No longer does he sound anything like a rather unkempt-looking figure near the
Charisma tours have also brought Van De Graaf to windows shivers and groans. Yet no matter what
the forefront. The Millwall team coach has never time you meet drummer Guy Evans, he always
had such longhaired, weird travellers.
It’s good that we have run dry of conversation, “EVERYTHING WAS looks as though he’s just fallen out of bed.
“I played semi-pro at school and university, and
for the gig is near, night is falling, and another EITHER VERY QUIET had a brief excursion with The Misunderstood
period is arising. The Floral Hall, Southport.
But it seems few people in Southport were aware OR AN ATTEMPT – to learn how to be funky. After university I got
into lorry driving, and things like that. I couldn’t
of the gig, and a mere 300 line the echoing hall. TO BLOW PEOPLE’S really decide what to do, and had this thought
HEADS OFF”
Hammill hunts around stage during “Killer”. about going to Morocco. Three days before I was
He dresses in white, Hugh in a nondescript colour, to set off, I got this phone call regarding Van Der
Guy in red and blonde and Dave in New York
blue. It’s a rambling, vicious riff, topped by
PETER HAMMILL Graaf. I decided to give it a try.”
Guy, who is forever coated with wool cardigans
slicing chords. The band have the ability to and pumps, wakes up a little, but manages to
produce an album on stage, but at times they saxophonist. It stops every while, gathers texture, look the same.
MICHAEL PUTLAND/GETTY IMAGES
are a little lethargic. Something’s not gelling and roars. But again, it’s not a good gig. “There’s a certain satisfaction with Van Der
too good tonight. Then a hymn of joy, Hammill on piano, it settles. Graaf, in the fact that we’ve all really learned
Nevertheless, Hammill’s voice is an instrument, Evans plays in the air, Banton dabbles, then drifts to play while we’ve been together. I’m not
following the riff, and offering something unique into neo-church music. It all ends with “Octopus”, saying we couldn’t play before; I think Hugh,
to the voice, seldom found in an instrument which writhes and grapples with the air. In the for instance, has always been amazing, but
– that’s failure to reach ambition, the voice is dressing room a casual argument. They all we’ve all developed together. As a drummer
pushed beyond its limits and something raw acknowledge a bad gig, work out why it was bad, with a band like this I’m required to change roles
and wild emerges. criticise each other quite strongly. But there’s a hell of a lot, sometimes I’ve got to be like a
O
machine, and then I’ve got to be dramatic. I’m RGANIST Hugh Banton is cultured, cool,
“WHAT INFLUENCES
usually very aware of drums as theatrical things, and rather curly. Like the others he’s prone
as dramatic things.” to outbursts of uncontrollable mirth, but
Guy is certainly dramatic. In action he becomes
ORIGINALITY? AND if there is a quiet one in the band, it’s Hugh.
S
CENE: a bar typical of nearly all bars on a Der Graaf. I mean the stuff I write couldn’t particular. With the band having no guitarist,
pier. David Jackson sips grapefruit juice and possibly be sung, because I use the sax as a voice. I find myself usually doing about four things at
eyes the sunset. He talks to Hollingworth. My solo track on the album is either going to be once, which is often the case in classical music.
Jackson: “There never has been four walls an incredible success or a failure. It will be me, Because of this similarity, I began to realise what
around this band. We are allowed to work freely and my girlfriend, who’s a classical pianist. As I have lost. I’m hardly influenced by rock as such,
on the outside, and really record for who we want. for me with the band, well I suppose
I’ve been doing things for Brinsley Schwarz, and we are a little fashionable to talk
dug it. They are so groovy to blow with. One day about now.” Hugh Banton:
I played footie with them, and then blew with Hollingworth: “What do you “cultured,
cool and
them for nine hours. Finally I had to be dragged mean ‘fashionable’?” rather curly”
away, with my lead still plugged in.” Jackson: “You know what I mean.
Hollingworth: “Do you ever feel you might get But I’m glad people are talking
too freaky with electric sax?” about us. I’ve believed in the music
Jackson: “I know I’m far too freaky for most so long, that it’s good to see it getting
bands. With having to do so much with Van Der across – it’s going to get a lot better
Graaf, I wouldn’t be able to leave spaces for other as well. We’ve got to get into new
players in different units. There’s so much material. I think the next album is
freedom with Van Der Graaf, and not as much going to be another temporary
with other bands. Conclusion: with other bands stage. But I know I’ve never been as
I’d have to play less.” emotional as I have with this band.”
most of my style comes from the way I’ve been Peter is the writer. His songs to me are of meaning that everybody was God, everybody was
taught. What I do enjoy… is the freedom for us to isolation. “They are really from me, and yes they the Universe. You see, it’s an ideas generator.”
work outside the band as well as within.” do dwell with isolation. But that doesn’t just mean Many people easily accept Peter’s voice
For the next album Banton will also be doing a terror, it can also portray glory, the glory found wrongly – calling it frail – when in fact he is
solo track. “I can see that becoming very strange, by one person. We are all God. It doesn’t mean to now attempting to use the voice, not as a perfect
as I’m very much into the 2001 thing, you know, say that the band are perpetually isolated from vehicle for lyrics, but as an instrument.
throwing away rhythm and melody. If there is to real life, but it’s a pressure. “It came to me a bit ago that nobody is singing
be a step forward in organ playing, then this will “We don’t have the shadow of that pressure so in an exploratory way. Emotionally they are
be it. I want to build up a complete sound from much in real life. The lifestyle of the band is succeeding, but nobody has attacked the voice
beginning to end, a thing you won’t be able to rather opposed to what we play. We are not so as a musician attacks his instrument.
break down, or pick out parts from. I’ve got to much a band, as a meeting place. We are four “Now I am trying to find new areas for the voice,
build that up as I go along.” The refined voice of musicians. If we had our heads completely away maybe areas that it is not intended to do. So
Banton becomes attractive. from each other, then the similarities would not maybe at times I’ll be selectively destroying my
be so obvious.” voice. It will be under control, but put beyond the
T
HERE’S a Sopwith Camel perched on Peter Did Peter think they were vastly original? “Yes, limits of endurance. I can’t really talk about it in
Hammill’s piano, or maybe it’s an SE5. I I think we are. The question is what influences word terms, because it’s only the beginning, but
can’t see too clearly, because Peter’s way originality? And apart from that, originality is no I can see the voice crystallising emotions to a far
down in the studio, and the control room is way proof of merit. We are giving over what we’ve got greater extent.
up. Whatever, it’s a First World War fighter, and in the best way we can, that is all we can do.” “The album I am doing on my own is songs that
Peter sings and growls. What did he feel about the last album, H To He…? have always been there – as opposed to music,
Now Peter Hammill, who wears flat caps from “I really dig it, and in fact I really dig the first, which Van Der Graaf is doing now. I know I’m
Accrington, is one driving quarter of what is Aerosol. But I can’t judge either objectively, that’s feeling very lucky at the moment, and I think
known as Van Der Graaf Generator. Frequently impossible. It does something to me, and if it we all are to be musically with each other. We
they meet and together make music, live and on didn’t I wouldn’t be able to relate. So I’m happy, spark off so many ideas in ourselves. We are poles
album. They are a group, but not a group full stop. and so the next album will be better. I wanted to apart really, but we overlap, and now we have an
With them a group is not a case of four people, a call the band H To He, or Who Am the Only One, audience.” l ROY HOLLINGWORTH
name, and a neat little pigeon-hole. In Hammill’s
words, Van Der Graaf is a meeting place.
Peter Hammill:
Peter is deep into his solo album; Bob Fripp was “So I’m happy, so
round helping the day before. In the studio sit Guy the next album
will be better”
Evans (drums), and Dave Jackson (who blows
things). We listen to Peter sing, sing HIS songs,
and they are purely songs. They couldn’t be
done by Generator, and they can be done with
Generator. They were songs that had to be done.
In the two years that has led up to the present
Generator form, this band have cracked barriers…
They are becoming recognised, at last it seems
to be working.
Peter has a habit of Accrington caps, bi-plane
fighters, football, and laughing. “I don’t know
what I expected a long time ago. I had no strange
illusions, or any particular dreams for the band.
I never saw us doing concert tours. The thing that
surprised me was the music, it was satisfying,
growing – and it didn’t offer total satisfaction.
Total satisfaction is the death of music. Yet there
is satisfaction in seeing people dig it now.
“I guess the best hopes I had were for a hit
record, you know, a catchy tune catching on
– and that’s so divorced from where we are
now. The reason for that is that we haven’t been
accepted before now. So we’ve had two years to
breathe, grow into each other, and now we are
here together. For a start a lot of people are writing
about us, there are people in the dressing room
after gigs, people know our songs, not just
popular things like ‘Killer’, but others.”
The band have completed three albums. None
have sold particularly well, there have been no
singles. But audience reaction has at last reached
an excellent level – mainly due to the success of
the Charisma tour, cheap prices and good bands.
Van Der Graaf now top the bill, and yet if you
wanted to put success in terms of figures, sales
and what have you, it couldn’t be done.
This is now the second phase of the band. A few
years ago it formed, didn’t really go anywhere,
certain people left, and it just about folded. But
Hammill’s ideas could not be killed, it formed
again, and looks like staying together for one
hell of a time. Hammill is not the dictator, but
undoubtedly the leader.
PINK
FLOYD
Experiments in the dark sides of sound and space cohere into prog’s
mightiest concepts, detailing madness, subservience and isolation,
and snapping at the hand that fed. By Peter Watts
I
T was no accident that when the Sex to traditional blues or folk-based concepts
Pistols wanted to advertise their of melody and rhythm and subverted the
counter-revolution against what they generally accepted pop/rock song structure.
perceived as the bloated vanities of This sort of stuff was all over More and
prog rock they chose to do so in T-shirts Ummagumma and reached fruition on the
that boasted “I hate Pink Floyd”. Floyd first side of Atom Heart Mother with what
would probably never have recognised has been described as “the first truly
themselves as prog, but they helped define, progressive side-long suite”. Provisionally
lead and develop much of what was great titled “The Amazing Pudding” as well as the
about the genre: there was their striking more appropriate “Untitled Epic”, this was
sense of musical (and personal) ambition, the first song to use the new eight-track
a fondness for dramatic visuals, classically 20-mic console at Abbey Road, and it
inspired instrumental passages, featured a series of related parts that utilised
psychologically inquisitive lyrics, great a wide variety of sound effects, orchestra,
artwork, recurring musical and lyrical brass band, choir and Rick Wright’s
themes, a striving for some sort of sonic keyboards to create a movement, with the
perfection and an interest in extended and rest of the band acting more as a backing
connected multi-part suites. track. Sounding as revolutionary as
All of this came together on a series of “Interstellar Overdrive” had four years
carefully composed and diligently recorded before, “Atom Heart Mother” was arguably
albums, from The Dark Side Of The Moon to a better-realised piece of music than the
The Wall, that were conceived as thematic three more conventional songs that led off
and conceptual song cycles rather than side two of its parent album and showed a
song-based collections of whatever they band with a fuller grasp of their own
had been messing about with in the studio. potential and capabilities.
You can get a sense of where they were The Atom Heart Mother album concluded
heading as early as “Interstellar Overdrive” with another proggy episode, the 13-minute
and “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The pseudo-Dada piece “Alan’s Psychedelic
Sun”, songs that helped create the prog- Breakfast”. This three-part instrumental
adjacent space-rock genre. “Pow R Toc H” about a roadie making breakfast had some
and “Let There Be More Light” also of the playful absurdism beloved by genre
introduced a feel of weightlessness to the protagonists. This combination of avant-
band’s music, a sound that was untethered garde music and food had previously
ATOM HEART MEDDLE THE DARK SIDE WISH YOU ANIMALS THE WALL
MOTHER HARVEST/CAPITOL, 1971 OF THE MOON WERE HERE HARVEST/COLUMBIA, 1977 HARVEST/COLUMBIA, 1979
HARVEST/CAPITOL, 1970 9/10 HARVEST, 1973 HARVEST/COLUMBIA, 1975 7/10 10/10
8/10 10/10 8/10
suite, the Syd-inspired “Shine On You Crazy glory was in the mise-en-scène, as Floyd
Diamond”, although this was then split in embraced some of the gimmicky excesses
two with one half opening side one and the associated with mid-’70s live prog stadium Floyd helped define,
second half closing side two. There are more
solos than usual – notably from David
shows. As well as Algie, the inflatable pig
from Battersea, there was now an entire lead and develop
Gilmour – while the symphonic qualities
of “Shine On...” and the increased use of
inflatable nuclear family and their
possessions – pinstripe-suited father,
much of what was
Wright’s synths ensured it remains just
about on the proggy side of things.
couch-ridden mother, 2.5 children, TV, ’50s
Cadillac and a fridge. This collection of
great about the
Waters was still in a hell of a bad grump balloons was inflated and raised during prog rock genre
when it came to Animals, one of the Floyd’s “Dogs”. At a critical point the fridge door
most curious albums and one better known would open and half a dozen fat worms, sharp standalone singles “Another Brick In
for the quality of the cover art than the looking rather like candy-striped penises, The Wall, Part 2” and “Comfortably Numb”.
musical content. This featured the beautiful would burst forth. Makes you think, eh. Once more, the ambition was impressive.
fragment “Pigs On The Wing”, repeated This somewhat judgmental view of Algie the When taken on tour, a literal physical wall
inflatable pig
twice to bookend the album, and three modern society and, by association, Waters’ promotes the was built between band and audience,
longer passages – “Dogs”, “Pigs (Three own audience led to Pink Floyd’s final prog 1977 tour which collapsed at the end of the night.
Different Ones)” and “Sheep”. masterpiece. The Wall saw There were more of Floyd’s
An angry response to Britain’s social Floyd repeat and possibly beloved inflatables and
decay, the prog-punk Animals was recorded surpass the “complete piece nightmarish animations by
n
in the band’s new Britannia Row studio and of work” concept that made Gerald Scarfe were projected
G
saw Waters obsessing over ideas of power Dark Side… such a success, onto the wall. The project
and authority, and reaching for Orwellian even though it was written as sspawned an international No 1
metaphors of animals to explore this theme. the band were falling apart. ((“Another Brick In The Wall,
It was illustrated with a memorable Conceived as musical theatre, Part 2”) as well as an Alan
P
photograph of an inflatable pig over The Wall had Waters’ usual Parker feature film featuring
P
Battersea Power Station. As a result, Floyd interest in authority, the music Bob Geldof and Bob Hoskins
B
GIJSBERT HANEKROOT/GETTY IMAGES
became so associated with pigs that one business and insanity but also and Scarfe animations. It was
a
promoter gave them a piglet as an after-show explored the alienation he had a fitting last hurrah for the
gift – the terrified animal proceeded to shit experienced on tour in 1977, Waters-Gilmour-Wright-
all over the hotel room. represented by a metaphorical Mason lineup that had
M
Waters had originally commissioned the wall between the rock star dominated the 1970s,
d
inflatable pig so it could be taken on 1977’s protagonist and the outside rreleasing some of the most
expansive In The Flesh Tour. This saw Floyd world. Tracks like “The Thin progressive, challenging and
p
playing Animals for the first half and Wish Ice” and “Run Like Hell” were plain brilliant music of the
p
You Were Here in the second. The real pure prog, but there were also era, whatever the genre. l
“The
dark
side is
inside
people’s
heads”
A catalogue of neuroses, paranoia and “the pressures
that can drive a young chap mad”, PINK FLOYD’s
The Dark Side Of The Moon is capturing the fractured
SMITH COLLECTION/GADO/GETTY IMAGES
MELODY MAKER MAY 19, 1973 wallowing on S-bends and locals driving
OH Floyd– wherefore art dented grey Cortinas at speed.
thou? What lies yonder – on Arriving at the village at the appointed hour,
the dark side of the moon? a further 60 minutes were spent following
Madness they do say, and tthe conflicting directions of rustics pushing
present death. In their bicycles. Still lost, I consulted a map that seemed
b
seventh year together, tto have been drawn up in 1932. Hurling this
paranoia and fear seem to aside, my gaze perceived a fissure in the hedge
a
haunt their music, despite, opposite. It seemed scarcely possible I was
o
or perhaps because of, parked outside the Gilmour estate and had
p
success. Much of the Pink Floyd’s latest album passed it innumerable times in the last hour.
p
(actually over a year old in terms of studio time) Such was the case. In a secluded courtyard an
reflects the pressures and obsessions that afflict alsatian stood guard and a venerable old horse
a
the itinerate rock musician. Without the cclomped about. A youth in faded blue jeans and
lifestyle, there would not be music; and without sstraggly black hair appeared like Heathcliffe at
the music, the lifestyle could not be supported. tthe cottage door. “Mr Gilmour’s abode?”
Mad laughter and sane voices intermingle in “Yes indeed. Come in and have a cup of tea.
the Floyd’s measured, timeless compositions, IIt will calm you.” My motorist’s fury began to
and it would be easy to read into the characters abate as I drank in the ornate but tasteful décor.
a
of the men who make up one of the most Low beams, a jukebox here, wood carvings there
L
original and fulfilling of groups, a kind of – since taking over the abandoned Victorian
omniscience. Fans – and journalists – can and farmhouse a couple of years ago, the guitarist
have been disappointed, or surprised, to find had worked hard at improvements. When he
that the Pink Floyd are but human. Their moved in there was no electricity or heating,
output is not prolific, they have been known and he lived rough as he created an open-plan
to repeat material at concerts, they have yet to living area, constructed a music room, dug the
announce details of any plan to save the world, venues from coast to coast; The Dark Side Of The aforementioned pool and cleaned out stables for
and what is more, they operate and enjoy taking Moon has taken world charts in its stride; while Vim, his retired brewers’ dray horse. He had even
part in a moderately successful football team. their forthcoming London concerts at Earls Court permitted himself the luxury of a swimming
Time wasted, the curse of money, ambitions – for charity – sold out as quickly as tickets could pool, following the satisfactory sale of many
unfulfilled, these are all matters that concern be passed over the counter. of the Pink Floyd albums.
the Floyd, and form the basis of many of their The Floyd have doubtless earned an attractive Then came Nemesis, not in the shape of a writer
musical ideas. They are not esoteric subjects and penny in their time, but unlike many other to Mailbag, but a man from the council, only
should be easily assimilated without recourse to successful artists, they do not wallow in riches. minutes before my arrival. He had presented a
mystical interpretation. Rogers Waters lives in a modest house in copy of the council’s plans to build a housing
Yet even today, the Floyd occasionally Islington, where his wife bakes pots in the garden estate on the surrounding greenbelt land, and
ANDREW WHITTUCK/GETTY IMAGES
feel misunderstood. But they can also feel a shed. And while David Gilmour lives on a farm in to compulsorily purchase great chunks of the
tremendous satisfaction in the knowledge that the country, it is through his own efforts that the Floydian paradise.
the band said to be “finished” when Syd Barrett establishment has been made habitable. He might “We’ll have to pack our bags and move,” he said
left them all those years ago has reached a peak boast an ornamental pool in the garden, stocked with hopeless resignation.
that is impressive even in this age of supergroups. with gaily coloured fish, but he dug it himself. Our eyes turned to megalopolis creeping over
Acceptance of the Floyd’s poised and delicate It was to this rural retreat that I drove one sunny the horizon, the threatening blocks of Harlow,
music has never been greater. On their last day last week, wending through the fields of poised ready to march. We toyed with ideas to
American tour they casually sold out massive Hertfordshire,
ertfordshire, made
made fearful by juggernauts
jugggernauts build a wall of fire around the premises, to
bui
be touched off at an instant the bulldozers
arrived, and I suggested sowing landmines in
a
There was a king who Vim’s meadow. Eventually we decided it would
V
ruled the land: (clockwise be more cheering to speak to the Pink Floyd.
b
from top left) band leader
F
Syd Barrett, Nick Mason,
Richard Wright and Roger OR the benefit of new reader George
Waters in 1967
Loaf (12), it should be explained that
the group was born in 1967 during the
heady days of flower power and UFO. Mr
h
Gilmour replaced the legendary Syd Barrett
G
on guitar, who had written such chart hits as
o
““See Emily Play”. The Floyd went through a
bleak period when they were written off but
b
quietly drew about them an army of fans,
q
and went about their creative work, wholly
a
unmoved by the shifting fortunes and
u
ffashions that affect their contemporaries.
They are a proud, pioneering and somewhat
T
detached group who sometimes look upon
d
tthe cavortings of some of their fellow groups
with faint dismay, not out of sour grapes, but
w
ffrom purely aesthetic considerations.
But first, what had the Floyd been doing
tthese last few months, and how long had it
ttaken them to conceive The Dark Side Of The
Moon, which I believed was their best yet?
M
“We did the American tour,” said Dave.
““We only ever do three-week tours now, but
tthat one was 18 dates in 21 days, which is
“WE THOUGHT IT
last year, and finished it around January. We about, but still a lot of people, including the
didn’t work at it all the time, of course. We hadn’t engineers and the roadies, when we asked them,
had a holiday in three years and we were
WAS OBVIOUS WHAT didn’t know what the LP was about. They just
moral problem, but remember the Pink Floyd were the newest prophets of the UFO tradition? because we wanted to use the title. There are a lot
broke for a pretty long time. We were in debt when “I don’t ever listen to them, but they seem to be of songs with the same title. We did one called
I joined and nine months afterwards I remember having jolly good fun,” said Dave without the ‘Fearless’ and Family had a single called that.”
when we gave ourselves £30 a week, and for the trace of a smile. Did the Floyd argue among themselves much?
first time we were earning more than the roadies.” What about The Moody Blues? “A fair bit, I suppose, but not too traumatic.
For a band that relies on creating moods, good “I’m not too keen on The Moody Blues. I don’t We’re bound to argue because we are all very
sound was essential for the embryo Floyd. know why – I think it’s all that talking that gets different. I’m sure our public image is of 100 per
“We hardly had any equipment of our own. We my goat. It’s a bit like poets’ corner.” cent spaced-out drug addicts, out of our minds on
had a light show, but we had to scrap it for two Dave did not want to be drawn on the subject of acid. People do get strange ideas about us. In
San Francisco we had a reputation from the Gay we got through – four or five a week. We couldn’t
“THERE’S HUMOUR
Liberation Front: ‘I hear you guys are into Gay do that now, not when you think of the equipment
Lib’; I don’t know how they could tell…” we carry. The roadies have to be there by eight
As a guitarist Dave had been somewhat
IN OUR MUSIC, BUT in the morning to start setting up. It’s a very
I DON’T KNOW IF
overshadowed by the Floyd’s strong corporate complicated business. Things still go wrong,
image. But his virile, cutting lines are one of their but we virtually carry a whole recording studio
hallmarks and a vital human element. Did he ever
ANY OF IT GETS around with us all the time.
THROUGH”
fancy working out on a solo album, or forming a “In 1967 no-one realised that sound could get
rock trio? better. There was just noise, and that’s how
“I get all sorts of urges but really nothing strong.
Put it down to excessive laziness. No I don’t do
DAVID GILMOUR rock’n’roll was. As soon as you educate people
to something better, then they want it better –
sessions. I don’t get asked. Any frustrations permanently. PAs were terrible in those days –
I might have about just banging out some This time Dave was smiling. (Geo. Loaf, please but we’ve got an amazing one now.
rock’n’roll are inevitable, but are not a destructive note. Musician’s joke: Gilmour does not really have “Before we do a gig, we have a four-page rider
element to our band. I have a lot of scope in Pink a ‘little blue book’. He was speaking lightly, in fun.) in our contract with a whole stack of things that
Floyd to let things out. There are specially “I remember after Mick Watts did his piece have to be got together by the promoter. We have
designated places where I can do that.” on us, we all gave him a complete blank in an to send people round two weeks beforehand to
In the past the Floyd have been subject to aeroplane. It wasn’t deliberate. We just didn’t make sure they’ve got it right, otherwise they
criticism, not the least appearing in the Melody recognise him. But he made some snide remark in don’t take any notice.
Maker. How do they react to that? the MM, so we sent him a box with a boxing glove “There have to be two power systems, for the
“React? Violently! People tend to say we play inside on a spring. Nick got them specially made. lights and PA. Otherwise the lighting will cause
the same old stuff – that we do the same numbers But it wasn’t taken in good humour. Syd Barrett a buzz through the speakers. Usually a stage has
for years. We don’t. We are playing all new would never have done a thing like that. All very to be built – to the right size. We’ve got 11 tons of
numbers now, except for ‘Set The Controls For The childish really. equipment, and on our last American tour it had to
Heart Of The Sun’. The Who are still playing ‘My “We don’t get uptight at constructive reviews, be carried in an articulated truck. Oh yes, it’s the
Generation’ and nobody complains about that. but when somebody isn’t the smallish piece death of rock’n’roll. Big bands are coming back.
We can take criticism when it’s valid, but we interested in what you are doing, then it’s no help “There was a long period of time when I was
are only human and we can only do so much. to them or to us. We did get uptight at what Mick not really sure what I was around to do, and
Sometimes it surprises me when we play really Watts said – it was very savage. But you can’t stay played sort of back-up guitar. Following someone
well, and spend some time on presenting a angry for long. We tried to turn the feud into a like Syd Barrett into that band was a strange
special show, like we did at Radio City in New kind of joke with the boxing glove. You’ve got to experience. At first I felt I had to change a lot
York, and we get knocked. have a sense of humour,” said Dave scowling into and it was a paranoic experience. After all, Syd
MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES
“Some people dislike the basic premise of his tea. “There’s humour in our music, but I don’t was a living legend, and I had started off playing
what we are all about. Then their criticism is a know if any of it gets through.” basic rock music – Beach Boys, Bo Diddley,
waste of time. For someone to criticise you who As a key member of a band with its gaze fixed and “The Midnight Hour”. I wasn’t in any
understands you, and can say where you have firmly on the future, it seemed unlikely Dave groups worth talking about, although I had a
fallen down – that’s valid. There are some people would want to reminisce, yet he was happy three-piece with Ricky Wills, who’s now with
who come to our shows with no real interest in enough to recall their origins. Peter Frampton’s Camel.
what we are doing, don’t like the group, so don’t “Nick Mason had got a date sheet 10 yards long “I knew Syd from Cambridge since I was 15, and
like the concert. We put all the bad reviews into with all the gigs in red ink – every one since 1967. my old band supported the Floyd on gigs. I knew
a little blue book.” It’s quite extraordinary when you look at the gigs them all well. They asked me if I wanted to join
when Syd left, and not being completely mad, rehearsal place in London. We’ve been trying to Gilmour, wearing a T-shirt that says “Didn’t
I said yes, and joined in Christmas ’68. I later get one for some time. they do well” in sewn-on white letters, is lounging
did the two solo albums with Syd. God, what “No, we don’t want our own label – but we do in a rocking chair in front of a gorgeous, ornate,
an experience. God knows what he was doing. have our own football team! We beat Quiver nine- teak altar-screen that just radiates antiquity.
Various people have tried to see him and get him one recently, and now there’s talk of a music This morning though, despite the surrounding
together, and found it beyond their capabilities. industries’ cup. Oh – and we played the North comforts and the presence of his lady at his side to
“I remember when the band was recording ‘See London Marxists. What a violent bunch. I bit my succour him, the Floyd guitarist is in a somewhat
Emily Play’, Syd rang me up and asked me along tongue – and had to have stitches.” fragile state, having visited the Marquee the
to the studio. When I got there he gave me a So that’s what lies on the dark side of the moon previous evening (in the company of Roger
complete blank. He was one of the great rock’n’roll – a pair of goalposts. But the Floyd will be all right Waters) to catch Roy Buchanan’s set.
tragedies. He was one of the most talented people – as long as they keep their heads. CHRIS WELCH He’s a little tired and he may, or may not, have
and could have given a fantastic amount. He really been a little inebriated the night before – he can’t
could write songs and if he had stayed right, could NME MAY 19, 1973 quite remember. Anyway, it isn’t important
have beaten Ray Davies at his own game. “DON’T take any pictures because this is the first interview he’s done for
“It took a long time for me to feel part of the of me outside the house,” ages and neither of us can quite remember the
band after Syd left. It was such a strange band, says David Gilmour, making procedure and there’s a lot to get through before
and very difficult for me to know what we were a quick, impatient gesture lunchtime ennui sets in.
doing. People were very down on us after Syd like brushing away flies. First off, David, congratulations on finally
left. Everyone thought Syd was all the group had, “I can’t stand the pop- attaining the exalted No 1 spot in the States with
and dismissed us. They were hard times. Even star-in-his-country-house The Dark Side Of The Moon. A slow smile spreads
our management Blackhill believed in Syd more syndrome.” across the Gilmour face.
than the band. It really didn’t start coming back Sure, David, but in the “Yes, it is nice, isn’t it? We’ve never really been
until Saucerful Of Secrets and the first Hyde Park broadest sense you are a pop star. And when above fortieth position before – but, even so,
free concert. you’re the guitarist for famous, best-selling Pink we’re still selling more albums there than we
“The big kick was to play for our audiences at Floyd, and you’ve made as many decent albums would in the English charts.”
Middle Earth. I remember one terrible night when as Pink Floyd have, and you’ve gone the whole He’s reluctant to be pinned down as to why this
Syd came and stood in front of the stage. He stared route long ago, and you’ve still got your wits should suddenly happen, after five years of being
at me all night long. Horrible! about you, and the money keeps rolling in, what a cult band in America (“I suppose we’ve always
“The free concerts were really a gas. The first else is there to spend the bread on? had this sort of underground image over there”),
one had 5,000 people and the second had And it has to be said that Dave Gilmour’s and he’s even more reluctant to define what
150,000. But the first was more fun. We tried to do spent his allotted share of the Floyd takings in a Floyd’s appeal is in the States, or even what type
two more singles around this time, but they didn’t manner befitting one of the most tasteful bands of audiences the group attract. In fact, he doesn’t
mean a thing. They’re now on the Relics album.” of our time. His Essex mock-Tudor residence seem particularly interested in anything, taking
Where lay the future for Floyd? positively screams good taste – the real sort, not the whole process with a combination of affable
“God knows. I’m not a prophet. We have lots of Ghastly Good Taste – and is conspicuous for its ennui and the tiniest hint of indifference.
good ideas. It’s a matter of trying to fulfil them. lack of middle-class accoutrements. “I don’t think it’ll make any change – I mean,
It’s dangerous to talk about ideas, or you get it All rooms are in that happy state of disarray that we’ve never had any problem selling out even the
thrown at you when you don’t do it. We have comes from a relaxed lifestyle, the world is fenced largest halls and I don’t really see how that can
vague ideas for a much more theatrical thing, out by a high hedge and the BMW in the garage change. We can still sell out the Santa Monica Civic
a very immobile thing we’d put on in one and the swimming pool out back give off identical two nights in succession and I’m not sure that the
place. Also we want to buy a workshop and expensive glints. album will make any difference to that.”
Nonetheless, one is aware that perhaps the Other features from Dark Side…’s live
success of Dark Side… took the band a little by performance are also missing – noticeably
surprise, as no tour has been planned to actually “HALF OF US WANTED the taped finale, which uses extracts from the
coincide with the peaking of the album. Though
they are off again in June. Anyway…
TO PLAY A THEMATIC Collected Rantings of Malcolm Muggeridge.
“Yes. Well, you didn’t really expect we’d get his
Tea arrives and conversation briefly returns PIECE, THE OTHER permission, did you?”
to the Marquee, where Gilmour had been spotted
a couple of weeks ago. He seems to be a regular
HALF WANTED TO He confesses that he never really listens to
Floyd albums, and he’s reluctant to assess them
denizen. “In fact, I was down there that night PLAY SONGS” in retrospect – but I detect a leaning towards
to see Quiver.” Obscured By Clouds, which he has been known to
Gilmour was, at one time, a member of a
DAVID GILMOUR direct into the garden on a summer’s day. Others?
group which included one of the present Quiver Well, he likes some of the tracks on A Saucerful Of
lineup, and Gilmour takes an interest in the markedly since I saw it premiered at the Rainbow Secrets, mainly the title track and “Set The
group’s progress. in 1972. Gilmour agrees, mentioning that the Controls For The Heart Of The Sun”.
An interesting sidelight is his reference to Floyd entire show had been on the road for about six Atom Heart Mother he admits to having been an
as – “this band – I’ve been five years in this band” months before the group took the project into experiment, not a new direction, and he would
– as if he expected Floyd to finish tomorrow; and the studio. record it completely differently now, had he the
then you realise that he’s first and foremost a “Normally, we go into the studio, often without chance or the inclination.
musician and the lead guitar chair in Pink Floyd any concrete ideas, and allow the circumstances “The trouble was, we recorded the group first
is just another gig. to dictate the music.” and put the brass and the choir on afterwards.
Floyd may one day disappear but Gilmour Sometimes, though, this results in filler tracks Now, I think I’d do the whole thing in one take.
intends to keep right on playing… (for example, the jokey sides on Ummagumma I feel that some of the rhythms don’t work and
Back to Dark Side…, and I advance the and Atom Heart Mother) and besides, isn’t it some of the syncopations aren’t quite right.”
hypothesis that the album shows a marked an expensive way to record? “No. We don’t pay. Another period which Floyd dabbled in, but
return to solid purpose that, for me, had been EMI do.” which didn’t really communicate itself to our ears
somewhat lacking in Floyd’s last three or so Another marked feature of the album is via concrete Floyd music, was their flirtation with
albums, good though they’ve been individually. Gilmour’s own blossoming into a tough, bluesy the French avant-garde and with ballet.
Gilmour ponders this. player – especially on “Money”, which features “In fact, we did that ballet for a whole week
“I suppose so. Certainly there’s a sort of theme several verses of really hard, spectacular licks. in France. Roland Petit choreographed it to some
running through it which we haven’t really Gilmour shrugs this off modestly, although of our older material… but it’s too restricting
done for a long time. There’s two opinions about Ginger, his lady, chimes in with her agreement for us. I mean, I can’t play and count bars at the
this in the group – half of us wanted to play a that it represents Gilmour at his best. He thinks same time. We had to have someone sitting on
thematic piece, the other half wanted to play a some of his playing on Obscured By Clouds is stage with a piece of paper telling us what bar
collection of songs.” better, but concedes that “Money” was designed we were playing…
Which half did he belong to? A reappearance as basically a guitar track. “We also did the music for More. We hadn’t done
of the slow smile. “I didn’t object, anyway. It’s film scores before, but they offered us lots of
basically Roger’s idea. We’d all written songs money. We wrote the whole thing in eight days
beforehand, and then Roger got the theme and from start to finish.
the words together.” “We did Zabriskie Point for Antonioni, and in
MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES
I point out that, for the first time, the band have ffact we wrote much more than he eventually
considered album lyrics important enough to used. I feel, even now, that it would have been
u
print on the sleeve. “Yes, I generally don’t like better if he’d used most of what we’d written.”
b
sleeve lyrics.” End of subject. I put it to Gilmour that these wanderings from
The theme behind Dark Side… is, of course, the band’s direct line of progression have been
the various pressures that can drive one mad received by fans with disappointment.
– “pressures directed at people like us, like He gets a little heated. “That’s the trouble – you
money, travel, and so on”. can’tt really break out of the progression-from-
can
I remark that the
th
he piece hhas
as changed your-last-LP rut. People’s minds
yo
are set to expect something and
a
if you don’t provide it, well…”
One for the Many Floyd aficionados still
money: Floyd
circa 1973 feel that Ummagumma was the
fe
group’s high point. Gilmour
gr
disagrees. “For me, it was just an
d
experiment. I think it was badly
ex
recorded – the studio side could
re
have been done better. We’re
ha
thinking of doing it again.”
th
But we don’t have time to
explore the meaning behind
ex
that because now it’s time for
th
Gilmour to show off his music
Gi
room and, for the first time
ro
since this interview began, he
si
ccomes to life.
Earlier, he’d told us that his
opinion
opp of the music press was
that it was, well, irrelevant
th
to Pink Floyd (“We don’t really
need the music press and they
n
don’t really need us”) and his
d
attitude during the interview
at
had been one of mild
h
amusement coupled with disbelief at the “A kind of rock proceedings, pulsating through the auditorium
and stilling the more excitable elements in the
workings of the journalistic mind. But when we
cross the carpet and enter the little room full of son et lumière” crowd. Clocks ticked mysteriously and with
perfect precision the Floydmen slotted their live
electronic equipment, he becomes a New Man. PINK FLOYD/SOFT MACHINE: instruments into the recorded sound.
Most private music rooms I’ve seen have been RAINBOW THEATRE, LONDON The Floyd have a tremendous sense of pace.
sterile, formal places, not, in my opinion, suited Occasionally they seem to overstate a theme
vibewise to the creative process – but Gilmour’s MELODY MAKER NOVEMBER 10, 1973 or extract the last ounce from an idea, but the
is lived-in and it works. The usual tape recorders PINK FLOYD and Soft total effect is like coral growing on the seabed,
and eight-track stuff are there but there’s also Machine stunned fans establishing something deep, eternal and
a drumkit (Nick Mason’s? “No, mine”), about with two sensational occasionally flashing with colour.
12 guitars, ranging from a Strat through a ’59 Les shows at London’s Overhead was suspended a huge white balloon
Paul Custom to a Les Paul Junior hanging on the Rainbow Theatre on to represent the moon, on which spotlights
wall, a Les Paul-type electric guitar (“custom- Sunday night. It was played, and not long after the performance
made, naturally”) and a beautiful classical guitar a splendid evening of began, searchlights began to pierce the gloom.
(“custom-made, naturally”). rock-co-operation, in Meanwhile the music continued apace, Nick
But pride of place goes to the newest toy, a which both groups gave Mason excelling with his terse, economical
special synthesiser made by EMS (who make the their services in aid of disabled drummer drums, hammering home the heavy stuff where
VCS3), which, Gilmour assures us, is not on the Robert Wyatt. required, and tastefully bringing down the
market and never will be. He plugs in the Strat Compere John Peel was pleased to announce volume whene’er a new tack or shift in course
and this device, rather like a plastic pulpit with that some £10,000 was raised. He said that was signalled.
pedals mounted underneath, gives off some of Robert intended to carry on with a singing and Dave Gilmour has one of the most difficult
the most incredible sounds we’ve ever heard. recording career. The ex-Softs drummer was guitar jobs in rock, having to contain his own
And that includes every Pink Floyd album. not present but was acknowledged by cheers exuberance for the benefit of the greater whole,
There’s a fader that lowers the note an octave, from the audience. but making every note felt on his own inventive
a whining fuzz device which couples into that, As two complex shows were performed on the solos. Dave was particularly effective on the
and, most uncanny of all, a phase “Itchycoo same night, there were lengthy delays between funky “Money”, which should have been a
Park”-type effect that resembles a Phantom sets… When the Softs finally came on for the single hit for t’lads.
doing a ground strike somewhere in South East second house, they were still dogged by sound Rick Wright’s keyboards were immensely
Asia. Believers, you’re in for some hair-raising problems. From my position near the right- tasteful and melodic, gently spurred by Roger
sounds when Gilmour gets this weapon on the hand bank of speakers, only John Marshall’s Waters’ mighty bass lines. Instrumentally the
road, as he says he intends to. superb drumming could be heard with any Floyd are a finely tuned mechanism that surges
Looking at David Gilmour as he coaxes these clarity, although the combined keyboard riffs ahead like an armoured cruiser, oblivious to
apocalyptic noises from his guitar, one can see of Karl Jenkins and Mike Ratledge wove an the smoke of battle.
why he and the rest of Pink Floyd feel remote insidious pattern of great power and menace. Indeed the band were enveloped in smoke
STEVE MORLEY/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES
from the workings of the music business. The Softs employed a cataract of sound throughout the performance, glowing red
Gilmour in our interview never really came to in which improvised solos seemed of less lights adding to the illusion of inferno and
life because he hasn’t any stake in successful significance perhaps than the overall blitzkreig, hellfire. A choir of ladies cooed like angels
musicbiz rapport with the press – but he’s but John’s drums employed a fascinating range of mercy and as a silver ball reflecting
said more about Pink Floyd in 30 seconds of of tones, and his attack was at times frightening. myriad beams of light began to revolve
divebombing with the Strat and the Synthi Hi-Fli There were no problems affecting the Floyd and belch more smoke, the audience rose
than all the interviews in the world would ever however, and they presented one of the best to give them an ovation. They deserved
do. And, really, isn’t that what it’s all about? l concerts seen this year; certainly one of the a Nobel prize or at least an Oscar.
TONY TYLER most imaginative and cleverly executed. CHRIS WELCH
MIKE
OLDFIELD
Tubular Bells resounds across the globe, and propels a reluctant superstar
towards paganism and disco. By David Quantick
F
OR many reasons, progressive Born in 1953 in Reading, Mike Oldfield had
rock is often best suited to the a troubled home life, escape from which was
group format – all those time provided by his sister Sally, a brilliant singer
changes, feats of virtuosity and who took her teenaged brother on the road
the sheer stamina required to with her. The Oldfields formed a duo, The
play the stuff suggests the advisability of a Sallyangie (the “angie” added as a nod to
team effort as well as some other men to help the Davy Graham instrumental), whose
with the heavy lifting: so much so that when material matched Sally’s Mary Hopkin-like
someone from prog goes solo – normally a vocals with Oldfield’s impressive folk guitar.
former member of Genesis – their new They were signed to Transatlantic Records
direction is often snappier, poppier, trimmer and released one album, Children Of The
of hair and lapel and much more portable. Sun, which still sounds good, and the pair
Mike Oldfield is the exception: while his have continued to work together on each
career as a multi-layering studio genius, other’s projects ever since.
releasing largely instrumental albums In 1970, Oldfield joined Kevin Ayers’ band,
(Richard Branson begged him to put vocals The Whole World, on bass, an instrument
on Tubular Bells) – and making records new to him but which he effectively treated
whose complexity and scope takes them like a lead guitar with four strings. It’s hard
far away from the New Age slop they’re to imagine the very young Oldfield fitting in
sometimes lumped in with – has taken as a member of a touring band, particularly
him into poppier directions, Oldfield has one led by such an extreme artist as Ayers,
remained one of the few solo artists who but it was a time of learning for Oldfield (and
has always returned to his concept album presumably more fun than playing in the pit
roots. With at least four variants on Tubular band for Hair!, which was also one of his
Bells in his back catalogue, as well as one early experiences). During this time he
brilliant revisit of another ’70s classic, Mike began to put together a demo tape for a piece
Oldfield may dress like his former Virgin of music he called “Opus One”. The story of
label boss and enjoy a similar lifestyle (to Tubular Bells’ origins has been told many
which this writer can attest, having once times around the campfires of prog – how
had a go on Oldfield’s jetski in the sea near Oldfield’s demo was rejected by everyone,
his Ibiza home), but musically at least he how it came to the attention of Richard
remains the introspective outsider who Branson, and how its enormous worldwide
created Tubular Bells in 1973. success not only made Mike Oldfield
reflects its creator’s personality the most. idea that presumably appeals to Oldfield the being Mike Oldfield, many moments of
Now a huge star, Oldfield refused to tour or Now with loner. It’s hard to imagine a greater contrast beauty and excellence – nobody plays the
wings: Mike
publicise his records, and with Hergest Oldfield on to the man whose career evolved in tandem guitar in quite the same way as Oldfield –
Ridge – an album named after his new Hergest to his, the showman and show-off Richard but the overall effect is of smoothness rather
Ridge, near
home near Offa’s Dyke – made a record the Welsh/ Branson, to whom Oldfield must have than shock. The effect is confirmed on side
that perfectly illustrates the paradox of his English presented a frustrating challenge. Oldfield two, traditionally the home of Oldfield’s
border and
music: an epic, multi-instrumental piece his new refused to perform Tubular Bells live and more reflective pieces, which more closely
that sounds like the work of more than one house, 1974 only agreed to playing the concert, legend resembles one of his collaborations with
“I’m going
through a
bad phase”
Defying the curse of The Exorcist, cash registers
are ringing globally to the sound of Tubular Bells.
To its dazed and distracted creator, MIKE OLDFIELD,
however, it’s “meaningless” and he wants the world
to leave him alone with his hate mail, to work on a
follow-up only an army of guitarists could perform.
“I find life a strain,” he tells ROY CARR
NME MARCH 23, 1974 enterprising Virgin label put out the red carpet and
THE STORY so far: the scene opened its doors.
is the 1973 Midem Festival in This week, Tubular Bells entered the American
Cannes, the Music Biz’s annual Top 5 and seems certain to achieve both gold and
orgy of international wheeling platinum status before the month’s out. In Australia,
and dealing, and Virgin Records the album has just taken the top slot on import sales.
boss man Richard Branson is Meanwhile, back in Britain, Tubular Bells has
doing the rounds with a master racked up sales far in excess of 200,000 since it first
tape of Mike Oldfield’s then just- chimed into the bestseller lists on July 21, 1973. If the
recorded Tubular Bells. He’s just album continues to move at its current rate – and
played it to one US label representative and been told: there are no indications that it’s about to slow down
PICTORIAL PRESS LTD/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
“OK, slap some vocals on it and I’ll give you $20,000.” – it could eventually eclipse the success of Pink
Which is about the most positive reaction so far Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon and even rival
from a whole host of US labels displaying varying Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water
degrees of apathy to Branson’s search for an as an all-time recording phenomenon.
American outlet. In fact the rest of them – including Not bad going for an introverted little bloke just
the mighty CBS – were so apathetic they didn’t even turned 20, who hardly anyone wanted to know a year
put in a bid. “It’ll never sell in America” seemed to ago! The man in fact is as docile as Lewis Carroll’s
be the consensus of opinion from all sides – the shagged-out little dormouse and about as animated
Midem saga in itself being a repeat of Oldfield’s own as a day-old corpse. Experienced journalists have
difficulties in finding a British label before Branson’s been known to stagger away from Oldfield
“MOSTLY I LIKE
ever so slightly as he mumbled: “I wish you of sounds. But he goes on to reveal that this is by
hadn’t told me that. Anyway, that’s it, you’ve no means his only dilemma: “I also have a lot of
finally convinced me; I’m definitely not going
CLASSICAL MUSIC, trouble keeping time.”
CHURCH AND
to see that film now. He slumps over the 24-track console, fiddles
“Even before you told me all this,” he continued with a battery of knobs and switches and
in a dry wavery voice, “I was much too frightened
to see it. Judging from what I’ve read in the
CHORAL THINGS. suddenly the room is filled with the celestial
sounds of hallucinogenic voices, sky-diving
papers, coupled to what you’ve just said, that’s it. NOT MUCH ROCK” guitars, macaroni mandolins and other heady
I don’t wanna know.” noises that slurp’n’slide in and out of the giant
His cause for concern goes deeper than
MIKE OLDFIELD playback speakers.
that of the thrill-seeking cinemagoer averse to “This is the bit that’s giving me a helluva
performing a Technicolor yawn all over the lady In fact, he didn’t do very much at all, and lot of trouble.”
peddling albatrosses on a stick. The fact is, the said even less. We listen for a moment, before he bashes
four-minute segment of Tubular Bells used for the the stop mechanism.
“I
soundtrack of the film was, states Oldfield, taken ’M telling you, you’ll have to peg Mike “I’ve got a dreadful sense of timing… can’t
without his prior permission. down if you want to get anything out of understand it. I think it’s OK at the time, but when
“The thing nobody realises,” said Oldfield him,” was the word-to-the-wise advice I come to play it back I find I’ve slowed down and
in a voice that starts in a strained whisper and whispered in my right ear by sound engineer Tom speeded up in all the wrong places. I must have
invariably trails off mid-sentence into thin air, Newman when I first arrived at the rambling had my mind on other things.”
h
“is that I knew absolutely nothing at all about old Manor house. After rewinding the tape to another
this. It’s not that I really minded, but honestly, At which point, Oldfield ssection, 95 guitars in full array
I wish you hadn’t told me all those stories.” shuffled by grunting about tickle our senses like 40,000
tic
There was a long silence. “Scottish Tom” being on Headmen galloping across
H
As it transpired, when the man spoke up the other end of the one’s lobotomy on leapers.
on
again and the “interview” progressed, Oldfield phone. When one Very impressive.
Ve
didn’t suddenly start carrying on in an alarming finally “pegs Mike “Christ, how could
manner. Neither did heavy objects begin to down”, he appears so I eever possibly hope to
levitate around the control room. To his credit, anonymous that we re
recreate that live?”, he
this man didn’t start screaming obscenities, could have quite easily ponders with a voice
po
spew green bile in my face, make his head rotate printed a photograph of so dejected I felt like
a full 360 degrees or perform unmentionable our own Steve Clarke on slashing my wrists, but at
sla
acts on his person with the guitar that he was this page and no-one would th
the same time giving some
carefully re-stringing. have been the wiser, except insight as to why Tubular Bells
ins
has only been performed twice in public. Once danger of becoming involved in a sophisticated
in concert, once on television. exercise in recording technique.
“I don’t like doing gigs, and won’t do any “All I’m doing is just making some music that
until such time as the whole concert thing is I can listen to… well I think it’s that! There’s not
so incredibly rehearsed, well equipped and I’ve a lot of music that I enjoy listening to. Mostly
got the right people to play with. If eventually I I like classical music, church and choral things
am to do gigs, I want each and every one to be a – there’s not too much rock that I can get off on.
satisfying thing to go out and do. And only then “I’ll tell you something,” he continues without
will I consider it. You see, I want people who are prompting. “I always thought that once I had
p
not only musically capable but also emotionally made my own album, held the cover in my hands
m
equipped to do it. and read my name, I’d think it was wonderful.
a
“To be truthful, I think I’d be much happier But, you know, it’s not like that at all.”
B
conducting and engineering it than Jeez, Oldfield, I’ve got enough problems of my
actually participating. The engineering own without you crying on my
is twice as complicated as any of the “I don’t shoulder as if I was some rock’n’roll
like doing
parts. When we did that concert at the gigs”: Marjorie Proops.
M
Queen Elizabeth Hall, we didn’t use at the “If I do get any sense of achievement
Rainbow
any amplifiers – all the guitars were Theatre in ffrom what I’m doing,” he blubs, “it’s
fed straight into the mixing board, London, when I’m mixing the thing. After that
w
1974
which a lot of people didn’t realise. II’m so exhausted I couldn’t really care
But even that had a lot of major lless about things. I’m a bit too dazed
technical hang-ups.” tto know if I’m really satisfied or
dissatisfied with what I’ve done.”
d
D
ESPITE this, Oldfield feels Indeed it appears Mike Oldfield gets
that eventually such problems his kicks in some very strange ways. He
h
can be surmounted. But as may have received unanimous praise
m
to whether the effort and expense ffrom the world’s press for Tubular Bells,
will justify the result, all he can but nevertheless he encountered great
b
offer is a non-committal: “It might… difficulty in relating to it.
d
but I dunno.” As he tells it the only printed comment
As yet he hasn’t managed to tthat made any real impression was
overcome all the limitations of the a reader’s letter in the musical press
recording studio. “The electronics describing Tubular Bells as the biggest
d
stand in your way,” he quietly lload of rubbish ever recorded.
drones, “they get between you and “Believe it or not, that letter made
your final thing, so until such time me feel quite good inside. The fact
m
that someone invents a control board tthat somebody hated it was great, but
that has inbuilt aesthetic judgement, quite honestly, I can’t understand why
q
that’s the only way to do it.” tthat one letter had such a wonderful
It’s a line of conversation that eeffect on me. It gave me much more
prompts him to dismiss any ssatisfaction than any of those positive
suggestion that by going it alone and rreviews I read.”
playing most instruments he’s in But then – as you many have
already gathered – Mike Oldfield
a
“It’s probably the iis an introverted personality beset
curse of The
Exorcist”: Oldfield with screaming contradictions, out
w
tries to laugh off of which here’s one little gem:
o
the film he hasn’t
yet dared to see “Basically I’m very insecure.
In fact, I’m a bit worried about
what’s gonna become of me. I’ll
w
ttell you, if I’d have started going
on tour right away, I’m quite
ccertain that something very nasty
would have happened to me. I’m
w
positive I wouldn’t have come
p
back in one piece.”
b
Again this conversation is
MICK GOLD/GETTY IMAGES; PICTORIAL PRESS LTD/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
GENESIS
Some wild things floating about! Escaping public school, an English band
frolic on the playing fields of their imagination. By Mark Beaumont
T
HE flower head, flute interludes Banks’ precocious classical skills play-
and keyboard fanfares. The fought with Gabriel’s blues and soul
batwing headpiece and flowing thumping, as much Nina Simone as The
red fox-gown. Twelve-string Yardbirds. “I felt I could repress the middle-
acoustic guitars duelling class English person with soul music,”
through a 23-minute song-cycle about an Gabriel told NME’s Paul Morley in 1980.
apocalyptic battle for the future of Their musical marriage to guitarist
humanity. A seated band of virtuosos Anthony Phillips, drummer Chris Stewart
outshone by a singer dressed variously as a and bassist Mike Rutherford was one of
lascivious poltergeist pensioner, Britannia convenience – between them, they were
and a venereal disease. Music that was both the last remains of Charterhouse’s
rock and baroque – part gig, part recital – disintegrating two-band rock scene. And
full of macabre fairy-tale imagery, religious the album that King produced for them in
and mythological references and characters two days, having wangled a deal with
worthy of Lewis Carroll’s worst nightmares. Decca, is best consigned to history, not least
Audiences – or rather, congregations – at because King still owns the rights.
Genesis shows during the early 1970s must 1969’s From Genesis To Revelation –
have felt they were witnessing both the “a bunch of kids in their holiday time”,
ascendance and epitome of progressive according to Rutherford – consisted of
rock. Arguably, they were right. pastoral ’60s pop nodding to US soul and
They might also have noted that nothing Motown, Woodstock folk, Love and The
could be more public school. But the Who, bearing little resemblance to the band
Charterhouse school songwriting collective they’d become, besides a rarefied airiness
(unnamed and yet to play live together, they and a grand conceit. At King’s suggestion,
baulked at calling themselves a band) that its 13 charmingly naive tracks were designed
conspired to get a demo tape to old boy to trace the evolution of man from a Biblical
Jonathan King during his January 1967 visit perspective, pitting the Garden Of Eden of
to his alma mater weren’t your standard side one against the apocalypse of side two.
starch-collared toffs. Both Peter Gabriel and Spirituality and religion, King deduced,
Tony Banks considered themselves were becoming hip in the age of the
outsiders amid the hallowed cloisters and Maharishi. Before Godspell and Jesus Christ
brutal regimes of the Surrey boarding Superstar, King christened them Genesis.
school. They bonded at the piano, where Two singles flopped, the album sold
FROM GENESIS TO TRESPASS FOXTROT THE LAMB LIES A TRICK OF THE TAIL WIND &
REVELATION CHARISMA, 1970 CHARISMA, 1972 DOWN ON CHARISMA, 1976 WUTHERING
DECCA, 1969 6/10 9/10 BROADWAY 8/10 CHARISMA, 1976
5/10 CHARISMA, 1974 8/10
NURSERY CRYME SELLING ENGLAND 7/10
CHARISMA, 1971 BY THE POUND
8/10 CHARISMA, 1973
6/10
of Genesis were present on Trespass, but in shunning all attempts to talk him down from reason. Few 23-minute musical montages
the wrong order. It took a new Mellotron, a a ledge. “Seven Stones” and the exquisite are as expertly paced, deftly dynamic and
change of personnel – Phil Collins the last “For Absent Friends” – Hackett and Collins’ consistently melodic as “Supper’s Ready”;
of a rotating cast of drummers and Steve first major contribution – were delicate particularly ones merging The Pilgrim’s
Hackett replacing a tour-broken Phillips to pencil sketches of age, wisdom and grief. Progress with The Book Of Revelations that
complete the classic lineup – and a decamp Nursery Cryme brought a fresh wit, character open on an ominous vision of hooded figures
to Stratton-Smith’s country pile Luxford and musical definition to Genesis, lifting the and end with an almighty cosmic battle
House to cement their aesthetic. Collins, an dense fog of Trespass and launching what between good and evil, via the Narcissus
ex-child actor with appearances in Chitty- Charterhouse associate Richard Macphail myth and a Pythonesque carnival detour to
Chitty Bang Bang and the West End would call “the golden era”. “Willow Farm”. Owning side two of Foxtrot,
production of Oliver in his resumé, came Like the two previous albums, Nursery “Supper’s Ready” pulled on its famous flower
with a certain vaudevillian impishness, and Cryme bombed in the UK, but its success headpiece and bellowed, “Follow that!”
the surroundings reminded Gabriel of his on the Continent saw Genesis playing to 1973’s high-minded social statement
grandparents’ dark Victorian home. Swiftly, crowds of 20,000 in Italian arenas one night Selling England By The Pound couldn’t.
fantastical visions to New York City, and pulsing rock, the Beatles- majestic divorce ballads. As
m
then went wildly off-script. aping “Counting Out Time” the most imaginative and
th
Considering even Gabriel claims to be and the gossamer, baroque form-challenging act of the
fo
unsure of the plot of 1974’s The Lamb Lies “Carpet Crawlers”. For the genre,
ge they’d guided prog
Down On Broadway (and he wrote it), we’ll weirder, patchier second half, rock
ro from genesis to
not try to unpick it here. Suffice to say, a they probably shifted in their numerous revelations. Now it
nu
teenage street punk named Rael goes in seats praying for anything as was time to write their
w
search of his brother John in a surrealist zippy as “Supper’s Ready”. stadium pop testament. ●
st
“I’m excited
by the visual
aspect”
The failed pro golfer. The childhood
Artful Dodger. The one-man special-
effects department. The one with the
fox-head phobia – and the one who
“poodles about” in “silly costumes”.
Meet GENESIS: “People will either love or
hate us on the tour,” says Peter Gabriel.
“There’s no indifference.”
MELODY MAKER MARCH 3, 1973
GENESIS are in that exciting time when life seems
rosy and prospects are good. After many years of
toil, uncertainty and blind faith, their ambitions are
being realised and their talent recognised. America
beckons, the next album will probably be a smash
and concerts are a sell-out, wherever Peter Gabriel
unfurls his wings.
Genesis have always been determined to play their
own music without compromise, right from the days
when they played to five people in the room upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s
MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVES/GETTY IMAGES
Club. And they will concede no compromises now they have joined their
brother groups amid the hullabaloo of acclaim and exposure.
In many ways, Genesis are of the old-fashioned breed of group, who
originally laid the foundations of the whole modern group structure. Most
of them went to school together. Few have played with any other band.
When they started out they were rough and unready and held quaint ideas
about writing and playing that no one would touch. While other groups
went on to fame and fortune, they teetered on the verge of breaking up,
quarrelled, but slogged on and won an essential grass-roots following.
The music the band feature has been compared A man who could conceivably have devoted English at Edinburgh University, but I couldn’t
to Yes, and other bands that specialise in himself to hunting tigers in India explained go back again.”
arrangements. In fact, one of their earliest how he became a vital force in Genesis. “I started How did Mike intend to use his studies at
influences was The Nice. off writing with Anthony Phillips, our old university? “Actually, I wanted to be a pro golfer.
Genesis do not, however, place much emphasis guitarist. Just songs, y’know. I’ve always had I take clubs with me wherever we go. But we’re all
on solo work or extended improvisation, and the a thing about songs. unfit. I just play when I can.”
use of Mellotron and Steve Hackett’s “non-guitar” “When we left school, Peter was getting a band To what extent had Mike studied musical theory
guitar sounds don’t lead to any direct comparison together and I joined on bass and rhythm guitar. and the art of bass guitar?
with anything else that is happening. I love strumming. Never really wanted to be a “I sort of picked it up. I’m starting to learn to read
Genesis are eccentric and very English, and dynamic lead guitarist. We used to write pop music now. I suppose our present musical form
blues hardly enters their work; even the term songs, and I thought they were rather nice. started to develop about three years ago. We used
“rock” is irrelevant most of the time. Nevertheless “The first thing we wrote as a band was a to change much quicker than we do now. But, of
it is gripping, often startling, with a thorough 45-minute piece that we didn’t record, but we course, there were fewer people coming to see us.
understanding of the use of dynamics, light still use bits to this very day. When we started “I wish we could have had Phil then. His arrival
and shade. It is a textural montage in which the band we knew nothing about the business gave us an awful lot more confidence. There has
classical music, jazz and rock can all be seen or what bands did, which was good, really. always been a lot of friction in the band, but it’s
to have had an effect. We were incredibly green, but luckily we didn’t not too bad, really. When Phil joined and saw
sign anything. us all quarrelling, I think he thought we were
MIKE RUTHERFORD “We didn’t know how to set up the equipment splitting up! We argue a lot less now and there
A
CHARTERHOUSE school veteran, bass for a gig and we used to travel around with a is more give and take.”
guitarist Mike Rutherford treats a mean picnic basket, containing hard-boiled eggs, pots
pair of Mr Bassman pedals, which supply of tea and scones, that we set up in the dressing PHIL COLLINS
P
the mysterious bass pulse when he is strumming rooms. The other bands were frankly amazed. But HIL Collins, the drummer, is one of that
at an acoustic guitar with Steve. He also plays we were very fond of tea. breed of drummers with a fine technique
regular bass guitar and two 12-string guitars, “We had no conception of what would happen, who devotes it solely to the band’s music.
all of which help in the vital shading and pastel and I’m really glad we did it. I had led such a soft He rarely if ever solos, but the intelligent and
tones the band employ. He tends to ramble in a life up and until then, and being in a group dramatic shading that he employs is exciting
pleasantly coherent fashion, often a trait among doesn’t do you any harm at all. I was studying in itself.
public school chaps, and blithely admits if it He has played drums since the age of five, and at
wasn’t for this rock’n’roll business, he would one time pursued an acting career, which he now
probably have gone into the Foreign Office.
“We seem to be on the up at the moment,” he “WE USED TO TRAVEL prefers not to talk about, but like Steve Marriott,
included a stint in Oliver! as the Artful Dodger,
observed lightly. “We do feel there is a frightful WITH A PICNIC and a whole string of radio and TV appearances.
MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVE/GETTY
The band
in 1973:
(l-r) Banks,
Collins,
Rutherford,
Hackett
and Gabriel
T
HERE are many facets to Peter Gabriel’s role the Rainbow, for example, seems to
in Genesis. He is a remarkable singer, with confirm that the music by itself is not
a variety of tonal effects at his command, conducive to dancing in the aisle, in
from an unexpected soul shriek to clipped, the manner of a soul or rock band.
precise phrasing – agonising howls to grotesque Gabriel does seem possessed in some
rolling accents delivered with theatrical venom. way, when he performs, and his shy
Sometimes he sounds like Anthony Newley or stutter offstage in no way invalidates
Ron Moody. He teeters from angelic pose to this impression.
supernatural devilry, as he beats time on a Our conversation began in fairly
solitary bass drum, the remnants of some long normal fashion, but as his piercing
forgotten kit. He plays lyrical, in-tune flute, and eyes and crooked smile, beneath a
can also be seen practising the oboe. partially shaven head, bore into me,
Onstage he will remain motionless for minutes I felt in some way I had made contact
on end, or disappear, only to burst forth in some with the unknown.
stunning costume, perhaps the famous a head of “If our present success continues,
a fox. But as Peter realises, such tactics can only we’ll be in the situation where we can
work of art. Mumble, mumble, second verse visual act. They were never as good after that first
follows the first. time, and they weren’t half the band after the
“We go onstage and do a bad gig and guitarist left. It was all organ and I thought the
everybody says it’s the most brilliant thing they guitar was essential.”
have ever seen in their life. The time comes when “I like Yes quite a lot, and I liked The Yes Album,
you believe they are right. We should be cautious but I wasn’t impressed by Fragile and I haven’t
about that. We are learning all the time, and on heard Close To The Edge. I don’t feel influenced
the whole in this business, it is the easiest field in by them at all. I suppose when we did Nursery
which to be highly successful and mediocre at Cryme there was a superficial likeness, but if
the same time. One should be constantly you listen to the LPs for any length of time, the
maintaining higher aims.” similarities will disappear. We listen to a lot of
Is there a danger of Genesis being trapped music. There is no jazz influence on what I play,
into a formula? but Phil can make it sound like jazz and I like that.
“I’d like to change the act after every gig. One “We’ve all been evolving since we were at
gig should be totally theatrical, and the next one school, and Peter, Mike and myself never played
dressed in denim. I would feel happier if you with anybody else. It’s quite satisfactory, really,
come to a Genesis gig and not know what you’re write a complete offering and the group arranges because I never played organ before, and learned
going to see. But some people have already it. This doesn’t often happen! Otherwise we all through Genesis. Mike hadn’t played bass before
complained because we dropped the fox’s head. work together on a 10-second idea and then and was a guitarist.
I’d like to get a regular change in the music develop it. Each member takes a part in the “Everything you do changes you. I enjoy a lot of
as well. Eh? Oh, I’ve got the fox’s head at the writing. You see, we originally got together as aspects of being in a group. I don’t enjoy travelling.
moment. We’re thinking of giving it as a prize writers, and this is the strength of the band. I stayed a year at university and then when Genesis
in the Giant Hogweed Youth Movement In fact, each member writes enough to fill an started, I took one year’s leave of absence to see
competition. I must give a plug to the mask maker LP. When I write a lyric, I try to think of Peter, how it would go. I’ve never been back.”
– Guy Chapman, who made the pinballs for the who has to sing them. Peter’s own lyrics Tony admits he doesn’t always entirely enjoy
Tommy opera. Erika Issitt does the costumes. tend to be more abstract and I tend to have the visual aspect of Genesis and says there has
“I want to create a fantasy situation. The flower reservations about obscurity. I think he wrote been friction between him and Peter Gabriel
head should be hamming it up. It’s consciously ‘Supper’s Ready’ too hurriedly. in the past. “I don’t have much to do with the
supposed to be unreal. I don’t specifically want “I started playing classical music at school. presentation and didn’t always like it. But Peter is
to frighten. Let’s say I would prefer to be Fellini. When I was about 13 I went off classical piano and a natural for that and I’m more happy with it now.
In fact, the flower walk was probably more didn’t want to play it any more. I would pick out “We’ve tried never to compromise and we’re not
influenced by Shirley Temple, which is better Beatles tunes instead. But at 16 it was back to the going to now. I enjoy taking the music seriously
than ripping off Eric Clapton.” classics again. The first group I ever saw was The and we want more people to listen to us. I was
Next LP? “We’ve got our little bits ready. April Nice, and I didn’t think anybody played music irritated by the fox’s head that Peter used, and
we’ll start, but in the meantime we’re going to like that. It was pretty early days for them at the didn’t think it was justifiable. I always regretted
America. I’d like a more acoustic feel than we Marquee and it was pretty simple stuff I suppose. it. But now I’m getting more excited about the
did on Foxtrot. We want to extend the degree of But I was quite impressed by the possibilities of a visual aspect. And I’ve known Peter too long
contrast in the music. I want to spend the next to be frightened by him!”
50 years of my life learning.”
“I WAS IRRITATED BY STEVE HACKETT
S
TONY BANKS CREAMING effects and whispering melody
THE FOX’S HEAD THAT
T
ONY Banks is one of the main men when lines, unison work with the organ, brass,
it comes to unravelling who contributes
most to the Genesis sound. His mournful PETER USED, AND and gentle acoustic guitar behind the
vocals are all Steve Hackett’s forte.
Mellotron cries and sustained chords are DIDN’T THINK IT WAS One of the most recent members of the
vital in maintaining the mood and aura of a
performance, and by the nature of his instrument JUSTIFIABLE” band, which worked as a four-piece after their
original guitarist left, Steve has a dry humour,
he takes the lead in structuring the arrangements. TONY BANKS and enjoys telling the saga of his running
Ex-Charterhouse and Sussex advertisements
advertisemments in i the Melody Maker’s famed
University, his musical training ‘Musicians Wanted’ columns.
included nearly 10 years’ classical Educated at Sloane Grammar
Steve Hackett,
piano studies. He first played in The circa 1973 school in Kensington, Steve
Garden Wall, a school group with Peter enjoys composers Erik Satie,
and Anthony Phillips, original Genesis Albinoni,
A Scarlatti and Bach, as
guitarist. “My particular role in the well
w as King Crimson. He is one of
band? Well, I’m not an improviser in a tthe quietest members of the band
group situation. I can improvise and and onstage prefers to remain
a
will play away for hours on my own at static, rather than attempt
the piano. But when I’m restricted to a uneasy rock-style leaping.
u
riff or chord sequence, I find it difficult “Onstage I do tend not to use the
to improvise. I prefer to work out my guitar as a guitar, but rather as a
playing in advance. And I don’t have voice in the oneness of sound. A
v
any desire to improvise, as my sole llot of the time people say, ‘Where’s
concern is the composition and the
t guitar? I can’t hear it.’ It’s more
playing of the arrangement. of
o a special-effects department.”
“We spend weeks getting a song Does Steve covet the freedom to
together. We’d like to speed up the blow more?
b
MICHAEL PUTLAND/GETTY
process, because you can soon get “On the next LP I’d like to use the
bored playing the same thing each guitar as a guitar. The music does
night. But I’ve found I’m enjoying ttend to be over-arranged. On gigs
playing more than a year ago. 90 per cent of it is arranged. The
9
“There are two main ways we get rreason I want to sit down, by the
material together. One of us might way, is because of the battery of
w
foot pedals and fuzz boxes I use. There are a lot of lacked drive. Now with the addition of Phil it has Selling England By The Pound. And Reading
crescendos and diminuendos, and I have to keep got much stronger. I could see what the band were was the farewell, at least in part, to their old
level right with the pedals. But I admit I’m the trying to do and where it failed. I thought it could act. Now a new British tour looms, and plans are
most non-visual member of the band and I don’t be polished up. And I can’t emphasise enough the afoot to make it their most exciting ever, fire
find it easy to be onstage.” importance of the addition of the Mellotron. That regulations permitting.
Did Steve ever cherish the possibility of gave us a whole new spectrum of sounds, and a Peter and lead guitarist Steve Hackett were
becoming a frontman? wider perspective. consuming breakfast tea and toast at Peter’s cosy
“Not really. I’m pretty obscure, you know. I tried “I don’t really like playing long solos, and flat in Notting Hill, London – where cats roam
to form a band for two years and had 30 musicians prefer more short statements. You can say much and postmen get lost – one morning this week.
passing through. We played two gigs. more in two minutes than you can in 20. It’s like Settled at last on the sofa in a pocket-sized
“I used to play harmonica, so it was a kind of drumming. A drum solo would be completely out lounge, I attempted to question Peter forthrightly
John Mayall situation without any gigs. The band of context in this band. about the technicalities of their new stage act,
had several names, as well, like Sarabande and “I like to think we conjure up mental pictures making pertinent points about recording, the
Steel Pier. It was all down to lack of finance. for people and create moods. When Peter wears a future of Genesis, the influence of rock on
“I was one of the most regular advertisers in flower on his head or shouts ‘All change’ it could western society and the implications behind such
Melody Maker apart from A Able Accordionist. mean nothing. But within the context of the impressive new compositions as “The Battle Of
The style of the ads changed as time went on, music, it can help get the number across. Epping Forest”, a highlight of the album.
from ‘Blues guitarist/harmonica player’ to “We all relate to fantasy, although I’m a bit more
‘Guitarist writer seeks receptive minds down to earth. ‘Get ’Em Out By Friday’ is a more How did you enjoy your “farewell to the old
determined to strive beyond existing stagnant specific statement for me. I like John Lennon’s act” at Reading Festival?
musical forms.’ The last one – Genesis answered. lyrics. Simple, but effective. Bare bones and a bit PETER: I don’t think the music was very good.
It was a bit highbrow, but I still got a lot of nutters more honesty, that’s what I’d like.” STEVE: Your press write-up was very
replying, obviously completely hopeless. I could CHRIS WELCH complimentary compared to the
never bring myself to tell them. In the end I had actual performance.
to say, I don’t think we can work together. After MELODY MAKER OCTOBER 6, 1973 PETER: The reaction was very pleasing to us
Peter phoned up, we did two weeks’ rehearsals GENESIS have lain dormant from that point of view. We’ve never had that
and did our first gig, which was a disaster, of throughout the summer, at sort of reaction at a festival before. We are always
course. I forgot everything.” least as far as the public was very sceptical about working in the open air.
“When I first started to play guitar, my main concerned. Then came the We work very much on atmosphere, and that’s
influences were C, F, and G – they were good for sensational appearance at easier to create inside. We had a bit of power
the blues. I was a big fan of Jeff Beck and I still am. Reading Festival, when trouble, as well, which caused the long delay.
Eric Clapton, of course, and Peter Green. Then Peter Gabriel rose as a vision It wasn’t intentional.
something happened. I’d go to Eel Pie Island a lot upon a hydraulic ramp,
and hear all the blues guitarists. Then suddenly ensconced inside a white What was the thinking behind the hydraulic
the magic didn’t work. I’d come to the end of the pyramid. Of its significance, only the wind ramp on which you appeared inside the
blues. As I’d acquired more technique, I could knows. But there’s no doubting that Gabriel had white pyramid?
JOHN LYNN KIRK/GETTY
understand more what they were playing, and once again stunned his audience with another in PETER: Oh, that was a sort of fairground
the more I knew, the less the magic worked. his series of ingenious and baffling visuals. gimmick. I really enjoyed that, actually. It was
“When I joined this band, I thought I could Of course, the group had not been idle. They had quite a tight area in which I was crammed, and it
improve the guitar department, which was more been toiling in basement studios rehearsing and looked as if my body was all distorted. It’s quite
folky than it is now. I thought the acoustic side recording what they feel is their finest album yet, good for the science-fiction cosmos man.
Cymbal-ism:
(l-r) Rutherford,
Banks, Gabriel
and Collins in
rehearsals, 1974
My legs were crossed, yes. The trouble was STEVE: It’s the best thing we’ve ever done. The
P
way to do it. It’s relevant entertainment. Ron ETER was fast developing an attack of the
Are you feeling confident about playing Geesin will almost definitely be coming on tour mumbles, and it was obvious he thought the
the new album material live on the tour? with us. I’ve got to check up on him today. He’s music should be allowed to speak for itself.
PETER: Umm – I think we’ve got our side really excellent. I don’t know him at all, but he’s It is part of Gabriel’s strange personality that
of it together. The trouble is with things like a very strong character. I think people will either he combines a charm, menace and eloquence
DAVID WARNER ELLIS/GETTY
projection, which are all a bit haphazard at this love or hate us on the tour. There’s no indifference. onstage that is gripping, and a diffidence offstage
precise point in time. There’s not going to be as that is equally disturbing. They talk of madness
much back projection as we’d hoped. Originally What is the potential of the band in the in great ones, and Genesis and its merry crew are,
we had a set designed for us, a huge inflatable coming year? How much bigger can it get? inherently, a great group. It is enough that their
thing, and this would also act as a screen, so one PETER: I don’t know – the answer lies with the music should speak volumes. l
could get totally involved. Unfortunately, since album we’ve just made. CHRIS WELCH
l DELIVERED DIRECT
TO YOUR HOME
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H
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PROG
YES
An abundance of ideas creates a career played out on the edge, beset by
seething undercurrents but rarely adrift. By Jason Anderson
I
N 2018, Yes celebrated the band’s and vocalist Jon Anderson, 90125-era
50th anniversary in a manner that addition Trevor Rabin and the one and only
was entirely in keeping with their Rick Wakeman.
reputation for extraordinary displays While these competing units could not
of musicianship, thrilling songs of agree to share the same stage, they each
exceptional complexity and immediacy, commemorated the milestone in the same
and a degree of internal discord that may be way that every incarnation of Yes had done
unparalleled even in the fractious realm of before: by releasing a lengthy live album
progressive rock. with cover art by Roger Dean or a reasonable
Of course, Yes fans are well used to having facsimile thereof. (This time, the designer
their loyalties torn because of the endless gave the official honours to the Howe-led
series of lineup changes, breakups and version for Yes 50 Live). Sadly, the 2015
reconfigurations over the decades. Now they passing of bassist and vocalist Chris Squire
could choose to mark the half-centenary by meant that neither Yes included the one
seeing performances by one or both of the player who’d been the closest thing the
two iterations of the band doing anniversary band ever had to a fixed point amid constant
tours. One was the five-man group currently flux. Nor did Squire’s death apparently
operating under the Yes banner and neutralise the “seething undercurrents”
featuring guitarist Steve Howe and drummer that have always existed in Yes according
Alan White, neither of whom were founding to drummer Bill Bruford, who memorably
members but are still key contributors to the described the group to biographer Chris
imperial phase that began with their Welch as “a very tight, highly structured,
commercial breakthrough, The Yes Album, nerve-wracking organisation always short
in 1971, strengthened through the twin of money and always spending too much
triumphs of Fragile and Close To The Edge, and always in trouble”.
survived the dodgier waters of Tales From Yet the fact that both 2018-vintage versions
Topographic Oceans and ended in the acquitted themselves so satisfactorily at
rancour that surrounded 1978’s Tormato. their respective tasks should not be
The other was titled YES Featuring ARW, surprising either. That’s because the shared
a moniker whose use of capital letters may vision of what Yes could and should be has
have suggested an unwieldy conflagration always been the sum that’s greater than the
of acronyms but really only contained the individual parts, all of whom have turned
ARW to denote its driving forces: co-founder out to be replaceable at one or more
YES THE YES ALBUM CLOSE TO THE EDGE TALES FROM GOING FOR DRAMA
ATLANTIC, 1969 ATLANTIC, 1971 ATLANTIC, 1972 TOPOGRAPHIC THE ONE ATLANTIC, 1980
7/10 9/10 9/10 OCEANS ATLANTIC, 1977 6/10
ATLANTIC, 1973 8/10
TIME AND A WORD FRAGILE YESSONGS 6/10 90125
ATLANTIC, 1970 ATLANTIC, 1971 ATLANTIC, 1973 TORMATO ATCO, 1983
7/10 9/10 8/10 RELAYER ATLANTIC, 1978 8/10
ATLANTIC, 1974 6/10
7/10
that matched compositional complexity benefit from a pronounced state of agitation kind of focus for long. Sure enough, the
with pop immediacy. The other rule for the as conflicting instincts are marshalled good men of Yes – minus Bruford, who
fast-evolving sound of Yes: no blues licks. behind shared ambitions. Unexpected helped put Plastic Ono Band vet Alan White
The lack thereof may have been why juxtapositions and transitions abound, with in his seat before leaving for Crimson –
Atlantic regarded their first UK signing as the music’s swirl of activity becoming even struggled to keep their collective eye on
a folk act – and focused much more on more bewildering thanks to Anderson’s the ball during the grueling process that
breaking Led Zeppelin. Pressured to hop freeform lyrics, which were increasingly yielded Tales From Topographic Oceans.
on the strings-and-brass bandwagon started steeped in his interests in Eastern religions. Inspired by a series of sacred Hindu texts
by Deep Purple’s Concerto For Group And The third album’s “I’ve Seen All Good – lines like “Our endless caresses for the
Orchestra, Yes made their identity harder to People” became a key step in the bonding freedom of life everlasting/Talk to the
discern with 1970’s fine Time And A Word. (Top) Yes, process between Yes and journalists, sunlight caller” were overripe for
Only intermittently was the young band August ’69: programmers and punters alike. As the interpretation – the four-part, 81-minute
(l–r) Chris
able to cut through the clutter in the overly Squire, Jon two-part track unfolds over seven work contained passages of great fluidity
busy arrangements for “The Prophet” and Anderson, captivating minutes, the beauty of the vocal and many that were turgid to the point of
Tony Kaye,
“Astral Traveller”. But a European tour with Peter Banks, harmonies is initially enhanced by gentler being indigestible. Wakeman hated it,
Iron Butterfly – after which they acquired Bill Bruford accompaniment before the song is hijacked which explains why his presence is so
and
a nd D
Downes gearing up for
the supergroup Asia, Howe,
th
White and the long-absent
W
Tony Kaye embarked on a
T
new band with South African
n
singer-guitarist
sii Trevor Rabin
limited, even in the invaluable remix-slash- sign the band had lost their to be named Cinema, with
restoration job by Porcupine Tree’s Steven rudder. “Release, Release” was Horn producing. When
H
Wilson released in 2016. even more baffling as an attempt Squire played Rabin’s demos
S
The album’s mixed-to-negative critical to get hip to the new wave. “Rock to Anderson after a chance
reception and Wakeman’s post-tour is the medium of our generation,” Anderson (Above, left)
f) meeting
ti in i Los
L Angeles, the stage was set for
departure helped establish another sang over what sounded like a misbegotten Yes live on the
Going For something no-one could’ve expected. This
pattern that would serve Yes well in the jam between The Vibrators and ELP: “Stand The One tour, tricked-out, ’80s-model Yes would soon be
years to come: an ability to regroup and for every right, kick it out, hear you shout/For Wembley
Arena, bigger than any previous iteration. And for
refocus in the face of setbacks and fissures the right of all of creation.” October 28, all of 90125’s slickness, there was no
that would have doomed others. Recorded While Tormato may have deserved the 1977
denying the power of “Owner Of A Lonely
in Switzerland with keyboardist Patrick genuine tomato stains Hipgnosis used on Heart” or the ingenuity of “Leave It”, a Horn
Moraz (who would himself be re-replaced the cover, it was nonetheless a commercial masterstroke that took Yes’s trademark
by Wakeman in 1976), 1974’s fusion- success, as was the accompanying stage vocal harmonies to a whole new level.
influenced Relayer best demonstrated show with its vanguard in-the-round Like every incarnation of Yes that
that renewal of gusto in “The Gates Of design. But the ever-worsening acrimony followed, this one wasn’t built to last.
Delirium”, a Tolstoy-inspired epic that and financial conflicts caused Anderson By the decade’s end, the band had
was their most successfully realised and Wakeman to walk out on the sessions begun its perpetual cycle of division and
long-form piece to date. for Tormato’s follow-up in Paris in the reconfiguration as the Rabin-and-Squire-led
Sensing the ground shifting in the music autumn of 1979. Yes competed for legitimacy and supremacy
world, the band opted for a more concise This rift would have marked the end in with the unfortunately monikered but
approach when they finished an inaugural a more conventional and predictable sort surprisingly robust group known as
round of solo albums and returned to the of rock saga. Instead, it was more like the Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe.
fray with 1977’s Going For The One. Mind turning point in a Thankfully, through it all, that
you, no newly minted punk was going to Marvel comic book collective idea of Yes would persist,
co
abide Yes songs that remained as elaborate when the budding all of those divergent ideas and
al
or richly adorned as “Turn Of The Century”, superhero gains ambitions cohering once again into
am
but there was a new sense of focus and even invulnerability by music of rare grace, power and oddly
m
fury even in “Awaken”, the one track that wholly implausible endearing pomposity. A standout of
en
topped 15 minutes largely thanks to the means. In the case of the mid-’90s reunion of the mid-’70s
th
frenetic to-and-fro between Howe and a Yes, those means were lineup, the 18-minute “Mind Drive”
lin
clearly re-energised Wakeman. The band Squire’s controversial onn Keys To Ascension II is vivid proof
also scored their biggest ever chart single decision to draft in that old fires still burned. Likewise,
th
with “Wonderous Stories”, a folky charmer Trevor Horn and Geoff Howe’s quicksilver
that highlighted their capacity for elegance. Downes – two ardent fretwork on the closing
And while the rock press may have moved Yes devotees who’d rendition of “Starship
on to newer, rawer enthusiasms than Yes, found success as The Trooper” on last year’s
EBET ROBERTS/REDFERNS, ANDREW PUTLER/REDFERNS
readers’ polls results confirmed their Buggles – to finish caption Yes 50 Live is another
continued dominance in punk’s year zero. Drama (1980). Though the reminder of the wilder
But these outward signs of health and gambit seemed a failure when energies and broiling
unity proved to be illusory – instead, the fans did not take to the new undercurrents that
band’s two founders were nearing the end of Anderson-less version propelled Yes to
the fruitful first phase for a partnership that and the musicians finally greatness whenever
would be decidedly intermittent from this scattered to the winds, Horn’s they weren’t tearing the
point forward. Tensions rose through the production wizardry would band asunder. Given
making of 1978’s Tormato, a much more be a crucial factor in Yes’s the evidence, there’s
erratic effort than its predecessor. With its unlikely rebirth. Yes in 1983: (l–r) Alan no reason to believe
White, Jon Anderson,
half-hearted flirtations with disco and With Anderson busy with Chris Squire, Tony they won’t somehow
heavy rock, “Don’t Kill The Whale” was one Jon And Vangelis, and Howe Kaye, Trevor Rabin last the century. ●
“We’re
a people’s
band” 1972: As YESmania engulfs the
States, Jon Anderson finds himself
disgusted by “vulgar” Vegas,
Bill Bruford finds it all too much and
Rick Wakeman sends Chris Welch a
blood-stained letter from America…
often a loud band, and Jon has a husky voice. And he doesn’t even
move on stage, apart from shake the occasional pair of maracas or
beat time with his tambourine.
Watching a Yes concert, with all the intricacies, subtleties and
roaring dominance of the music, it often appears that Jon is floating
in an aura, slightly above them. One of the most significant moments
in their performance comes after the long build-up of the first line of
“America”. The band pause in their machinations and Jon, quiet and
positive, leans across to the microphone and says: “Let us be lovers,
we’ll marry our fortunes together.”
Like Churchill it’s as if all his life had been He is only just beginning to realise that he is not eating terrible food, and they all applaud a guy
leading up to that moment. And if it doesn’t seem sitting in the pictures any more, and it’s actually who’s telling them the truth. It’s very comical.
too grandiose a term to be using in terms of happening all around him. I couldn’t understand it at all.
running a successful rock band, Jon’s hour “Sometime it’s going to hit me, that I really “There is a section of Las Vegas where they
of destiny is at hand. don’t have any financial worries any more. lead normal lives, but the showbusiness side is
One of the pleasures of observing the rock But there are always other worries which are schmaltzy, it’s evil.
scene is seeing deserving talents get on and equally frustrating. Sometime the crunch will “I couldn’t get over the town. It’s so vulgar, we
hard work rewarded. It’s gratifying for those come. But I’ve never really been concerned about called it space city. There is so little of value or
that knew them as beatniks to see such merry money anyway. quality, but I’m glad we saw it and I’ve learnt a lot.
men as Rod Stewart, Marc Bolan, the Faces, “All the energy I have put into my life for the I also lost 20 dollars.
elevating to stardom. past five years has come back to me, and now “The restaurants never close and never get dirty
Jon may never cause Anderson mania, but all the good things are coming into my life…” and they never have any conversation. ‘What do
he has come a tidy step from the days when Jon paused to ponder the problems this in itself you want? That’ll be a dollar fifty.’ That’s all they
we stood together outside an abattoir in Cork, might cause. can say. If you tried to start a conversation like,
wondering how to get back to England from The cause of much of this baffling wealth has ‘What a nice day,’ they wouldn’t reply because
a festival gig that never was. been the sale of two successful albums and many they didn’t know how to talk.
For the first time, Yes are financially secure after packed concerts in the US. He cast his memory “A woman came into the restaurant every 20
years of almost permanent debt. And their music back to that hectic period earlier this year. minutes wearing a completely different set of
has been gladly embraced by the vast audience “We played solidly for six weeks and we only clothes. She was trying to sell them, and she
for rock at home and abroad. had three days off. The first day we got snowed in. talked about them like a machine that had been
It needs a certain amount of power and We went to Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas – and it switched on. We couldn’t stop laughing because
energy to get to such a happy position. And was like Butlin’s. We saw Lena Horne there and she wasn’t really communicating with anybody. It
it needs strength of character to weld the the place was filled with hundreds of middle- was just straight selling. It could have been a robot
individuals of Yes. aged Americans who go to Las Vegas to throw talking. In fact, they could all have been robots.”
Jon is still the quester who likes an acoustic their money away. Nobody ever wins. The Palace A couple of gold albums in their frames caught
to strum and a cigarette to smoke. But there is a is an amazing place – it cost 64 million dollars to my eye, while Jon considered being down in
firmer tone to his voice, capable of making direct build, and they herd everybody in to seat 10 the jungle living in a tent, cheaper than a prefab
decisions to circumvent muddle. people at a table, and they only go because it’s – no rent.
In the last few months, he and his wife Jenny Caesar’s Palace. “It’s probably Bing Crosby’s Greatest Hits,”
have moved home about half a dozen times, not “You read about Tom Jones in Vegas, and you smiled Jon at the gold-sprayed records labelled
to dodge the world, but to try to get a firmer grip. think, ‘That’s cool, maybe I’d like to play Vegas.’ ‘Fragile’ and ‘The Yes Album’.
Even if you have the bread, home hunting in But the show is so pretentious and obviously “The Who smashed theirs up. Great! They’ve
London is now a notoriously difficult pursuit, styled for ignorant people. A comedian comes out had so many, I suppose. I’ve never kept scrap
and Jon has been “gazumped” several times, as and says how ridiculous it is for them to be there, books or anything, but I suppose they are nice to
owners up their prices in a scramble for profit. keep. I was very surprised that The Yes Album
In a breathing space between their third and didn’t take off in the States. But it was Fragile
most successful tour of America and two-week
“WE HAVEN’T HAD there and Yes Album here.
W
ITH such a huge
T
HAT faraway look crept into Jon’s audience to play to who
“All the
eyes that always convinces me good things expect something in
that Lobsang Rampa is right are coming approximation to the records, was
a
into my life”:
about the silver cord and extraterrestrial Anderson in tthere still room for chance and
consciousness. Rotterdam, eexperiment in Yes?
1972
“Where are you, Jon?” I murmured. “Oh yeah. It’s surprising how
“I’m sitting in the pictures in a song goes through instant
Accrington,” he sighed. “I wish myself development. You can’t keep
d
GIJSBERT HANEKROOT/GETTY
away and think I’m going to play a gig in playing the same thing every
p
Germany tomorrow, or America, but night anyway because you would
n
everybody else in the pictures will be become a machine. At the same
b
staying at home.” ttime you have to remember most
That is just what Jon used to imagine people haven’t seen us before and
p
when he was an earnest lad with ideas we must not get self-indulgent.
w
above hhis
is station
station.
n. A guy in Connecticut might tell
G
“ILLUSTRATIONS
SAY SOMETHING”
Roger Dean’s cover versions Roger Dean
in 1972; (left,
from top) his
MELODY MAKER APRIL 29, 1972 designs for
Virgin, Osibisa
YOU can tell a Roger Dean and Yes
cover most times by the
strange little jagged
monsters that work their fit. With Osibisa, though, he was drawn into i t
way out of his prehistoric their music by David Howells, A&R man at MCA.
fantasies. Over the last That cover now looks a bit like a very bad copy He went along to gigs with them and became
three years Dean has of a Roger Dean cover. But at the time it carried acquainted with their music.
become one of the most a lot of influence in cover designing. It moved “I think, to be honest,” said Dean, “the music
sought-after album sleeve away from the standard picture-and-graphics has never influenced me. But I do like to have
designers… from Osibisa and Yes to Motown cover that has been popular for a decade. Dean the music around. I think Osibisa was a classic
Chartbusters. His work is even being sought managed to capture, probably more so than the example of someone making me aware of the
after by some London art galleries. music, the fantasy world of rock. band. I don’t find music inspirational at all. Ideas
Dean lives in a large workshop flat near Dean – a quiet, unassuming, almost shy mainly come from the title or something else.
South Kensington Tube station in a small person nursing a broken wrist at the moment “With illustrations you can say anything, you
community of artists, including his brother, – wondered why we should want to interview can have any fantasy. Graphics are used for the
who designs furniture, and a dressmaker. him. But he does see the importance of a good quick ideas; it’s a joke, it’s an idea.
Through the flat, past the dining room which sleeve, and believes that it can help bands who “I think a lot of the stuff, like the Osibisa idea,
acts as a dressmaking workroom, and you enter are struggling to sell records. Retailers, he says, has to give someone a fairyland, instead of just
into a fantasy world that has been created by like to uses sleeves in window displays. And the Africa – an Africa that is as much fairyland as
Dean for album sleeves. A world that is every better the sleeve, the more chance it has. anything else.”
bit as compelling as the standard of the music “Some people don’t seem to realise the As well as covers, Dean has designed logos…
he is packaging. importance of a sleeve,” says Roger. “I have no including the Harvest logo for EMI and the
Little books of drawings done when he was idea how useful the Osibisa sleeves were for grotesque fly on the centre of Fly records. The
studying furniture design at Canterbury Art them, but they must have made some Harvest logo perhaps captures Dean at this
School and the Royal College of Art in London impression on people.” inventive best – although the graphics, which
sit on shelves in the room with his bed built up The flying elephant on the Osibisa covers, are not his, are not so good as the logo itself.
above the floor on a platform. Open them up, flying through a fantasy world, about to make Dean is expensive now, charging three-figure
and the ideas that now sit on covers are inside. contact with a grisly lizard, was originally an sums. And he thinks that perhaps he too should
Until three years ago, Roger was working idea for Virgin Records. It was used for one of get a percentage of the album. He feels that with
exclusively on furniture design with his brother their early adverts but when Virgin dropped certain albums, his covers have had a lot to do
Martin. They were commissioned to work on it in favour of the double-sided girl, Dean with getting them off the ground. And so he
the furniture for the upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s resurrected the animal from his sketch books. believes a royalty would be fairer. But that
club in London, bumped into the manager of The music that is going to be inside his covers brings in problems: Fragile sold more than any
Gun and Roger asked to design the cover for does not mean a lot to Dean; he doesn’t listen to other Yes album in Britain – and is still doing so
their
theiir fi
first
irst album. the
th
h sounds and then design the illustration to – but it was definitely not due to his cover. So
where would record companies draw the line
and say royalty for this and not that? Roger
doesn’t really know.
He also owns the copyright to his designs, and
makes a point of making sure that he gets his
MICHAEL PUTLAND/GETTY IMAGES
“We never became a blues band or a jazz the group. We’re hoping to form a company and the band seem to have attained an output of
band. Basically we have no direction. We can go get our own recording studio. And next year we’ll energy that becomes almost explosive.
anywhere. If we had a direction it was to good be getting a quad PA. We’ve got three roadies now And after four years of toil and music making,
singing and good music. because we need a good road crew. If things aren’t it might be that Yes have only just begun to tap
“I wouldn’t stand up and say we are doing plugged in right, we go crazy. their full potential. CHRIS WELCH
anything new. It would be so easy for someone “The musicians in the band are getting so good,
to put us down if we said it was new music. We but as more people buy our albums then we have MELODY MAKER OCTOBER 14, 1972
just hope that it’s a kind of music where all the a greater responsibility to the public. The only YES are such a tightly woven
barriers have fallen down. And that’s happening thing we can do now is make good music. It’s not musical endeavour, that a
all around. Dannie Richmond, one of the finest an egotistical thing, it’s a sensible attitude. I just sudden departure from the
jazz drummers, can now play with a group like feel a little humble that 10 years ago I was working ranks has much more impact
Mark-Almond, who are a very good band.” on a farm in Accrington. Most rock musicians and importance than in most
“I remember when Jimi Hendrix and Roland today are very lucky. Most young people in the other bands. If the drummer
Kirk played together. I was utterly amazed at how past would have been fighting wars.” quits Reg Catsmeat and His
well they blended together at Ronnie Scott’s that Jon rummaged around in his bedroom and Rhythm Boys, well, that’s
time. Jimi just got up and started to play and it produced a cassette tape of a gig. “Listen to just too bad.
was tremendous. Steve’s solo. This was on ‘Yours Is No Disgrace’, But when Bill Bruford quit Yes, it seemed like
“If we can learn from all this music, as we teach in Dundee about six months ago. I was just a prime mover and original inspiration had gone.
ourselves, so we teach our audience to respect playing some old tapes the other night and his What difference did his departure last month
other music rather than just rock music. The solo really stood out. Over the last year, he has make and how had Alan White settled into one of
finest singer I know is Gilbert Bécaud. I wish I really blossomed out. the more difficult percussion chairs in rock?
could do what he does. I’d be too afraid to go on a Jon maintains a fervent interest in his band Said Chris Squire, “Bill leaving was very odd.
stage with just a guitar and sing. I’ve never done it and fellow musicians that has not been rendered When he announced his intentions we presumed
and the nearest I came to it was with Peter, when blasé by success. Far from being tired or bored, he wanted to get a different viewpoint for his
we did an acoustic number together.” drumming. He felt he could get something
“I was always scared then, and my knees used different by working with Bob Fripp that he
to tremble. I’ve got a lot to learn about being an
entertainer. That’s why I stand pretty rigid on “WHEN BILL BRUFORD couldn’t get with us. I hope it works out.
“Playing with Alan is equally enjoyable. It’s
stage. I haven’t got much stage presence, LEFT, I THINK HE a case of some things people can do better than
GIJSBERT HANEKROOT/GETTY
WANTED TO LOOK
especially when you see somebody like Rod others. Obviously Bill can play some things better
Stewart. But if I jig up and down I think, ‘Oh, Joe than Alan, but Alan can play things Bill can’t. As
Cocker used to do that.’ But I have been going
AT MUSIC FROM drummers go – they are equally good. And after
ANOTHER ANGLE”
crazy with my tambourine lately! our tour with Alan, his playing is really excellent.
“The excitement for me comes from people “My playing hasn’t changed really, but Alan
accepting our music. Eddy Offord came to record
some of it live on the tour and now he has joined
CHRIS SQUIRE pushes you along. Bill had some strange ideas
about hitting the snare drum when he should
expressed an interest in the group and said he country, courtesy of America. new friends and drinking more beer.
liked what we were doing. He mentioned to Eddy “Concert production is down to a fine art here. “The musical rewards from Yes are endless.
how much he’d enjoy playing with us. The PA is always one hundred percent. Schedules Attempting to forget a problem-ridden Crystal
“I liked what he had been doing with Joe are tight, backstage passes are gold dust, and Palace, the band hasn’t looked back since Bill
Cocker, but he was capable of a lot more soundchecks are guaranteed –that is, if you’re left, and I’m convinced will continue to progress
technique than he’d been rated for. His playing headlining. If you’re not, it means rushing on to for some years yet.” l CHRIS WELCH
SELLING BY THE
ENGLISH POUND The 20 most collectable prog albums* By Mark Bentley
G
O to a decent second-hand record shop, ignore the racks, and look at releases. Condition is obviously vital, but so is supply and demand. There is
the rare, precious and beautiful albums they’ve chosen to display a clear theme among collectors to get museum-grade copies of the first-ever
on the wall. Half of them are prog, right? There’s something about a pressings of ‘key texts’. Records that rode high in the charts are in many cases
progressive rock album that feels intrinsically desirable: the industry-standard worth far more than obscurities that flopped.
elliptical artwork (thanks, Roger Dean, Hipgnosis et al), the preponderance Take Yes’s squillion-selling …Topographic Oceans – everyone needs a copy
of gatefold, the intricate paper engineering on the sleeves (think Tull’s in their collection. Ten quid will secure a ‘player’, but a UK first press, in near-
newspapery Thick As A Brick, or ELP’s fold-out Brain Salad Surgery). And so it mint nick, is now sailing past £250. Compare that with Carmen’s seldom-heard
is that prog is one of the most collectable genres out there, and its famous labels but ridiculously brilliant Fandangos In Space, on Regal Zonophone from 1973.
– Harvest, Vertigo, Deram, Charisma, Virgin – are a mark of artistic quality. Produced by Tony Visconti, this slice of Franco-American flamenco prog (yes,
Understanding what’s collectable, and why, is key. It’s not just about rarity really) blends bullfighting fugues with hard prog sounds, tap dancing and
– although you’ll note a few hens’-teeth-rare records in our highly subjective, castanets. If you get to hear it, you’ll love it – and yet it’s only worth a fiver…
in-no-way comprehensive list below, which focuses unapologetically on UK *Feeble disclaimers apply
TALES OF TOPOGRAPHIC
NOTIONS
25 tropes of the golden-age progressive rock experience. By Mark Beaumont
ADAPTATIONS OF DIFFICULT TIME SIGNATURES grabbed the ’70s imagination though. Before
CLASSICAL WORKS Most prog-rock drummers were forced to learn Pi you knew it, Pink Floyd were flying pigs over the
Nothing thrilled the prog rocker more than to 47 decimal places just to keep time with their crowd and building gigantic walls across the
sharing a co-writing credit with the classical band’s visionary compositions, rehearsal rooms venues and Yes had a revolving stage.
greats. The Moody Blues sought “inspiration” often ringing to the words, “Yeah, interesting, but
from Bach, while ELP had cracks at reimagining what would it sound like in 17/4?” Never mind VASTNESS OF KEYBOARD SET-UP
Ginastera, Bach, Prokofiev and a hefty chunk of “Apocalypse In 9/8”, Genesis dipped into 15/16 on The only thing rivalling the classical monuments
Mussorgsky’s Pictures At An Exhibition. “Firth Of Fifth”, while Floyd were prone to a spot that prog bands played in front of was the
of the old 7/4 on “Money”. veritable amphitheatre of keyboards towering
ILLUSTRATED ARTWORK over their synth players. Keith Emerson’s
No mere photograph could capture the exotic ELABORATE/FINANCIALLY mountainous Moog wall of wires and dials was
worlds evoked by the music of Yes, ELP, Gentle RUINOUS STAGINGS most notable; you’d think he was moonlighting as
Giant or Genesis. So it was to the likes of Roger Wakeman led the charge into the grand stage a NASA comms expert between solos.
Dean, George Underwood and Paul Whitehead folly. His Journey… included inflatable dinosaurs
that they turned, inspiring a mini-industry and he accidentally put King Arthur on ice due to ADAPTATIONS OF BOOKS
whereby anyone who could knock together a near double-booking of Wembley Arena with Yes based Topographic Oceans on a footnote in
a half-convincing unicorn or planet of the Ice Follies. These onstage loss-leaders the Autobiography Of A Yogi, but their former
icicles could make a living keyboards maestro Rick Wakeman took the
designing prog sleeves. literary prog biscuit. He gave Jules Verne’s
MICHAEL PUTLAND/GETTY IMAGES; , BARRY PLUMMER
GATEFOLD SLEEVES
Whether drawn by Roger Dean or montaged by
Hipgnosis… if you opened them out you could
either pore over the inner panorama, or use them
as “the surface” on which to skin up. Probably
just the latter, to be honest. l
I
me to say? Strange; not very communicative.
“But Storm was a friend, they were making
marbled wallpaper down there. They did
Saucerful Of Secrets and got that marbling out
of their system and they pretty much went for
photography or subcontracting other illustrators.
But I don’t think I had much competition, so that
WAS
gave me the good fortune to learn my skill in
public without being swarmed by people who
were much better than me. Hipgnosis were very
good, very disciplined, mad as a box of frogs.
“What we were doing was making an integrated
and holistic gift – the LP cover with the music was
a fantastic gift to receive and give. The packaging
THERE!
was an integral part of the gift. It was a magical
process. If an album came with a plastic toy, that
was treated as an important icon. If it was given
away with a box of cornflakes, it would be thrown
in the bin – it was all about the context. The zipper
in the Sticky Fingers cover didn’t make the music
play better, but it was part of this gift culture.
“Jon Anderson [Yes singer] mostly let me get on.
He always wanted something added. He wanted
birds in Relayer, and
“A holistic gift…” artist ROGER DEAN tells John ssome slipstream thing in
too. I didn’t mind him
to
Robinson about game-changing ’70s sleeve art, wanting to interact.
w
But when I went out to
Bu
a “sky ark”, and sharing a flat with Syd Barrett
“I
Montreux when they were
M
doing Going For The One
do
WAS working at Vertigo on “I was mostly interested in Yes’s ideas [1977]
[19
9 I had what I thought
stuff which was essentially about where the music was coming from. was my most powerful
w
jazz, but I wanted to do How to put it? What planet was Yes cover to date. It was
Ye
something which was more their music coming from, and Floating Islands, and I had
Fl
rock’n’roll. I went and saw how to make it feel at home. They that painting with me.
th
David Howells at MCA and he were pretty good about letting But when I got to the studio, Jon
Bu
was quite interested in me me hold the reins visually. was painting a picture and my
w
doing some stuff. The first was Osibisa. I was sent “I was a teenager in Hong Kong. recollection, though vague, was
re
to watch them play and talk to the guys. For me it I loved it there, it was noisy, it was that he was painting flowers. He
th
was very successful. I remember walking down colourful and strange. I had a told me he wanted to use that as
to
Oxford St and there was a whole window of comic from England called The the album cover.
th
Osibisa covers in a record shop. It blew me away. Eagle which had a character in it “I had this great album cover
“Peter Ledeboer was art director of Oz called Dan Dare, Pilot Of The with me, but instead of
w
magazine, and he had a poster company. He saw Future and it was then I decided I showing everyone what
sh
the Osibisa cover and he agreed to do posters was going to design the future. I was Ihhad, I decided to take a
which were very successful, so I was beginning to interested in natural history; I had couple of days and walk
co
have a bit of a profile. But I still wanted to do more painted and drawn animals and round the mountains and
ro
rock’n’roll. I took my portfolio round and met Phil insects obsessively. I thought I was calm myself down. Then I
ca
Carson, who was boss of Atlantic in Europe. He going to do something involving said to Jon, ‘I can’t do that –
sa
was really sweet, said, “I love your work, but I designing the future and painting I’m going home.’ The irony
only have two bands: Yes and Led Zeppelin.” animals – but there was no art college was – which made my actions
w
“He introduced me to Yes and my recollection is course for that. I often denied any seem so ridiculous – was that
se
they had a title, Fragile, and their idea was a flight obvious influence, but the Chinese landscape
scape they didn’t use Jon’s cover, but
th
case, stickered. Obviously there was no need for paintings I saw in Hong Kong, I loved. I’d have to because I wasn’t ’t there
th they went to Hipgnosis. I
me to be involved if that was going to be the case. say Dan Dare was an influence philosophically. think Chris was friends with Storm and Po.
But they liked my work, and I came back to them “I was at art college with Storm [Thorgerson, “It was an incredible help to my career to be
with an idea for a story and they liked it and said associated with Yes, and it was nearly always
I could work on a metaphor – the world breaking brilliant fun. I wasn’t asked to do the logo; for
EVENING STANDARD/GETTY IMAGES
up. The story was carried out over Fragile, me it just seemed natural. It was just something
Yessongs and Close To The Edge. “HIPGNOSIS WERE I thought we’d do. The Tales From Topographic
.
PROG ROCK
FROM THE MAKERS OF
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40 amazing UK prog albums
Collectable prog in stats
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