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PROG ROCK, PSYCH, AVANT GARDE...
And Others Genres Thereabouts
Exceptional CD Remasters
And Others Genres Thereabouts
Exceptional CD Remasters
Covering 1967 to 1977 - It Also Focuses On
Fusion Rock, Acid Folk, Art Rock and Underground
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"...Mad Jack and Space Machine..."
The BAKER GURVITZ ARMY was a
strange one - started out well but tapered off quickly and then died fast.
Cream's mouthy drummer
Ginger Baker and his collaboration with brothers Adrian and Paul Gurvitz (ex Gun
and Three Man Army, Guitar, Bass and Principal Vocals) set Prog Rock pulses
racing with their rather good self-titled UK debut album (recorded in 1974) on
Vertigo Records. Eventually released in January 1975 - "The Baker Gurvitz
Army" even charted in February 1975 in Blighty and went up to No. 22 (a
more modest No 140 in the USA on Janus Records).
But as is aurally evidenced
by this cute 2019 Mini Clamshell Box Set from those decent chappies over at
Esoteric Recordings UK (it gathers all three of their albums together in one
place and adds on four live bonus tracks, card sleeves with a foldout
photographs/details poster) - the music took something of a steady nosedive
with album's two and three from September 1975 and May 1976 - as did any
further bothering of the British LP charts until their demise in late 1976.
Still, there is stuff here to love. Back to memory lane...
UK released 26 April 2019 -
"Since Beginning: The Albums 1974-1976" by BAKER GURVITZ ARMY on
Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 32669 (Barcode 5013929476943) is a 3CD Mini Clamshell
Box Set of Remasters that plays out as follows:
CD One (51:50 minutes):
1. Help Me [Side 1]
2. Love Is
3. Memory Lane
4. Inside Of Me
5. I Wanna Live Again
6. Mad Jack [Side 2]
7. 4 Phil
8. Since Beginning
Tracks 1 to 8 are their
debut album "The Baker Gurvitz Army" - released January 1975 in the
UK on Vertigo 9103 201 and January 1975 in the USA on Janus JXS 7015. Produced
by GINGER BAKER with PAUL and ADRIAN GURVITZ - it peaked at No. 22 in the UK
and No. 140 in the USA (February 1975). Adrian and Paul Gurvitz on Vocals
(Ginger Baker on "Mad Jack") with Backing Vocals by Barry St. John,
Liza Strike, Madeline Bell and Rosetta Hightower on "I Wanna Live
Again".
BONUS TRACK (Previously
Unreleased):
9. Memory Lane (Live)
CD Two (53:41 minutes):
1. People [Side 1]
2. The Key
3. Time
4. The Gambler
5. The Dreamer [Side 2]
6. Remember
7. The Artist
8. The Hustler
Tracks 1 to 8 are their
second studio album "Elysian Encounter" - released September 1975 in
the UK on Mountain Records TOPS 101 and November 1975 in the USA on Atco
Records SD 36-123. Produced by GINGER BAKER with ADRIAN and PAUL GURVITZ - it
peaked at No. 185 in the USA but didn't chart in the UK. Steve Parsons
(credited as Mr. Snips or just Snips) on Lead Vocals with Adrian Gurvitz Lead
Vocals on "Remember" and "Time" (Snips is also Lead Vocals
on the bonus live cut of "Memory Lane" on CD1).
BONUS TRACKS (Previously
Unreleased):
9. People (Live)
10. Freedom (Live)
CD Three (43:48 minutes):
1. Hearts On Fire [Side 1]
2. Neon Lights
3. Smiling
4. Tracks Of My Life
5. Flying In And Out Of
Stardom
6. Dancing The Night Away
[Side 2]
7. My Mind Is Healing
8. Thirsty For The Blues
9. Night People
10. Mystery
Tracks 1 to 10 are their
third and final studio album "Hearts On Fire" - released May 1976 in
the UK on Mountain Records TOPS 111 and June 1976 in the USA on Atco Records SD
36-137 - didn't chart in either country. Guests include Ann O'Dell (ex Blue
Mink and Chopyn) laying Hammond Organ on "Smiling" and "My Mind
Is Healing" and Piano on "Tracks Of My Life", Brian Chatton (ex
Jackson Heights) plays Clavinet on "Smiling" and Ken Freeman plays
Synth on "Neon Lights" and "Dancing The Night Away"
BONUS TRACK (Previously
Unreleased):
11. Wotever It Is (Live)
While the clamshell box is
nice to look at and hold, fans will probably find the six-leaf foldout poster
not enough in terms of actual info. The tracks lists and musician credits (guest
stuff too) is all here abutted by four rare European picture sleeves of singles
on the credits side of the poster. The other side offers a collage of live
photos of the band meshed into the debut album's great artwork. But there are
no liner notes, no history and apart from Mark Powell's 'master preparation' -
not even a Remaster credit. The card sleeves are cute with "Elysian
Encounter" awarded a gatefold sleeve like its 1975 vinyl original on
Mountain Records. This is one of those occasions when an interview/liner notes
would have not gone amiss. The Audio is great throughout as they are on these
Cherry Red reissues.
After the debut album's late
January 1975 release and its chart placing in February, Vertigo figured a
single might help. So they threw out Side 1's big drums and synth rolling
"Help Me" b/w "I Wanna Live Again" as a 45 in early March
1975 - but Vertigo 6078 211 didn't do any business and was the only 7"
single flourish from the album. The playing on the tight "Love Is" is
amazing as is the Production values - orchestration by John Bell and Martyn
Ford giving the short Proggy instrumental an epic feel - rather like some
chop-show theme. The near five minutes of "Memory Lane" features
Adrian's geetar skills even though you wish it left out his hammy echoed
vocals. "Inside Of Me" and its five and half minutes is probably one
of the LP's better cuts - a mixture of doubled-up slide guitar, amplified drum
rolls and building Prog flourishes (love it). They end Side 1 with "I
Wanna Live Again" - a bizarre mixture of sickly sweet pleading with great
harmony vocals from Barry St. John, Madeline Bell, Liza Strike and Rosetta
Hightower and strings. You loves it or hates it - personally I think it’s a
melodrama too far.
Side 2 goes back to business
with nearly eight minutes of "Mad Jack" where Baker tells us what
we're about to hear is a true story before Gurvitz takes over singing. There's
great playing and ideas sans The Sensational Alex Harvey Band but soon it
overstays its welcome. Some lazily tasteful Peter Green-type Blues guitar opens
"4 Phil" and it pretty much stays that way throughout - another one
of this patchy LP's better moments. We
close with nearly eight minutes of floating Prog Rock "Since
Beginning" where they sound closer to Gentle Giant and Yes than they've
done on the rest of the LP. The Previously Unreleased live version of
"Memory Lane" clocks in at a whopping 10:20 minutes and there's no
doubt that the riffage sounds exciting and the band alive (well recorded too).
I remember "Elysian
Encounter" so looking the part with its gorgeous gatefold sleeve art
courtesy of Petagno - but material like "Elysian Encounter" and
"The Hustler" felt old and tired by 1976. The last album hardly
registered with me, and re-hearing stuff like "Tracks Of My Life"
only makes me think of the kind of stodgy Rock riffage that Punk was just about
to blow away and ridicule from a height. Didn't help either that in 1976, "Hearts
On Fire" had that awful mid 70ts artwork and cheesy title too.
BAKER and GURVITZ fans will
probably already own "Since Beginning: The Albums 1974-1976" and
welcome the threesome of albums in one place with those excellently recorded
live additions as bonuses. Others would be advised to nab a listen to the debut
first (get a lay of the Prog Rock land so to speak) and thereafter decide if
they want more, albeit in a lesser vein as it progresses...
