Dandelions having their day
The charming Keith Noble, 1970.
Between 1969 and 1970, it felt like a school reunion for Pink Floyd. The tour with Syd Barrett and Tailboard was something far from their routine as a proper band, which was the usual routine for Tailboard themselves. But the new promising band seemed a bit apart from what they were in a few months back, mostly disinterest coming from part of the members.
"There was times that the entire group didn't came to the sessions, like, what the hell? They are supposed to be here, record new stuff for the album, but none of them came!"
-Roger Waters
In fact, the ones that were committed on finish the album were Keith Noble, the lead vocalist, and Bob Klose, former 'modern-era' Pink Floyd member and guitarist. Willie Wilson was sometimes absent as he was negotiating his entry to the country rock band Cochise, and Clive Metcalfe was nowhere to be found. Still, Andrew King gave a ultimatum to the group to release their album and fulfil their contract, if needed.
Thus, this was the case of Tailboard. The band finished the recording sessions of Mr. Compromise in April 1970, and just sorta entered into a hiatus until it effectively announced their break-up. Some of the members still pursued career as session musicians, while some others retired, becoming professors. That was the case of Keith Noble and Clive Metcalfe. And that's how we reach the end of Tailboard, folks. But not before I show their album, of course.
The album was named Mr. Compromise, an ironically fitting name to the sessions. It was promoted by Blackhill and it was promoted by the folk-oriented Ashes and Silver. The single failed to chart in the United States and reached number 28 in UK Singles Charts before falling out quickly. The group did a short tour as part of their contractual obligations before entering into a hiatus and breaking up.
"It was relatively a good period. It was nice to meet with the guys for a last time before we've parted on our own ways. I still gave a few shots as a songwriter, but nothing too radical, and I thank the Pink Floyd and Syd a lot by helping us during that time, but it was too much business that I preferred to stick around being a professor, haha!"
-Keith Noble
Tailboard – Mr. Compromise
Tailboard - Mr. Compromise (1970)
Genre: Folk rock, psychedelic folk
Total: 43:03
All lyrics written by Keith Noble.
Side A - 20:01
1. "Mr. Compromise" - 3:28
2. "Narcissus" - 3:53
3. "Secretary Jane" - 4:07
4. "Red-Current Tide" - 1:57
5. "Up and Down Way (of It All)" - 3:43
6. "Only When I Laugh" - 2:53
Side B - 23:02
7. "Dandelions Have Their Day" - 4:52
8. "Weather" - 7:01
9. "King of the Icemen" - 5:40
10. "Ashes and Silver" - 5:29
Mr. Compromise is the debut and only studio album by British folk group Tailboard. Tailboard was a group active between 1969 and 1971, with one-off reunions in 1979, 1991, and 2003. The group was mostly formed by former members of pre-Pink Floyd, except for Willie Wilson. Mr. Compromise was released in 29 May 1970 by Blackhill Records in the United Kingdom only, being released in the US in 1992.
The album was recorded between 1969 and 1970 with the assistance from the members of Pink Floyd. Tailboard was promoted by Blackhill as a new hot folk group, backing Syd Barrett in the tours throughout Europe and the United States. The setlist was composed by the album's catalogue, plus the hit song "A Summer's Song", composed by Keith Noble.
Although it was promoted by the label, Mr. Compromise only reached number 43 in the UK Album Charts., passing unnoticed by the general public, despite being well-received by the critics and attracting a fraction of fans and Pink Floyd fanatics. Currently, the record is quite overlooked by Pink Floyd completionists, while the publishing rights were bought by Pink Floyd Records, being re-issued in 2020. The cover was drawn by fellow singer-songwriter and friend Syd Barrett.
Locking doors and switching lights (Atomic Rooster)
Vincent Crane and his kitties.
As it was told before, the first line-up from the Atomic Rooster wasn't going to last too long. Carl Palmer would leave to form Emerson, Lake and Palmer, while Nick Graham would become an organiser to the Glastonbury Festival. To fill up the roles, John Du Cann picked the bass while Martin Steer picked the drums, beginning the second incarnation of Atomic Rooster in less than a year.
As a few remaining songs from the previous album were lying unreleased and not recorded, Atomic Rooster started to record their second album. The sessions of this album would prove to be very useful to the band, particularly to Du Cann, who was seen as a skilled songwriter, as Brown was mostly missing in action throughout the sessions.
The lead singer of the group finally appeared consistently in the final stages of the album, and it was his idea to merge several unreleased songs from the past sessions into Creepy Monsters. Brown also suggested to re-record What's Happening, the B-side of Nightmare, a single from the Crazy World of Arthur Brown era. The idea was accepted due to Arthur Brown being seen as the frontman of the group by the label and because the length would increase.
By early September, Death Walks Behind You would be announced and the fans of the new band would be caught by surprise, as the album would be released late that month. At the same time, Atomic Rooster was rising as one of the main hard/progressive rock-driven bands at the time, along with Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. The group would perform later that year at Top of the Pops to promote the album.
Atomic Rooster – Death Walks Behind You
Atomic Rooster - Death Walks Behind You (1970)
Genre: Progressive rock, hard rock
Total: 46:54
Side A - 22:35
1. "Death Walks Behind You" (John Du Cann, Vincent Crane) - 7:28
2. "What's Happening" (Arthur Brown, Crane) - 3:56
3. "I Can't Take No More" (Du Cann) - 3:33
4. "Gypsy Escape" (Brown, Crane, Du Cann) - 7:38
Side B - 24:19
5. "Tomorrow Night" (Crane) - 3:56
6. "Creepy Monsters" (Brown, Crane, Dalby, Du Cann) - 5:57
a. "Creep"
b. "Metal Monster"
c. "Night of the Pigs"
d. "Trouble"
7. "Gershatzer" (Crane) - 7:58
8. "No Time" (Brown, Du Cann) - 6:28
Death Walks Behind You is the second studio album by the British band Atomic Rooster, released on 21 September 1970. It was the first album with bass player John Du Cann, who co-wrote and sang in a lot of the songs. The album was produced by the band themselves and released by Blackhill Records, and features the William Blake monotype Nebuchadnezzar.
The album spawned one of the band's most successful singles, Tomorrow Night, which reached number 11 in the UK Singles Charts. The sessions of Death Walks Behind You lasted a month, while the new line-up of the band was formed in June of the same year, less than a month after the release of the more successful Galactic Zoo Dossier. Some songs were previously recorded and written by Arthur Brown, such as the medley of Creepy Monsters and What's Happening? (previously recorded as the Crazy World of Arthur Brown).
Atomic Rooster's new album was considered a bit underwhelming by the critics, while the fans considered a great effort. Throughout the years, Death Walks Behind You became re-evaluated and considered one of Atomic Rooster's classic records. It reached number 90 in the US Billboard 200 and number 12 in the UK Album Charts.
A dilemma over needs and desires
Soft Machine (except Kevin Ayers) in 1970 (Robert Wyatt, Mike Ratledge, Hugh Hopper and Daevid Allen).
Oh boy, and here we are with the Soft Machine again! After Woodstock, the group would gather at the Pye Studios and begin to record the sketches of what would become their third album. During the sessions, the rift between keyboard player Mike Ratledge and Daevid Allen would enlarge, as both were divergent in the direction that the band should take in the next few years. While Mike wanted the group to pursue a jazz-rock direction, Allen wanted the band to go further on the experimentation done in the last album.
The sessions of the new album were quite turbulent, with the rift between the two members: "We were kind of a powerful band on our own, I believe. But problems were caused by the ambitiousness of some members. Kevin was the good-looking boy of the group, I was the fun spirit, Rob was the typical drummer, Hugh was the quiet one, and Mike was the one who gave the texture to the music.", Daevid Allen.
At the time, Soft Machine was backed by the recently-formed backing band The Whole World, which assembled David Bedford on additional keyboards, Elton Dean on alto saxophone, Lol Coxhill on saxophone and zoblophone, a young Mike Oldfield on bass, guitar and backing vocals, and Bridget St. John on backing vocals. The group helped to increment the arrangements of the album and providing help in later tours.
During the same sessions, the band also recorded the unreleased album The Garden of Love, a fairly more avant-garde and jazz-rock project widely associated with David Bedford. The project was shelved due to objections of the management of Blackhill Enterprises, recalling the same fate as the Crazy World of Arthur Brown had. However, Facelift and Out-Bloody-Rageous, two of the songs which emerged from these sessions, were performed live by the Soft Machine after the departure of Daevid Allen, and released in the debut of Mike Ratledge's Pigling Band. The Dillema also originated from the same sessions.
"Magick Brother was the main reason to why we didn't make another double album. We like to experiment, we like jazz, but we most liked free-time. A lot of our songs are about living in peace and tranquillity and that's what we've always managed to do. And the sessions of that album were the opposite. I'd rather spend the rest of my life in Deià than touring."
-Kevin Ayers, 1993
Blackhill Records announced Magick Brother as the third album of the Soft Machine. Lunatics Lament was released as the promotional single, reaching number 3 in the UK Singles Charts, number 37 in the Billboard Hot 100, and number 14 in the Billboard Hot Rock Songs. The album was widely promoted, focusing in the ambitiousness of the band as their newest peak in music. Pretty Miss Titty, released as Pretty Miss Diddy, also made a minor success in Europe.
"That record [Magick Brother] was a quite nice record. We put a lot of useless effort into it and that other failed project [The Garden of Love], but thankfully we were recompensed as we deserved."
-Robert Wyatt, 2005
Soft Machine and the Whole World – Magick Brother
Soft Machine and The Whole World - Magick Brother (1970)
Genre: Canterbury scene, progressive rock, art jazz, experimental rock
Total: 91:14
Disc One (Early Morning) - 43:53
Side A - 19:33
1. "Chainstore Chant/May I?" (Daevid Allen, Kevin Ayers) - 4:52
2. "Pretty Miss Titty" (Allen) - 4:05
3. "Town Feeling" (Ayers) - 4:54
4. "Clarence in Wonderland" (Ayers) - 2:06
5. "Rational Anthem" (Allen) - 3:43
Side B - 24:20
6. "Mystic Sister & Magick Brother" (Allen) - 5:55
7. "We Know What You Mean" (Ayers) - 3:23
8. "Stop This Train (Again Doing It)" (Ayers) - 6:05
9. "Rivmic Melodies" (Ratledge, Wyatt, Hugh Hopper) - 8:57
a. "Hulloder"
b. "Dada Was Here"
c. "Thank You Pierrot Lunaire"
d. "Have You Ever Bean Green?"
e. "Out of Tunes"
Disc Two (Late Night) - 47:21
Side C - 25:22
10. "Lunatics Lament" (Ayers, Allen) - 4:53
11. "Ego" (Allen) - 3:57
12. "The Dilemma" (Robert Wyatt) - 6:14
13. "Princess Dreaming" (Allen) - 2:56
14. "Girl on a Swing" (Ayers) - 2:49
15. "Fredfish/Hope You Feel Okay" (Allen) - 4:33
Side D - 21:59
16. "Esther's Nose Job" (Mike Ratledge, Wyatt, H. Hopper) - 11:13
a. "Fire Engine Passing with Bells Clanging"
b. "Pig"
c. "Orange Skin Food"
d. "A Door Opens and Closes"
e. "10:30 Returns to the Bedroom"
17. "'Cos You Got Green Hair" (Allen) - 5:05
18. "Rheinhardt & Geraldine/Colores Para Dolores" (Ayers) - 5:41
Magick Brother is the third studio album by the Canterbury scene band Soft Machine (entitled Soft Machine and the Whole World). The album was co-produced by the Soft Machine and Peter Jenner and released in 14 October 1970 by Blackhill Records in the United Kingdom and Europe, and by CBS Records in the rest of the world. Magick Brother was recorded in a year period, right after the previous album, in late 1969 to August 1970. It is the last album featuring lead guitarist Daevid Allen, who left the band to form Gong.
As the previous album was defined by its jazz tones, the experimentation of Magick Brother is considered wider and far more complex, and the key element of the album, alternating between structured the suites of Rivmic Melodies and Esther's Nose Job, and the more fast-forward and mainstream Lunatics Lament and Clarice in Wonderland, with surrealistic lyricism mostly charged by Kevin Ayers and Daevid Allen, influenced by comedy, philosophy, and love.
The record was considered the Soft Machine's breakthrough in the United Kingdom by leading the UK Album Charts for three weeks, and number 39 in the US Billboard 200, being certified Gold. Lunatics Lament was the first single to be released, followed by Pretty Miss Titty. We Know What You Mean was the last song released as single, backed by The Dilemma.
Rolling Stone defines the album as 'the perfect crossroads between experimental, pure jazz, and mainstream music', ranking it in number 167 in the 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time. The concept of the album is refined by the songs set 'in the early morning and the late night of a Saturday'. It was regarded very influential by its contemporaries, such as Brian Eno, and later recognised by David Byrne as a key record to the composition of Talking Heads' Remain in Light.
Too lovely to understand
Daevid Allen with Gong, ca. 1970s.
With the release and the success of Magick Brother, the Soft Machine begun to prepare themselves and rehearsal for the next tour. Daevid Allen was the one that was actually amused with the success and the subsequent tour, while Mike Ratledge and Hugh Hopper were indifferent, and Kevin Ayers and Robert Wyatt were far more worried.
"I'm not a man of performances. Knowing that we did great with the album, I panicked for the rest of the week, considered going to Deià to distress, but Jimi Hendrix called me a day and he calmed me down. He wasn't used to call people, but specifically that day he wanted to talk with us about the album and other stuff. That encouraged me to go on tours."
-Kevin Ayers
"That was the time that I drank the most, apart from certain tours. I was actually feeling anxious all the time, it certainly wasn't going to be a few tours here and there like with Exiled from Canterbury, it was going to be a longer tour that we were used to."
-Robert Wyatt
However, in the middle of the tour, in Marseille, the tensions between Daevid and Mike finally broke out. The fight led to Allen promptly quit the band in the middle of the tour, leading the band to rearrange themselves to the next gigs. Daevid's songs were taken off the setlist, except for Pretty Miss Titty being sung by Kevin, but most of the setlist was replaced by improvisations, previous songs, and unreleased songs from The Garden of Love.
The Magick Brother tour lasted from November 1970 to July 1971, and Daevid split off the band in February 1971. He went and formed Gong, while the group passed through various incarnations, such as Pierre Moerlen's Gong. As of Soft Machine, but mostly Kevin Ayers, who was already exhausted, he was the one that felt Daevid's departure more than anyone, while the company tried to ease such a casualty.
"If I learned something with his [Daevid Allen] departure, surely it was about building confidence enough, and overcome the fear to be the frontman. Probably the first exercise was The Hat Song. It was a singalong between the audience and the band, trying to give some good vibrations to the audience. It was very helpful, really, in a few months I was doing far better than in the previous tours altogether."
-Kevin Ayers
Author's comment:
In this chapter, we've seen a lot of new changes and ends for some bands. Tailboard was a special band that I wanted to do something with it, but only Keith Noble had an album so we are seeing them departing from this timeline sooner. Initially was planned to do a Soft Machine entirely with Daevid Allen, but in some point there the albums were just not as good as I thought. In Magick Brother, the only different track there is The Dilemma, which is a heavily edited version of Moon in June.
Oh, and by the way, sorry about the sudden absence! I'm having final exams in college, and I'm transferring to another one! So I'll be a little bit absent in the next two weeks, but I'll try to release a new chapter as soon as possible, then return to the regular schedule. Anyway, thank you for you patience, and to enjoy A Crazy Gift of Time! :)
Sources:
- Tailboard - Mr. Compromise
- Keith Noble and Bob Klose - Mr. Compromise
- Atomic Rooster - Death Walks Behind You
- Atomic Rooster - Death Walks Behind You
- Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come - Galactic Zoo Dossier
- The Crazy World of Arthur Brown - Nightmare/What's Happening?
- Soft Machine - Magick Brother
- Gong - Magick Brother
- Kevin Ayers - Joy of a Toy
- Kevin Ayers and the Whole World - Shooting at the Moon
- Soft Machine - Volume Two
- Soft Machine - Third
