czwartek, 5 grudnia 2013

A - AUSTR

MUSICS FROM HOLYGROUND 1970

Autor: o

6 komentarzy:

  1. MONOLOVER11 grudnia 2013 08:15

    Very rare and expensive one this. Never seen the LP in real life. I was surprised when I heard cuts from Youtube - thought it would be more psych, but it sounds like a folk group :)

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  2. Rock 60-7011 grudnia 2013 23:30

    I never seen this even on Ebay! If you like it you better listen to 'Astral Navigations' - it was pressed on the same label but with two groups on each side. Folk group called Lightyears Away (I think it's the same personel which recorded A-Austr) - on side one and hard-rock band Thundermother (with bass player from Little Free Rock) on side two. In my opinion it's great album.

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  3. MONOLOVER12 grudnia 2013 05:35

    Thanks for the tip. I'll check it out.

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  4. adamus6712 grudnia 2013 21:07

    Thought this might interest some of you. Reissued on Greek label Anazitisi Records (25.00EUR)

    One of the rarest albums from the British Isles. Pressed in tiny quantities (only 99 copies) with hand-made covers/inserts and released by one of the most collectable UK independent labels, the Holyground in 1970. A-Austr was the brainchild of Mike Levon, owner of Holyground studios and label. It’s one of the finest examples of the british psychedelic movement. A do-it-yourself project with the participation of many friends -musicians and vocalists- which experiments with certain doses of psych, mellow rock, baroque pop, eastern folk and revolutionary sounds and effects. So when you're talking late 1960s British psych, arguably no other band did it better than A-Austr, a bizarre short-lived studio project put together by Holyground label manager Mike Levon and the inhabitants of his spontaneously organized hippie commune, which included Brian Calvert, Chris Coombs, and a young Bill Nelson (who would later achieve huge commercial success with Be-Bop Deluxe).

    A-Austr:
    Brian Calvert - lead guitar, vocals, guitar, lute, horn, trombone
    Chris Coombs - lead guitar, vocals, guitar, piano, organ, glockenspiel, horn, harmonica, recorder, percussion
    Brian Wilson [aka Pete Taylor] - bass, vocals, guitar, organ, mandolin, harp, glockenspiel, clarinet
    Ted Hepworth - drums
    Mike Levon - triangle, effects, electronics

    Guest:
    Bill Nelson - guitar, hawaiian guitar
    Mike Gould - trumpet
    John Perfect - tenor sax
    Lyn Cavell - alto sax
    George Mabon - flute
    Gill Green - cello
    Al Green - organ
    Dave Wood - goüd
    Yvonne Carrodus - vocals, triangle
    Denise Calvert - vocal, piano, harpsichord
    Gill Maudsley - spoken vocal
    Cath Wood - raspberry saw

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  5. adamus6712 grudnia 2013 21:10

    Music on the album ranges from mid-1960s beat to freaked-out psych, glam-rock, proto-punk and even classically influenced proto-prog. The album starts with the melodic "Bird", sounding not unlike US psychsters Head Shop or the poppiest tracks on the first Byzantium album, but also incorporating an unexpected weird mid-section, obviously influenced by the soundtracks to 1950s comedy movies. "Bird" maintains the same crazy vibe all the way through. "Jude" and "Mini" are both catchy melodic tracks with hints to Sgt. Pepper-era Beatles or Something Else-era Kinks. "Thumbquake & Earthscrew" uses some odd sound effects and very primitive overdubs to a fantastic effect. Starting with a weird vocal line, it entangles the listener in a whirlpool of psychedelic reverb. "Between the Road" is on the other hand a raw and unpolished track, full of raunchy garage-like guitar riffs and out-of-tune falsetto vocals, predating the avant-punk sound for nearly a decade (in fact I'm oddly reminded of Pere Ubu here!). "Hawaiian War Chant" stands true to its title - it's their take on tribal psych, and though one can question the success of that short ethnic interlude, it sure sounds wonderful in the context of the album. "Essex Queen (She Dances)" is a relaxed psychedelic track, while "D Minor Minuet" (a brief solo-harpsichord tune) sets up the excellent "A Curse on You", which enriches the simple pop-psych formula with layers of female backing vocals, giving this song once again almost a soundtrack feel. Finally, "Grail Search" first sounds almost like the lost early T-Rex track, but turns into a typical period heavy-blues-rock piece in the chorus.

    Unfortunately, Mike died peacefully on 4th September 2011, so we have to dedicate this release to his dream.

    Happy Christmas!

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  6. MONOLOVER13 grudnia 2013 09:12

    Good writing

    Thanks!

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