TALKIN’ ’BOUT MY GENERATOR


A cherry-picked anthology of prog’s bravest sonic explorers. By MARCO ROSSI.


VARIOUS ARTISTS Refugees: ACharisma Anthology Virgin 3-CD www.virginrecords.com


‘Refugees’ by Van Der Graaf Generator was said to be Charisma Records label boss Tony Stratton Smith’s favourite song, so it is only fitting that it should lend its name to this essential 3-CD collection of epochal favourites and mislaid gemstones from


one of the key labels of its era. Established in October 1969, Charisma got off to a


standing start when the label’s first single release, ‘Witchi Tai To’ by Topo D Bill (thinly-disguised Bonzos loose cannon “Legs” Larry Smith), failed to chart despite reasonably hefty airplay.This must have been as inexplicable then as it remains now: the song is as contagious as swine flu and as enigmatically beautiful as the Mona Lisa smile, lambent with a lovely late psych glow courtesy of Tony Kaye’s placidly floating Hammond. I would say that it’s a highlight on the first CD in this set, but Jesus; there are no lowlights. The aforementioned ‘Refugees’ is of course present and


correct, with its beguiling “West is Mike and Susie” refrain (“Susie” was actress Susan Penhaligon, fact fans). The Nice, Rare Bird and Lindisfarne provide some chart action – ‘America’, ‘Sympathy’ and ‘Lady Eleanor’ respectively – while Brian Davison’s Every Which Way and Jackson Heights’ prove that it wasn’t just Keith Emerson who exhibited belligerent signs of life beyond The Nice. ‘Doubting Thomas’


ORANGE WEDGE Wedge No One Left But Me Both Wah Wah LPs


Orange Wedge from Baltimore, Maryland cut these two incredibly rare hard- rock albums in the early ’70s, now lovingly reissued by Wah Wah in


cardboard sleeves so thick they’re virtually plywood.


Collectors generally seem to prefer the first


album primarily for its naïve basement sound though I found the song-writing a tad under- developed and, for a hard rock LP, it never convincingly rocks out. That said it’s got great charm and well-crafted guitar work across several long tracks, particularly ‘Death Comes Slowly’. From the first riff on the second LP it’s clear


to see the band have beefed up their sound considerably and the posturing on the ultra- tough title track will have you wondering what occurred in the intervening two years between albums. The awesome first side is followed by a the second that opens with an interminable blues jam then a meandering filler that neither rocks nor impresses on any level before redemption in another long track ‘The Gate’ that recalls ‘Child Of Time’ era Deep Purple. Wah Wah has done a great job on the


packaging and sleevenotes and, more importantly, both albums sound terrific. Austin Matthews


by Jackson Heights is particularly revelatory, built upon a cantering percussion track which appears to be someone slapping his own cheeks. I hope they got it in one take for the sake of the man’s ruptured blood vessels, gum ulcers and loosened teeth. Refugees pokes into some unexpected but entirely welcome


corners over the course of its three CDs – Bo Hansson, Monty Python (‘Spam Song’ – still funny), Capability Brown, Jack The


Lad, Audience, Bell & Arc, Brand X – but it is a testimony to the label’s innate good taste that the quality never dips significantly. Genesis fanatics will applaud the inclusion of the tricky-to-find ‘Twilight Alehouse’, while any compilation that can accommodate all 12 minutes of Van Der Graaf’s ‘Pioneers Over C’ gets a Macca-style thumbs-up from this jury for sheer chutzpah. Unequivocally recommended.


Van Der Graaf Generator: pioneers over C.


JOHN PHILLIPS Man On The Moon Varese Sarabande CD www.varesevintage.com


Inspired by his viewing of astronaut Neil Armstrong’s 1969 moon landing on television, Phillips and his third wife, South African actress Genevieve Waite,


began working obsessively on what, after five years, turned into an off-Broadway musical comedy flop (It ran less than a week in ’75) but the critics did enjoy the music. This enhanced CD project collects 34


previously unreleased original songs variously performed by Phillips (with and without his Celestial Choir), various members of Andy Warhol’s Factory (Warhol ended up producing the fiasco) and Phillips’ fellow Papa, Denny Doherty, along with Waite and sex siren Monique Van Vooren. Key tracks, with alternating themes of entrapment and constraint coupled with plenty of levity and promise for the future include the heart-wrenching ‘There Is A Place’, ‘Midnight Deadline Blastoff’, ‘Andy’sTalking Blues’, ‘Speed Of Light’, ‘Yesterday I Left The Earth’ and the autobiographical ‘Boys From The South.’ The material recorded live by Warhol on opening night and the video rehearsal footage also fascinate. Yet another testimonial to Phillips’ under-


recognised musical genius. Gary von Tersch


QUINTESSENCE Cosmic Energy: Live at St Pancras 1970


Infinite Love: Live at Queen Elizabeth Hall 1971 Both Hux CDs www.huxrecords.com


Of the UK


countercultural community bands of the late 1960s, Quintessence is served least well by history. Due to their overtly religious


music –underscored by the appearance with a dodgy guru at Glastonbury Fayre –and also their reputation as a live act who never “got it down” on record, interest in Quintessence has really only been supported by dyed-in-the-wool hippies and collectors. Yet in many ways the band are one of the


more interesting manifestations of the countercultural era, who could only have existed at that moment in time, mixing multi- cultural and religious concepts with spectacular psychedelic jams and the odd decent tune. Their minor hit ‘Notting Hill Gate’ captured


the pre-Withnail & I bliss of West London’s hippy community whilst these stunning quality live recordings (recorded on multi track and recovered from Island’s vaults) reveal just what an exciting improvisational and inspirational band they could be given the right context and, no doubt, the right cosmic propellants. Richard Allen


SLADE Live at the BBC Salvo CD www.salvo-music.co.uk


Boy, is this a band I’d love to have seen in their pomp, and in their pomp is pretty much where we find them on disc two, on 17th August 1972 to be precise, a month away from their third UK #1 single. A blistering 11-track live set of stomping rock ‘n’ rollers thrashed to within an inch of their lives –punk rock in all but name. We get a sensational world premiere of


‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now’ and an absolute masterclass from Nod in winning over an audience. He has them banqueting out of his hand (apart from the ‘erbert at the back shouting “rubbish”!). Disc one dates from between October ’69


and May ’72. A mostly great selection of psych- rockers, Quo-esque boogies, bolshy pop songs and the odd ballad. Great covers too, particularly Traffic’s ‘Coloured Rain’, Janis Joplin’s ‘Move Over’, Moby Grape’s ‘Omaha’ and Fairport’s ‘It’s Alright Ma, It’s Only Witchcraft’. This is a magnificent set –meticulously researched and presented. I can’t recommend it too highly. Vic Templar


67


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