Entertainment For Lively Minds
What are the 'must have' albums of the Canterbury Scene?
Posted by Steerpike on 3 June 2010 - 10:00am.
Whilst I admit to an appreciation of that which is labelled these days, prog, artists such as Soft Machine, Hatfield and the North, Caravan, National Health, Gong, Egg etc were a little too early and cultish for me to latch on during their heyday(s).
BBC4's recent 'Prog Britannia' piqued my interest, but where to start? What are the essential works to be going on with? All help gratefully received.
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I would
start with the undoubted highlight of the 'Prog at the BBC' programme, Caravan. I'm sure Fopp will do 'If I could Do it Again I would Do It All Over You', 'In The Land Of The Grey And Pink' or 'For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night' for about a fiver. I'm still trying to persuade my dad to let me have his vinyl copies of these...
I'd go for the following (in sequence)
The Rotters Club - Hatfield and the North
Of Queues And Cures - National Health
Hatfield and the North - Hatfield and the North
The Civil Surface - Egg
Fitter Stoke will, doubtless, be along in a moment to offer his suggestions :-)
Neglecting this classic...
... would be out-bloody-rageous:
Yes indeed
It's the only one I have at present - aside from assorted Robert Wyatt albums. I will be checking out the other suggestions thus far - thank you - and am still awaiting a response from Fitter Stoke whose moniker alone promises much.
He's taking a bath at the moment...
(emerges, dripping on the mat...)
Evening all.
Soft Machine Third is a must, but don't forget Soft Machine Second - it has two longish suites of themes both familiar and tasty. Also, if you can find the BBC session where Robert Wyatt turns Moon in June into a praise of the Top Gear radio programme...it's a joy to behold.
Matching Mole's first, for O Caroline if nothing else - Robert Wyatt's vocal at a peak.
Gong: Angel's Egg - controversial choice, but I think that Gong just slip under the wire as a Canterbury band, and this is their most balanced album, in my view.
Any Kevin Ayers album on the Harvest label - especially Joy of a Toy
Any album with Dave Stewart on keyboards is almost a compulsary purchase, but start with National Health: Of queues & cures,and the Hatfield's Rotters Club. Oh, and Steve Hillage's Fish Rising, which also has Lindsay Cooper on it (leading into...)
It's a bold move, but consider Henry Cow's Unrest album - if it fits your mood and you can take it, it's a corker - pure gold.
I could go on...and probably will...
about time
Thank you old bean.
Happy to chip in!
In truth, I've always found something in this music spoke to a bit of my brain directly - bugger only knows why...
If the Canterbury Scene is an approach rather than just geography, I would also strongly recommend the Quiet Sun album (pre-This Heat Charlie Hayward, and Bill McCormick).
Dave Stewart is the key man in all this
and I'll echo Fitter Stoke's comment that anything with him on it is an essential purchase.
Although not a Canterbury project in strict geographical terms, I think his albums with Bill Bruford under the 'Bruford' brand are as vital as his work on the Egg/Hatfields/Health axis.
Stewart is a funny, dry writer as well as his copious notes for the re-released Egg/Hatfields/Health albums will testify (in fact, he produced a book of additional sleeve notes for the Hatfields 'Hattitude' album called 'Copious Notes').
Don't overlook
le machine molle either.
Mr.Stu has already mentioned "In the Land of Grey and Pink"
and it is indeed a very fine record - "Nine Feet Underground" is simply colossal.
Soft Machine volume Two is a great album, decades ahead of its time, but it loses points due to a dreadful cover design. Ooh, I can't bear to look at it...
compulsory education
All wonderful works, and a poignant reminder of my schooldays. I do wonder whether the sublime wit and musicianship of Caravan, National health, and Hatfield and the North exists in any contemporary music - and how lucky we were to get this into our brain cells in our teens. Dave Stewart's swelling organ has given me a lot of pleasure over the years, i must say.
Oh, it's just too easy...
I can't do it...like shooting fish in a barrel!
I mentioned this
in an unusual instruments thread quite some time back, but Caravan's If I Could Do It All Over Again I'd Do It All Over You has the only instance I'm aware of, of a pair of hedgeclippers being used as a percussive device (on the song Hello, Hello). For this alone it should be in your collection.
That aside, the album has been cited above and I agree completely. It remains a favourite of mine after the best part of 40 years.
going solo
Some wonderful albums mentioned above. Just wanted to chip in with a vote for Kevin Ayers' masterpiece: Whatevershebringswesing
'Whatevershebringswesing'
and 'Joy of A Toy' both got some FANTASTIC tracks. Any thoughts on 'Bananamour'?
Another vote
For Caravan's "For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night". Requires no specialist prog ears!
Coincidentally I've just finished off this month's E-music credits with Gong's Camembert Electrique which I think will need the aforementioned ears.
I wonder why
Spirogyra are not considered part of the Canterbury scene. Martin Cockerham & Barbara Gaskin met while at Kent University. Their first LP was named after a street/area of Canterbury, St. Radigunds.
Barbara met Dave Stewart when she was a backing singer in the Northettes and they have been a couple ever since.
http://www.davebarb.demon.co.uk/
Although not part of the Canterbury scene per se..
Camel's Rain Dances fits really well with the above suggestions