Clever Stuff
Released in 1970 on Harvest, this is one of my favourite
albums being special in having been purchased – I wish I could remember where –
entirely on the strength of the cover, and perhaps where it was spotted: in
London maybe, but I really have no recollection.
It is notable for the lead singer’s gravelly vocal and a
horn section tailored to emulate the success of American bands like Blood,
Sweat and Tears, and Chicago. There is also a strong organ presence, as on the
swirling opening to first track Sunflower
Morning. The singer Colin Horton Jennings replaced original American
vocalist Ozzie Lane and the band’s apparent soul leanings [I haven’t heard
anything before this album].
I think in many ways that though this is seen as progressive
rock, and very much the Harvest label’s attempts to pursue and promote this
genre at such an apt time, it is very much pop rock – the tunes having the
former sensibilities with the horn arrangements wrapped around, and Jennings’
vocal giving it the clear rock credibility. Take second track Angelina which is a fine pop tune, but
at 2 minutes into the song, it breaks to the melody’s instrumental riff that
itself breaks into a superb freeform trumpet solo, the thumping riff continued
in the background with horns and organ in unison. Third track Skylight Man is a weird amalgam of
lounge horns, then fuzz, a little organ, then angelic vocals before that B,S
&T pumping horn riff kicks in. I think it is quite distinctive in both its
time and since.
Fifth Day of the Lady
begins with a strange musical requisite of the time, a fairground ditty [with
the noise of a door closing....?] which then converts to quite a pretty folk song
with guitar and mandolin runs and close vocal harmonies. Sixth Real Cool World is a wonderfully pompous
horn-driven number with semi-manic laughing and great downward organ rolls
around the strident horns, and then a blazing fuzz guitar solo. This song has
absolutely everything melodramatic and memorable. Seventh I Fought For Love is one of the most psychedelic, beginning with sustained
fuzz guitar and a powerful organ combination, and then a soft vocal is treated
to some exaggerated echo effects before Jennings’ signature rasp picks up the
melody. There is a thumping – literally – interlude accompanied by organ and
then staccato horns [again, echoes of B,S & T], and then it ends on some
beautiful vocal harmonies, again pinched off by echoing effects.
The title song is a fourteen minute rousing concoction of
more horns and fuzz to start, and then organ and horns dancing together, quite
funky at times. There is a different kind of musical requisite here, the drum
solo which is excellent [they always were, come on], then a bass with flute
segment [with the fine flute solo played by Jennings], and it arrives back to
another fuzzed-out guitar solo by Garth Watt-Roy which is then joined by Mick
Deacon on organ: a genuine instrumental progressive gem of that period and
genre, especially as the fuzz and organ end on an Iron Butterfly heaviness and the song returns to its funky
opening theme.
The album ends on an acoustic sweetness with Again and Again, Jennings singing
sweetly to start and the flute providing a tinge of folk prettiness – that is,
until the song moves into another pop-rock piece of heightened action. It is
very clever, and very much a shame that this is an album that doesn’t seem to
have attained the same status as others of this time.
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