Still On Rock's Road
My main interest in this album is Pete Brown, having been a big fan of his work in the late 60s with The Battered Ornaments and then early 70s with Piblokto! - and of course there is his work as lyricist with Cream and Jack Bruce on renown songs like Sunshine of Your Love, SWLABR, I Feel Free, Politician and White Room. My favourite Pete Brown song is the beautiful High Flying Electric Bird [Brown/Mullen] from the Pete Brown and Piblokto! album Things May Come And Things May Go, But The Art School Dance Goes On Forever [1970]. Great bird-whistle soloing on this too.
This 2010 album is great stuff, mainly jazz infused, and with Phil Ryan - long time collaborator - making, of course, his major contribution through keyboards, writing and orchestration. Cool tracks are 3rd Between Us with Maggie Bell on accompanying vocal, 4th Klip-On Weirdness Kit which highlights signature Brown lyrics in all their lively playfulness, and the same can be said for the Brown narrative of 5th track The Ballad of Psycho and Delia which includes a sweet if brief alto saxophone solo from Art Themen, and Annie Whitehead on trombone.
The great Jim Mullen plays guitar on most tracks, but Mick Taylor also guests on opener Flag a Ride and 8th 13th Floor. Pete Brown's distinctive vocal is a delight throughout. Helen Hardy and Rietta Austin provide soulful backing vocals on most tracks too. As I've said, it's jazzy, but also funky as on 7th Men Only with again some ripe and ribald lyrics livening up the proceedings [penile puns....].
Having just purchased this I also bought a secondhand hardback copy of Pete Brown's autobiography White Rooms and Imaginary Westerns - On The Road With Ginsberg, Writing For Clapton and Cream - An Anarchic Odyssey which I also look forward to reading. It is a life lived to the full so there are clearly stories to tell. I will also be chasing down some of his poetry.
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