THE MOODY BLUES: "Seventh Sojourn"

Original released on LP Threshold THS 7

(UK, 23 October 1972)

Despite the presence of a pair of ballads - one of them ("New Horizons") by Justin Hayward the latter's most romantic number since "Nights in White Satin" - "Seventh Sojourn" was notable at the time of its release for showing the hardest-rocking sound this band had ever produced on record. It's all relative, of course, compared to their prior work, but the music is comparatively stripped down here, and on a lot of it Graeme Edge's drumming and John Lodge's bass work comprise a more forceful and assertive rhythm section than they had on earlier records, on numbers such as "Lost in a Lost World," "You and Me," and "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock & Roll Band)." The latter, authored by Lodge, was - along with Lodge's "Isn't Life Strange" - one of two AM radio hits that helped drive the sales of this album, issued in early October of 1972, past all previous levels. Indeed, it was with the release of this album that the Moodies achieved their great commercial success in America and around the world, with a "Grand Tour" that kept them on the road for much of the year that followed. The irony was that it was all about to end for them, for years to come, and the signs of it were all over this record - "Seventh Sojourn" took a long time to record, and a lot of the early work on it had to be junked ("Isn't Life Strange" was one of the few early songs to get completed); it was clear to all concerned except the fans that, after six years of hard work in their present configuration, they all needed to stop working with each other for a time, and this was clear in the songs - many have a downbeat, pensive edge to them, and if they reflected a questioning attitude that had come out on recent albums, the tone of the questioning on songs like "Lost in a Lost World," "You and Me," and "When You're a Free Man" had a darker, more desperate tone. Perhaps the group's mostly youthful, collegiate audience didn't notice at the time because it fit the mood of the times - the album hit the stores in America the day before Richard Nixon's landslide presidential re-election victory (the culmination of events behind the scenes that would subsequently drive him from office). But the members were not working well together, and this would be the last wholly successful record - difficult as it was to deliver - that this lineup of the band would record, as well as the last new work by the group for over five years. And oddly enough, even amid the difficulties in getting it finished, "Seventh Sojourn" would offer something new in the way of sounds from the group - Michael Pinder, in particular, introduced a successor to the Mellotron, with which he'd been amazing audiences for six years, in the form of the Chamberlin, which is all over this album. (Bruce Eder in AllMusic)

CAT STEVENS - "Catch Bull At Four"

Original released on LP Island ILPS 9206

(UK 1972, September 27)

"Catch Bull at Four" began with a statement of purpose, "Sitting", in which Cat Stevens tried to talk himself into believing that he hadn't stalled, beginning to worry that he might be falling behind schedule or even going in circles. It may be that Stevens' recent experiences had contributed to his sense that he was running out of time. Though he was never a directly confessional writer, one got the sense that his disaffection with the life of a pop star was reasserting itself. And while he was touring unhappily around the world, the world was still going to hell in a handbasket. Yet Stevens was still motivated by his urge to help mankind mend its ways. Love provided some comfort, but for the most part, the singer who had seemed so excited on his last album now sounded apprehensive. Stevens set his reflections to a mixture of musical styles that included traces of old English folk songs, madrigals, and Greek folk music along with more typical rock stylings, all performed with the stop-and-start rhythms that added drama to his performances. Nevertheless, "Catch Bull at Four" was a more difficult listen than its three predecessors. Coming off the momentum of "Teaser and the Firecat", it roared up the charts to number one, but stayed in the Top Ten fewer weeks than its predecessor. Fans who had been stirred by Stevens' rhythmic tunes and charmed by his thoughtful lyrics were starting to lose interest in his quasi-religious yearnings, busy arrangements, and self-absorbed, melodramatic singing. His career still had a ways to go, but as of "Catch Bull at Four", he had passed his peak (in AllMusic)

CARLOS DO CARMO: "Fados e Canções"

50 Fados e Canções que reflectem o que de melhor Carlos do Carmo gravou até 1980

TIMES TO REMEMBER ~ VOLUME 47

TIMES TO REMEMBER ~ VOLUME 46

PAUL SIMON 72

Original released on LP Columbia KC 30750 (US)

and on LP CBS S 69007 (UK) – 1972, January 24 

Depois da dupla Simon & Garfunkel se ter separado, pouco depois do lançamento da obra-prima intemporal que é “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, a expectativa era grande em saber-se como iriam evoluir as respectivas carreiras a solo. Foram precisos dois longos anos para que pudessemos ter a alegria de pegar num novo álbum, este primeiro (se não contarmos com o “Songbook”, que nessa altura ainda não tinha sido editado oficialmente) de Paul Simon (“Angel Clare”, de Art Garfunkel, só saíria a público 20 meses depois, em Setembro de 1973). Vi esta capa pela primeira vez numa discoteca de Johannesburg, onde fui passar uns dias de férias, que, invariavelmente, eram preenchidos a escutar as últimas novidades discográficas. Lembro-me de me sentar ao balcão da loja (chamada “Look & Listen”, na Eloff Street) e por ali ter ficado a tarde inteira, a escutar todas aquelas pequenas maravilhas: “Mother and Child Reunion”, “Duncan”, “Run That Body Down”, “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard” e “Peace Like a River” foram as que mais me chamaram a atenção e, ainda hoje, continuam a ser as minhas favoritas. Quando saí da “Look & Listen”, pelo fim do dia, já trazia o álbum debaixo do braço. Este, e o seguinte (“There Goes Rhymin’ Simon”, publicado em Maio de 1973), foram dois dos mais assíduos companheiros que tive em mais de meio século. Eu envelheci, mas eles não: continuam lindissimos, tal como da primeira vez que nos conhecemos. São assim, os amores eternos.

If any musical justification were needed for the breakup of Simon & Garfunkel, it could be found on this striking collection, Paul Simon's post-split debut. From the opening cut, "Mother and Child Reunion" (a Top Ten hit), Simon, who had snuck several subtle musical explorations into the generally conservative S&G sound, broke free, heralding the rise of reggae with an exuberant track recorded in Jamaica for a song about death. From there, it was off to Paris for a track in South American style and a rambling story of a fisherman's son, "Duncan" (which made the singles chart). But most of the album had a low-key feel, with Simon on acoustic guitar backed by only a few trusted associates (among them Joe Osborn, Larry Knechtel, David Spinozza, Mike Manieri, Ron Carter, and Hal Blaine, along with such guests as Stefan Grossman, Airto Moreira, and Stephane Grappelli), singing a group of informal, intimate, funny, and closely observed songs (among them the lively Top 40 hit "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"). It was miles removed from the big, stately ballad style of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and signaled that Simon was a versatile songwriter as well as an expressive singer with a much broader range of musical interests than he had previously demonstrated. You didn't miss Art Garfunkel on Paul Simon, not only because Simon didn't write Garfunkel-like showcases for himself, but because the songs he did write showed off his own, more varied musical strengths. (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

DONOVAN ~ ANTHOLOGY 4

TIMES TO REMEMBER ~ VOLUME 45

TIMES TO REMEMBER ~ VOLUME 44

OST ~ "Avanti!" (1972)

A Film by Billy Wilder (1972)
Music composed and adapted by Carlo Rustichelli

THE STRAWBS

"GRAVE NEW WORLD     "
Original released as LP A&M AMLH 68078, UK 1972-02-04 

Side one

A1. Benedictus

A2. Hey, Little Man… Thursday’s Child

A3. Queen of Dreams

A4. Heavy Disguise

A5. New World

A6. Hey, Little Man… Wednesday’s Child

Side two 

B1. The Flower and the Young Man

B2. Tomorrow

B3. On Growing OLder

B4. Ah Me, Ah My

B5. Is It Today, Lord?

B6. Journey’s End

CREDITS:

David Cousins:  vocals, guitars, dulcimer, recorder

Tony Hooper:  vocals, guitars, autoharp, tambourin

Richard Hudson:  bass, acoustic guitars, vocals

John Ford:  vocals, guitars, dulcimer, recorder

Blue Weaver:  piano, organ, mellotron, harmonica, clavioline

Produced by David Cousins, Richard Hudson, John Ford, Blue Weaver and Tony Hooper

Sleeve design (3 flap folding)

The front cover 'Glad Day' by William Blake (British Museum)

Inner sleeve illustrations / booklet design: Paper Tiger

Recorded mainly at Morgan Studios in November 1971, but also at Island Studios (engineer: Frank Owen) and Lansdowne Studios (engineer: John Mackswith)

 

“Grave New World” é considerado o album favorito de muitos dos fans dos Strawbs. Contém algumas das canções mais conhecidas do grupo (“Benedictus”, “New World” ou “Heavy Disguise”) mas é sobretudo o todo que sobressai: uma mistura perfeita dos antecedentes folk de Cousins (ainda com Sandy Denny) com uma nova tendência de enveredar por caminhos mais roqueiros. Depois da saída de Rick Wakeman, os Strawbs reagruparam-se com a entrada do pianista Blue Weaver, que tinha começado nos Amen Corner, tendo tido logo a seguir um grande êxito (nº 1 no Reino-Unido) com os Fairweather: “Natural Sinner”. Weaver integrou-se muito bem no grupo, especialmente com o seu trabalho no mellotron, e o resultado foi este excelente album, que mais de meio século depois continua a ouvir-se com grande prazer.

As faixas variam consideravelmente em estilo, de acústicas a faixas eléctricas muito mais pesadas, e a presença forte da bateria faz-se notar do princípio ao fim. Todos os quatro vocalistas são de primeira classe, a musicalidade envolve-nos por completo e não existem faixas fracas. Quando se chega ao fim do curto tempo de audição (cerca de 36 minutos) a vontade é recomeçar tudo outra vez.

Foi o primeiro LP da história do rock a apresentar uma capa tri-partida na edição original, como que a chamar a atenção para o facto de um disco de vinil ter já ultrapassado o simples conceito musical para se tornar num objecto artístico e coleccionável. A primeira de rock mas não da música em geral. Essa honra cabe-nos a nós, portugueses, com a edição em 1969 do album “Epopeia”, dos Filarmónica Fraude.

GARYBALDI - "Nuda"

Original released on LP CGD VMLP 114 (stereomono)

(ITALY, July 1972)

I Garybaldi foi um grupo musical genovês dos anos 1970 de gênero Rock e Blues com elementos de Rock Progressivo. O líder do grupo, além de cantor e guitarrista, era Bambi Fossati. A primeira encarnação do Garybaldi se chamava Gleemen (ou I Gleemen). Na época da formação do grupo em 1968, além de Fossati eram constituídos também por Maurizio Cassinelli (bateria e voz), Lio Marchi (teclado) e Angelo Traverso (baixo). Tiveram um discreto sucesso com o seu primeiro single, uma cover da música "Lady Madonna" dos Beatles no lado "A" e uma música original, "Tutto Risplende in Te", no lado "B". Em seguida, deram vida a um intensa atividade concertística parelela ao lançamento do álbum homônimo em 1970. Em 1971, I Gleemen mudam de nome passando a se intitularem I Garybaldi. No primeiro single sob a nova denominação, "Marta Helmuth", pode ler-se: «desde hoje não nos chamamos mais I Gleemen, somos I Garybaldi.» Ao single "Marta Helmuth / Corri Corri Corri" seguiu-se a publicação do primeiro álbum do grupo, intitulado "Nuda", de clara inspiração hendrixiana mas com evidentes influxos progressivos, em particular, no tema que ocupa todo o lado B, "Moretto da Brescia". A extraordinária capa, em gatefold triplo, foi idealizada por Guido Crepax.

I Garybaldi foi um dos grupos de pico da primeira fase do rock progressivo italiano, na época dos festivais. Tocaram também como banda de abertura de concertos de grupos já conhecidos no exterior como os Bee Gees, Santana, Uriah Heep e Van der Graaf Generator. A fama, porém, chegou também a outros países, sobretudo na Alemanha, Suiça e Japão. Em 1973, Marchi e Traverso abandonaram a banda. Para o baixo entrou Sandro Serra. Com essa nova formação o grupo criou o segundo álbum, "Astrolabio". Como seria a música de Jimi Hendrix se ele fosse italiano? A pesada influência de "Band of Gypsies" na música dos Garybaldi parece ser exactamente isso e esse excelente guitarrista, "Bambi" Fossati dá uma bela resposta. Uma guitarra wha-wha introduz a linha de "Maya Desnuda" (também o nome de uma obra de Goya) e vai na linha de Hendrix como em "Manic Depression". A presença de um solo de hammond enriquece bastante e os solos e riffs de Fossati são incríveis.

Em "Decomposizione, Preludio E Pace" a guitarra é altamente torturada, psicadelismo puro. Alguns momentos são de grande paz como na faixa "Febbraio 1700", onde as mãos de "Bambi" deslizam suavemente pelo braço da guitarra, acariciando o instrumento. "L' Ultima Graziosa", que encerra o lado A, é uma faixa criativa e agitada, bem nos moldes do final dos anos 60. A suíte "Moretto da Brescia" que ocupa todo o lado B, tem um distinto toque italiano com melodias subtis, piano, órgão e guitarras bem trabalhadas que a aproxima um pouco do Progressivo Psicadélico / Sinfónico. (in "A Máquina de Fazer Sonhos")