Jazz Archives

This is a very unique and original record that mixes free jazz and avant-garde music with early 70s hippie jam freakouts and compositional variety. Although this record features a lot of musicians from King Crimson and Soft Machine, and occasionally sounds like either of those bands more "out" moments, a lot of this record has more in common with ultra-expressive jazz musicians such as Albert Ayler or Pharoh Sanders.
Part one mixes semi-Gregorian vocal drones with free jazz sections. Part two opens with a mellow string and soft percussion drone before heading into a bluesy funk jam that eventually slips into a free jazz jam. Part three is probably the most interesting with a long repeating string part backed with drums that is somewhat similar to Crimson's Devil's Triangle or something off of Lizards, especially when Nick Evans and the other horn players pile up chaotic solos on top of each other. This side ends with some layered vocal improvs similar to Cathy Berbarian's work with Luciano Berio. Part 4 is the least interesting, it mostly contains a very 60s sounding utopian socialist hippie chant that has not aged well.
The various soloists add what they can, but the purely instrumental sections on this album are far better than the sections with vocals.
Robert Fripp is the producer on this record and it is interesting to notice how much influence he picked up from working with Keith Tippet. Some of the Crimson cuts that show influence from this record include the quiet opening section on Larks Tounge, the vocal improvs on Formentara Lady, the bluesy funk jams that build into free jazz on Earthbound, and a lot of the improv music on Lizards and Poseidon.
This is a surprisingly good record and different from a lot of the free jazz that was coming out at this time because Tippet broke the improv sections up with unique composed sections that give the record variety in texture and volume. I highly recommend that you get this one on vinyl because the gatefold album cover art is incredible.

:::Review by Easy Money:::

Centipede - Septober Energy (1971)

Disc 1 (45:17)
1. Septober Energy - Part 1 (21:43)
2. Septober Energy - Part 2 (23:34)

Disc 2 (40:06)
1. Septober Energy - Part 3 (21:21)
2. Septober Energy - Part 4 (18:45)

Credits
- Wendy Treacher, John Trussler, Roddy Skeaping, Carol Slater, Louise Jopling, Garth Morton, Channa Salononson, Steve Rowlandson, Mica Gomberti, Colin Kitching, Philip Saudek, Esther Burgi / violins
- Wilf Gibson / lead violin, conductor
- Michael Hurwitz, Timothy Kramer, Suki Towb, John Reese-Jones, Katherine Thulborn, Catherine Finnis / cellos
- Peter Parkes, Mick Collins, Ian Carr, Momgesi Fesa, Mark Charig / trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet
- Elton Dean, Jan Steel, Ian MacDonald, Dudu Pukuwana / Alto saxophone, Flute, Soprano saxophone
- Larry Stabbins, Gary Windo, Brian Smith, Alan Skidmore / Tenor saxophone
- Dave White, Karl Jenkins, John Willimas / Baritone saxophone, bass saxophone, oboe, clarinet
- Nick Evans, Dave Amis, Dave Perrottet, Paul Rutherford / trombone
- John Marshall, Tony Fennell, Robert Wyatt / drums, percussion
- Brian Godding / guitars
- Brian Belshaw, Roy Babbington, Jill Lyons, Harry Miller, Jeff Clyne, Dave Markee / basses
- Maggie Nicholls, Julie Tippett, Mike Patto, Zoot Money, Boz / vocals
- Keith Tippett / piano
- Robert Fripp / produce

For decades, Crimsonheads around the world, if you wanted to know what the second-era KC sounded like, you either had to buy the USA live album with its rather muddy sound or had to rely on diverse quality bootlegs. One may understand that bootleggers are ripping off the artistes, but in Crimson's case, the fact that the only live albums available were rather poor quality (listen to Earthbound to dig what I mean), and the many improvisations that the group was experimenting on stage were excuses enough for fans dishing out money for pirated tapes. In the mid-90's, some groups became well aware that those bootlegs were of extreme quality and there was not reason for them to bootleg the bootlegs and making money of those now-finally legal tapes. ELP, Tangerine Dream and Crimson are three of the groups in progressive rock that have adopted this strategy, and are we not so happy they just jumped the gun?
But now Crimsonheads are faced with a dilemma: Which of the three main releases to get? The four CD box-set being reviewed here, the single concert release of The Nightwatch or the finally re-released (and improved sound wise and great bonus tracks) USA Live? Clearly on of the main criteria of selection will be the sound, which would almost automatically dismiss the third potion if it was not for the fantastically superb and superlative improv Asbury Park still not available elsewhere. Another criteria will be the price for a single Cd (USA), a double set (Nightwatch) and this heavy box-set (probably a limited edition too and a hefty price) and in this case the first eliminated in the previous criteria is the clear winner.
The first Cd from this set is made up of one concert in Providence (stretching on to the second Cd) where the sound is as pristine as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, but the track list contains absolutely awesome and one of the two improv Cosmos is simply astounding (and maybe the closest sounding to Asbury Park from USA), only two tracks for the patchy SABB album, a superb rendition of Easy Money and icing on the cake a version of Starless with David Cross on violin: fabulous. The Providence improv is much more entertaining than on the studio album too.
The second 2 finishes the Providence concert, gives a piece of a Penn State Uni concert (with a superb improv to closer off the disc) but is mostly concentrating on a Glaswegian concert ending with a rare Cat Food and the Peace theme from the Poseidon album. Even with those minor surprise and many improvs, this second disc is not as brilliant as the first one, partly because the track selection is less successful, but the continuity is broken by three separate entities. Only one declared improv but another four are just as well improvised.
The third disc is a bit less disjointed, but another piece of the Penn State concert ends it. A whopping four improvs (most of them average quality - which means they develop into nothing special - but great to hear anyway) grace this disc and one strange Doctor Diamond, which is (as far as I know) a full composition never available anywhere else - and a worthy one too. The closing improv is one hell of a scorcher too!!!
The last disc is certainly not the least of the four is also split in two concerts, one at Toronto's Massey Hall (I am just sick thinking I was only 10 when this gig happened around my turf) and a Swiss show. The Canadian gig has a demented improv and a calmer based on Trio. The Swiss has some rather unusual improvs on the No Pussyfooting theme but also another two part improv and a definitive version of Talking Drum as a closer.
As far as repeats arte concerned, throughout the four Cds, the only track you will hear more than twice is Easy Money (3.5 times) and Night Watch (three times), which out of 47 tracks total is rather fair.
But life is never that simple, and soon or later, the Crimsonhead will want the other releases, which is another debate altogether, is it not?
In my case, I consider this box-set indispensable and even more than absolutely essential (it has a superb booklet and tons of improvs), and I still like the USA live album for historical reasons, so The Nightwatch might just be the odd one out. Any takers for my copy of it? ;-)

:::Review by Sean Trane:::

King Crimson - The Great Deceiver Live 1973 – 1974 (1992)

CD ONE

Palace Theatre, Providence, RI

June 30th 1974

1. Walk On ... No Pussyfooting (0:49)
2. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two (6:24)
3. Lament (4:39)
4. Exiles (8:57)
5. Improv: A Voyage to the Centre of the Cosmos (15:03)
6. Easy Money (7:13)
7. Improv: Providence (10:19)
8. Fracture (11:14)
9. Starless (12:04)

CD TWO

Providence ... continued (encore)

1. 21st Century Schizoid Man (8:27)
2. Walk Off From Providence ... No Pussyfooting (1:21)

Walk On to Glasgow ... Glasgow Apollo

October 23rd 1973

3. Sharks' Lungs in Lemsip (3:22)
4. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part One (7:50)
5. Book of Saturday (3:03)
6. Easy Money (6:41)
7. We'll Let You Know (4:55)
8. The Night Watch (5:17)
9. Improv: Tight Scrummy (8:58)
10. Peace - A Theme (1:01)
11. Cat Food (4:36)

Penn State University

June 29th 1974

12. Easy Money... (2:20)
13. ...It Is for You, But Not for Us (9:12)

CD THREE

Pittsburgh, PA - Stanley Warner Theatre

April 29th 1974

1. Walk On ... No Pussyfooting (0:59)
2. The Great Deceiver (4:27)
3. Improv: Bartley Butsford (3:12)
4. Exiles (7:19)
5. Improv: Daniel Dust (4:09)
6. The Night Watch (4:40)
7. Doctor Diamond (5:12)
8. Starless (12:26)
9. Improv: Wilton Carpet (5:53)
10. The Talking Drum (5:29)
11. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two (abbreviated) (4:08)

Penn State University

June 29th 1974

12. Applause & Announcement (2:12)
13. Improv: Is There Life Out There? (14:51)

CD FOUR

Toronto, Massey Hall

June 24th 1974

1. Improv: The Golden Walnut (11:47)
2. The Night Watch (4:27)
3. Fracture (11:53)
4. Improv: Clueless and Slightly Slack (8:12)

Zurich Volkshaus

November 15th 1973

5. Walk On ... No Pussyfooting (0:53)
6. Improv: Some Pussyfooting (2:27)
7. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part One (8:16)
8. Improv: The Law of Maximum Distress, Part One (6:32)
9. Improv: The Law of Maximum Distress, Part Two (2:33)
10. Easy Money (7:32)
11. Improv: Some More Pussyfooting (5:53)
12. The Talking Drum (6:04)

Credits
- David Cross / violin, mellotron, electric piano
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron, electric piano
- John Wetton / bass guitar, vocals
- Bill Bruford / drums, percussion

Anything that has members of Level 42, King Crimson and Egg collaborating together is, to be honest, a very amazing thing. Touching everything from jazz-fusion to psychedelia to the ever interesting and immersive Canterbury Scene, Mr. Jakszyk's "The Bruised Romantic Glee Club" is one of those rare extravagenzas that should be more known about and appreciated than it actually is, because there is an intimacy and chemistry here that you won't find often.
A double album, with side one being originals and side 2 being covers of bands that Jakko admires, 'Glee Club' has quite a few high points on both sides of the coin. Tracks like 'When We Go Home" and "The Things We Throw Away" are appropriately emotional and make very fine use of Jakko Jakszyk's unusually accomplished vocal abilities, while his covering of King Crimson's 'Islands' (which features Fripp himself) is apt and intimate in all the right places. Frequent use of sax, woodwinds and piano flesh out some of the more cinematic touches here and there, while Jakko's distinctive guitar stylings brush in and out to keep the compositions focused and energized when needed.
Basically, while I often consider collaborations overrated and rarely resulting in material that hits the mark more than these artists are capable of doing on their own, the ensemble that Mr. Jakszyk assembled here has worked wonders with material that could have possibly fallen on its face otherwise, and hence I recommend this with little complaint to anyone looking for something good to add to their prog. collection.
So yeah...five stars and a big thumbs up from the Ant-man!

:::Review by Anteater:::

Jakko M Jakszyk - The Bruised Romantic Glee Club (2006)

CD 1

1. The Bruised Romantic Glee Club
2. Variations on a Theme by Holst
3. Catley's Ashes
4. When Peggy Came Home
5. Highgate Hill
6. Forgiving
7. No One Left to Lie To
8. The Things We Throw Away
9. Doxy, Dali and Duchamp
10. Srebrenica
11. When We Go Home

CD 2

1. As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still (incorporating: That Still and Perfect Summer - Astral Projection in Pinner)
2. Pictures of an Indian City
3. Nirvana for Mice
4. Islands
5. The Citizen King
6. Soon After

Credits
Jakko M. Jakszyk - vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, keyboards, mellotron, bass guitar, balalaika, sitar, flute, strings, whistles, sound effects, percussion, programming
Gavin Harrison - drums
Mel Collins - alto and tenor saxes, flute
Dave Stewart - keyboards (CD 1 - 9, CD 2 - 1, 3, 5)
Robert Fripp - soundscapes, electric guitars (CD 1 - 6, 11)
Danny Thompson - double bass (CD 1 - 9, CD 2 - 4)
Mark King - bass guitar (CD 1 -3)
Nathan King - bass guitar (CD 1 - 5)
John Giblin - bass guitar (CD 1 - 6)
Lyndon Connah - piano (CD 1 - 8)
Ian MacDonald - flute (CD 1 - 2)
Caroline Lavelle - cello (CD 1 - 2)
Helen Kaminga - viola (CD 1 - 2)
Clive Brooks - drums (CD 2 - 1)
Gary Barnacle - alto flute, flute, bass flute and piccolo, tenor and soprano saxes (CD 2 - 1)
Hugh Hopper - bass guitar (CD 1 - 1)
Pandit Dinesh - tabla, vocals (CD 2 - 2)
Ian Wallace - drums (CD 2 - 4)
Suzanne Barbieri - backing vocals (CD 1 - 11)
Django Jakszyk - voice (CD 1 - 11)
Camille Jakszyk - voice (CD 1 - 11)
Chris Baker - Irish priest (CD 1 - 4)