Another wonderful band on the ever-growing excellent AltRock label, Homunculus Res is a Sicilian band centered around songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist Dario D'Alessandro. Other members currently include keyboardists David Di Giovanni and Federico Cardaci, bassist Domenico Salamone, flutist Dario Lo Cicero, and drummer Daniele Di Giovanni. A featured guest on the band's debut is Yugen keyboardist Paolo "Ske" Botta.
The primary inspiration for the band is Picchio Dal Pozzo, the best Canterbury-influenced Italian band from the 1970s. They seem likewise, as did Picchio Dal Pozzo, to derive inspiration from other Canterbury bands, particularly Caravan and Soft Machine…
Featuring some of the most stunning musicianship ever associated with England's Canterbury scene, Hatfield and the North's second LP features, like their eponymous debut, Dave Stewart on keyboards, Phil Miller on guitar, Richard Sinclair on bass and vocals, and Pip Pyle on drums (supplemented by a few guest instrumentalists and the ever-ethereal Northettes with their "la la" backing vocals). The participants show an admirable sense of restraint and, like their Canterbury peers, are careful to avoid the pomposity and bombast of better-known prog rockers of the era, such as Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes.
Founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan, Caravan rose to success over the years from 1968 into the 70 s. This English band from Canterbury blended Psychedelic Rock with Jazz to create their distinctive sound. Caravan were the first British band to sign for American record label Verve and released their debut album Caravan. After the closure of Verves rock and pop division, Caravan moved to Decca records and released If I Could Do It All Again, I d Do It All Over You in 1970. After the third album release, David Sinclair left the group and was replaced by Steve Miller…
This is the third album by Sicilian art rockers Homunculus Res. It is a 2018 work that exquisitely mixed Canterbury style stylish technical and Italian singing. Although skillful meter is intertwined, with its own style with translucency as a warm heart, the wind instruments of flute, clarinet, oboe, horn etc are exchanged for guitar and vintage synth, and Melotron and charming female vocal are added. Including lyrics, the poetic deepening aiming for Canterbury spiritual increased. Hat off with precise content recorded by members close to 20 including Yao Paolo Botta.
After a string of mediocre Caravan albums, Pye Hastings decided to reconvene all four original members for Back to Front. In an unusually democratic move, he divided the writing between himself, Richard Sinclair, and David Sinclair (with drummer Richard Coughlan abstaining). The result was a generally uneven album, but one that maintains a certain nostalgic charm. Surprisingly, the best songs here were written by David Sinclair, who was usually overshadowed by vocalists Hastings and Richard Sinclair in the early days. On "Sally Don't Change It" and "Videos of Hollywood," David reveals a soft romantic side previously hidden (and which would later blossom on his wonderful solo CD Moon Over Man, actually recorded before this record).
As interesting and fun as the Daevid Allen period was, the name Gong became more meaningful in the context of the music as percussionist Pierre Moerlen assumed the role of bandleader. An emphasis on percussives of all sorts became clear on Gazeuse!, the band's first completely instrumental album, and the music became much jazzier, though never considered jazz. Expresso II finds Pierre Moerlen's Gong at their peak. Like their previous studio release, Gazeuse!, the album is instrumental, the music is very polished, the sound very clean.
2014 Original Albums Series release. Includes the albums: Joy of a Toy, Shooting at the Moon, Whatevershebringswesing, Bananamour & the Confessions of Dr. Dream and Other Stories. Kevin Ayers was one of rock's oddest and more likable enigmas, even if he often seemed not to operate at his highest potential. Perhaps that's because he never seemed to have taken his music too seriously – one of his essential charms and most aggravating limitations. After the late '60s, he released many albums with a distinctly British sensibility, making ordinary lyrical subjects seem extraordinary with his rich low vocals, inventive wordplay, and bemused, relaxed attitude.
This double-CD contains three programs Ayers broadcast on the BBC from 1972 to 1976. A January 6, 1972 concert at the Paris Theatre in London takes up all of disc one, which is certainly the better half of this package, as it was almost a reunion of the Kevin Ayers & the Whole World lineup that had done Shooting at the Moon in 1970. Whole World-ers Mike Oldfield (guitar), Lol Coxhill (sax), and David Bedford (keyboards) are on hand to support Ayers, along with drummer Dave Dufort (who was not on Shooting at the Moon). Some singing accompanies the band, and orchestral arrangements also accent their playing on six of the nine songs.
In the Land of Grey and Pink is considered by many to be a pinnacle release from Caravan. The album contains an undeniable and decidedly European sense of humor and charm. In addition, this would mark the end of the band's premiere lineup. Co-founder David Sinclair would leave Caravan to form Matching Mole with Soft Machine drummer and vocalist Robert Wyatt in August of 1971. As a group effort, In the Land of Grey and Pink displays all the ethereal brilliance Caravan created on their previous pair of 12" outings. Their blending of jazz and folk instrumentation and improvisational styles hints at Traffic and Family, as displayed on "Winter Wine," as well as the organ and sax driven instrumental introduction to "Nine Feet Underground."