And You Tried So Hard (Gong, 1971)

Roberto Rizzi amazes us once again with a particularly complex prog pearl. Thank you, Roberto!

A very strange group. Daevid Allen, after his experience with Wilde Flowers/Soft Machine, decided to form a band with his girlfriend Gilli Smyth (who was teaching at Sorbona University!). Gong is a planet, from where pixies, with the head like a teapot, communicate with earth. But "Tried So Hard" doesn't talk about this story; this tune appeared in "Camembert Electrique", the album which anticipated some aspects of the soon to come Gong mythology. So this song is played in Gong's perfect style.

As usual, Gong chose an original album cover.

The beginning is very kind, with a gently guitar. Then, a volume increase announces that some different and stronger  riffs are coming. In fact, Gong's albums have the peculiarity of having an incredible range of guitar, vocal and other instrument riffs. "Tried So Hard" isn't an exception. After this powerful section, Gilli Smith begins to sing with his ethereal voice and the band plays very very softly. And then, another volume increase, the powerful section starts once more, untilthe gently guitar riff of the beginning comes back to close the track.I like this song, because his structure reflects what Gong were, but, at the same time, this tune is very serious and it doesn't contain too many oddities, of which Gong were often great masters.

 

Roberto Rizzi

On Reflection (Gentle Giant, 1975)

As always, Roberto Rizzi reads my mind and delights me. This track, taken from Gentle Giant's "Free Hand" album, is one of my favourites ever. A dreaming jewel, I daresay quoting a famous novel by Theodore Sturgeon. Thank you once more, Roberto (and thank you Giants, of course!).

“On reflection” is a wonderful tune from Gentle Giant. It begins with a flute riff, accompanied by violin, violoncello and xylophone. It's also a reference to classical music and Gentle Giant does it very well. The instruments follow one another in a very intricated way and this type of composition is the signature of the group. At the end of the riff, Gentle Giant start to sing and no instruments are involved. The Shulman brothers, Minnear and Green sing in a peculiar way, because they do not sing the same vocal line, but, as in the overture riff, every voice sings a singular tune, setting up a wonderful atmosphere. The track is reminiscent the way Genesis played their 12 strings: same sounds, but played differently.

 

Richard Evans' cover reminds me something about the Addams Family...

After this splendid virtuosism, the flute riff is repeated with more typical rock instruments: electric guitar, bass, drums and keyboards. Then, on this riff, Gentle Giant sing the vocal line, previously played without instruments. With “On riflection”, Gentle Giant show great musical talent once again. Another pearl of the progressive rock!

Roberto Rizzi

Moon in June (Soft Machine, 1970)

Here's another song presented by Roberto Rizzi, excellent as usual... both the track and the reviewer, I mean. Enjoy.

Today I want to introduce a track I discovered when I was nineteen years old: “Moon In June”. This very long song is included in the Soft Machine album “Third”, but it was composed and played by the drummer and singer of the group, Robert Wyatt. “Moon In June” is a song totally different from the other ones included in this album. Soft Machine was a prog-jazz group and that's why “Moon In June” seems to be an intruder. And it is! Wyatt composed a song that it is difficult to classify.

 

Soft Machine's Third.

First of all, “Moon In June” starts with a deep piano note and a  Hammond organ on which the ethereal Wyatt voice sings in a kind way. The second part is a strange and rythmical swing, where Wyatt sings “[...]living is easy here in New York State […] and I wish that I were home again”. The third part is similar to the first, but it is a little bit distressing, thanks to the peculiar use of the sharp notes. The last part of the songs is closer to the Soft Machine style. Wyatt composed a 4/4 rythm, played in a jazzy way. The organ,  played I think by Mike Rutledge, concludes the song with a solo. An interesting thing is that Wyatt was a jazz-rock drummer, but in this song he chooses to use the drums in background, emphasizing them when the song needs that. This song transcends the concept of “song”. It is something more... that's magic. A kind of magic that was born from the delicate soul of Robert Wyatt.

 

Roberto Rizzi

Post War Saturday Echo (Quatermass, 1970)

As I promised (please read the blog's foot note) this blog is open to every prog fan. I'm very proud to present here the first and brave contributor, Roberto Rizzi, an old online friend of mine and - most of all - a real connoisseur of fine prog and an experienced though young moderator of the glorious italian Genesis Forum. The song he presents here is also one of my favourite ones. 

Cesare Rizzi, an italian reviewer, argues on his book “Progressive Rock & Underground” that Quatermass was better than the more famous Emerson, Lake & Palmer. At first sight, that could be a blasphemous sentence. But when I firstly heard “Post War Saturday Echo” (and obviously the entire Quatermass album) something made me think that Rizzi was (and still is) right.

Storm Thorgerson's wonderful art for Quatermass.

 

I always said that this song is a perfect synthesis of blues and progressive rock. “Post War...” starts with an epic Hammond riff and this opening flows in a quiet instrumental tune, which is the main theme, played by bass, drums and organ. The great voice of John Gustafson sings a vocal riff which is at the same time calm and nervous. But the song reaches its peak when it becomes much more powerful and the instruments create a perfect atmosphere on which Gustafson's voice can express its magnificent and suffering beauty. A piano solo introduces another explosion of power, with a massive Hammond organ. A great song from a great - but unfortunately unknown - band.

 

Roberto Rizzi