The group was founded in 1968 by Cy Nicklin (later in Culpeper's Orchard) with Karsten Lyng Nielsen, Jess Staehr Nielsen, Ole Prehn and Henrik Friis Nielsen. They released the first single (1969) and participated in different events but in 1969 Cy Nicklin left the group and was replaced by Hans Lauridsen (and Stæhr by Erik Stedt Rasmussen).In 1970 the band released the LP Wide Open N-Way.
The music is psychedelic rock with clear feeling flowing from American bands. The lyrics are all sung in English. I met very different opinions about this album but it is definitely interesting and original work. Its producer (and of the following one) was Tony Reeves, ex-Colosseum bassist. Wide Open N-Way was warmly received and got some interest worldwide.
Two years later the group reformed (besides Karsten Lyng and Ole Prehn there were three BRI members: Ole Fick, Jess Stæhr, Bo Thrige Andersen) and recorded the second album. Unfortunately, it presents mediocre rock compositions far behind its predecessor.
1 Wide Open N-Way 11:33
2 Cellophane #1
3 Cellophane #2 13:44
4 If You Ask Me 4:49
5 Mind Funeral 12:29
6 Tick-tack 1:10
Cy Nicklin (guitar, vocals)
Karsten Lyng Nielsen (guitar)
Jess Stæhr Nielsen (bass)
Ole Prehn (guitar, acoustic guitar)
Henrik Friis Nielsen (drums, percussion) Day Of Phoenix - Wide Open N-Way (1970)
01. Amanaz.mp3
02. I am Very Far.mp3
03. Sunday Morning.mp3
04. Khala My Friend.mp3
05. History of Man.mp3
06. Nsunka Lwedo.mp3
07. Africa.mp3
08. Green Apple.mp3
09. Making the Scene.mp3
10. Easy Street.mp3
11. Big Enough.mp3
12. Kale.mp3
Captain Marryat - Captain Marryat (1974 great rock from scotland with organ/guitar duet - Wave)
Named after the 19th Century mariner and novelist, this Glaswegian band made just one privately-pressed LP. Its back cover announces that ‘Captain Marryat is a Scottish band, and have been playing together for just under a year. They already have a sizeable following in the pubs n’ clubs circuit and this, their first LP, is a sample of the music that brought them success’. The line-up was Tommy Hendry (vocals, acoustic guitar), Ian McEleny (lead guitar, acoustic guitar), Allan Bryce (organ, vocals), Hugh Finnegan (bass, vocals) and Jimmy Rorrison (sic) (drums, vocals). They were originally intending to record a single, but the engineer at the Glasgow studio they’d booked told them that there was time enough to make a whole album. They therefore taped five tracks they’d already written (‘Blindness’, ‘It Happened To Me’, ‘A Friend’, ‘Songwriter’s Lament’ and ‘Changes’) and finished the LP with an improvised jam (‘Dance Of Thor’). The result came in a drab flipback sleeve, and according to one dealer is ‘a progressive rock rarity with psych flourishes – doom-laden organ plus acid guitar riffs and strong male vocals’. The 250 copies pressed were sold at gigs, and two that surfaced on eBay in late 2008 went for around £3000 each. (Galacticramble.com)
01- Blindness
02- It Happened to Me
03- A Friend
04- Songwriter's Lament
05- Changes
06- Dance of Thor
Jimmy Rorrison - Vocals/Drums
Hugh Finnegan - Bass/Vocals
Allan Bryce - Organ/Vocals
Tommy Hendry - Vocals/Acoustic Guitar
Ian McEleny - Lead Guitar/Acoustic Guitar
1974 was a banner year for what has become known as progressive heavy rock. Bands such as Lucifer’s Friend, Beggars Opera, and Wishbone Ash were all in their heyday. The heavy organ and guitar sound was all the rage. Deep Purple had just scored with “Woman From Tokyo,“ and Uriah Heep with the great “Stealin.“ Even Iron Butterfly were still in the game, with the underrated Scorching Beauty LP.
Enter Scotland’s Captain Marryat. They took their name from a London author, and associate of Charles Dickens, Captain Frederick Marryat. It is interesting that they chose a friend of Dickens for their moniker, as the character of Uriah Heep comes from the Dickens novel David Copperfield.
In those heady, post-hippie days, a band like Captain Marryat could make a living on the Scottish pub circuit. When they felt they were ready, the band recorded and self-released their one and only LP. It was done as a demo to drum up interest from the majors more than anything else.
With only 200 copies of Captain Marryat ever pressed, the original album is a highly valued collectors item. Copies have reportedly changed hands for over 3,000 Euros recently. While the original is obviously a rare and attractive piece for vinyl fetishists, what about the music itself?
I am happy to report that the Captain Marryat record is as faithful to the genre as anything I have ever heard. From the opening, Phantom Of The Opera-type keyboard trills of “Blindness” all the way through to the prog-mania that is “Dance Of Thor,” Captain Marryat are brilliantly of their time.
The second song on the record, “It Happened To Me,” is the band’s tour-de-force. At eight minutes, it is also the longest track here. They needed that amount of time to get the full guitar and organ solos in though, and I for one am very grateful.
The guitar solo followed by an even lengthier organ solo is the format Captain Marryat holds to pretty consistently in the instrumental sections of their songs. Until we come to “Changes” that is. The tune seems to be their bid for airplay, as it is certainly the most radio-friendly cut on the record.
“Gonna be changes come someday, gonna be changes come your way.”
Truer words have never been spoken.
The six minute instrumental “Dance Of Thor” closes Captain Marryat out, and it is a thing of beauty. On top of a driving drumbeat comes the power-organ of Allan Bryce, followed by Ian McEleny’s searing guitar work. Last but certainly not least are the sounds of thunder, in honor of Thor, the original god of thunder.
There is not a lot of middle ground with Captain Marryat. You either love this type of early-Seventies European progressive hard rock, or hate it. I totally dig it, and will be filing this disc between Banquet by Lucifer’s Friend, and Uriah Heep’s The Magician‘s Birthday.(Article Author: Greg Barbrick)
:format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/A-926925-1292681306.jpeg.jpg)
