If you have £ 1950 for a 1970 NM original copy on EMI Columbia SCX 6414 that’s fine…
… or buy pronto a September 2025 reissue from original master-tapes, as I did!
That’s a must-have record in the noblest British heritage of Ian Carr’s Belladonna, Mike Westbrook, Mike Gibbs, John Surman, Centipede, Norma Winstone’s Edge of Time, The Chitinous Ensemble and all the gems issued in late ‘60s/early ‘70s in England.
Buy it with confidence and respect due to such a masterpiece, and enjoy this amazing music.
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5 comments:
Did you actually buy yours in Sept 2025, Stefano? I ask because although it was scheduled last year (perhaps even the year before, in fact), it was delayed and didn't reach UK distributors until the very end of March of this year.
Although neither packaging nor the hype sticker confirm this, it seems it was mastered from the original stereo tapes at Abbey Road Studio where it was cut by Alex Gordon. It has 'AG' etched in the run-out.
I have never heard an original -- I've only ever had the 2004 CD in the Impressed Re-pressed series -- but this reissue sounds very good to me, although I will say that I think side two sounds marginally better; perhaps it was easier to record, having much smaller line-ups. Anyway, I love Ardley's work but I am coming to think that the tracks on side two, split between Ian Carr's Nucleus line-up and Don Rendell's group, are where the real glories lie. Enjoy!
Hi Alun… no, I bought it two days ago at my trusty brick shop… yes!!! I also noticed the second side sounded substantially better than side one, also if first side is more in the Chitinous Ensemble’s vein, with these luscious and appropriately handled strings and adamant direction… a very nice record which aged surprisingly well: 51 years old sounding like it was issued yesterday 💫💫💫
Another aspect which always intrigues me it’s “how” saxes are used in virtually ALL the English jazz, jazz-tinted, jazz-rock and pop, too: so distant, unique, never copy-catting Bird, Trane or Sonny! Think of Lol Coxhill, Elton Dean, Mark Almond, David Jackson, Mel Collin’s… truly remarkable uniqueness.
Good points. Side 1 does have a distinct Chitinous Ensemble sound to it.
And Brit-Jazz sax players I think were amongst those who broke away early from post-Rollins/post-Coltrane playing. I seem to recall from Ian Carr's marvellous book Music Outside: Contemporary Jazz in Britain (1973) that he emphasises how crucial it was to stake out a distinctive terrain for a British jazz scene that would be distinct from US styles -- because in the mid-60s, to all intents and purposes, there scarcely was an indigenous British jazz scene.
Must dig the Ian Carr’s book you quoted! I only own and read Carr’s Miles’ bio, cool POV quite different from Ashley Khan’s book. Thanks.
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