This writer is a sitting duck for anything Canterbury but, pressed by a gun pointed at the temple, National Health - the group's first album - would probably be my pet choice in their meagre discography. During the years in which many people were starting to be fooled by punk's corporate anarchy-cum-insubstantial imaginativeness and practically everybody felt entitled to whack a distorted guitar, genuinely dreaming English artists were still trying to delicately chisel odd-metre masterpieces lacking the typical pomp of progressive rock, executed with wisdom and dexterity and, in this particular juncture, sung by that flute-voiced angel named Amanda Parsons, a personal darling in the world-famous (ha!) trio “The Northettes” - also featuring Barbara Gaskin and Ann Rosenthal - who graced the music of Hatfield And The North and appeared in other interconnected situations.
Guess what: the craftsmen were succeeding. There weren’t audiences grateful for the attempts though, except for a bunch of romantic desperados. Money? Even less. It couldn't last, yet these kids managed to squeeze out two equally great records after this one: 1978’s Of Queues And Cures and the posthumous D.S. Al Coda, dated 1982, a homage to Alan Gowen who had just left this life's building. Phil Miller, Dave Stewart, Neil Murray (later to become a renowned heavy metal bassist), Jimmy Hastings, John Mitchell, the late Pip Pyle, the above mentioned Gowen. Need I say more? What's comprised by National Health is, purely and simply, history: “Tenemos Roads” and “Brujo” should light bulbs in the memory of any over-40 devotee gifted with sound-related emotional responsiveness. The solemnity of the main theme in “Borogoves” is unsurpassable; the melancholic chords fading the record to black in “Elephants” can make a grown man cry, a milligram of Jagger-ish hype being allowed.
And if someone ever manages to convince Mrs. Parsons to end her retirement and start writing (and especially singing) new songs, I'd be willing to stand under the hard rain to listen to that voice again.
~ Massimo Ricci
Hear here to the Canterbury sound! I've always wanted to get into National Health, but never had the chance. I say we stage a Post-Soft Machine Brit-Prog renaissance right here and now. What say you? I'm putting Hatfield and the North on the turntable as I speak.
Posted by: Michael C. at August 4, 2008 6:41 AMMichael,
renaissance? In my mind this stuff never went away...
Cheers to your H&TN soundtrack choice of course and - allow me telling this - if you haven't heard National Health yet, something fundamental is missing there. Go go go!
Posted by: Massimo Ricci at August 4, 2008 11:02 AMInteresting Prog turn Bagatellen is taking...I approve.
My preference is for "Of Queues And Cures". The first record is good, but OQAC is a classic.
Do you say numinosity? I do.
Posted by: Alastair at August 5, 2008 12:05 AMAlastair
as I wrote, my choice is under the threat of a gun...But Amanda Parsons' imprint made the difference in terms of sheer affection for the record.
"When a things is numinous, it exudes an air of mystery, of sanctity, of energy"
And that's all she (he...) said
Posted by: Massimo Ricci at August 5, 2008 1:51 AM.................................................. © 2003 - 2006 bagatellen ..................................................