Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 59

Thread: FEATURED CD: Rare Bird - As Your Mind Flies By

  1. #1
    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Nothern Virginia, USA
    Posts
    3,022

    FEATURED CD: Rare Bird - As Your Mind Flies By

    Today's feature is Rare Bird - As Your Mind Flies By, is considered to be the peak of their discography by fans. It's highlighted by an organ driven side-long track called "Flight" that occasionally drifts into that "classical rock" territory ELP fans would enjoy.



    Review from ProgArchives:
    RARE BIRD were the first band to release music with the Charisma Records back in 1970. Other bands who would sign to this label were GENESIS, VDGG, HAWKWIND and many more. Actually they shared something in common with VDGG back then as neither band had a lead guitarist. RARE BIRD featured two keyboardists(organ, synths, piano), a drummer, and a vocalist / bass player.They fuzzed out the piano and organ at times as well. I was impressed with how progressive this album is. Lots of tempo and mood changes. The side long song "Flight" has so much variety and different styles of music on it. Parts of this album(side one) may sound a little too commercial, but that's a minor complaint.This album has a lot offer.

    "What You Want To Know" had to be released as a single. It opens with organ as vocals join in on this pastoral intro. Just a beautiful sound really. The song kicks into gear 1 1/2 minutes in before calming right back down. This contrast continues. Some fuzz piano comes and goes. Lots of piano late in the song. "Down On The Floor" is a mellow, straight forward track with vocal melodies to begin with that turn into vocals later. "Hammerhead" is probably my favourite. Intense vocals are accompanied with an even more intense soundscape. This rocks out pretty good. The bass and powerful organ has a lot to do with that. The heavier sections are contrasted beautifully with lighter passages. "I'm Thinking" builds to a full sound 1 1/2 minutes in. The synth work reminds me of GENESIS. It calms right down as reserved vocals arrive before 3 minutes. The contrast continues. Yeah i'm saying that a lot with these tunes.

    "Flight" is my second favourite, but no doubt the most amazing track on here. An almost 20 minute ride. The drumming to open is prominant as keys pulse. The organ take the keys place in the soundscape and they keep trading places. The tempo speeds up 2 minutes in with vocals right behind. It really sounds like mellotron before 4 minutes, or choirs? The song settles down to a whisper 6 minutes in. Organ a minute later hen more mellotron-like sounds.Incredible passage right there. More choirs after 9 1/2 minutes. A haunting, atmospheric soundscape arrives after 10 minutes. This is really cool and unexpected as it turns into something out of a horror movie soundtrack 12 1/2 minutes in. We're grooving again after 13 minutes with vocals back a minute later. Some powerful organ follows. Nice. Some fuzz late as the vocals return.

    It was interesting reading Graham Fields(organ player) reason why the band didn't employ a lead guitarist. They felt back then in 1970 that fuzzed out piano / organ was a lot nastier and evil sounding then any guitar could be. I can't argue with him on that point. - Mellotron Storm


    Last edited by Poisoned Youth; 07-31-2016 at 07:56 AM.
    WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.

  2. #2
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Posts
    4,485
    I think this is a tremendous album, without any weak material. Obviously the big suite will probably get the most attention but I think 'Hammerhead' is one of those tracks that represents early progressive rock at its best, with that pulsating organ riff and a powerful, soulful vocal from Steve Gould. I feel 'What You Want To Know' has an anthemic quality as well, a single version was made but it never quite caught on as 'Sympathy' did.

    I've never worked out why these first two Charisma albums are not more well known than they are. I love them both.

    I don't recall if this album is affected too, but I remember reading that the debut played at a faster speed in the US or something?
    Last edited by JJ88; 06-08-2017 at 06:38 AM.

  3. #3
    Yep, great band, excellent vocalist, they deserved far more success than they had. Love their next album too, Epic Forest.
    "Always ready with the ray of sunshine"

  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Baltimore
    Posts
    133
    Probably my favorite by Rare Bird. Love Hammerhead. I like their whole discography, I even have a soft spot for Somebody's Watching, which seems to get slagged often.

  5. #5
    I had this on LP during the madtimes. I think it was on the ABC/Dunhill label. Graham Field was underrated...no wait!....he was unknown and what a fine keyboardist he was! Off thread for a moment, I loved the song "Epic Forest". On "As Your Mind Flies By" the long epic style track which makes reference to Central Park is by far one of their best works of Progressive Rock. I used to listen to Rare Bird, Spring, and Gracious along with several others in a sequence and that early 70's underground "Hammond Organ" , Mellotron style that was unknown to me , short of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and King Crimson held my interest for a long time. Rare Bird were diverse and in the early 70's...they impressed me.

  6. #6
    I tried to follow other projects that Graham Field was involved with and all I could find was the band FIELDS. I was impressed with certain tracks from that album, but it didn't have the same impact on me as Rare Bird. Although FIELDS is technically a great early 70's Prog release, I preferred Rare Bird a lot more for their diversity in their approach. Graham Field was up to par with David Greenslade, Rod Argent, Rick Wakeman, ...but he didn't seem to get any credit.

  7. #7
    Progga mogrooves's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    The Past
    Posts
    1,900
    What's not to dig? Early 70s vibe? Check. "Epic"? Check. Great execution? Check. Gould? Check. Grinding organ? Check.
    Hell, they ain't even old-timey ! - Homer Stokes

  8. #8
    Member mellotron storm's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Wasaga Beach
    Posts
    316
    I haven't heard the debut but I'm told it's pretty good, I only have this one which I'm a big fan of.
    "The wind is slowly tearing her apart"
    Sad Rain
    Anekdoten

  9. #9
    I really like their born again period. Some strong tracks and outtakes on that one. His voice is at its best. I don't like his singing on the first album though

  10. #10
    Drummer Mark Ashton has had a long career. After Rare Bird, he formed Headstone as lead singer -with ex Atomic Rooster Steve Bolton on guitar- and later recorded several solo albums. In later years he became well known as a painter -Mark Ashton Vey, living in Spain and, lately, in France, where, three years ago, he came back to live music after forming the Mark Ashton Project with French musicians.

  11. #11
    Headstone's two albums in the mid Seventies are very good and similar in style to the later Rare Bird.

  12. #12
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    California USA
    Posts
    101
    Quote Originally Posted by mogrooves View Post
    What's not to dig? Early 70s vibe? Check. "Epic"? Check. Great execution? Check. Gould? Check. Grinding organ? Check.
    Make that a triple check for Gould, one of my top five vocalists and an excellent bass player to boot. My favorite Bird LP.

    BTW for those unaware, Rare Bird's second keyboard player, David Kaffinetti, was also featured in the movie Spinal Tap(as the keyboard player, doh!)

    I was always pretty sure, but never had it confirmed, that Gould and Kaffinetti were Americans resident in England. Does anyone know for sure?

  13. #13
    Good album, not too fond of Gould’s screaming at the end of the “Flight” suite, but otherwise his voice is unimpeachable; a tremendous vocalist! No other multi-keyboard band sounded like them; a truly unique band.

    Quote Originally Posted by mellotron storm View Post
    I haven't heard the debut but I'm told it's pretty good, I only have this one which I'm a big fan of.
    I recommend it. I don’t think it’s quite as solid as this one, but “Beautiful Scarlet” and “Iceberg” are classics; it’s worth owning for those two songs alone.

    Quote Originally Posted by PROGMONSTER View Post
    I really like their born again period. Some strong tracks and outtakes on that one. His voice is at its best.
    Born Again is so incredibly underrated. I think it’s because RB’s fan-base is, of course, prog-rockers mainly, and they close their ears to anything pop-based. I think Born Again, on a song-by-song basis, is one of their best and I love most of the tunes, even really poppy stuff like “Body and Soul” and “Diamonds.” “Harlem” may have Gould’s finest vocal performance ever recorded; the man has so much soul! But my #1 tune here is still “Last Tango in Beulah,” love the layers of keyboards on that one.

    In fact, except for Somebody’s Watching, which I found mediocre and uninspired, I don’t think they ever did a bad album. I love them all!

    Quote Originally Posted by yoyiceu View Post
    Headstone's two albums in the mid Seventies are very good and similar in style to the later Rare Bird.
    Funny, Rare Bird had a tune called “Turn Your Head,” but it wasn’t that one.

    Quote Originally Posted by Calabasas_Trafalgar View Post
    I was always pretty sure, but never had it confirmed, that Gould and Kaffinetti were Americans resident in England. Does anyone know for sure?
    Nope. Gould is a Londoner through and through. Dave is from Kent, but he later moved to the States (he was in a funk group called Fresh before the Spinal Tap thing). Maybe that’s what’s confusing you?
    Confirmed Bachelors: the dramedy hit of 1883...

  14. #14
    Banned
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Serbia
    Posts
    1,882
    A magnificent album and an example of what the records dealers, in the mid-seventies, were marked on their mail-lists as 'proto-prog' due to the cocktail of "greasy" Hammond organ sound, heaviness and soulful vocals, but without synths, what becoming something rare on the "scene" already in 1973.
    Last edited by Svetonio; 08-01-2016 at 02:41 AM.

  15. #15
    Banned
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Serbia
    Posts
    1,882
    Quote Originally Posted by mellotron storm View Post
    I haven't heard the debut but I'm told it's pretty good, I only have this one which I'm a big fan of.
    The debut is even better than their second album imho.







    Last edited by Svetonio; 08-01-2016 at 01:55 AM.

  16. #16
    Good stuff, but I like their next album "Epic Forest" much better.

  17. #17
    The later edition of the band, live

  18. #18

  19. #19
    Banned
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Serbia
    Posts
    1,882
    Quote Originally Posted by Progbear View Post
    (...) but “Beautiful Scarlet” and “Iceberg” are classics; it’s worth owning for those two songs alone. (...)
    Melanie and God of War are top of the notch too.



    And of course Sympathy which was mind-blowing progressive rock hit back in the day.
    Last edited by Svetonio; 08-01-2016 at 02:33 AM.

  20. #20
    It's great.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  21. #21
    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    The Planet Lovetron
    Posts
    13,023
    Quote Originally Posted by Svetonio View Post
    A magnificent album and an example of what the records dealers, in the mid-seventies, were marked on their mail-lists as 'proto-prog' due to the cocktail of "greasy" Hammond organ sound, heaviness and soulful vocals, but without synths, what becoming something rare on the "scene" already in 1973.
    Any chance you still have any of those mid-70s mail order catalogs, and can scan and upload a blurb or two in which the seller uses the words "proto-prog?" It would be fascinating to see.
    Last edited by moecurlythanu; 08-01-2016 at 01:58 PM.

  22. #22
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    1,902
    Love the debut also. It had better artwork (and an actual hit) but this one rules my roost.
    The Prog Corner

  23. #23
    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Utopia
    Posts
    5,390
    Quote Originally Posted by JJ88 View Post
    I don't recall if this album is affected too, but I remember reading that the debut played at a faster speed in the US or something?
    That was probably from me. I've never been able to get a straight answer about it, and no one else seems concerned by it. But every CD edition I've heard of the first album has half the songs running slower than on the original U.S. LP. In particular there is a very conspicuous pitch change near the beginning of "God of War" which most people probably assume is deliberate, but that pitch drop is not there on the U.S. LP--the song stays in E minor throughout. What I've tried to find out is whether the original British LP had the same pitch anomalies, or whether it's the same as the U.S. version.
    Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
    https://michaelpdawson.bandcamp.com
    http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...MCD-spc-7.aspx

  24. #24
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Posts
    4,485
    ^Compare the videos in this thread, they are from the 'pink scroll' label Charisma original.

  25. #25
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    California USA
    Posts
    101
    Quote Originally Posted by moecurlythanu View Post
    Any chance you still have any of those mid-70s mail order catalogs, and can scan and upload a blurb or two in which the seller uses the words "proto-prog?" It would be fascinating to see.
    ditto

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •