Jan Dukes de Grey

[florentine pogen]

Mice and Rats in the Loft may very well be the greatest psych folk album of all time, or at the very least, neck and neck with Comus-First Utterance. I took the trip tonight and did not want it to end! There are not enough superlatives to describe this acid drenched and kaleidoscopic masterpiece. Take the trip, motherfuckers!

[JKL2000]

I've taken it, but will try to drag it out and take it again! Been a while.

[NogbadTheBad]

Listened to it the other day, its right up there with First Utterance. Great stuff.

[TheH]

Definetly a Acid Folk classic, on the same Level as Comus. Will spin that one again on the Weekend.

[Baribrotzer]

Fascinatingly odd stuff, not like anything else. With Comus, you can hear a remote connection to other artists, and a legacy in music like Faun Fables. With Jan Dukes de Grey, there's none of that - their music resists attempts to describe it in terms of anything else, or even fit it into any genre. Is it folk-rock, or prog, or jazzy folk? Not really any of these.

[Trane]

I spin it in the car once or twice a year, when on a long trip with the GF in tow.... she loves to sing and yell at the same time in the Sun Symphonia vocals.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Fascinatingly odd stuff, not like anything else [...] With Jan Dukes de Grey, there's none of that - their music resists attempts to describe it in terms of anything else, or even fit it into any genre.

True, at least for the second album (Mice and Rats). The 'usual' comparison with Comus' F.U. may be due to the nature of singularity in both of them; I personally find more to compare between M&R and parts of what Tea & Symphony did. A threatrical mock-folk/rock/jug endeavour with some very strange underlinings.

The prominent presence of a drumset on M&R renders it more 'rock' than both Comus and T&S, though. A splendid piece of work.

[Trane]

True, at least for the second album (Mice and Rats). The 'usual' comparison with Comus' F.U. may be due to the nature of singularity in both of them; I personally find more to compare between M&R and parts of what Tea & Symphony did. A threatrical mock-folk/rock/jug endeavour with some very strange underlinings.

The prominent presence of a drumset on M&R renders it more 'rock' than both Comus and T&S, though. A splendid piece of work.

I'd say the darkness of the lyrics and themes approachzed is the reason why of Comus comparisons, but indeed, I also find that T&S's Asylum for the Musically Insane is musically closer to M&EitL

Though T&S's Jo sago is more in the line of GG&F's Cheerful Insanities

[NogbadTheBad]

Ok, sounds like I need T&S.

[moecurlythanu]

Anyone know where the name came from?

[Scrotum Scissor]

T&S's Asylum for the Musically Insane is musically closer to M&EitL

That's the followup; Mice and Elks in the Lavatory.

re: Jo Sago. The comparison between the "Jo Sago" mucisplay and the G,G&F record is spot on, although the latter is more of a song-cycle proper (or, rather, two of them). But side 2 of Jo Sago is almost as odd and original as some of Jan Duke's material.

[Scrotum Scissor]

sounds like I need T&S.

Yupz, Ian - you do.

[spacefreak]

I always found more fundamental artistic relations to TEA & SYMPHONY (especially the 2nd) than COMUS.

[spacefreak]

Yep, I now see that me and Richard share the sameopinion for "Mice and Rats..." and "Jo Sago".

[Zappathustra]

Fascinatingly odd stuff, not like anything else.

True, also in terms of arranging-musicianship. The first thing that shook me when I first heard this album is the guitar sound, unlike anything I had ever heard before (is it the tuning? I have zero technical knowledge). Guitars sound like a sitar at points. And the other factor is the drums/percussion, also incomparable to anything at all. A completely unique approach to the playing of the instrument.

Add to this the orchestra-magic...this is a top-100 prog record for me. Most probably on the upper half of it.

[spacefreak]

In a strange way, I'm also finding huge similarities in mood, between their debut "Sorcerers" and the acoustic numbers on Oliver's "Standing Stone" LP or the far-out melancholy of the Synanthesia album.

[Zappathustra]

Anyone know where the name came from?

From wiki: "The name "Jan Dukes de Grey" was developed by Noy as an exotic-sounding title with no further significance."

[Rarebird]

I discovered this group through a crime-novel by Peter Robinson I think.

[moecurlythanu]

From wiki: "The name "Jan Dukes de Grey" was developed by Noy as an exotic-sounding title with no further significance."

Thanks. Though that's mildly disappointing.

[Zappathustra]

Thanks. Though that's mildly disappointing.

Yeah. That sucks. I was expecting some alcohol-fused saga.

[Mascodagama]

Thanks. Though that's mildly disappointing.

Well of course Derek Noy said the name had no significance. He couldn't just blurt out the true occult meaning of J.D.d.G. to all and sundry! Such knowledge is only for the initiated, and has consequences.

[Trane]

I discovered this group through a crime-novel by Peter Robinson I think.

How did this album pop up in a crime novel (context, I mean), Renate??

Thanks. Though that's mildly disappointing.

Yeah. That sucks. I was expecting some alcohol-fused saga.

Yeah, or something below the belt

[Rarebird]

How did this album pop up in a crime novel (context, I mean), Renate??

Well, actually it was the group that was mentioned, I think in the line-up of a fictional festival.
This is the book https://www.inspectorbanks.com/books/piece-of-my-heart/ and the group is also mentioned in the playlist.

[Progbear]

I’m a big fan of T&S’ Asylum album. It’s definitely...odd. The *ahem!* idiosyncratic/expressionistic vocals are bound to make this of limited interest. But it definitely gets points for not being typical by any means. It’s absolutely “progressive” in the sense of trying new and unexpected things with instrumentation and song forms.

It’s been a long time since I last heard Jo Sago. Has it ever been officially reissued in any format?

[moecurlythanu]

It’s been a long time since I last heard Jo Sago. Has it ever been officially reissued in any format?

Esoteric did one a couple of years ago.