Family 1971 with Wetton

[Udi Koomran]

Posted by our friend Steve Dinsdale

https://youtu.be/UrZxF7GbULw

[winkersnufs]

And once again folks!

I just finished watching that clip. Family is one of those bands that I didn't come to appreciate until WAY later in my listening. I am quite glad that this band found my ears.


Anyway...clip was rather awesome!


Carry On

Chris Buckley

[Mister Triscuits]

Double-neck city!

[JJ88]

From one of the earliest episodes of the Old Grey Whistle Test. Interesting that the raw tape clearly survived, considering how the BBC's archives from the period are patchy.

This live intro to 'Between Blue And Me' is different, it starts on Chapman's vocal on the record instead of the instrumental intro.

[SRS]

https://albumsiwishexisted.blogspot....band-1973.html

above link might be of interest to Family fans here. From a very cool blog that recreates 'lost' albums.
Just last week he put together one for Family using b-sides and non-album singles.

[Paulrus]

Well that was cool. Yeah, hard to believe something like this still exists. It gives one hope that other gems are still out there waiting to be unearthed.

I've been marginally interested in Family -- I'm not a fan of Chapman's vocal style -- but "Spanish Tide" proves they could get downright proggy. And any band sounds better with a little Wetton.

Anyone know what that thing is on top of Palmer's keyboard instrument?

[Silantyev]

It was an amazing band!

[Mister Triscuits]

Anyone know what that thing is on top of Palmer's keyboard instrument?

The thing on the left with the triangular tape loop is a WEM/Watkins Copicat echo unit.

[chalkpie]

I really don't know this band at all.

[JJ88]

I remember a ferocious performance of 'Drowned In Wine' on the Glastonbury Fayre film around this time. And a Beat Club one of 'The Weaver's Answer'.

My personal favourite remains their debut Music In A Doll's House.

[Troopers For Sound]

Love this era of Family. Spanish Tide and Coronation are probably my favourite tracks.

Matt.

[flytomars]

I remember a ferocious performance of 'Drowned In Wine' on the Glastonbury Fayre film around this time. And a Beat Club one of 'The Weaver's Answer'.

My personal favourite remains their debut Music In A Doll's House.

Mine too, I adore the debut.
Chalkpie, you should really remedy the situation and start listening ASAP!

[wideopenears]

Awesome, man. I was hoping for a version of "Burlesque," IMO one of the greatest rock n roll tunes ever recorded, but this is great.

[Mister Triscuits]

Great as the debut is, Fearless is the one for me.











(Daft I call it.)

[walt]

Their debut and Fearless are desert island discs, for me.The first five songs on Entertainment as as good as anything the band did,after these five, the tunes aren't nearly as good, IMO.

[jkelman]

Chapman is definitely an acquired taste but I've come to love this band, especially when I dove in completely with the Once Upon a Time box, which stands alongside the Hillage box, the Vangelis box, and John Martyn and Sandy Denny Island Years boxes, as amongst my favourite mega boxes.

And I've become so much a fan that I instantly pulled the trigger on the upcoming (December) BBC box (7CD/1DVD) that's now available for preorder at Burning Shed.

Am I a completist about artists I've come to love? Absolutely!!

[polmico]

^Hadn't heard of that new box. Got a feeling I’ll pick it up!

[JJ88]

The first five songs on Entertainment as as good as anything the band did,after these five, the tunes aren't nearly as good, IMO.

'The Weaver's Answer' is probably the ultimate Family track. I believe the band were unhappy with the album, particularly with relation to its mix (hence the later remix compilation a few years later, I suppose), but yes, some of the material like 'Second Generation Woman' is very ordinary.

I think the live side on Anyway is some of their best stuff. Really raw, and mostly songs they never did in the studio.

There's a surviving Top Of The Pops performance of them doing their biggest UK hit, 'In My Own Time', and I think Wetton was on that too. That single was not on the album...common practice at the time.

[progmeister]

Their debut and Fearless are desert island discs, for me.The first five songs on Entertainment as as good as anything the band did,after these five, the tunes aren't nearly as good, IMO.

Hell no!

"Bandstand" is the crowning achievement

[lovecraft]

I feel Bandstand is a little 'safe' in comparison to Fearless but they are very much a pair stylistically.

Most Family albums have a smattering of classics on them and are well worth your time and effort.

And I concur that the debut is a stone cold masterpiece. Easily one of the essential cornerstones of Brit psych.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I really don't know this band at all.

You should. Seminal in sound and influence, although their heyday was somewhat short and geographically limited. Some of their records were pretty uneven in contents, but they're all highly listenable - including the much maligned It's Only a Movie.

Hard to pin down stylistically, but from the early and original era when the 'progressive' tag denoted eclecticism and refinement through transgression. I'd personally recommend A Song for Me or Fearless as starters. The live portion of Anyway clearly displays why they were heard (and sometimes even seen) as the most violent and menacing band in the UK, some would say in all of Europe.

[lovecraft]

Some moan about the recording quality but the live Good News Bad News from Anyway is an absolute belter, begging to be cranked up as high as you can take!

[Scrotum Scissor]

^ The recording of that song was victim to poor tapesplicing in an effort to shorten it, IIRC. But that one and the second half of "Strange Band" are otherwordly in sheer force. You can practically smell the sweat right off the rills here.

[JJ88]

Some moan about the recording quality but the live Good News Bad News from Anyway is an absolute belter, begging to be cranked up as high as you can take!

I agree and it sounds live. Certain 'better recorded' live albums might as well be studio ones. Has the rest of that live show been released?

This is a good anthology of the 1970-onwards work...contains almost all of the non-album tracks too (before this it came out as A Family Selection which is the one I have, albeit with a very slightly different running order).

https://www.discogs.com/Family-Stran...elease/5310291

Does anyone know why there is some sort of issue regarding the first two albums not being on collections and the like? They were on Reprise too.

[lovecraft]

Never considered that but hell it should be! Count me in.

Fairfield Halls , Croydon isn't it? Great ambience there. The live sections from Steamhammer's Mountains album are from there too I think and I love those too, Riding on the L & N/Hold That Train, a cracking groove perfectly captured.