Quatermass (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Quatermass
Type = studio
Longtype =
Artist = Quatermass


Released = May 1970
Recorded = Abbey Road Studios, London
1970
Genre = Progressive rock
Length = 50:37 (original)
61:01 (1990 reissue/Repertoire)
Label = Harvest
Producer = Anders Henriksson
Reviews =
*Allmusic rating|4|5 [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wxfixqy5ldke link]
*ARTISTdirect rating|4|4 [http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,150216,00.html?src=search&artist=Quatermass link]
*Prog Archives rating|3.45|5 [http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=4057 link]
Last album =
This album = "Quatermass"
(1980)
Next album =
Misc =

"Quatermass" is an album by British progressive rock band, Quatermass, first released in May 1970. It has been described as "a keyboard dominated chunk of heavy progressive rock... a popular part of the eccentric Harvest label." [http://www.freakemporium.com/site/artist/Quatermass/artistpage.html Freak Emporium review URL accessed 19/02/2007] ] Based around organ, bass and drums, "Quatermass" is a quintessential British prog rock album, destined to remain a cult classic and also one of the first albums in the vein of progressive metal. [http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=4057 Prog archives peer reviewing URL accessed 19/02/2007] ] Overall, the album is well-rounded, technically competent and complex, yet retaining a distinctive swing time rhythm as would be expected from a trio that were at their core a strong rhythm section. Throughout, the album flows easily from mid-tempo rock to avant-garde instrumental to bluesy soundscapes.

Impact

Ritchie Blackmore's departure from Deep Purple has often been linked with this album: during the recording of Purple's "Stormbringer" in 1974, Blackmore's request to cover "Black Sheep Of The Family"

...fell on stony ground [and] he ended up taking a relative back seat in the studio... Blackmore then followed his own muse by recording it on the "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow" solo album in early 1975, backed by members of Deep Purple's regular support act Elf."

This is considered the pivotal moment that led to Blackmore's departure. [http://www.deep-purple.net/tree/mk3.htm Deep Purple Family Tree at DPAS/Darker Than Blue URL accessed 19/02/2007] ]

Track summary

"Entropy" is a very quiet keyboard-based melody, vaguely cyclic in nature. On vinyl editions of the album it is so quiet it almost gets lost in the groove noise, even on near-mint copies, but on digitally remastered CD copies the track is much clearer and reveals a deep organ-pedal bass underpinning the melody. "Black Sheep Of The Family" is the album's first full length piece, beginning with a series of crashing chords, interspersed with powerful drum breaks. The backing tracks are a layered mix of organ and piano, arranged to make a guitar unnecessary. "Post War Saturday Echo" is a slow electric blues number with delayed and double-tracked vocals in stereo, which combine with the multi-layered keyboard tracks to lend an "otherwordly" quality to the piece. The balladic "Good Lord Knows" is performed as a prayer by John Gustafson, backed by harpsichord and strings. The string arrangements were by Peter Robinson. The next track switches the tempo, "Up On The Ground" being a powerful hard rock song with virtuoso bass riffing and rock organ solos. With "Gemini" Peter Robinson again arranges piano and organ to form a texture which leaves no requirement for a guitarist. "Make Up Your Mind" is an example of stop-time instrumental, and also features explorative keyboard riffs in odd time signatures punctuated by drum and bass licks. "Laughing Tackle" is an extended, often exploratory piece, which commences with a pulsating, bounding bass guitar pattern and cymbal work, double tracking by Robinson on electric piano and organ, and a slow-building organ solo culminating in a descending chord break signalling the start of a Mick Underwood drum solo highlighted by extensive rolling. The original vinyl release then closed with the repeat of the intro, "Entropy (Reprise)." Of the bonus tracks which feature on subsequent reissues, "One Blind Mice" is the best known, having been released also as a single, and demonstrates a heavy rock influence and descending chord progression. The organ solo releases into a phasing wash which carries through to the final verse and chorus. "Punting" has solid bass and drum lines textured with exploratory musings by Peter Robinson using the ring-modulator.

Track listing

Personnel

*Mick Underwood — Drums/percussion
*John Gustafson — Vocals/bass
*Peter Robinson — Keyboards

The orchestra

*Violins
**Tony Gilbert (Leader)
**John Kirkland
**David Katz
**Billy Millar
**Charlie Vorsanger
**Les Maddox
**Gerald Enns
**Harold Parfitt
**Paul Scherman
**Homi Kanga
**Jack Rothstein
**Henry Datyner
**Bill Armon
**Michael Jones
**Laurie Clay
**Derek Jacobs
*Violas
**Steve Shingle
**Chris Wellington
**Henry Myerscough
**Ian White
**Bernard Davis
**John Graham
*Cellos
**Paul Buckmaster (Leader)
**Boris Rickelman
**Francis Gabarr
**Peter Wilson
**Freddy ALexander
**Chris Green
*Double bass
**Frank Clarke
**Joe Mudele
**Arthur Watts

Production

*Producer — Anders Henriksson
*Engineers — Jeff Jarratt, Andy Stevens.
*Cover design and Photographs - Storm Thorgerson/Hipgnosis
*Reissue cover design and illustration — Steve Newport.

Pressings

*1970 — original release on Harvest label
*1975 — reissued on Harvest label with alternative cover
*1990 — reissued on Repertoire Records label, with bonus tracks
*1996 — reissued on Repertoire Records label, with bonus tracks
*2001 — reissued on Akarma Records label, with bonus tracks

References

External links

* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=111918965 Quatermass's MySpace] with "Gemini", "Make Up Your Mind", "One Blind Mice" and "Punting" available in Standalone Player