Label: Cuneiform Records (US), Rune 145
Style: Progressive Rock, Instrumental, Jazz Fusion
Country: Canterbury, England
Time: 77:01
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 449 Mb
Tracks
1-4 recorded April 27th, 1979 at A L'Ouest de la Grosne,
Bresse-sur-Grosne, France. Tracks 5-9 recorded December 1st, 1979 at The
Main Point, Bryn Mawr, PA, USA.
Once upon a time in the mid-1970s
there was a British progressive rock band called National Health. A
sprawling, ponderous seven-piece outfit, they eventually scaled down to
four pieces and released two albums-their self-titled 1978 debut and its
follow-up, Of Queues and Cures. This live recording captures the band
on tour in late 1979, shortly before its first breakup in March of 1980.
A
more stretched-out, jam-oriented affair than the original studio
recordings, Playtime picks up on some of the furious, frenetic energy of
the early fusion movement, when bands like Tony Williams Lifetime and
the original lineups of the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever
were going straight for the jugular with raw burn, tempered with
intelligent writing, strict ensemble playing and audacious,
chops-oriented soloing.
There are traces of early Weather Report and
Passport in pieces like keyboardist Alan Gowen’s “Flanagan’s People.”
Guitarist Phil Miller’s playing here is teeming with the raggedy,
distortion-laced abandon of RTF-era Bill Connors with touches of the
rock-fueled bravura that Tommy Bolin flashed on Billy Cobham’s 1973
landmark, Spectrum. And bassist John Greaves (formerly of Henry Cow)
combines the rumbling tone of Yes’ Chris Squire with the more
adventurous, rampaging aesthetic of Ralphe Armstrong on his solos. This
freewheeling 16-minute showcase travels from hard-hitting heads to
strict unison playing to wide-open free sections underscored by the
nimble, swinging pulse of drummer Pip Pyle. And along the way they all
push the envelope on sonic textures with a variety of effects pedals and
techno gadgetry. Miller’s “Dreams Wide Awake” is another raucous fusion
offering in that early RTF-Mahavishnu mode, striking a perfect balance
between raw abandon and laser-sharp ensemble discipline. The soloing
here and on the throbbing title track is full of nasty intent, frenetic
energy and chops grandstanding, just as good fusion music should be.
Other
pieces like Miller’s “Nowadays a Silhouette,” Pyle’s “Pleaides” and
Greaves’ “Squarer For Maude” are closer in spirit to the more controlled
prog-rock of Yes, Gong and Soft Machine. But the rest of this
collection bristles with intensity and catharsis. This is first rate,
risk-taking jazz-rock created in a bygone era by a greatly
under-recognized band.
(jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/national-health-playtime/)
01. Flanagan's People (15:57)
02. Nowadays A Silhouette (06:32)
03. Dreams Wide Awake (08:18)
04. Pleaides (10:26)
05. Rhubarb Jam (01:17)
06. Rose Sob (01:46)
07. Play Time (09:38)
08. Squarer For Maude part 1 (05:11)
09. Squarer For Maude part 2 (07:51)
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