CARGO

It's amazing how some bands can stick together for decades trying to craft their music into a cohesive whole and never quite achieve what they intended and then there are rare cases where a band exists for less than a year, releases one album and crafts such a masterful work of art that it's still sought after half a century after its initial release. Such is the case of the Dutch band CARGO that had its roots in the band September before experiencing a lineup change along with a moniker reboot. This short-lived band existed only in the year 1972, recorded a total of four tracks, released one self-titled album and then disappeared never to be heard from again.

All the three members of CARGO emerged from the ashes of the Amsterdam based September which released three heavy psych / Nederbeat singles in 1970-71 before changing things up a bit and crafting an album of heavy progressive rock that focused on extensive jams and intricate twin guitar attacks delivered by Jan De Hont and Ad de Hont in the vein of the Allman Brothers or Wishbone Ash. The band also featured bassist Willem de Vries and drummer Dennis Witbraat along with a few guest musicians. Although released on the Harvest label, CARGO's sole release went completely unnoticed with zero promotion, zero airplay and absolutely no live performances to support the album. Basically the band recorded this one album and that was the end of it but the album has become one of those hot collectibles due to its scarcity and the quality of the hard rock performances here has kept CARGO relevant so many decades later.

The album features four tracks with the shortest, "Finding Out" being just over 5 minutes and the longest "Summerfair" carrying on for almost 16. Mostly instrumental with some vocal parts delivered by bassist Willem de Vries, the album is basically an album's worth of long jamming sessions that feature tight rhythms and uncanny guitar weaving intricacies. The album is much more than about playing a simple tight rhythm though and overlaying it with dueling guitar workouts. The compositions themselves are much more developed and progressive than the Allman Brothers or Foghat or any of those famous 70s jam bands. While the rhythm section is often funk or blues based, the tracks allow for interesting breaks that offer contrasting musical motifs before the band jumps back into the jamming extravaganzas.

The album starts out with the instantly catchy "Sail Inside" that develops a strong guitar melody accompanied by a thumping bass groove and heavy percussion. The vocals fit in perfectly with the music and the track offers slower moments. This one sounds the most like the Allman Brothers style that displays an outstanding display of twin guitar build ups that allow the two guitarists to trade off in subtle ways. Given the near 11-minute playing time, the track has time to evolve and drift off into unforeseen territories. By far my favorite track of the album. The 8 1/2 minute "Cross Talking" follows and starts with a strong bass and drum groove before launching a more funkified guitar attack. The band is amazing in how it can start off with a rather simple idea and then incrementally ratchet up the tension and complexities throughout the track's run. This track also showcases some of the most sizzling hot guitar soloing.

"Finding Out" is the shortest track and features the most demanding time signature outburst although the guitar is primarily funk based. It starts off as a call and response between the instruments and vocals and then develops into a feisty funk rock extravaganza. The closing behemoth "Summerfair" sails on for 15 1/2 minutes and runs the gamut of heavy Wishbone Ash inspired bluesy rock with twin guitar wizardry to feisty funk rock and chilled out vocal sections with delicate melodic developments that keep the track from becoming a mindless jam. Overall this is an amazing album and i'm not the biggest fan of jam bands that play on endlessly. CARGO mastered the art of variation throughout their four track album and even though the tracks seem like their unnecessarily lengthy, these skilled musicians delivered it all like seasoned pros. The vocals are pleasant, the rhythmic drives deliver the right amount of spunk at the right time and all the melodic touches are golden. This truly is a gem of the Dutch underground that has only become more popular as time goes on. Remastered versions feature all the demos and September singles.

One of the most particular albums I've ever heard!

"Sail Inside" is great! From the riff at the beginning of the song I thought I was going to dislike this, but then I found wonders, I'm TOO surprised at how far ahead the sound of the album is! There are bits that sound like they're straight out of the '80s. In the middle of these 10 minutes there is a very interesting guitar solo. This song seems to have the first traces of grunge in it. I'm impressed how such an unknown work could have projected melodies so far ahead of their time.

"Cross Talking" has a classic heavy instrumental but at the same time with little progressive curiosities to close the first side of the album. Not bad, but I don't have much to contribute on this track. The album is clearly a waste of electric virtuosity from the De Hont brothers, who are not looking for a battle but rather to overwhelm the listener's ears with a remarkable zap that gives the feeling of live music.

The second side starts off aggressively with "Finding Out", a song full of guitar plucking that doesn't let up for a second. The base lends itself to euphoric improvisations and catchy riffs (just like Cross Talking). I have to say something I haven't said yet: Drummer Dennis Whitbraad does an impeccable job! You can't stop moving your head up and down at any second. This song grabs you completely and immerses you in a land full of electricity and exaltation. It's a good introduction to the album's highlight: Summerfair.

"Summerfair" closes the album beautifully. 15 and a half minutes will be enough for this album to completely enchant you. Nice choral parts that serve as a detail before the future electric jams that await the listener, guitarists will really love this piece! The psychedelic ending of this song pleases me too much. Certain moments remind me of Desatormentándonos, Pescado Rabioso's album released in September 1972 (great coincidence the closeness of the dates!).

Clearly this album lacks a lot to be considered an essential work of progressive rock, but it still deserves to be listened to once and more!

4.5 stars. CARGO were a Dutch band who released this sole album back in 1972. A four piece with dual lead guitars, a drummer and bassist/vocalist. I have to say this was another album that was love at first listen. Four long tracks giving the band plenty of time to jam and the two other albums I was reminded of were WISHBONE ASH's "Argus" and SATIN WHALE's "Desert Places". Melodic, pleasant, just such a feel good vibe to all of these albums with the guitars leading the way.

"Sail Inside" rocks pretty good early on with vocals helping out before we get this extended guitar driven instrumental section from after 4 minutes to almost the end. So good! Vocals are back very late to end it. A great opener. "Cross Talking" is my favourite and as the title suggests this is about the dual guitars talking back and forth. Man this was is so incredibly catchy too with some excellent drum work. I got caught sitting in the parking lot at work bobbing around and as I looked up a guy is smiling at me as he was going through the drive-thru. Funny. It's all so intricate and catchy and check it out 5 minutes in at it's most passionate.

"Finding Out" is the shortest piece at just over 5 minutes and my least favourite. It's still interesting though with the prominent bass and guitars. Vocals too and the drums are relentless. Vocals are there early on and late. "Summerfair" rivals "Cross Talking" as my favourite. A 15 1/2 minute tour de force where we get some dreamy, summertime sounds that are laid back and so enjoyable and pleasant. Lots of jamming and I really like the vocals bringing the early seventies to mind. Themes are repeated on this beauty, just a pleasure.

This should be much more well known. I prefer it to "Argus" but would rate "Desert Places" higher. A must for fans of melodic guitar driven music.

I really like dutch prog, I do indeed! But... this time I was expecting something completely different. What I hear here is jam-band reminding me of uninspired version of... Lynyrd Skynyrd. Yes, the songs are lengthy (but so is Free Bird), however they are just lengthy for the sake of mindless bluesy and lukewarm jamming. Sometimes guitar is out of tune (notably all of the first track) which adds insult to injury. Bonus tracks are even less interesting.

Wanna great dutch prog? Get Alquin, Focus or Supersister. I have no idea how and why Cargo got that high rating there, especially taking in account how great prog for The Netherlands can be, even Golden Earring are better then that!

This is a review of the newest reissue of this album on Pseudonym Records (2012). This version is a deluxe, 2 CD edition which includes all the band's singles under the moniker September, as well as several demos.

The main reason I bought this album is for, well, the album. The biggest problem with this edition is the sequence of the tracks, which is in order by when each one was recorded. This means that the actual Cargo album consists of the final four tracks on the second CD, which has a total of eight tracks on it. Not very convenient when you just want to pop in the CD and listen to it. The only other issue I have with this version is that several of the tracks are really nonessential, and only worth an occasional listen. These include several demo versions of album tracks which are inferior to the ones that actually made it on to the original album.

That being said, I still really like this release. Of course the actual album (tracks 5-8 on CD 2) are the highlight, my favorite track being the soulful "Summerfair." All four tracks are a great example of great, jam-filled 70's rock, with a noticeable European touch. The dueling guitars and nice bass-work keep the long songs interesting. Even some of the singles and demos are good. These include: "Little Sister," "One More Chance," "Run Away," "Lydia Purple," and "Choker" (all on CD 1). "Lydia Purple" is a soulful, superior version to the original from the Canadian band The Collectors.

All in all, an exceptional example of a great band, with a lot of potential that never got the big break it deserved.. Recommended for those who like 70's heavy rock style prog, but with a slightly different, European flavor.

It never ceases to amaze me how a relatively small nation in Europe manages to produce a disproportionate number of notable acts. Anything from FOCUS, SUPERSISTER, EKSEPTION, FINCH, EARTH & FIRE to KAYAK, LIVIN' BLUES - ah, just where do I stop? There must be a reason, probably a combination of the gene pool coupled with cultural factors? I am really not sure. Suffice to say that my partner who hails from the Netherlands plays four(!) instruments really well, pretty much instinctively. To add to the mystery, she was not even familiar with any of the bands mentioned above until after we met some years ago - in Australia!

But onto CARGO. At first listen I found the material enjoyable, but somewhat dated. This is a Rock band that enjoys stretching out, bordering on jamming. In a general sense that would sit well with me. Of course, the twin guitars are the most notable feature here, but to liken the band to early WISHBONE ASH is a bit far fetched. A bit like the common trap of comparing any band that features flutes with JETHRO TULL.

The four long tracks held some premise for me, alas the compositions are not very strong. Indeed, pretty average and rather mediocre by today's standards. Back in 1972 one may have found the music fresh and exciting, but 40 years on it hasn't aged well. The instrumental passages lift the game somewhat, but not quite sufficiently to hold my attention.

The second spin delivers the same conclusion as it still leaves me struggling with paying attention. It still fails to suitably engage my interest. In all fairness, watching the band perform live would have added an element without which their recorded stuff remains a bit hollow, underdeveloped. I also feel that had they kept recording, the overall production would likely have substantially improved.

A cursory listen to the bonus material confirms that this disc may be reasonably good, but hardly essential.

Cargo - Cargo (1972)

Dutch one hit wonder Cargo has a lot to offer for listeners of hard rock / jamband/ psychedelic / progressive. With a steady hard rock sound and production, a bit like how Camel would sound a year later, and four lengthy tracks with some catchy themes and long instrumental sections this album is very good throughout, without ever reaching a zenith. Just a steady listen and a great 1972 rock sound. Some psychedelic flavours, but never 'strange-sounding', well grounded use of experimental effects. On side two the vocals on Finding Out and Summerfair are surprisingly spot on. The remind me a bit of Stephen Stills. The last track Summerfair outstays its welcome a bit; if you'd study this guitar solo you'd end up knowing like every rock-guitar trick in the book haha. Still.. the ungoing steady vibe of the record is also one of its virtues. It's quite nice to listen to, maybe even relaxing. Perhaps this gem is great just because of its lack of a world-changing vision. It rocks. Like a lot.

This is the eponymous disc published by Cargo, dutch heavy prog band. Cargo consist of Willem DeVries on bass and vocals, brothers Ad and Jan De Hont on guitars, and Denis Whitbread on drums. Born as "September", they has no great success in their early career. Changed its name to Cargo, they decided to release their first and only album in 1972. "Cargo" is a real gem of the underground prog scene, that can be added to the large list of "lonely" masterpieces published by bands virtually ignored by the mass, but really appreciated by prog-heads (such as Space Shanty by Khan, "lonely" masterpiece of the Canterbury scene, released the same year moreover). The disc contains four tracks of very good heavy prog, in which the guitar carpets of brothers De Hont intertwine with funk and psychedelic sounds. So we hear space atmospheres alternating with more heavy and rhythmic sections, following the classic hard rock style while maintaining a reasonable degree of originality (we're still talking about a prog band!). DeVries's singing is fairly anonymous to me, while doing his job pretty well. Particular attention should be paid to the production, which is perfectly balanced and able to enhance the sound of each instrument as only the tube mastering of those years can do. In conclusion, if you appreciate the work of bands like Atomic Rooster or Wishbone Ash, this album is for you.

Vote: 3.75 stars, rounded to 4.

So who's smuggling this Cargo now ? Nobody, so let this be the first review after little bit more than 5 years (!!!), even it's still better than after 6 years.

Album consists of 4 quite long tracks and 8 bonus tracks. At first I thought this has some kind of epic concept story about a ship, or about shipyard, workers that carries cargo from point A to point B, something like that.

Piter (I mean) Willem De Vries provides fine vocals, that's true, even most of the times, these songs are filled by solos. They are the main predator of this album. At first I wanted to mention this in connection to 1st track, but I realized that all of these tracks has fine, long guitar soloing, improvisation-like patterns and other goodies. This suggest to some kind of Psychedelic elements too.

Bonus tracks aren't so good from Prog point of view (even more Rock and even one Beatlesque), but they're enjoyable.

4(-), may be too "classic rocking" for some.

In October'06, I got this album for $25.00 through mail order,as I have been wanting to hear it,and when I did, I thought ''What can I say..great stuff! I would call this hard rock along the lines of 1973-era Montrose,as the singer of Cargo sounds like Sammy Hagar at times. But this is mostly instrumental stuff. The song ''Finding Out'' sort of reminds me of the Van Halen song ''Hot For Teacher'' for it's rhythm part. ''Sail Inside'' and ''Cross Talking'' are great song's, along with ''Summerfair'', which rocks out before slowing down towards the end. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give this a 4.25. I recommend buying this...if you can find it. As I know, it is still out of print..unfortunately! If any album should have sold big numbers, it is this one. It is too bad that record companies do not promote some of their product too well.