THE WAY WE LIVE

Jim Milne is one of those guitarists who has never been as widely acclaimed as perhaps he ought to have been, but 'A Candle For Judith' is now seen as a classic in some circles, especially with those for a penchant for psychedelia. This release has more than done the original album proud. As well as sleeve notes by Jim, Steve, John Peel and label boss Chris Hewitt there are plenty of photos (new and old) and the track listing has expanded from eight to 19. But the bonus for the enthusiast is that there are full details on each bonus cut, who played on it and when etc.

Of course this album sounds dated now, but it is still a classic piece of work and one that deserves space in the discerning collection.

Originally appeared in Feedback #78, April 2004

Steve Clayton and Jim Milne, the long-standing collaboration that also spawned Tractor, got their start with these mostly simple but very engaging three-track recordings commissioned by John Peel way back in 1971. The ‘band’ was really just the duo of school-friends Clayton and Milne, backed at various times by various acquaintances in order to fill the occasional gig between school work and other activities. One-time band manager John Brierley had built a studio in his home where Clayton and Milne spent several months recording what would become this album. Among those who received a demo copy was the late DJ John Peel, who was at the time working to develop his Dandelion Records label. Peel liked what he heard and convinced the duo to travel to Birmingham in the spring of 1972 to re-record the demo at Spot Studios and on to then-Marquee Studios, which at the time was outfitted for eight-track recordings. The album was mixed there and released in 1972. By the time the album released the band was already working with Peel to develop their sound and had settled on the new name Tractor. The Way We Live’s only release received critical acclaim but little commercial success, and the original vinyl is one of those almost mythical rarities that most of us mere mortals will never get our hands on.

The record was reissued somewhere along the line by Repertoire, but the most accessible version is the 2003 Ozit Morpheus CD reissue, which is the one I have. This version includes 11 bonus tracks. While normally I don’t have much interest in the cutting- room floor chaff that gets added as ‘bonus’ material to many reissued old records, in this case there are some hidden gems and on whole the added material is worth listening to. There are two other impressive touches to the Ozit release: first, the extended booklet which contains comprehensive liner notes, original album artwork, photos, and narratives by both Clayton and Milne, as well as Tractor collaborator Chris Hewitt and the late John Peel himself. And second, the CD itself features a textured thermal label with a cutout of the original album cover painting by Steve Clayton. My one complaint is the lack of printed lyrics in the liner notes, which I think would have been a major improvement. But all told this is a very impressive package and well worth the modest investment.

As for the music, there is an interesting mix of sounds here, ranging from rather straightforward hard rock to folk to psych, but all amazing considering the richness of sounds that came out of just two guys. The opening “King Dick II” sounds a bit like an early Black Sabbath bluesy recording to me, but with more like a Paul Rodgers era Bad Company-sounding vocal. This is probably the heaviest song on the record, and while the instrumentation is very well done, overall its just average. A few extra points for some very lively electric guitar, what sounds like dueling basses, and Corky Laing-like dirge inspired drums.

The band shifts almost 180 degrees for “Squares”, a staid, mellow and acoustic acid folk number with an inspired electric bass line. The first few times I heard this I thought it was outdated tripe, with nonsensical and bong-inspired lyrics like

“Life is a circle of emptiness; each day is a circle of emptiness. It’s not knowing the road, it’s also knowing the load.”

Uh… yeah.

But the more I listen to this the more I like the interplay of quiet guitar with the persistent bass, and considering the relative seclusion in which these two developed their sound and the fact that this was 1971, the sappiness is probably excusable.

“Siderial” is a great acoustic guitar instrumental with a bit of an Indian flair to it and some very precise percussion that combine to make this an engaging if somewhat surprisingly out-of-place tune. This one fits well with the more Latin-flavored instrumental “Madrigal” which comes toward the end of the album.

Besides “Squares” the other tune that really cements this as a folk album is “Angle”, another acoustic work with sappy and somewhat nonsensical lyrics

“you can’t know now but I see the way ahead - you’ll die no doubt, but your words will not be dead. Your curse will live on those who come here after”

No idea what that’s all about, but “Angle” is another well-done folk number with nice acoustic guitar and comfortable vocals.

The band heads into Mountain territory with “Storm”, with Jim Milne sounding an awful lot like Leslie West and Clayton laying down some very tight electric guitar work. For anyone who grew up during the early seventies this track should make an instant connection, and will undoubtedly remind you of any number of bands or old favorites from that era.

And speaking of reminding you of something, “Willow” kicks off with a guitar riff that will be instantly recognizable from the opening chords of Zeppelin II’s “Whole Lotta’ Love”. For some reason though I’m not really pissed about the apparent copping of Jimmy Page. Clayton seems to be trying to effect a Robert Plant vocal as well, but both of them ending up sounding just different enough that this doesn’t come off sounding like a rip-off (almost it almost surely was).

The longest and most original track is saved for last. “The Way Ahead” has a little bit of a sixties Beat feel to it at times, but the driving beat and spacey, harmonized vocals combine with a pretty unusual chugging guitar riff to make something that is as close to a signature sound as anything else the band did here. A first-rate effort.

And that is why I like some of the bonus material here – because it sounds more creative and innovative than several of the tracks off the original album. “Watching White Stars” for example was first recorded in that three-track John Brierley home studio in 1970, and the organs and gentle vocals give this one a timeless feel. “Marie” is a heavily acoustic number first recorded at the Dandelion Studios in 1971, and remixed for the 1992 reissue on Repertoire. This one includes some studio chatter as well, and the stark contrast of the remixed effort to some of the other stuff here really underscores just how long ago and in what humble circumstances this band did some of their earliest work.

“Stoney Glory”, “Stairway to the Stars”, “Most Had Man”, and “Easier to Say” are later recordings, mostly done in the early 21st century at a time when Tractor were getting active again and this Ozit reissue was being put together. These are more like modern folk tunes with country leanings – well done, but not really in the same vein as the early work.

And “Let Earth Be the Name” is the most unusual song here, recorded in the late sixties on what sounds like only a couple of tracks and as an entirely acoustic number. Despite the hollow-sounding mix this is a great example of sixties acid folk.

“Northern City” was thrown in for good measure from a 1977 Tractor single b-side. This one reflects the freer-formed blues cum pop sound of that era. Really, this duo has an uncanny knack for recording things that evoke their era while managing for the most part to not sound dated.

Finally, “The Big Dinner” and “Watching White Stars” are included here but without any narrative history in the liner notes. They both sound like they came from the 2002 recording sessions for the Repertoire reissue though and are okay but unexceptional.

All told this is a very nicely done package that serves not only to provide a glimpse into what would have otherwise remained a legendary and mysterious prog folk cult recording; but also manages to provide a well-documented and comprehensive retrospective for the brief-lived ‘The Way We Live’ version of Tractor. Highly recommended to all serious and purist progressive music fans, as well as anyone who digs prog folk or just wants to hear something different and obscure. Four stars.

peace

Sole album under this name from a long-standing partnership between Steve Clayton and Jim Millne, and one of the rare releases on DJ John Peel's Dandelion label. The album got a re-issue in the Cd format in the early 90's under the Repertoire label as well as the Tractor album following it. As opposed to their later releases on the Tractor name (which will predominantly hard rock), TWWL's only album is a charming fusion between folk (laced with Indian music), psychedelia and hard rock. The duo shared duties along the following lines, Clayton writing the poetic lyrics and playing percussions while Milne wrote the music and played every other instrument and sang.

Their songs can be divided in roughly two equal categories, the first being a relatively straight hard rock (a more progressive Status Quo or a rockier early Wishbone Ash), the second being a psychey Folk rock, with not many cross-over between the two styles, but still enough to make this album rather special. Opener King Dick is a straight hard rocker not devoid of progressive twists, but clearly the acoustic tracks give you better idea of what these two individuals can do: the hippy idealism of Squares, the short Angle and the Indian raga of Siderial (reminding a bit what Zeppelin did on the second side of their third album) are the centre of the album. And as the semi-acoustic Storm closes the first side of the album under huge heavy riffs but the evolution is constant and Clayton's drumming impressive.

The second side is also starting on a strong riffy rocker Willow, Milne is clearly looking towards Mountain's Leslie West, especially once the duo broke from the riff to built into a great crescendo solo, culminating just before the track reprise without much warning for a short moment and deviating into another lengthy scorching solo: lovely, charming and superb. Sandwiched between two monster tracks, the sort Madrigal provides a superb acoustic contrast just before the almost 9-min finale, The Way Ahead. Although this track does not change pattern too often, it might just be their better moments as the duo explores all the possibilities of their musical motif.

Nothing to get incredibly excited over, TWWL 's sole album is one of those interesting semi-precious stones that got unjustly over-looked in their time, and it sure deserves a little sunshine some three decades later. Overall, this album could fit into art rock, but their biggest influence is definitely folk, something much less apparent in their next album under the name of Tractor. Actually I find Tractor much sloppier, less delicate and much less prog.