BELLS, BOOTS AND SHAMBLES

By the time of their third album , Spirogyra were down to a duo as both Cussack and Borril were listed as guests along with Dave Mattacks and others including a cellist. This third offering is a fine return to form compared to their poorer Old Boot Wine album. The inventivity of the tracks may actually exceed their St Radiguns album but the album is slitghly less even but no tracks are weak at all!

The Furthest Point is probably my fave track from them and the cello is put to excellent use to provide solemn and melancholic atmospheres that were so absent in the previous album. Old Boot Wine, Parallel Lines and Everyday Consumption song are typically great songs (Gaskin's vocals are crystal-clear) that makes this album great but might have helped the previous one especially the eponymous track. The Sergant Says is an almost goofy acid rock tune that just like the consumption track are very politically conscious. Spiggly , a filler here might habe been a highlight on the previous album , had it not be so short! The final tracks is the other highlight (in anotherwise very light-full album) with its 13 min mini-suite called Western World. It is divided into four parts and is full of great melancholic athmospheres that only a cello (besides the Mellotron absent here) can create. I cannot say whether they knew this would be their last track, but what a way to finish a band's Oeuvre - worthy of Starless in the Red album.

Very much recommended along with their debut. Gaskin will be the only one to have a well known carreer to progheads with her work with other locals (Spirogyra were from Canterbury) in Hatfield, National Health , Bruford and Stewart.

SPIROGYRA – the privilege of the chosen few (c)

I found it for 3 $ in a Lugansk bargain store. No, wait: in THE Lugansk bargain store; the owner knows me well since those times when I got GANDALF and STUD almost for a song here. So he said he has something unique for me. I believed and bought some CDs he proposed.

Have you ever got that feeling that all albums you enjoy were written in 70s? There are major exceptions, but only prove the rule! I mean, every third obscured Prog album from 70s is a guaranteed Masterpiece! This time it is SPIROGYRA’s latest release for me.

Good Lord. This is simply one of the most touching records I ever chanced to experience. Emotions, beautiful melodies, eerie atmosphere, no crappy (as Hugues noticed) traditional songs covers, wonderful female (Barbara Gaskin will later sing in Canterburish projects like NATIONAL HEALTH) and male vocals, excellent songwriting skills…That bridge in opening 3-parts epic “The Furthest Point” on 3:27 makes me cry!!! “In the Western World”, band’s swan song and their multi-layered magnum opus evokes best RENAISSANCE moments, but it’s derived from their pathos and pompous approach, filled instead with more soul and emotions. Another good comparison is COMUS – just check sad “Old Boot Wine” or biting “An Everyday Consumption Song”. Some songs like “Parallel Lines…” and “Sergeant Says” recall BEATLES melodic genius, but SPIROGYRA is absolutely original all way thru. Shame they didn’t survived, and double shame they’re so damn overlooked!!! I’d give away 20 other reviews of mine for this album just to make it less obscure! Check it; otherwise you’ll definitely regret you didn’t!

Well probably it's their unique work of prog-folk to be a "master work" from the beginning to the end, as it can compare to the best albums (even in a different style) from Gryphon, Fairport Convention (these latter being anyway more folk rock oriented), Strawbs (with Wakeman in the vein of the Medieval music) and so on...well Mr Martin Cockerham and Mrs Barbara Gaskin were the true "master minds" of the band, where their creative genius is expressed by means of their alternating music composition, passing through the "spiritual" tunes and something more "psychedelic" (even though in an elegant manner), as well as quite complex arrangements...Cockerhams acoustic guitar is often intelligent (despite the uneven mix, which doesn't enhance it); while the music harmonies are enriched by means of such a good depth in the vocal intepretation, being perfectly "complementary" if compared to the guitar passages!! Then you find some orchestral instruments here, such as cellos, treated vocals, trumpets and flutes, making the atmosphere more "progressive"; the male vocal lines instead are quite simple, but at the end it's a minor defect in the economy of the ensemble!!

This albums represents the beginning and the end of the best period for the band: in fact Mrs Barbara Gaskin, by entering the world of Canterburian Music after this experience with Spyrogyra, will join Hatfield and the North...however- after all- it's a remarkable album, especially if you're completely into such a particular prog-folk, even though I prefer another kind of prog-folk (more "symphonic prog oriented" I mean, a-la Renaissance...)

Spirogyra - Bells, Boots and Shambles (1973)

After getting very excited whilst listening to the pleasant psych(acid)-folk the band created on the debut 'St. Radigunds', I was glad to find yet another vinyl reprint of Spirogyra, this time the respected third album of this English progressive/psychedelic folk group from Canterbury.

At first spin I was slightly displeased by the differences in sound and style. On the debut Spirogyra sounded wild, original, very psychedelic in an authentic way and relentless when it comes to artistic expression (almost like Comus). I loved the relentless vocals and shouts of song-writer Martin Cockerham, though I was also a bit troubled by his not so pitch-perfect abilities as a vocalist.

On 'Bells, Boots and Shambles' the band has lost its flexible sound and sounds a bit over- produced. The band's style has moved towards the neighbouring bands of the Canterbury scene with extremely tight playing, simplistic drums on almost all the tracks (by Bill Bruford) and a less troubling and exciting impact. No more shrieking violins, no more shouts. Furthermore, the reverb-folk sound was replaced by a 'dry' recording. In exchange we get to listen to a pleasant recording with most vocals being pitch-perfect, the songs concrete and professional. Luckily, Barbara Gashkin is there to save the day with great angelic vocals on most tracks and Cockerham manages to write yet some more memorable songs. The occasional trumpets of John Boyce are a good addition to the instrumental passages and the keyboards sound professional. On the tracks on which Cockerham does sing he sounds as if very deprived from his personal style, but he still manages to touch me with his lyrics. Some vocal passages on 'The Sergeant Says' and 'In the Western World' are not very beautiful, I really would have preferred the vocal style of 'St. Radigunds'.

Conclusion. Indeed another strong prog-folk record, but I must admit I'm not too happy with the choices made when it comes to how the bands sounds much less like itself then on 'St. Radigunds'. It doesn't need a wise man to tell me that I'm not the one to decided how Spirogyra should sound, but I have my intuition. However, for fans of not too psychedelic folk rock this is likely to be the most pleasant and memorable album of Spirogyra. I can warmly recommend this to fans of folk rock, Canterbury and all-round progressive rock collectors. The small four star rating.

Spirogyra's third album exists on the daintier side of progressive folk music, but does a fine job juxtaposing light and dark styles. Despite a slight similarity Peter Gabriel, the male vocals are generally too off-key and whiny for my taste. The lovely singing of Barbara Gaskins tempers the wild grit this album sometimes possesses. Those who like early Genesis or perhaps Renaissance should enjoy this light progressive folk album.

"The Furthest Point" A striking bit of acoustic guitar and flute contrasting light and dark textures fades into murkier music with shrouded vocals. As the drums elevate the music, so does the feminine voice and piano. The final jaunty segment of the song is similar to early Genesis.

"Old Boot Wine" Blithe acoustic guitar and flute accompany a lovely female voice in the vein of "Cadence and Cascade," adding sleek violin.

"Parallel Lines Never Separate" This more straightforward song rocks in a similar way to The Rolling Stones, but has some mystical sections scattered here and there.

"Spiggly" This acoustic interlude has lovely vocals and a bright whistle.

"An Everyday Consumption Song" A slower piece with plodding guitars and a singsong vocal, this tune has a fluttering flute dancing in the backdrop. It does become dull and tedious after a time.

"The Sergeant Says" Bob Dylan fans would enjoy this simple, folky, number. I don't quite care for it, particularly the rambling ending.

"In the Western World" This more upbeat extended song begins with a faux-Medieval style, featuring several captivating rhythmic turnarounds. Midway through, the music tapers off with some marching sounds just prior to becoming nearly nonexistent. The growling during the second half is like a drunken lout singing in a pub stale with spilt beer (is that Lee Jackson?). That unfortunate section leads into an upbeat four-chord acoustic guitar sequence, which in turn becomes an anthem-like conclusion.

Spirogyra's Bells, Boots and Shambles finds the band in a subdued, contemplative mood, having been pared down to the core duo of Cockerham and Gaskin after Old Boot Wine. With Gaskin's lead vocals given a bit more prominence than the debut and the group's progressive inclinations dialled back just enough to give the singing space to breathe, the album highlights the duo's particular gift both for singing and for penning lyrics. Prog fans need not despair, though, because what the album lacks in flashiness it more than makes up for in intricate, extended compositions. With a mood just as low-key as the dimly-lit cover art implies, the release is not quite as fresh and revelatory as the debut but still worth a listen for all fans of proggy folk.

Containing one of the stellar voices of Prog Folk in Barbara Gaskin is only overshadowed by the sophisticated instrumental arrangements and ahead-of-its time sound engineering.

1. "The Furthest Point" (8:16) an incredibly emotional and well-recorded, well-constructed "epic." Not what I was expecting (with other Prog folk albums and the band's previous masterpiece, St. Radigunds in mind). (18.5/20)

2. "Old Boot Wine" (4:18) gentle pastoral folk flute and picked acoustic guitar and cello beneath Barbara's soothing angelic voice. Don't know why the band has had to do three very different versions of this song under this title--including an entire album in 1972--but here we have the third. (9.25/10)

3. "Parallel Lines Never Separate" (5:05) cool song, though very 60's feeling. (9.25/10)

4. "Spiggly" (1:12) cute little Beatles-esque ditty with piccolo, guitar and Barabara. (4/5)

5. "An Everyday Consumption Song" (4:29) cute little folk song with incredible harmonized vocal duet. Maybe Barbara has that effect on men: they want her to themselves. (guitar flute bass and multiple tracks of Barbara deliver an eerie/odd song. Piano joins in for the second half. Such an quirky, unusal vocal. Reminds me of 21st Century Prog Folk artist Nick Talbot (GRAVENHURTST)(8.75/10)

6. "The Sergeant Says" (3:43) another Beatles- or David Bowie-like acoustic guitar-based song over which Martin sings in a very David Bowie- (or Donovan-) like style. Even a little JTullishness in the second half. (8/10)

7. "In The Western World" (12:59) (22.25/25) - Part 1: In The Western World - Barbara with solo piano accompaniment for the first minute. Very delicate and contemplative. Beautiful melodies. And singing. At 1:28, the full band of acoustic folk instruments bursts in with a furiously paced display. (4.5/5) - Part 2: Jungle Lore - At 2:20 there is a brief stop after which the music brings forth a kind fusion of the two paces and styles--becoming much more proggy, with some interesting non-folk melodies coming from singers and lead instruments. Very active flute and cello within the aggressively strummed acoustic guitars. Ends with half a minute of recorded footsteps of a military unit en march. (8.75/10) - Part 3: Coming Back - dramatic music with a very theatric vocal performance from Martin Cockerham. Almost has a pirate/sea shanty feel to it. (4/5) - Part 4: Western World Reprise - amazing acoustic guitar strumming with full band in support. Very MOODY BLUES-like. There is a shift beginning at 10:20 during which the music becomes more symphonic and anthemic with Barbara's vocalise and trumpets blaring. My favorite section of the song and album. (5/5)

Total Time: 42:02

As powerful as St. Radigunds with much better sound production and more proggy and mature song structures and sound palettes.

B+/4.5 stars; a near masterpiece of progressive rock music and a minor masterpiece of Prog Folk.