IN HEARING OF ATOMIC ROOSTER

Review Summary: Atomic Rooster's last great album, the band tapers their sound quite a bit, but still manages to pack a punch and make a dent in the emerging heavy prog scene of the early-70s.

After the success of Death Walks Behind You, an appearance on Top of the Pops, a successful tour, and the following non-album single "Devil's Answer", which charted at #4 in the UK, it was time for emerging stars Atomic Rooster to record their third album. Although guitarist John Du Cann sang vocals on Death Walks Behind You, band leader Vincent Crane was unsatisfied with Du Cann's singing chops, and wanted to hire a singer who could "project" to the audience. After the recording of all the other instruments had taken place and were to Crane's satisfaction, Crane asked Leaf Hound vocalist Pete French to re-record the vocals. At that point, it is unclear whether Du Cann left or Crane fired him, but Crane and Du Cann were already at wit's end with each other over how the previous album was mixed and the resulting infighting during their tour of that album; while Crane wanted the band to lean toward a more progressive sound, Du Cann wanted to create a sound based around aggressive guitar playing. In either case, Du Cann had recruited drummer Paul Hammond to his side, and the two left Atomic Rooster to form the band that would later be known as Hard Stuff. Now with only two members, Crane had complete control of what the new album would sound like. Consequently, he toned John Du Cann's guitar down - way down - and the result is an album which is much more inclined toward funk and soul than John Du Cann ever would have tolerated. Atomic Rooster's third album, In Hearing of Atomic Rooster was released in August of 1971, and the album peaked at #18 in the UK. Vincent Crane, with his new hand-picked group of Pete French on vocals, Steve Bolton on guitar and Ric Parnell on drums, then launched into an extensive international tour.

The first track on In Hearing of Atomic Rooster is Breakthrough, a nice track that starts with a thumping bass line and adds a gentle piano with a textured guitar, which makes for a good sound. Right off the bat, the listener can hear two major departures. First of all, the guitar is very mellow, much unlike the aggressive guitar playing heard on the group's previous album. Second, and probably for the better of your ear drums, Vincent Crane's organ is very subdued. We also hear Pete French's vocals for the first time on this track. While John Du Cann's vocals were very haunting, French's are much more soulful, and more fitting to the softer sound of this album. While "Breakthrough" is a good song, it lacks the spontaneity of the previous album, and that's a trend that is found on most of the album's songs. "Breakthrough"'s lyrics deal with feelings of entrapment and a wanting to break free, and it seems like this track wants to do the same. Alas, it never does.

On the next track, Break the Ice, we finally hear John Du Cann's guitar break out of its shell, if only briefly. Crane's organ also plays a bigger role on this song, but it doesn't dominate the other instruments as it had a tendency to do on the previous album, which is a good thing. The guitar, drums and organ play very well together on this song, and the music is paired with excellent vocals from Mr. French. The guitar solo at the end is a great touch, but the effects of Vincent Crane's meddling with the guitar mix can be heard as this track slowly fades out. The next track, Decision/Indecision is a lovely piano driven ballad with soulful crooning from Mr. French and excellent drumming. If Elton John sang this, it probably would have been a charting single. But there's one thing missing; do you know what it is? John Du Cann's guitar, of course! It seems to me that a great guitar track would have added a little more texture to this otherwise great ballad, and perhaps there was one at one point, only to be axed by Vincent Crane. If there was, we'll never know; dead men tell no tales.

The organ festival that is A Spoonful of Bromide Helps the Pulse Rate Go Down rounds out Side 1, and what a track! The track opens with a drum solo by Paul Hammond, followed by organ and guitar. Unlike the instrumentals on the previous album, the guitar and organ complement each other quite nicely on this track, playing nice instead of going at each other's throats. No wanky drum solos by Mr. Hammond this time around, his drumming is all business and makes for a more consistent instrumental. However, things never get out of control, which is what you always hope for on an instrumental, so this instrumental lacks the excitement of the instrumentals on the previous album. If there's one thing you can take from this track though, it's that your heart rate will definitely not go down!

Side 2 opens with Black Snake, the longest song of the side, and probably the most boring. Driven by a slow drum beat and organ, "Black Snake" never picks up the pace and slows down the album considerably. Vincent Crane himself lends vocals to this one, and his vocal style isn't half bad. It actually adds to the song rather than detracting from it. If you were bored to death with that song, not to worry! The next track, Head in the Sky, is easily the best on the album. Compared with the tightness and lack of spontaneity on most of the album's tracks, "Head in the Sky" really stands out as a fresh breath of creativity. The thumping bass and guitar pair nicely with the excellent drums and Crane's organ solo in the middle of the song. The guitar solo in this song is an album highlight. The most straight-forward rocker on the album, "Head in the Sky" is definitely the gem of this album and one of Atomic Rooster's career highlights.

Although the band's funk influences wouldn't completely creep in until Atomic Rooster's next album, Made In England, they can first be heard on the second instrumental of the album, The Rock. "The Rock" opens with a funky blend of bass, drums and horns - James Brown would be proud. While this funky track is interesting, you realize that it's not what you signed up for, and just when you're about ready to skip - Wham! - you get hit with a guitar solo that breathes life into the song, and then Vincent Crane's organ takes over. An organ solo ensues, but one that's slow and fits the track's funky rhythm, a huge contrast from the 100-mph organ solos of the previous album. This funky track is a precursor to the Rooster's future albums, and the band veered away from its signature heavy prog sound. The album closes out with The Price, a Gentle Giant sounding track with fast drumming and underlying organ work. The lyrics and sound are very dark, as In Hearing of Atomic Rooster ends much like Death Walks Behind You began, and puts a fitting bow on the high point of Atomic Rooster's career.

After the quintessential heavy prog masterpiece of Death Walks Behind You, Atomic Rooster looked to be on the verge of stardom as heavy metal pioneers. However, infighting between Vincent Crane and John Du Cann led to a drastic change in the band's sound, as songs with aggressive guitar and organ playing made way for the more soulful and funky approach that Vincent Crane had always wanted. Although not up to the 'classic' status that its predecessor attained, In Hearing of Atomic Rooster is a very enjoyable album for both prog and hard rock fans, and probably the last Atomic Rooster album to make an impact on the emerging heavy prog scene; up-and-coming bands like Uriah Heep, Hawkwind and Gentle Giant would soon command more attention. However, the influence of In Hearing Of can be heard in those band's music, as well as millenial bands such as Wolfmother. Atomic Rooster will always have a place in the development of heavy metal.

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