RARE BIRD [AKA: SYMPATHY]

Back in 1970, whilst browsing in my favorite used record store, i came across this album. Despite the ghastly sleeve art (not the cover pictured above), i turned it over and noticed "Sympathy" included in the track listings, a song i had heard many times on the radio in the office but had never really taken much notice of, despite it being a huge hit single. The photo of the band clinched it - in those days any strange album i found depicting "four hippies in a field / park / wood" was worth investigating as part of my "scene". Charisma was a label i'd not seen before, this could have been one of their first releases. After all these years this amazing album is like an old friend i dig out to play regularly, a Rare Bird indeed! I recently bought this album again on a Rare Bird four-album double CD, an Italian label VH-VHRCD001018H/B.

Though some may think a few tracks on Rare Bird's debut album sound rather poppy, there are some beautiful songs and great musicianship on this early album, the sleeve notes by Tony Stratton Smith state "Graham Field and the boys walked in off the street and laid a demo tape on me. It happens all the time. Only this time it was good, very good", quite something for the owner of a fledgling record company, a time of stiff competition, everything was a risk, especially a group with no lead guitarist -just keyboards, drums (timpani???) and bass!

"Iceberg" sets the scene - a pacy intro, an icy beach, a haunting keyboard flurry, a ragged little husky - great song! "Times" is one of those poppy ones, followed by the extremely beautifully haunting "You Went Away" - long forgotten memories of lost love come flooding back. "Melanie" brightens things up, a whimsical little song about a frustrating girl we all knew!

Side two kicks of with "Beautiful Scarlet", this song really encapsulates the Rare Bird sound, a fast intro then drifts off into a dreamy, romantic world, the lyrics on this are really beautiful, about another lost love, who you "were just happy following around..". "Sympathy" is next, the one hit single they had, about world peace - nothing's changed, there is still not enough love to go round. Incidentally the flip side of this single, "Devil's High Concern" is a fantastic heavy number which is sadly missing on my CD, i bought a copy of"Sympathy" and preferred this song on the B side!

"Nature's Fruit" is a whimsical song about hawks, mice and flirting with your secretary - could that hawk be you? "Bird on a Wing" swings in next, it's like two songs in one, swaying nicely along, then speeds up into a boogie style groove, still observing that bird theme! One of my favourite songs on the album, it floats along nicely. The last track "Gods of War" is a in totally different mood - dark, threatening (the timpani comes in here), God-like whispered chants, a shepherd boy comes into sight - meets his fate! The track heads into a frenzied fast improvised jam before closing with the opening theme - epic stuff!

I really enjoy listening to this album and can highly recommend it as a stunning debut for Rare Bird - an early Prog masterpiece and absolutely essential listening!

"Rare Bird are a rare find, innovative, original, deeply musical. They're on their own. TONY STRATTON SMITH."