T.2. [AKA: 1970; FANTASY]

Initial impressions can certainly be misleading. When I first heard this archival recording by the mythical trio T2, I was bitterly disappointed and in fact, gave up halfway thinking that they'd have been better off leaving this stuff in the vaults.

For the opener Highway is a de rigeur late 60s blues-rock that has been done much better by many other bands, and the first half of Careful Sam starts off as a psych-era staple ballad that "even" The Association could have done ... although it admittedly becomes an aimless hard-rock jam (strangely similar to some of the rambles of early Amon Duul II and Black Sabbath). Neither tune is really bad, but they are incapable of matching the expectations created by It'll All Work Out In Boomland ... after all many of these tunes were recorded around the time of said masterpiece, and were apparently meant to come out on an aborted second album.

But it wasn't long before I started thanking the heavens for this release, which emerged a full quarter of a century after T2 first broke up. As the first really strong track on the album, Timothy Monday had something to do with it, but even then it suffers from having the worst recording quality of all the tracks resurected for this release. There certainly is an unfinished feel to almost all the songs here (with no vocal overdubs for a start) but it also contains some really exciting progressive rock.

What makes this record a corking release are the trio of songs on the latter half that come close to matching the lofty standards set by the debut. This album really takes off with CD/The Minstrel. Even if the first half of the 10 minute track is one I'd heard before as a bonus track off the 1992 reissue of Boomland, here we see it in its full glory, seguing into The Minstrel. The Jimi Hendrix influence is very strong in the initial portion of CD, but T2 burst into light-jazz runs and The Mistrel is an ethereal mellotron-drenched tune, with strings and flute sounds prevalent ... one of the best melancholy ballads from a band that perfected this style.

Fantasy is another absolute classic, and is probably closest in tone to the debut albums's In Circles, what with its gorgeous melody and mix of barely restrained agression with delicate sparse passages, all this before a masterful Keith Cross jazzy-inflected jam unfolds ... first light with sneaky little touches but by its conclusion all fire and brimstone, before the return of Dunton's vocals brings the piece to its natural conclusion.

The final piece is a classic example of saving the best for last. Simply called T2, it is simply beautiful, and guaranteed to melt the hearts of Moody Blues/Barclay James Harvest fans, with its superb usage of flute/strings sounds on the melltron, although if frequently rocks harder and heavier than either of these bands could. At various points during this 14-minute long gem, there is even some enjoyable electric piano from Cross demonstrating what an exceptional talent (and loss) he was. Sure there is the odd snatch of leaden drumming or an off-pitch note from Cross' guitar ... but this is one of the greatest "in the vault" songs I have ever heard!

To sum up, Fantasy is an essential companion to It'll All Work Out In Boomland. One that takes longer to get into, and that can perhaps only really be understood in context, once one had heard and fallen in love with Boomland. For me hearing this album was like seeing a long-lost love and getting a rude shock ... and then getting to know her and falling in love all over again. ... 71% on the MPV scale

This album should have been their second release but was buried into the vaults for a very long period of time (twenty-five years!). The release of these lost tapes was a fine news for the fans of this discreet band from the early seventies.

Although the sound might not be exceptional, it is quite decent when one bears in mind its genesis.

Since the line-up is the same as the one who recorded the excellent debut Boomland, what we'll get here is pretty much in-line: at least during some tracks. A heavy and bluesy rock which has its roots in the Jimi Hendrix Experience (Highway is the closest and best one of the whole).

What makes them special though are very sweet vocals which contrast with their heavy music (Careful Sam). Psychedelia is not forgotten either and is softly rendered during the smooth Timothy Monday). During longer pieces, their proclivity to jam (CD) is very well underlined. This album also holds some very smooth musical passages. Almost pastoral and early Genesis oriented. The fine Minstrel is such a melancholic track with mellotron and flute.

After such a nice parenthesis, we are brought back in their heavy blues jamming mood. As such, Fantasy is not very well achieved and the guitar solo is too much Jimi oriented. Too much is too much.

The closing song is another good number, with some symphonic aspects as well. It sounds as if T2 was willing to explore new musical territories. It would have been a nice adventure, had they decided to go on a little longer. But they decided to split: too bad! It is called T2. Such a name maybe because they hadn't another title in mind while they wrote it, who knows?

This is an enjoying album, but I was much more impressed with their debut one. Three stars.

Something else good did finally come from the band, though. In 1997, they released the demos for their sophomore album, recorded in 1970. Being demos, the audio quality can be a bit rough, but T2 was still in top form back then. This collection's official name is T.2., but it is also referred to as Fantasy and 1970.

"Highway" is a groovy, bluesy song and is probably the most straightforward cut in their oeuvre. The chorus, though, contains dramatic Mellotron, and the playing is top-notch. This composition is smarter than most of what you would hear from contemporaneous blues-rock acts. "Careful Sam", in contrast, opens much more quietly. Folk and jazz flavors mingle here, and Dunton's vocal performance is especially nice. The song's second half is considerably heavier, and it features a stellar, thrilling guitar solo from Keith Cross. "Timothy Monday" also heavily utilized quiet-loud contrasts, and the psychedelic folk of the verses complements this cut's heavier moments.

Side one of this collection ends with the two-part, 10-minute "CD/The Minstrel". "CD" is a lurching blues-rock cut, and the guitar solo has a wonderfully off-kilter feel to it. Jazz elements are prominent in its quieter moments. In contrast, "The Minstrel" opens with Mellotron flute and strings. This relatively restrained and idyllic mood lasts for its whole runtime, and it is a nice contrast to the heavy elements which preceded it.

"Fantasy" kicks off side two, and there are some obvious similarities to "In Circles". The main riff is jagged and unconventional, and the rhythm section holds down a jazzy groove. The verse is quiet, and the vocal performance reminds me a lot of Robert Wyatt's work with Soft Machine. The instrumental moments in the middle are especially weird and discordant, but it works well.

This archival release ends with the 14-minute "T2". Its opening is starkly different from the band's other output. Electric piano and Mellotron are the primary elements, and there's a floating feeling. It reminds me a lot of bands like The Small Faces in its lighter moments. The mood shifts easily between sunny and stormy, and even when guitar shows up, it's more for atmosphere than to take the lead.

After about four minutes, acoustic guitar emerges for a verse, and Dunton's singing is delicate and pretty. Mellotron and distorted guitar eventually come roaring back, and the swooping strings remain the lead instrument for a while. After another verse, guitar takes the lead in an energetic, jazz-influenced solo, and the song ends on a fun, piano-led passage.

It really is a pity T.2. is just an archival release. I would have loved to have heard these properly recorded and mastered. But as it stands, I am glad that these songs found the light of day, at all.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2024/06/24/lesser-known-gem-t2-itll-all-work-out-in-boomland/

The music here was recorded back in 1970, to be their second album after their debut "We'll Work It Out In Boomland", but it was never released. Put in the vaults you could say after virtuoso guitarist Keith Cross left the band. T2 had a comeback though in the first half of the nineties releasing three albums but the drummer/vocalist Peter Dunton would be the only original member to participate, and those albums are very poorly rated. Maybe the release of this archival recording in 1997 doesn't happen without the failed comeback, I don't know, but this is release is a must if your a huge fan of "We'll Work It Out In Boomland" like myself.

Similar sounding to the debut but the sound quality is not as good, although it has no negative affect on my enjoyment of it. More mellotron here, and perhaps this is more adventerous too with those three long closing tracks being great examples of that. "Highway" is a short 3 minute piece that is the most straightforward of them all. Heavy riffs, powerful vocals, along with guitar solos gets us warmed up fast. "Careful Sam" at 6 minutes starts off quietly enough but soon abrasive guitar solos and a more passionate sound take over. "Timothy Monday" opens with relaxed vocals and a laid back sound. Really enjoyable before that instrumental section around 2 minutes in with the guitar soloing. Nice. Back to the vocals and this ends heavily.

The last three tracks really make this a very solid 4 star record. So much mellotron on these three that range from over 8 minutes to 14 1/2 minutes. "Cd/The Minstrel" is 10 1/2 minutes long and features such an amazing jazz section around 3 1/2 minutes in by all three musicians. So cool. There's a beautiful mellotron section after 7 1/2 minutes and earlier with laid back vocals. More abrasive guitar on "Fantasy" as well as another jazzy section just before 3 minutes. This can get experimental as well. The closer "T2" would have been a fitting closer for their careers actually had this been released back in the day. Mellotron is the word but at 14 1/2 minutes it runs the gambit. A statement of sorts.

I have been playing this in the evenings over the last few weeks but must move on sadly. My kind of music, and this is one of those archival releases that is a real find.