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PAUL BRETT SAGEPaul BrettProg Folk |
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Brett struck out on his own to open the seventies, bringing along Voice and Dick Dufall from Fire along with flautist Nicky Higginbottom under the banner of Paul Brett’s Sage. While the band would record three studio releases, this first one holds a special place with its solid production and melding of styles that range into rock, blues and jazz with hints at time of flamenco and classic guitar thanks to the young but adept fingers of Brett’s 6- and 12-string guitars, Higginbottom’s meandering flute and understated sax, and some very period- appropriate percussion off the hands of Bob Voice. There’s also some tasty but uncredited electric keyboard work, particularly on “Mediterranean Lazy Heat Wave” and the jaunty “Where have all the Cowboys Gone” (not to be mistaken for the later Paula Cole tune of the same name).
Other highlights of the album include the acid number “Trophies of War” which one has to wonder whether Marc Bolan may have spun a few times prior to embarking on his ‘Futuristic Dragon’ period; the driving “Warlock” with Brett’s wildly unrestrained freaky guitar solos; and the back-to-back melancholy of “The Sun Died” and the apocalyptic “The Tower”, with Brett giving an early glimpse of the 12-string dexterity that would become his trademark in later years.
No tracks are wasted here, and despite the fact this record is over 40 years old it retains an appeal that makes the music still relevant today. Recent reissues make this (and all the Sage albums) accessible to all, and I for one would highly recommend that progressive music fans as well as anyone who cherishes the sounds of that period to seek out Paul Brett’s Sage and give them a listen. Four stars without a doubt.
peace
![4 stars](static-images/4stars.gif)
The 1960s were barely in the rear view mirror, and, while Sage obviously owes much to the guitar oriented and psych bands of that period, this is a forward looking release in that the band is exploring new ways to be around the basic rock band configuration. This elasticity is typified by swapping out a standard drum kit in favor of Brett's percussive 12 string attack and Bob Voice's well placed and played alternatives. Another variation is in the flutes and sax of Nicky Higginbottom, which aerate and expand while actually fortifying the Sage sound. Keyboards are represented by brilliant uncredited organ in several tracks to lend a mournful ambiance devoid of sulking. I haven't mentioned Brett's rough and ready vocals but it seems clear that the material was worked to complement his delivery and vice versa, and the result is a resounding success. Finally, his fret work is dazzling in almost every track, while rarely overpowering the arrangements, a testament to both. His skills on the electric notwithstanding, it's his acoustic work that has earned him a reputation as one of the world's foremost guitarists, and which ultimately places Sage in league of its own, although in its more frenetic moments they seem close in spirit to the even more obscure "Matthew Mark Luke and John" from METHUSELAH, released in 1969.
My personal favorites are the more brooding numbers "The Sun Died" and "The Tower". While their messages are hardly oblique, they are practically arcane relative to Brett's more recent solo albums as well as the 2014 resurrection of SAGE. These two tracks in particular seem to have formed the blueprint for a few of the better pieces on UK folk rockers DECAMERON's "Third Light" that appeared in 1975, as well as a few early 1970s Strawbs tunes like "Keep the Devil Outside", but overall I would say that the technical and serendipitous confluence of Sage would have been too hard for most artists to emulate. If there is a flaw, it might be in the awkwardness of a few of the choruses that tend to repeat the song titles, such as in the otherwise captivating "The Warlock", or in "Mediterranean Lazy Heat wave". The CD re-issues include two worthwhile bonus tracks whose origins are clearly from other sessions since they both include actual drums.
You would be sage to pick this one up whether you normally enjoy prog folk or not. That pretty much covers everyone here.
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