AUDIENCE

Early UK Art Rock with American Roots and Blues?

[This will be a review for the 30th anniversary of this, Audience's self-titled debut (1999), featuring the 3 bonus tracks mentioned herein.]

Considered here on PA "Eclectic Prog", Audience were a UK band contemporary to other quick-to-the-draw early Proggers such as VdGG, Man, Affinity and Family; experimenting with song structures and various un-Rock sounds and instruments. Due, I believe, to some suggestion, likely from the wonderful Dereck Higgins, I had begun my trip into Audience's discography with 1971's The House on the Hill.

"Banquet" starts us off in a most bucolic way before rapidly bounding off into loudness. Fantastic rhythm section, from the warm, bouncing tone of the bass to the clanging of the drums. To my happy ears, what a great opening track to introduce their band to the world! A bit Hard Rock, a bit R&B and a tastefully artsy approach. "Poet" follows in a more definite pastoral way, with acoustic guitar and soft fluting. This track strikes me as lightly Roots Rock? A sort of countryside Americana in these bones? We return to surely English shores on "Waverley Stage Coach", no? There is some harmonica, reminding us of our American-Rock roots. Nice, classic track; at times reminding me of the Stones.

Then onto what I feel is lightly Beatles-esque, at least at first, "Riverboat Queen" continues in this Folk-Roots-Rock mix. Howard Werth, our lead vocalist, has quite the delivery. Not quite nasally; it's hard for me to place, though in its uniqueness, I quite like it. Sort of like a lost Brother Gibb. The final moments have these soft, though darting strings underneath other more or less unusual instrumentation. Truly, Roots Rock continues, though it were The Band or Van Morrison, on the rolling, bright "Harlequin". I think this was a very good track, but saxophonin' aside, I'm wary to call it "progressive". More groove and a heavier hand is involved on the next, "Heaven Was An Island". Phenomenally strong start. Super groovy, in fact, and a tad bluesy. There is definitely something Family-ish with this one, or perhaps it's early Jethro Tull. Vocally, again, like Van Morrison to my ears. Geeze-Louise! This saxophone solo is cool as sh*t! Absolutely nasty playing...

Huge shift toward Rock 'n Roll, like more than I was ready to handle, on "Too Late I'm Gone". Lucky for my precious ears(/s), it does take a sort of fun Dixieland turn throughout. It does rock pretty hard, too, specifically in its middle, featuring a sort of horn-meets-Wurlitzer(?) bridge section. Some may find this terribly annoying; some may be utterly shocked how much this little track is actually quite enjoyable, as I did haha. We get tossed back into a dark, gloomy reality of who I, and maybe you, thought Audience was on "Maidens Cry". A softer, fluted number. Only amount of interest it provided me was a shift to sax from flute. Who then was doing the sort of orchestral thing we find on "Pleasant Convalescence" before ELO? The proto-ELO The Move? The other proto-ELO band The Idle Race?! The wonderful Blossom Toes? Not so sure about that last one... Anyways, I loved this track. Fantastic post-Psych, early-Prog track. Oh man! And then the natural transition into "Leave It Unsaid"!!! Yeehaw!!! Talk about heavy without your normal Metal or Hard Rock instrumentation. Great vocals, and awesome instrumentation all around, including a... some kinda organ solo?! Hard to place what the hell I'm hearing, but I am so down! Post-solo, it shifts into some nice acoustic guitar and reeds interplay. This is definitely some great early Prog. So much going on. Best track? [Definitely.]

As we approach the close of the original release, we have the Psych-Folk of "Man On Box". This one has some lovely, light malletwork, too. Everything is working phenomenally together. Warm rhythm section matched with bright, almost Eastern-rooted keys and acoustic guitar. Pretty unique, I feel. Finally, we have "House On The Hill", a damn cool song. Remarkably familiar to me, as this was redone with a much longer rendition off of the later album of the same name. This is a great track. It has strutting guitar and bass, and that Champman-esque vocal warble I recall from that later version. Soloing here is saxophone heaven haha. Good God... So cool. All I can say right now is that the backend of this album is far stronger than what came before it.

For bonus material, we have "Paper Round" (a super playful track which turns Floyd-level dark), and two short numbers, "The Going Song" at nearly 2 minutes (apparently performed live) and the silly, again Dixieland, "Troubles" at just over 1.

True Rate: 3.5/5.0

This bands not that hard to classify for me, it's Jazz Rock. There are some quirky bits due to the usage of banjo and some varied styles on the album, still I truly consider Audiences core to be of the kind as fellow British late 60 early 70s band The Web/Web. The singer definitely has some style and the band really gets into some rockin moments, although, there are a lot of contemplative bits providing legitimate contrast to the tunes. Aside from vocals, Saxophone plays a big role, the bass is nice and present and drums supply power when needed or just simple underpinning of a song.

Overall if you like bands like classic Jazz Rock bands like Delivery or Colosseum then what are you waiting for?

20-Year Chronological Run-Through pt. Nine: 1971.

London-based group AUDIENCE debuted in front of a live audience in Marquee Club, February 1969 and signed a recording contract with Polydor. The eponymous debut came out the same year. The tours over Europe made them popular especially in Italy, and soon they were Charisma label mates with Van der Graaf Generator and Genesis. For their sax parts they share some charasteristics with VdGG, whereas the more delicate moments featuring nylon guitar and flute have some reminiscence with Trespass-era Genesis. Otherwise Audience's music is more blues flavoured like the early Jethro Tull. Vocalist-guitarist Howard Werth has a voice reminiscent of Mick Jagger, Van Morrison or Robert Plant.

The most appreciated album of this fairly short-lived band is undoubtedly the third one, House on the Hill, produced by Gus Dudgeon. In addition to the lengthy title track, a prog listener might be charmed in particular by the many- sided instrumental 'Raviolé', which in its Baroque nuances remind me of focus and Anthony Phillips. Rough songs like 'kackdaw' and 'Nancy' are like missing link between the rock'n'roll of The Rolling Stones and the prog of Jethro Tull or VdGG with their sophisticated arrangements. The strong interpretation of the old Jay Hawkins number 'I Put a Spell on You' is IMHO better than Arthur Brown's version three years earlier.

Despite good reviews the album sold poorly, and after the weak fourth album Lunch (1972) the band collapsed, although in 2004 they made a comeback, in a live context only.

As a new reviewer to a site that I have been reading for many years, I would just like to say that I disagree with the negativity towards this album. At the time I remember it being viewed as a disappointment mainly due to the fact that it wasn't a continuation of 'House on the Hill'. 'House' had that trippy prog feel, yet this has a poppy, brassy, feet on the ground vibe to it, as some bands realised that the hippy trippy thing had been played out. There are some wonderful songs (Thunder and Lightning, Stand by the Door) and the lyrics at times have that American country feel (Barracuda Dan, Trombone Gulch etc) Howard Werth is in fine voice and all musicians are on top of it. Whilst I now find the first two albums dated and unlistenable, and I agree that 'House' is Audience's finest moment, this is a very werthwhile (not sorry) album that does not deserve the bad rap.

AUDIENCE were a four-piece, London-based Jazz-Rock outfit. This album "Friend's Friend's Friend" (1970) - released on the Prog-Rock Charisma label - was the second of four albums released between the years of 1969 and 1972. Their first album, the self-titled "Audience" (1969), failed to gain much recognition, so they did comparatively well to release four albums in total, considering how many other bands have quickly fallen by the wayside after releasing a debut album with poor album sales. Audience followed this particular album with "The House on the Hill" in 1971 and a final album "Lunch" in 1972. A bonus track was added to the original eight songs on the "Friend's Friend's Friend" album on the 1992 CD reissue. Let's join the Audience now and have a listen.

We begin with "Nothing You Do", a rip-roaring, toe-tapping, Jazz-Rock number, designed to really lift the spirits up into the "progosphere". It's a bright and brassy song, with the horn section in full flow. One of the best features of the song is the uplifting vocal harmonising in the style of some of Uriah Heep's uproarious songs. The lead vocalist deserves a word of mention too, because on first hearing, his voice does sound somewhat nasal and high-pitched, but once you become accustomed to his nasal twang, then you may come to love it. Despite the uplifting nature of the music, the lyrics tell the sad story of a broken relationship:- "Nothing you do could make me feel towards you, What you obviously feel towards me, Nothing I hear from you is more than a mere excuse, Confirming my every fear." ..... It's a bittersweet ballad with attitude! Onwards now to Song No. 2 and "Belladonna Moonshine", another rumbunctious brassy number with a jaunty and jazzy rhythm. There's a quick-tempo honky tonk shuffle in the mid-section which really livens things up. It's insouciant, it's vibrant, and it's very pleasant too. Take a look at these playful lyrics:- "Jeremiah Cade though a singer by trade, He couldn't sing a note without the liquor he made, He could never make it big 'til the night he took a swig, From his homebrewed Belladonna Moonshine." ..... Who needs moonshine anyway, or any other alcoholic spirits, when you can have your spirits lifted by listening to this joyfully intoxicating piece of music. Next up comes "It Brings a Tear", a song more likely to bring tears of joy with its happy vibe. It's an impassioned power ballad, opening with a delightful flute solo and with the sound of those uplifting vocal harmonies in full flow again. It's a song full of radiant energy as warm and bright as a hot summer's day. If you could SEE this music, then it would be shining in full Technicolour brilliance! We've reached the halfway point now with "Raid", the longest song on the album at over 8 minutes long. This epic song opens with a relentless pounding and pulsating rhythm, followed by a sensational and sophisticated saxophone solo in the middle section. It's a tale of barbarous Vikings rampaging, pillaging and ..... Well, we won't go into that, but you can guess the rest.

Side Two open with "Right on Their Side", another sonorous and thunderous burst of British Jazz-Rock going full steam ahead. Song No. 6 is "Ebony Variations", an instrumental, classically-inspired number, as the song title implies. It's a jolly and joyous piece of music, where the saxophonist really gets to play his heart out and demonstrate his musical mettle in no uncertain terms. He's really having a blast here. On now to Song No. 7, and "Priestess", an impassioned and impressive 6-minute song featuring a gorgeous flute solo. Don't have nightmares though, because it's a dark satanic tale of nefarious goings-on in the middle of the night as these lyrics reveal:- "Bathed in moonlight, Devil worshippers chanting, Throughout the night, Music grew ever haunting. High on her throne, Satan seated beside her, Face cold as stone, Prince of Darkness to guide her." ..... Yes, it's that kind of a song, but try not to let that put you off, because this is great music! You may want to sleep with the lights on though after hearing it for the first time. And so, we come to the final song on the album dear friends with the title track, "Friend's Friend's Friend", a melodic and gently lilting saxophonic ballad which closes the album in salubrious and symphonious style.

This amazing band deserves to be heard by a much wider Audience. "Friend's Friend's Friend" is a bold and brassy rejuvenating album that's guaranteed to brighten up the dullest of days with its vibrant spirit and rollicking attitude. Audience represent one of the finest exponents of classic British Jazz-Rock. Tell all of your friends about this superb album, and tell your friend's friends too!

Somewhat more straight-ahead and simple than the more baroque and polished stylings of Friends' Friends' Friend or House On the Hill (an early version of the title track from which appears here), the debut album by Audience is still a confident bit of first-wave progressive rock that puts Keith Gemmell's saxophone and Howard Werth's idiosyncratic vocals and evocative lyrics at the heart of the Audience sound. If you've already taken in the superior followups, it still has plenty to offer, whereas if you are new to Audience it's a reasonable enough introduction to their sound, even if it isn't necessarily the absolute best one.

I bought the American LP on Elektra was a bit miffed to see that "Eye to Eye" wasn't on it. Also I noticed "Indian Summer" in its place, plus one song off Friend's Friend's Friend, "It Brings a Tear". Turns out "Indian Summer" was a single the band put out around this time and became a minor hit, but as usual in the UK that song never made it on LP, but did in the States, at the expense of a truly great song. At first I didn't like the album, I think it was a lot to do with Howard Werth's voice. I have since found the original UK LP on the pink scroll Charisma label, so I can get "Eye to Eye". To me, this music sounded strangely like if Van Morrison was backed up by Van der Graaf Generator, if Van Morrison had artsy ambitions, that is (since Van Morrison's music is anything but art rock, never mind prog, and his music is very much R&B based, it's no wonder he's a darling to rock critics everywhere). "Jackdaw" is without a doubt one of the great high points of the album, I especially dig those extended jazzy jams. "You're Not Smiling" I couldn't stand, and even to this day I still have trouble with it. "I Had a Dream" bears more than a passing resemblance to Moondance-era Van Morrison, the band even managed to create that "And It Stoned Me" vibe in the song, I can't help but think of that Morrison song upon hearing "I Had a Dream". "Raviole" is a largely instrumental orchestral piece with nice acoustic guitar playing. "Eye to Eye" is an incredible piece with more than a passing resemblance to Jethro Tull. They do perhaps one of the most interesting take on the blues standard "I Put a Spell on You" (Screamin' Jay Hawkins') giving it a wonderful jazzy bent to it, complete with flute. Seems everyone from the Crazy World of Arthur Brown to the very mainstream Creedence Clearwater Revival wanted to take on this song, but nothing like how Audience did it. The title track is amazing! I really dig the lyrics, it sounds like how kids may feel of some creepy house on the hill and how they want to avoid it, so the song really has an ominous vibe. Also there's some great proggy passages to go with it, especially the nice flute.

It's one of those album I didn't care for at first, and while I still don't care for "You're Not Smiling", the album really grew on me. Wonderful stuff that I can highly recommend.

I don't always do what my records tell me to do. Let's get this straight, I might be crazy but I'm not THAT crazy. Yet, there was this one day when I was standing by the door whilst listening to this album, because, frankly the first track on it is more or less a command to do just that, so I decided to play along to see what would happen. Well, what happened was...exactly...nothing. But, another time I was standing by the door and listening to this album and I saw an incredibly beautiful sunset, sky all pink and purple and yellow and orange, fluffy stringy clouds hanging over the mountains, all marshmallowy and then there was the moon lording over the whole thing and I felt truly blessed that I had, in fact, stood by the door because this record told me to. That story has absolutely nothing to do with the record and what it sounds like and if I think others would enjoy it, or even more importantly, if I enjoy it. Well, here's the answer to those most important questions of all....

I enjoy the bejeezus out of this album. No, it is not nearly as good as "House on the Hill" and it probably isn't as good as the first two either, but it's a decent album, still light years beyond alot of other things and at least darn interesting.

See, the problem I have with Audience, that no one ever points out on here or anywhere as far as I can tell, is that this band is not strictly speaking "normal." Well, what do I mean by that? First of all whatever form of this music is, what it was when it came out, to my ears this sounds like a grunge band, think Soundgarden or Mother Love Bone specifically, and that it's very pop and seventies instead of dank and nineties, but the gist of the music is very similar. Which is kind of weird to think since Audience weren't exactly an electric guitar band. I guess this isn't exactly a problem, just one of those other things, like doing what my records tell me, that make me feel a little touched, ya know? THEY DO SOUND VERY GRUNGE! I promise it's not a delusion!

Also, they sound less grunge on this album than on "House on the Hill" which is roughly 3.1415926 times better than this album. Still a good record though, a spin every couple months should be enough to charm the pants off a camel and the toes off a sloth. Works good with substances should also be another disclaimer (raises glass of kool-aid and tokes on a hookah filled with a non tobacco herbal mixture of basil, oregano, sage, and ((sigh)) hair...) Honestly close to a 3.5.

Led by the idiosyncratic Howard Werth, Audience were one of those uncanny groups who were just so difficult to categorize, a prog-rock outfit in the same way that David Bowie was a pop star(the point being that yes, Bowie was a pop star, but he was also so much more; the same can be said of Audience). This was a truly singular outfit from a forward thinking era chock full of singular outfits, but even then somehow Audience stood out. Issued by Polydor in the summer of 1969, the group's self-titled debut exuded a far reaching sweep of musicsl styles, taking in everything from folk and blues to rock, jazz and psychedelic pop. It was't big seller, but it has become something of a cult favourite over the years as the group' reputation has steadily grown, original vinyl copies now worth a small fortune on the collector's circuit. Audience would issue four albums overall, with their debut followed by 1970's 'Friend's Friend's Friend', the following year's 'House On The Hill', and final album 'Lunch' from 1972, though it is this self- titled debut that is arguably the strongest. Ironically, 'Audience' is probably the group's least progressive effort, Werth and his line-up of Keith Gemmell(sax, flute), Tony Connor(percussion) and Trevor Williams(bass)instead favouring a kund of acoustic-electric hybrid sound, and much more more interested in spinning their mixture of good time folk, chamber pop and classical influences rather than engaging in extended solo's and complex musical arrangements. This makes for a highly-eclectic listen, and despite a couple of lightweight cuts - 'River boat Queen' simply doesn't work; then there's the naff and silly 'Harlequin' - one can only sit back and admire the breadth and scope of Werth' ambition. Highlights include the glorious bass-heavy twang of 'If Heaven Was An Island', a rocky, chest-puffing anthem Audience-style, the raucous folk-blues of 'Maiden's Cry' and, as a suitable closer, 'House On The Hill', a sparsely melodic slow-burner that would inspire the group's next album. Witty, rambunctious, brilliantly-played and full of character, this is the perfect introduction to the sounds of the late-sixties most inventive groups. It may not be to everyone's tastes, but that's what makes it so damn good. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2014

In the vein of acts like Traffic and Gnidrolog, Audience combines the natural feeling of styles of folk and blues and the more musically engaging styles of jazz and classical. It's prog rock in a non-traditional stance, and that's what makes HOUSE ON THE HILL as exciting as other proggier albums.

Think of Audience as Gnidrolog's rhythm section (that good) with Van der Graaf Generator's woodwinds and a unique lead singer with a distinctive voice and plays strictly acoustic guitars. The delicacy of the acoustic guitars mixed in with the thrust of everything makes a near perfect sound balance that few can match. Maybe that explains the relative obscurity of Audience; the sound, while great, was hard to categorise, and that seems to have made it difficult for Audience to achieve even cult status.

On this particular album, the North Americans again get the better bargain much like on MOONTAN. Sure, Europe got the snappy ''Eye to Eye'', a great song in its own right and better than ''It Brings a Tear'', but the order on the NA release is better. I know there isn't much of a difference, but ''Indian Summer'' does not sound like a track that should close the record; it opens the record on the NA release, much more suitably too. The slow moving yet epic ''Jackdaw'' doesn't sound like an opener to me. I know I'm being nitpicky, but still?

HOUSE ON THE HILL can thrust power when it needs to; the title track is a perfect fusion of blues, rock and folk with an extended jam session at the right spot. The saxophone solo with two echoes is quite imaginative, and it's a few years before Mr. Freddie tried that when singing about prophets. There are also calmer, quieter bits as offsets. The beautiful rendition of Screamin' Jay's ''I Put a Spell on You'' is a slice of freshness to a normally sinister piece (it still kind of sounds that way), and classical buffs will enjoy the interceding orchestra on ''Raviole''.

There are times when HOUSE ON THE HILL compromises the two dynamic levels. ''You're Not Smiling'' executes this near flawlessly. The softness of the verses crescendoing into that haunting vocal/sax line is pure music euphoria.

It's hard to rate an album like HOUSE ON THE HILL on a prog site, but it belongs here and it's one of the better albums of this genre. The country-fied ''Nancy'' is the only blemish I could find (either version, it's on both), and even then, Howard Werth's vocal delivery saves the song. Highly recommended.