IF

Since IF's "Forgotten Roads" includes highlights from their first three albums, and this live album includes most of their fourth album, these two cd's together can ably fulfill your dream IF collection. (That is, if you ever had a dream of collecting some nice IF....)

Great performances here, and very well recorded - very present, very tight. And the songs are filled with wonderful melodies and harmonies. A very energetic and appreciative crowd makes itself known only during the short breaks between songs. Nearly 58 minutes of some of the best jazz rock ever made, by a British group that never seemed to get its proper due, at least compared to BS&T, Chicago, Ides of March, etc.

IF differentiated themselves from the other big band jazz rock outfits by excluding brass, so there's a somewhat softer edge to their brand of music. That doesn't mean they can't rock - the long guitar solos on "I Couldn't Write and Tell You" and others are simply scorchers! And the rhythm section is strong and innovative on all their songs. The vocals are kind of interesting too: J.W. Hodkinson sang with a nice tenor, but had almost a southern twang! He shows off some nice gutsy vocals here.

Special mention should also be made of the album closer, the 20-minute long "What Did I Say About The Box Jack?" Flute, sax, guitar, jamming....sublime, my friends.

If you're reading this, you must have been directed here by some jazz-rock reference. This is the real deal folks - if you love the jazz-rock scene of the late 60's and early 70's, this is ESSENTIAL. I guarantee you'll be seeking their other cd's after one listen to this one. IF'n ya know what I mean....;-)

I am so enthousiastic about this band.

I only recently discovered them. So to me they are a "new band", so I don't have to worry about not discovering great new bands.

What I love about If is the crossover of 70's rock and jazzrock. The vocals, organ and overall song-approach almost make them a rockband, but the abundance of sax, groove and dynamics make them a bonafide jazzrock band. Most 70's jazzrock is without vocals, so it's very different to other jazzrockbands. The vocals have a theatrical flair to them, making them almost a progrock-band. Also the production, use of flute and the guitar-sound have that classic progrock-feel.

I really don't understand that I have never heard of this band before. They could easily fall in the same category as Caravan and Camel, but with less prominent guitar and more saxophone.

I can recommend this band and this album to all who like prog and jazzrock and seventies rock in general. Really great and very underrated stuff!

According to what I have read this is the american version of IF4. Both albums have a different song sequence and on top of that also contain different songs. So I will have to listen to IF4 seperately.

Waterfall contains some high energy jazzrock fusion with a great production and lots of solos by all bandmembers, wich means a lot of solos.

The music is mainly jazzrock fusion but has some pop influences (the vocals) and some folk influences.

I had never heard of this band before, but this music really suits my style. The UK doesn't have a lot of fusion band, apart from Isotope and some Canterbury styled bands like Soft Machine. I can say that the british fusion style is more harmonic, more melodic.

I will have to listen to some more If, because what I have heard on Waterfall is already very great!

I am such an ass! Going through 45 years without hearing something as marvelous as British jazz-rock legends IF is a crying shame. If I only knew IF! LOL. So what did it take to get me up to speed after such a long period of inertia? A stupendous review by my Aussie music mate Michael reminded me that I had been missing out on something quite delicious in view of my profound adoration of Nucleus, Soft Machine, Isotope, Traffic, Sunbirds, Wigwam and even Tasavallan Presidentti! I was perhaps misguided in hearing comments about similarities with Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears , both of which are not exactly in my range of goodies.

I opted for the deluxe DVD/CD package of the IF "2" release, a beauty that has a live DVD recording as well as the studio effort, all nicely put together with an amazing booklet, artwork etc?I was already familiar with keyboard whiz John Mealing (who later graduated to Passport and the Strawbs) as well as accomplished drummer Dennis Elliott who of course became a famous Foreigner. Dick Morrisey is a sax legend, so I knew enough to be at least conscious of their existence but the big surprise for me was guitarist Terry Smith, a wicked stylist with amazing technique a la Steve Cropper (blues and a distinct RnB country feel), a rock solid bass player in Jim Richardson and a real cool vocalist in J.W. Hodgkinson. I had never heard of these three, so I was in for a thrill. Though this is late 60s music , it stills smokes quite brightly and is a joy ride from beginning to end, it got me thinking that we would need some upbeat stuff like this in our currently apathetic/doom-laden culture. (Sorry Pharell but "Happy" is not quite enough to heal the world).

Things begin in radiant fashion with a sprightly "Your City is Falling", Hodgkinson grabbing the mike stand and showing who is the boss, while the lads pummel mightily in the background. The mood is balmy, warm and inviting, a really faultless opening salvo that sets the tone perfectly.

An extended platform for improvisation is the 8 minute+ "Sunday Sad", a Spanish guitar motif finds itself escorted by a flute caress which then quickly merges into a slick rambler that fumes, smokes, smolders and rages with torrid passion, fueled by the loaded double brass assault of Quincy and Morrissey on saxophones and another fine vocal performance by J.W. Bassist Richardson carves some manic grooves while Terry Smith does a splendid job on his axe, a gritty and sulphurous affair that is just awe-inspiring. Mealing's grumpy organ is shoved along by Elliott's sturdy drumming and lo and behold, this is such exhilarating music!

The Brits love their weird song titles (hello Canterbury lads) and "Tarmac T and the Lonesome Nymphomaniac" (what year? 1969, hmmm, pretty racy, wot?) certainly qualifies, a bluesy trippy ditty with a manic vocal that has a definite Traffic/BST feel, spread-eagled by a sick sax flirting overtly with the fuzzy wuzzy organ (that is innuendo-laden wordplay for you), sensual and sexual jazz-rock with some serious soul.

Driving your vintage MG or Triumph Spitfire, propelled by a bass-mad "I Couldn't Write and Tell You", gives the music a down to earth meaning, surprising the listener with inimitable genius, a flute from nowhere, a consistently believable vocal delivery , a solid beat and some glittering solos all within its 8 minute sinews. Terry Smith glitters on his axe, a blistering technique that nears supersonic speeds, frenzied and acidic. Wow! Has anyone noticed where my jaw landed? Yeah, baby!

Smooth? You want some velvety class , well it does not get creamier than the suave breeze heard on "Shadows and Echoes", sounding like some jazz toone from the 50s movies, a cool cat skinning his brushes, upright bass bopping along while the crisp and clear guitar does some marauding. A wide mouthed vocal again does the trick, versatile and groovy.

Hey, you wanna another oddball song title, look no further than the quirky "A Song For Elsa, Three Days Before her 23rd Birthday", I mean, C'mon! Doggone it when Brits can out soul the Yanks, and that's including the 'brothers'! At least in musical terms, British blues and jazz bands of the 60s and 70s certainly played a part in emancipating white crowds into getting off on black music (Hey, Jimi, How ya doin'?). Here Quincy and Morrissey play majestically, a pure joy and total marvel to witness and revel in.

What a great record and I can bury my ignorance now by pursuing the entire catalogue!

Merci, Michael!

4.5 Rudyard Kiplings

Released in the same year as their first album in 1970, `If 2' saw English jazz/fusion/rock band If deliver a follow-up album that was just as good, if just a little more instantly approachable than the debut. One of the things that makes this album such a winner is that, in addition to the obviously top-notch musical displays and improvisational skills of the musicians, the band have crafted those elements to a selection of accessible and melodic tunes, without really being any more overly commercial. Soul, psych, funk, jazz and heavy R&B styles are all blended seamlessly with a hard rocking sound, with thrilling instrumental runs carefully executed between strong vocal passages. Oh, and it also happens to groove like a mutha-effer the whole time!!

`Your City is Falling' opens the album in gutsy and up-tempo fashion. A catchy tune sung with bellowing conviction by lead singer J.W Hodgkinson is powered by Dennis Elliott's snappy drumming, John Mealing's nimble Hammond organ ripples and relentless dual saxophone attacks from Dave Quincy and Dick Morrissey. The scathing lyric seem to be condemning watching the city you love change around you, the line "Half religious mockeries that robbed the man who died" is especially vivid, and the repeated exasperated mention of "All the restaurants?" just drives the message home perfectly. The gently melancholic `Sunday Sad' is psychedelic and drowsy, with lovely dreamy flute giving way to Terry Smith's Spanish-style slow-burn guitar solo in the middle that bubbles under and eventually erupts with lusty splintering fire, Jim Richardson's chasing bass stalking the whole time. `Tarmac T. Pirate' (check out the full nonsense title!) is a compact shorter vocal rocker dominated by Hodkinson, but the whole band offering quick little instrumental fills around him throughout.

`I couldn't Write and Tell You' opens the second side, with relentless bass, confident sax blaring and nimble jazzy guitar licks that turn into a psychedelic storm, but a sympathetic heartfelt restrained vocal in the middle over wistful flute is a nice break. `Shadows and Echoes' is a smooth soul ballad, showing that the band was equally convincing on slower, thoughtful numbers as the high energy ones. Reflective flute, lovely harmonies, a warm croon from Hodgkinson and Terry's unexpected nimble-fingered fretboard run in the center is the highlight. `I believe this girl's about to fly...' declares J.W on closer `A Song For Elsa', and fly it damn well does! It's a honking R&B stomper with a roaring vocal, furious propulsive instrumental jamming that alternates with smoky bluesy sax ruminations.

Especially worthwhile is the recent Repertoire Records CD/DVD reissue. Not only is the main album sounding absolutely wonderful, but a short bonus DVD of live vintage footage from 1971 is included. While visually it's fairly average quality, the energy of the live performance from the band is intoxicating, and, not surprising to discover, singer J.W Hodgkinson is a stocky mountain of a man, performing with power and finesse. Several of the tracks from `If 2' are performed, and it's interesting to note just how tightly written they are, as they're not all that different from the studio versions, just with a little added urgency the live environment brings.

Running just over 35 minutes, there's not enough time for any filler material to emerge, as `If 2' races through a range of fusion styles and sounds, expertly played by a bunch of top- notch musicians. It's one of the damn coolest albums in my collection, and just as special to me as If-offshoot Zzebra's second album `Panic', and it never fails to lift my mood. It's been in my collection for some years now, and after dozens upon dozens of listens, it still sounds like sheer musical perfection to my ears!

Five stars.

With the abundance of new Prog releases it's easy to forget about groundbreaking works of Jazz-Rock pioneers from the early 70's. Especially when a younger generation were not even born at that time. This piece is intended to bring attention to this generally excellent work of this band from the UK.

The band started out strongly - for that era - before reaching their peak here on "If 3" that was maintained on follow up works, then changes in line-up and a nod towards more commercial approaches saw them - rightly - fade away. (Shortly after, their partial reincarnation as Zzebra had some better moments, but never reached their former best.)

The music on "If 3" is a team effort by very capable musicians who are masters of their respective instruments. This is no one-man band with hired hands helping out. No. here everyone is not only permitted, but compelled to shine - and they all do.

Very tight, well crafted compositions from beginning to end represent a fine blend of vocals alternating with great solos. Not surprisingly, band leader Dick Morrissey's excellent sax and flute stands out, but not at the expense of others, more like an element that bonds things together. And Terry Smith on guitar must be heard to be believed. To date (43 years later) few could be compared with his fluid delivery that's bordering on orgasmic. But really, the whole band are collectively great.

Tight, rhythmic and sometimes melodic tunes delivered in a dynamic and compact way, speckled with great solos. Not a single second of filler material here. The band could be likened to Colosseum (not Colosseum II) at their best and fans of that group would find this album very pleasing. Highly recommended.

If were trully creative during their brief stint in the 70's and shortly after the release of their debut, who had entered the charts worldwide and even won a prize for its front cover artwork, a second album saw the light in 1970.''If 2'' was now recorded both at the Hit Factory in New York and the Island Studios in London with Lew Futterman as a producer.The album was released, of course, on Island in UK and on Capitol in the US.

''If 2'' is again characterized by inventive and tight songwriting, combining the technical aspects of Jazz and Psychedelic Rock with Pop flourishes and Soul melodies.The first side of the LP is quite cool, maybe too much relying in the mix of psych organs, electric guitars and smooth sax melodies in just about the same motive, but the tracks contain good melodies, fine instrumental jamming parts and certainly J. W. Hodkinson's excellent voice.''Sunday day'' is propably the best cut with its dominant 60's influences, the doomy sax lines of Dick Morrissey and the loose guitar work of Terry Smith.The second side opens with the best piece of the whole album and one of If's better compositions, ''I couldn't write and tell you'', which lyrically is rather weak, but the music is more than rewarding.Very rich Jazz Rock with psychedelic grooves and dynamic Hammond organ, that rise as the track unfolds, and great KLAUS DOLDINGER-like wind instrumental parts, while Hodkinson's voice is absolutely great.The remaining two tracks explore the boundaries of smooth or more energetic Jazz Rock with commercial vibes and catchy choruses with less instrumental inventiveness but nevertheless tight performances by the band.

Another nice release by this intelligent British combo.Hardly you is able find a group, that can combine virtuosity and accesibility with such comfort and ''If 2'' is such an album, especially rewarding for fans of late-60's Proto Prog or Jazz Rock.Recommended.

British seventies jazz-rock group If are not focused on now, not even as much as their contemporaries like Colosseum and Chicago, partly, i think, because the original band split in 1972 unlike Chicago, and did not enact a high profile reunion, like Colosseum did. It is a shame that time has not been that favorable to interest in this amazing band, because musically, they were of the highest caliber, and this debut album an excellent effort, all the way around.

If-If was released in the days of pioneering jazz-rock, and opened doors for the band- rightly so, as it is a strong and cohesive effort, with no weak songs or weak musicians playing in the lineup. This debut tells of a true band, a collaborative effort, where all musicians and lead singer are equally important to the music being conveyed, with the result that they keep you interested and musically stimulated all the way through every track on this record.

Vocalist J.W. Hodgkinson is quite good, and has a strong delivery without a lot of screaming or shrieking the way some vocalists do. All instrumentalists blossom individually without ever loosing touch with the overall cohesive spirit being conveyed, and the result is music that is exciting and fascinating to follow. There are drums, two sax players, keys, flute, guitar, and bass here and they do some really interesting things that are much more appealing than their colleagues Chicago or B,S and T. Whereas i have grown tired of those two bands, not so with If, who for me, have stood the test of time well. This group are in finest form in the first album here, and also If 3, their greatest oeuvre. The music on If's debut is so stimulating and pleasing to hear, i often find myself forgetting that it is over four decades old!

And like Colosseum, the band had a legendary live appeal that must have been a sight to behold back in the day. Well, this great record is the next best thing to being there. I highly recommend it, and give it five stars.

Charting the same jazz-rock course as the likes of Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Satisfaction and Trifle and featuring future Foreigner drummer Dennis Elliot amongst their ranks, Britain's If were a talented seven-piece who produced handful of noteworthy albums during the early part of the 1970s, though overall their style was somewhat poppier than the fusion groups who were re-popularizing the jazz genre at that time, the likes of Nucleus, Soft Machine and John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra. The First album, titled simply 'If', is undoubtedly their best, with catchy hooks adorning the softly-played jazz rhythms and a strong focus on structured song-writing as opposed to improvisational jams. However, that's not to say If are a pop band per se, far from it, and tracks such as the lengthy, eight-minute 'What Did I Say About The Box Jack?' and the cool instrumental 'Dockland' are testament to If's melding of styles and tones. Their real ace, though, lies in the shape of frontman J. W. Hodgkinson, whose deep, bassy vocals add a whole new dimension to the jazz-rock formula. Vocals in fusion or jazz-rock are difficult to pull of, hence the poppier nature of this material, yet here the combination works beautifully, adding a rich lyrical layer to proceedings. Subsequent albums would repeat the sonic trick with slightly diminishing returns, though both If2 and If3 are still recommended. A graceful, enjoyable and extremely well-crafted debut, this unique mixture of jazz, rock, pop and orchestral flourishes proves a delightful surprise indeed.

STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012

The new and improved fourth album

Unlike the band's first three albums, "If 4" was not released in North America, reportedly due to management and contractual issues. Later the same year though (1972), this album appeared in its place in those territories. As can be seen from the track listing, no less than four of the tracks on this album also appeared on "If 4" with two ("You in your small corner" and "Svenska Soma") being replaced by "Paint your pictures" and "Cast no shadows". The track order too is completely different, with "Sector 17", which seems to have been pruned back a bit, losing its headline spot to this album's title song. The two new tracks were recorded by a a slightly different line up with a new rhythm section and without John Mealing.

The re-ordering of the tracks means that the album gets off to a much more satisfactory start, with two in your face slices of jazz rock ("Waterfall" and "The light still shines") providing a tight, brass fuelled, attention grabbing first 10 minutes or so. "Sector 17" retains the extended guitar noodling of "If 4", but the sax excesses are kept in check.

"Paint your pictures" is one of the two tracks unique to this album. The song leans on the blues side of the band, the simple backing rhythm supporting an extended lead guitar break and some fine brass. From the keyboards work, it sound like John Mealing may in fact still have been around for this recording. "Cast No Shadows" has a distinctly The Who feel to it in the Roger Daltrey like vocals. The track otherwise has more in common with Chicago than BS&T, being reminiscent of "Does anybody really know what time it is" (to these ears at least!). The album closes with "Throw Myself to the Wind", a straightforward jazz rock number with a toe-tapping rhythm.

For me, this is a far more satisfactory configuration of "If 4" than the UK release. The bland fusion experiments are kept firmly in check, with the album benefiting from a feel much more in line with If's previous releases.

The 2003 re-release of the album has three bonus tracks. The first two of these are a single A and B side which contained an edited version of "Waterfall" and "You in your small corner", the most commercial track on "If 4". The final track is a superfluous mono version of the radio edit of "Waterfall".