SAMURAI

So I've officially come to the end of my journey with the band formerly known as The Web, releasing their final album in 1971 as Samurai. With the continued de facto leadership of would-be Greenslademan Dave Lawson, it really effectively is the same band. I find it's a killer final statement.

"Saving It Up for So Long" starts off with a cool beat and an even cooler everything else. Fuzzy guitar plays alongside the horns, and I'm just loving the whole arrangement. Dave Lawson's vocals are smooth and strong here. The section in the second half is really wild. This is Prog! In a much different sort of 'cool', "More Rain" has a semblance of some of the freer, psychedelic side of Folk Rock. Once again, with a composition otherwise so simple and familiar, they do things that are unique and attention-grabbing. This track has a small ensemble of flutes, the perfect instrument for this feel. Great track; again, despite its apparent simplicity, it offers a lot of interest.

"Maudie James" continues this lax'd mode. Fuzzy guitars again delightfully interplay with the horn section, but now also with piano. Queue sax solo! Really, a killer solo this was, performed by apparent non-member Don Fay. To me, this is Jazz Rock preceding early Steely Dan, as in tracks like "Do It Again" or "Your Gold Teeth". Up next is "Holy Padlock", begun with a certain melancholy. This track has a sort of mysteriousness to it that I can't quite place. This whole album is just a vibe, if I may attempt a Gen-Z-ism haha. Here we get a really saucy organ solo from Dave. The vocals on the other hand feel less inspired than desired.

The harshness with which the uber-wah'd guitar on "Give A Little Love" was honestly unbearable to me. Luckily for the guys, it's another track with mood and spunk that wins. Where it's really (actually/definitely) winning is in yet another Hammond organ solo; something one might expect (not surprisingly) from Rod F*cking Argent. Compliments abound there; compliments withheld for nearly all else... Up next, we return to The Cool of the frontend of Samurai with "Face in the Mirror". A few Jazzy Ringo-isms win me over, too! I'm very agreeable, if not impressionable, at the end of the day, ha! The vocals come in when the instrumentation is lower in the mix. Interesting but effective choice. Here I give my compliments also to guitarist Tony Edwards for one of his best performances. A very psychedelic jam indeed; in this, "Face" will likely appeal to other fans of Proto-Prog at large.

Finally, we have "As I Dried the Tears Away", and in the very least that's a pretty apt title to close out an album of this moody nature. Nothing on this album should strike you as overtly 'happy' (and in this, in its general cohesion, this is a winning element). We ride this one out low and slow at the start, and we get some vibes from drummer Lennie Wright. So beautiful, seriously. And once again, an unworried coolness that feels unattainable by the vast majority. We've all heard a lot of music here, right? haha. This is just unbelievably chill despite being super cool. I believe I felt this before, but before and after the solo the organ sounds like something the great Dave Stewart would have played. I think I need to listen through Greenslade again and anything else Mr. Lawson has to offer. He's got a helluva lot of vision. Praise be! Great closer. Great album.

Banzai! SAMURAI might sound like a far-eastern band from the shogunate land of the rising sun, but in reality, they're as British as a chicken vindaloo curry from an Indian takeaway on a Saturday night. The story of Samurai is a tangled web, because they used to be known as "The Web" during the recording of their first two albums - "Fully Interlocking" (1968) and "Theraphosa Blondi" (1969) - before removing "The" definite article and shortening their name simply to "Web" for their third album "I Spider" (1970). The band were hoping a change of name would change their financial fortunes, but sadly, it wasn't to be and Samurai fell on their swords and disbanded shortly after releasing their one and only self-titled album in 1971. Somewhat confusingly, there was also a Japanese band named Samurai who also released a self-titled album (sub- titled "Green Tea") in the early 1970's. The 1996 CD re-issue of the British Samurai album added five bonus tracks to the original seven songs on the album.

The singer sounds like he's releasing some pent-up aggression on the opening number "Saving It Up For So Long", so watch out, because one gets the impression from this pounding and pulsating Jazz-Rock song that a Japanese shogun warrior might just leap out at any moment brandishing a samurai sword with a shout of "Banzai!". This is assertive, progressive Jazz-Rock with a forceful and belligerent attitude. The song features a pretty mean saxophonist too, combined with a powerful and punchy rhythm section. These guys don't sound like they're in the mood to take prisoners. The weather outlook for our next song is "More Rain" on the way, so it might be time to put those brollies up before we get wet. On the other hand, you could stay indoors and enjoy listening to this cool mellow groove. "More Rain" is so laid-back it's almost falling over backwards. This is cool Jazz to listen to whilst sipping on a daiquiri cocktail out on the verandah with a warm summer breeze blowing through your hair. Alternatively, if you're listening to this cool Jazz number in the middle of winter, you can just bask in the warm glow of the music and dream of those long hot summer days and sultry nights. Either way, "More Rain" is guaranteed not to dampen your spirits, or your ardour, if you're in the mood to get all romantic with your lover. We're off to meet "Maudie James" next and she sounds rather charming if this groovy number is anything to go by. This Jazzy saxophonic music sounds as fresh and full of vitality as a freshly-squeezed lemon, which makes it hard to believe that this album is nearly half a century old now. Yes indeed! It's amazing just how much "new" and original music is out there just waiting to be rediscovered in the modern age of the Internet. The curiously titled "Holy Padlock" is next, which is presumably the type of lock that's used to secure a church. This offbeat Jazz-Rock song sounds a little off-kilter, a bit like a runaway train careering down the tracks that's in danger of becoming derailed at any moment. Yes, Samurai are definitely in wild Canterbury Scene territory here, so be prepared for an improvisational melieu of dynamic sound and inspirational energy. This fast-paced, out-of-control kamikaze song barrels along at such impressive speed, it's hard to imagine it could ever be written down formally in musical notation, but then again, it wouldn't be wild improvisational music if it was written down on paper beforehand.

It's time to "Give a Little Love" now, although don't be fooled by the title because this is no gentle romantic ballad. No, this is a pugilistic percussive wave of thumping Jazz-Rock that hits you straight between the eyes like a sledgehammer. The guitarist is clearly having a blast on this barn-storming number, with his wah-wah pedal evidently cranked up to the max. The dynamic keyboard player deserves a mention too - he sounds like he's pulling out all the stops here to deliver a sonic blast of high octane Rock. Spare a thought too for the saxophonist who delivers a sensational solo with barely enough time to take a well- earned breather. It's time for some gentle reflection now with "Face In The Mirror", an altogether mellower Canterbury Scene- style song, given an extra dose of lively Samurai "Banzai" energy. Sadly, we've reached the final song on the album now with "As I Dried The Tears Away", but there's no need to get out a hankie because this is no romantic refrain. This is a thunderous electrically-charged, eight-minute dynamo blast of Van der Graaf Generator-style Jazz-Rock, only without Peter Hammill's histrionically expressive vocals. The song features some gentler interludes too, so it's not all thunderbolt and lightning, very very frightening. It's a suitably impressive highlight to close the album in grand style on an album that's choc-a- bloc full of great songs.

Samurai have all of the aggressive energy of a Japanese shogun on the warpath. There's no going back now, because this storming band of musical warriors are out on a mission to deliver some thunderously great music with all of the willpower and determination of a kamikaze pilot flying out on his first and last mission. In common with their last album "I Spider", when the band were still known as the "Web", this album is a powerful blend of both Van der Graaf Generator and Hatfield & the North, so if you like those two bands, then there's a good chance you'll like the sonorous sound of Samurai too.

After Dave Lawson joined WEB and released "I Spider" the horn player let the band know he had to get a real job as he wasn't getting paid enough plus the band were tired of seeing their name spelled wrong on concert posters and in the media so they changed their name to SAMURAI a name Lawson liked as he was stationed in Japan during his stint with the military. So the same band minus the horn player, although they brought in two guests to add horns and flute for this recording. Problem was when the toured without horns the music didn't go over that well to the audience as it was written with horns in mind so they broke up after the final tour. I agree with Hugues that "I Spider" is better than this followup album. There's a naivety, innocence and hopefulness to "I Spider" that is missing here. "I Spider" took much longer for me to appreciate but for me a much more enjoyable listen.

"Saving It Up For So Long" sounds more commercial than the songs from the previous album. Melodic and some energy here. Guitar, drums and keys lead with vocals being prominent too. Horns become the focus around 2 1/2 minutes. "More Rain" is my favourite. Recalls the previous album. Somewhat triply with soft vocals and I like the flute. Just a chilled out piece. "Maudie James" kind of fits in between the first two tracks style-wise. Vocals dominate with busy drumming, horns and more. A jazzy instrumental break is good with piano leading then horns.

"Holy Padlock" opens with sax and piano then it kicks in around a minute, vocals too. Horns honk as vocals come and go. Some brief bass clarinet after 3 minutes then the organ takes over during this instrumental part. Vocals are back after 3 1/2 minutes as they continue to come and go. "Give A Little Love" has some depth to it as the vocals join in. Organ solo before 2 minutes then a sax solo after 3 minutes. "Face In The Mirror" is led by drums and organ early. A calm with horns after a minute then vocals follow with horns and drums. Vocals are back after 4 1/2 minutes. An okay tune. "As I Dried My Tears Away" is almost 8 1/2 minutes long but a little disappointing overall. Piano before percussion kicks in. Vocals before a minute with vibes and more. Best part is the organ solo before 4 minutes with bass and drums. Vocals are back before 7 minutes.

Interesting cover art of a naked Asian couple. He's just finishing rolling the joint and she's already got the match lit. A pretty good album but I'll stuck with "I Spider".

So, if this band is essentially a continuation of Dave Lawson-era The Web (which recorded the excellent "I Spider" album) with minimal line-up changes and an additional sax/flute player, then we can pretty well figure out what this band is all about: solid, energetic proto- prog with heavily inflicted jazz and R'n'B undertones, moderately related to the Canterbury patterns and an extra psychedelic sensibility. The Web and Samurai were part of this family of art-ridden underground rockers of which The Nice, Procol Harum and Colosseum were also part at the time, reigning supreme on stage while playing to crowds of flower-power hippies who longed for their rock starst to challenge their ears and minds with music that was beyond the definition of pop. Before describing any song from "Samurai", let me start that this is a very solid gem from a year in which prog rock was becoming a mature rock trend and leaving behind the proto approach, but again, keep in mind that Samurai was still comfortable in that grey area where jazz-rock, symphonic prog and psychedelia were equal sources of musical energy. 'Saving It Up For So Long' is quite an extroverted opener, making a nexciting impression of a hybrid of "Daughter Of Time"-era Colosseum and later Cream: the marriage of teh dual saxes and the vibraphone is crucial for the song's general scheme. 'More Rain' moves to a clamer realm, focused on latin-friendly tones that make the band lean somewhat closer to Traffic. 'Maudie James' also bears the Traffic influence in a moderate dose, but thsi time we enjoy a more joyful mood - once again, the dual saxes fill the limelight for most of the time. 'Holy Padlock' ends the album's first half with an appealing swing that may sound similar to early Caravan. This piece also includes an organ solo that makes Lawson related to Tony Kaye (when he really made an effort to shine within the early Yes' framework). 'Give A Little Love' is a mid-tempo rocker designed to enhance the Colosseum connection (not too long before Dave Greenslade and Lawson became the Greenslade founders), while 'Face In The Mirror' shines in its prog-jazz splendor from a contemplative aura. Even if it is slower thatn the preceding song, it is not languid but powerful, with an unusual room for guitarist Tony Edwards to make himself noticed in cooperation with the organ's harmonic developments or alternating positions with the flute flourishes. His Trower-like leads are really great, he should have been given more solos in the Samurai repertoire. The album's last 8+ minutes are occupied by 'As I Dried The Tears Away', a song that completes the band`'s introspective side in a magnificent way. Reiterating the combination of psychedelia, jazz-rock and progressive expansions, all musicians interact in a clever delivery of motifs and nuances. This last half makes the best of this album. And if you get the CD edition, you will be treated with a number of live songs (without the wind players), including two from the "I Spider" album - all performances are tight, which only makes it seem sadder that it already is that Samurai had to be ignored by the industry. Well, it shouldn't be ignored by true prog collectors, since it would make an excellent addition to any prog rock music collection.

Samurai's first and only album under that name is (previous known as The Web) blends the jazzy and brass sounds with pure progressive rock elements but keeping more to the rock side. The jazzy brass instruments provide the unique melodies and the themes to the songs and numerous solos over very structures songs.Dave Lawson's voice may sound a little bit peculiar but this is not the love-or-hate type of voice. I Personally love it! Another thing that i find incredible is the sounds of the keyboards Lawson chose. In ''Saving it Up For So Long'' he sounds like playing a vibraphone.The song is riffy with the guitar playing the main riff and the wind instruments adding the melodies. ''More Rain is somewhat different, layed back with percussion and the use of flute. I just love the ending with the mellotron.''Maudie James'' is more jazzier with the saxes overwhelming though the hole time and having two AMAZING solos.Again the percussion add a great deal to the groove.''Holy Padlock'' beggins with a jazz intro and Lawson from then on Lawson takes on with some great chords and the walking bass-like bassline with the sax is perfect! ''Give A Little Love'' more rock oriented than any other track on the album. Really heavy with the fuzzy guitar.After a while Lawson kicks in with a keyboard solo.The song reminds those early 70's organ trios.''Face in The Mirror'' has some very funny high vocals and is more jazz-rock.''As i Dried The Tears Away'' is the album's ''big one'' full of rhythmic changes keyboard solos and a very interesting part somewhere on 3:45, with the constant rhythm changes and the two solos like two keyboard players answering to one another.

Overall this album is simply AMAZING! Every sound song unique in it's own way but having an overall feeling of coherence of the same band. I would put it 5 stars but i went with 4 instead (5 being the very top of my list) although i have to say i just LOVE this album.Definitely go for it.

Formed from the ashes of the little-known group 'The Web', UK jazz-proggers Samurai completed just the one eponymously-titled debut LP before breaking up, the members eventually gravitating towards different bands to commence their musical careers.

And it's a shame, as this is an excellent piece of early 1970's and very eclectic-sounding prog, featuring a wide assortment of instruments and styles amongst it's jazz-grooves and latin tinges.

Caught somewhere between the 1-album careers of MAINHORSE and BADGER, Samurai's vibe was an eclectic mixture of disparate elements, expertly-woven together across 7 tracks without ever managing to sound quite like anyone else at the time. A multitude of sonic textures present themselves throughout the running time, starting off with the rocky jazz-pomp of 'Saving It Up For So Long' and continuing with the beautiful and breezy flute-led sounds of 'No Rain', a smoky, jazzy track that stands up as probably the best individual piece on a uniquely-individual album.

For many, however, it's the trippy, stop-start mish-mash of the records longest and last track, the swooning 8-minute-plus mini-epic 'As I Dried The Tears Away' that proves to be the most indelible of all the songs on offer, it's stretched-out sections of intertwining horns, flute and guitar combining richy throughout the tricky time-signatures and at-times furious shifts in tempo.

The combination of Winwood-esque vocals, twinkling-keys and world-weary influences really does create a genuinely original sound, and this, augmented with the more prog-orientated rock of the albums mid-section - the riff-tastic 'Give A Little Love', the fluid, funky 'Face In The Mirror' - only goes to emphasise what a tightly-knit and inventive unit this British band were.

Samurai provides the listener with a rich tapestry of musical delights, each song tweaked to fit into the jazz-funk formula, and, crucially, like a lot of jazz-orientated albums, the album doesn't neglect the important guitar-parts which are expertly provided by Tony Edwards.

Dave Lawson, the man behiind the keys, would eventually go on to join Greenslade and thus find a degree of success in a band more suited to his drenching keyboard-style, but the fruits of his early labour have never been as beautifully crafted as they were on this, an album full of fresh-sounding, exciting and eclectic prog, with it's maverick, one-off status only going to enhance the originality on offer.

STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2008

Quite odd enough for me that this vintage band I never heard before when it was released in the seventies. The music recorded here is in its raw version and it's probably due to the limitations of analog technology when it was released. The music offered is somewhat varied in styles as well as mood. Through the opening track "Saving It Up For So Long" I thought that the music is predominantly performed with rhythm section relying more on bass guitar and drums. But other tracks that follow are dominated by percussion and the music tends to sound like a flat arrangement. There is basically not much ups and downs on its notes and chords and it has brought me to the feeling of getting bored with the music. Remembering the time, I can relate this music is somewhat like a band named themselves as El Chicano combined with Santana even though it's less aggressive.

On composition, I don't think this album is not bad at all. If you are exploring the roots of 70s music, you should also try this one. It has some jazz as well as latin rock component. Because of the less-aggressive musical arrangements, the overall style of the music is flat and less dynamic. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

This is def. a lost gem in the world of prog. I still think the previous three web albums are prog but this is def. canterbury/fusion prog for sure! The live tracks detract from the cd as they don't sound as impressive. plus I have never like seeing the same song on an album more than once, to repetitive for me. Anyways this has a lounge/chill kind of feel to it..something you'd find in an obscure underground pub populated by poets, beatniks, ect. but again, this is very good music headlined by the sax - or at least thats what stood out for me. The lyrics are down to earth and sometimes have the humor of many of the canterbury bands. Check this (4.25 star) album out!

This is Dave Lawsons second outfit (The Web,being the first) and Samurai, really have something going fore them!! One can really hear the seeds of Greenslade growing.... and indeed the relaxed...slow....arrangements of the songs are....well..wonderfull.. lovely tunes ..blended with laidback vocals....this is very very fantastic music.... ...i feel quite relaxed..when listening to this music!! Now i realise that this is not for everyone. But if your heart are in sync with Greenslade and the like. Then your in for a treat!! As this is.....piano/keyboard ....weird vocal arrangements ( a la Gentle Giant/Greenslade) themes slowly building up to the narrow vocal interactive!! This is quite a master piece in its own right!! In short, this is one to get!! To get into your prog collection!!! No one in its right mind...prog mind that is...would be caught dead without this GEM!! Yeah i know.....young readers skip this (on the other hand ..why not?) What am i talking about? Get this fANTASTIC record!!!!

I prefer calling this album The Web's fourth rather than Samurai's fist, since the group is exactly that of the Web (minus the departing wind-blower Harris), but changing names to find a new recording deal. As they did find one, they didn't last much longer than their sole album's release, whatever few concerts they played without brass players and disbanding fairly quickly. Graced with an impressive Japanese-type artwork to fit the band's new name, the album was produced by Tony Reeves (Mayall, Colosseum, Day Of The Phoenix's producer and future Greenslade) and it has a very distinctive less-muscular sound.

If the I Spider general musical direction is maintained, there are a few changes, the first and most evident being the guitar not nearly flexing its muscle as before and an overall softer jazzier feel. Harris' departure was compensated by no less than two wind-playing guests, which give Samurai a brassier (I didn't dare write hornier) than on I Spider. Lawson's vocals are also softer (the songs are in general softer here) and thus the Crimson influence is not as evident, but still present in a subtler way. More Rain even goes on the soft Oblivion Express side, while the most intriguing and the Crimsonian closing track is As I Dried The Tears Away with its unusual instrumental interplay about 2/3 of the way into the track: Lawson dubs himself as there two KB answering each other. Good stuff.

Hearing through Tony Reeves that Dave Greenslade intended to start a new band using two keyboards, Lawson would jump ship before Samurai would grind down to a complete halt, thus terminating it. Surprisingly, no bonus tracks on this reissue, despite a previous reissue sporting a bunch of them. The next Lawson chapter is Greenslade, but it's definitely another musical spectrum. Personally I find Samurai a lesser album than I Spider, but both are generally highly regarded. But I wouldn't go as far as saying that either are essential, but it's good owning them for the occasional spin.