FREQ

This wins the weirdest album in my collection award, pretty much hands down. I was completely unprepared for this enigma, while enjoying his quirky "Captain Lockheed & the Starfighters release, as well as his massive work with Hawkwind and the rather brilliant Hawklords disc. "Freq" is an odd ball collection, encapsulating the themes of the ugly struggle of English coal miners back in the 80s, that gentrifies the true oblique nature of this incredible talent, certainly the schizoid behavior had something to do with it (such as locking himself in a room dressed in the uniform of a WWI fighter ace). "Ned Ludd" reminds of John Foxx, ponging sequencers ablaze with Calvert's dirgy monotone voice. Devilishly insinuating and hypnotic, recalling the first mechanical age saboteurs who feared that one day soon, machines would take away jobs from all workers. Hmmmm! Next is the first of a series of voice and sound effects, "Talk1 " is a political argument that finds itself enveloped in gurgling washes. "Acid Rain" is bleak, hideous and macabre piece that has a definite doomsday feel that only a basket case like Calvert can exult in. A stunning slice of kismet and shadow, a sonic treat and a real anti-pollution rant. Another lip service to the Talk interludes and we dive into real bliss with the appropriate "All the Machines Are Quiet", a rumbling synth-pop jewel loaded with sardonic rage and sarcastic victory, a definite 60's punk attitude in an electro- prog veneer, Calvert ripping into the injustices of the industrial behemoth. If this is pop, well God help us all, should you believe in both! Robert defines his odd talent here and forever more. Talk 3 and "Picket Line" has the metallic synths ablaze once again, a harsher, raspier mood that rages and rolls, even as P.G. Martin crunches on electric guitars, pummeling pitilessly like some deranged strikers in the riotous melee. The highly acerbic "The Cool Courage of the Bomb Squad Officers" would have gotten him jailed (or worse) in many countries but jolly England had long lost its alleged conservatism , preferring outspoken freedom of expression and some semblance of freedom, period but it came after many struggles (the debatable Thatcher era and recently Blair). This is appealing not pretty, a sinking drone with marshalling drums and bleaker spew from the uniformed Calvert, another classic example of his iconoclastic reputation; the man was so bizarre and so utterly talented, most definitely a richly deserved prog icon. "Work Song" is leaning towards robotic Kraftwerk/John Foxx territory, wispy synths and harder rhythms, the scarf-shrouded Calvert's encouragement is delivered in a somber monotone once again. Cold, cool almost polar (or perhaps even bi-polar), this loops along in a restrained frenzy that is really hard to resist, ("memories of the first World War" he intones). The next two numbers are extracted from the final Hawkwind tapes, manned by such space masters as bassist Lemmy, the incredible Simon King on drums as well as Steve Swindells (Hawklords) and steady guitarist Hugh Lloyd-Langton. No sign of Dave Brock anywhere! This is tough-ass space rock, simple, tortured and brutal with some of the widest vocals ever on "Lord of the Hornets" (great song title) and the disc closes with the obtuse " The Greenfly & the Rose", a fitting goodbye that has the exalted Calvert singing with conviction and despair in his own peculiar and inimitable way, a platform for a legend that left us way too soon. Recommended to the true prog adventurists.The Cleopatra release has much cooler atrwork, Easily 4 fractured appliances.