MICE AND RATS IN THE LOFT

One of the most glaring examples of madcap acid folk music run amok emerged in 1971 from the British trio JAN DUKES DE GREY which delivered one of the most raucous examples of British folk music in 1971 in the form of MICE AND RATS IN THE LOFT. Rivaled only by Comus' equally wild "First Utterance," this second album of the band founded by the duo of Derek Noy and Michael Bairstow took their folk rock act into strange new territories and after adding drummer Denis Conlan and unleashed what many consider to be one of the pinnacles of the entire progressive music world of all the early 1970s.

Formed in 1968 in Leeds, England, Noy and Conlon quickly developed their own unique flavor of British folk that initially flirted with the more progressive variations that were permeating England at the end of the 60s and in 1970 delivered the debut "Sorcerers" which showcased the duo's propensity for catchy folk tunes with slight progressive twists. Having caught the attention of the right contacts with its debut, JAN DUKES DE GRAY soon found itself touring with Pink Floyd and The Who in 1969 and 1970 but despite the exposure still didn't find a boost in album sales that would lead to elevating the act to a new level.

Despite it all the band scored a deal with Transatlantic Records where the trio built off the debut and wasted no time in crating three exceedingly obstreperous tracks that made up the band's second release MICE AND RATS IN THE LOFT. Not only had the three musicians found the perfect chemistry but crafted the album with unrestrained liberties with as many curveball twists and turns that were musically possible without losing the overall compositional flair that made the debut so captivating. The band evolved from a mere folk rock duo with progressive leanings to fully indoctrinated arty folk rock trio behemoth which included a whole new arsenal of instrumentation that added the flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone and strings called the Zelda chord.

The album starts off innocently enough with a fairly regular folk rock style that was typical of the time on the sprawling 19-minute opening "Sun Symphonica" albeit with energetic folk strumming and an accompanying clarinet to offer a contrast as Noy gleefully celebrates the sunshine in poetic prose. The innocent hippie vibe quickly mutates into a series of progressive twists and turns that slowly but surely sally forth into the wild unexplored possibilities of taking a simple melodic motif and exploring as many possible variations and musical accompaniments as is possible. Through its procession which served as the entire A?side of the original vinyl, the musical flow ranges from jittery hyperactive unaccompanied acoustic guitar to fully developed chamber music and an excess of indulgence on every front. Despite the side long length, the track flows smoothly despite the turbulent uproars that permeate throughout.

The near 13-minute second track "Call Of The Wild" also starts off as a typical British folk rock song in the vein of Pentangle, Trees or Steeleye Span with Noy's vocal performance joined by one of his colleagues who sings a call and response as well as together. The track though slowly ratchets up the jittery time signature workouts and then takes a writhing journey through a series of progressive workouts that despite taking rumbustious liberties in guitar playing never loses the general melodic foot holding that is introduced at the beginning of the track. Derek Noy's guitar playing is utterly unique in how he not only times his picking but in how he delivers off-kilter time signatures that sound like no other. His boisterous display of heavy playing is probably the most aggressive of any folk-based act i've ever encountered. The track ends more in the prog rock mode with a sultry saxophone chiming in towards the end.

The closing title track which is the shortest at a mere 8 minutes and 20 seconds takes the band into pure acid rock territory starting off with an ambulance siren and jumping right into the lysergic psychedelic guitar antics that would make Hendrix proud. Jittery fuzz-fueled guitar riffs at breakneck speed and declarative theatrical vocal excesses make this the most outlandish track on what's already one of the most adventurous folk rock experiences of the entire early prog years. Graced with an arsenal of wind instruments, heavy percussive drive including exotic instruments, the track evolves into the ultimate acid trip that the 60s was aiming for but never quite achieved. MICE AND RATS IN THE LOFT provides that final resolution of the era with the perfect mix of melody, drama, energetic drive and diversity of instrumentation along with some freaky little acid trip moments for good measure.

This is one of those albums that takes you a while to wrap your head around. Although fortified with easily digestible melodies of a typical British folk rock act of the era, MICE AND RATS IN THE LOFT takes the ultimate journey into the wild world of progressive folk rock like few others dared. This bold and brash album went virtually unnoticed at the time since the record label did little to promote it but after being rediscovered in the modern age has been deemed one of the most brilliant classics to have emerged out of the fertile progressive folk rock scene that exploded around 1971. This one literally took me years to sink in completely. It didn't start off as the masterpiece i find it these days but once it clicked it has taken on a new life. This one literally blows me away every time i put it on. Without a doubt JAN DUKES DE GREY delivered the most maniacal display of prog folk rock of the era with only Comus' "First Utterance" serving as an even close contender.

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