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Curlew

A Beautiful Western Saddle / The Hardwood

Review by Gary Hill

I’m including this under progressive rock because it’s from Cuneiform Records. I’m not 100 percent sure it fits, though. It’s definitely hard to categorize and quite cool. This is a reissue of an old album and shows of the jazz meets just about everything else sound that this band had. There’s a lot of King Crimson in the mix, but a heck of a lot of other stuff, too. There’s a killer bonus here in terms of a DVD for a second disc. That’s just the icing on the cake, though, as this unique CD is quite cool by itself.

 


This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2010  Volume 5 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Let's Sit Right Down/The Passing

The first half of this is acapella and very much like an old time, down home gospel number. Then it moves out into something akin to jazz with a bit of a Dixieland feeling to it. It’s tasty and slow moving. It gets a bit noisy towards the end.

Such Credentials as Have Become Pseudonym
A rather heavy and noisy piece of fusion weirdness, this is about as cool as it is strange. There are definite hints of King Crimson at times, but it’s a lot more pure fusion than that, too. There is some killer instrumental work on display here and some of the guitar work really does make me think of King Crimson. They fire out into this smoking hot instrumental jam later.
Poem for Gretchen Ruth
This is very much in keeping with a jazz sound, but there’s also a bit of country and gospel in the mix. It’s an unusual piece of music. A drum solo gives way to something that resembles “Pipeline” for a bit, until the horn’s wail takes it into more powerhouse jazz territory. They take it to more rock and roll and then work back to the song proper.
All's Well That Ends
This comes in feeling a bit like Camper Van Beethoven. Gradually it works out to an arrangement that feels to me like the type of progressive rock Jefferson Airplane would have done if they were prog. The violin definitely brings a lot of classical music to the table.
Peking Widow
That classic rock and roll meets jazz texture is on show here. There’s a more proggy movement that serves as part of the chorus. This is very much in a jazz sort of mode, though.
The Prince
Take King Crimson and combine it with a dramatic old rock and show tune kind of sound. This is dramatic and powerful and my favorite cut to this point. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still kind of weird, but it’s extremely cool, too. There is some cool, classically tinged jamming, but there is also a parental warning on the lyrics.
What is Free to a Good Home?
More purely jazzy, there is still plenty of Crimsonian progressive rock on display. There’s actually kind of a cool, albeit odd, groove to this and they take it out for some really strange instrumental play later.
Still Trying
This starts with a very stripped down and rather classical arrangement, but turns out later into one of the coolest grooves of the whole set. It’s a real powerhouse tune, and possibly my favorite of the whole disc.
Breakfast
Starting with a short little bit of talking, this becomes another killer jazzy groove. It’s another of my favorite tracks on show here.
Today
This comes in more stripped down and rather classical in approach. It powers out with a smoking hot guitar solo that’s very much in an old rock and roll mode. This is another powerhouse jam that’s quite tasty.
Song Sung Long
Here’s another cool cut that combines that jazz sort of element with classical and weirdness and weaves into something that’s oddly accessible. A noisy Crimsonian guitar solo wanders over the top later as they take into more of a fusion direction.
Human Weather Words
Mellower and more melodic, this is kind of pretty. Before the two minute mark the rhythm section kicks in and this becomes an incredibly tasty jazz journey. It gets pretty potent as it continues, but eventually drops down to the more stripped down segment that preceded it.
Now Can You Tell Me or Can It Still Be Told?
The same basic musical elements that have made up the bulk of the disc are continued here. This is fun and tasty. Parts of the vocals on this make me think of the more artsy side of Blondie. There’s a killer jazzy instrumental segment later in the piece, too.
Paint Me!
This is mostly a vocal workout, with one line “I’m a dog playing cards,” repeated throughout. Of course, that makes me picture the old black velvet paintings and makes it pretty funny. Actually, this is powerfully arranged and quite cool.
 
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