Canterbury Binge: 2024

[chalkpie]

Caravan - Cunning Stunts
National Health - s/t

I've always just had the 2CD comp of the 3 LPs, so this is the first time I've ever just listened to a single National Health album as released!

The ending to this album is one of my fav fadeouts ever on any album. That closing sequence of chords played by Stewart on organ is purely magical. "Elephants" in general is such a phenomenal piece of music.

Jed - I hear you with the Complete CD set, I used to listen to disc one as almost one album! Check out Of Queues and Cures on its own also - mindblowing.

[calyx]

The ending to this album is one of my fav fadeouts ever on any album. That closing sequence of chords played by Stewart on organ is purely magical. "Elephants" in general is such a phenomenal piece of music.

Here's a montage I made of NH live shots to that section of "Elephants". Enjoy!
https://wp.me/P9s49y-Xf

[Unfrankie Valli]

^ Thanks. Excellent montage, very sensitively matched.

[Piskie]

Taking my Xmas decorations down to the magnificent Of Queues & Cures, already been through Missing Pieces and the first album. Caravan's Land of Grey and Pink has also had a spin in last couple days.

[Munster]

Soft Machine have recently added a nearby town to their UK tour in February so I am off to see them there. I caught their last tour, with John Marshall on drums, at a local venue and that was great. The February concert is something to look forward to.

It also reminded me that there was due to be another Soft Machine album released in 2023 – a 1971 concert extravaganza from the Hennie Onstad Arts Centre. I have the Reel Recordings’ album from one night at the arts centre and was looking forward to the full two-night package. Is it still on for release?

And there was also talk last year of a new John Surman recording and I wondered if that remained on the cards too.

[Munster]

And as for the Gong mega boxset, I now enter my third year of expectation. So let's hope 2024 is THE year for what promises to be an amazing set.

[chalkpie]

Here's a montage I made of NH live shots to that section of "Elephants". Enjoy!
https://wp.me/P9s49y-Xf

Lovely, Aymeric!

[calyx]

It also reminded me that there was due to be another Soft Machine album released in 2023 – a 1971 concert extravaganza from the Hennie Onstad Arts Centre. I have the Reel Recordings’ album from one night at the arts centre and was looking forward to the full two-night package. Is it still on for release?

Yes, in the spring. The delay is due to the vinyl taking much longer to manufacture, so it's had to be planned well in advance. I submitted my liner notes last summer.

[Munster]

Yes, in the spring. The delay is due to the vinyl taking much longer to manufacture, so it's had to be planned well in advance. I submitted my liner notes last summer.

Thanks for the clarification. I assume it will be a four-CD set, but perhaps not so many vinyl discs, as was the case with 2022's Facelift (France & Holland).

[Steve F.]

Four CDs / Four lps

Both formats include everything

[Munster]

Four CDs / Four lps

Both formats include everything

Excellent.

[JKL2000]

And as for the Gong mega boxset, I now enter my third year of expectation. So let's hope 2024 is THE year for what promises to be an amazing set.

Was something planned, beyond the With Love from the Planet Gong set? Or is this just wishful thinking? How many times can I buy the Radio Gnome trilogy?

NP: Soft Machine - Floating World Live

[Piskie]

^^^^^ I'm guessing the Gong box will be live stuff. I have several live sets by then now - must say not sure how many more I need...

Meanwhile I've been listening to Gowen & co's Before A Word is Said, Hillage's Green, & the Arzachel album

[calyx]

I'm guessing the Gong box will be live stuff. I have several live sets by then now - must say not sure how many more I need...

Yes, all live stuff. The musical contents of the box have been ready since September 2022, I guess the delay is due to Jonny Greene getting the booklet/liner notes/visuals together. It's about 30 CDs covering the period 1970-75, but as can be expected most of it will be from 1973-74. But last I've heard, disappointingly, no Bruford. And not much Moerlen - but after all we got a LOT of live stuff with him on the Love from the Planet Gong box.

[JKL2000]

If the musical contents have been set for a long time now, is there a track listing for the set?

[calyx]

If the musical contents have been set for a long time now, is there a track listing for the set?

I don't have it, nor would I be at liberty to share it before an official announcement occurs.

[JKL2000]

I don't have it, nor would I be at liberty to share it before an official announcement occurs.

Fine, I didn't know if one had been announced or not.

[mellotron storm]

Listened to Space Shanty tonight by Khan. Some really nice guitar on this one and like almost all Canterbury albums this record brightens my mood.

[Piskie]

I see another Steve Hillage live album is coming out in February - live in Paris from the 'Open' era. Needless to say I have pre-ordered it. The Open cd (so including the Studio Herald stuff) has grown on me a lot= so looking forward to this one
https://planetgong.co.uk/bazaar/cd/s...79-12-11.shtml

[Batchman]

I see another Steve Hillage live album is coming out in February - live in Paris from the 'Open' era. Needless to say I have pre-ordered it. The Open cd (so including the Studio Herald stuff) has grown on me a lot= so looking forward to this one
https://planetgong.co.uk/bazaar/cd/s...79-12-11.shtml

It lists Dave Stewart on guitar. This is evidently not the same Dave Stewart that Hillage played with in Uriel. Nor is it the Eurythmics or Camel guy.

From https://thevogue.com/artists/dave-stewart :

There are several artists with the name Dave Stewart:

1) Dave Stewart (prefers David A. Stewart) is most renowned as one half of the successful 80s pop duo Eurythmics
2) Dave Stewart is a British keyboardist and former member of Egg, Hatfield and The North, National Health and Bruford, now works with vocalist Barbara Gaskin
3) Dave Stewart is a British drummer with the group Camel
4) Dave Stewart is a British guitarist and vocalist with Steve Hillage’s band

[NogbadTheBad]

You could have a Dave Stewart band where everyone in the band was Dave Stewart

[Piskie]

^^^^^ To confuse things even more, on the The Fire Inside from Open there is a Dave Stewart keyboard solo that I think I saw somewhere as being the Egg Stewart - sounds like him - but we probably need Calyx to clear that one up.

[calyx]

Yes, that’s ‘our’ Dave playing that synth solo - quite recognisably him! The other DS who replaced Christian Boulé in SH’s band was a roadie/engineer who worked at Ridge Farm studios where Steve recorded some of his albums, as did National Health for their 2nd album.

[Piskie]

^^^^ Thank you- a great track- so pleased he did it live when I saw him last year!

[Dave (in MA)]

I decided that I wanted to hear my copy of Short Wave - Live, but rather than go downstairs to grab the CD I figured I'd just listen over Wi-Fi to the ripped CD that I'd put up on my NAS drive, but I couldn't find it. I knew I'd ripped the CD, so I searched for all the versions of Nan True's Hole in my collection, and there it was: under "The Short Waves". I guess I need to pay closer attention to the tags that fill in automatically.