Quintessence - Self (1972) {eclec2076}
Forming right in the middle of the Ladbroke Grove hippie scene, Quintessence were part of the All Saints Hall set that also included Hawkwind, Skin Alley and High Tide. Considered part of the “I’m going to India mob”, they actually did the reverse and brought Eastern mysticism to Notting Hill instead.
Discovered rehearsing in the Grove by Muff Winwood and Chris Blackwell, they recorded three albums for Island and then this, their fourth, for RCA. Recorded at Olympic Studios in 1972, it also includes two elongated live jams. For this release their single Sweet Jesus and its Bside, You Never Stay The Same, have also been added.
Playing gently spaced-out psychedelic freak music, Quintessence were really all about the spirituality of their Indian influences. Where others of their era paid lip service, Quintessence had a sincerity that extended to involvement with the local Ashram community and adopting names appropriate to their interest in Hinduism. This was also reflected in the tranquillity of their music, so that even their more rocking numbers, such as Cosmic Surfer here, have a typically early 70s introspective sense of, as the title suggests, self.
Quintessence were an English band from the Ladbroke scene of the late
sixties and early seventies, that hippy period and style! They played a sort of folk/prog with Indian influences (very evident in the lyrics also) "Self" was their fourth outing and like the former albums there a many improvised long jam like sequences, with excellent guitars to the fore!
Singer Raja Ram, has a warm confident voice that you must surrender to after a few spins. Having mentioned the musical inspiration (Indian among
others), the lyrics deals with spiritualism, jesus, the universe, peace & understanding..time period mentioned....well you get the picture!
Their albums are quite rare these days, but the fine folks at Esoteric has done it again, remastered the original tapes, restored the booklet artwork and added bonus tracks!! Hows that for a re-release?
So dear progsters if the abowe sentences made you smile and you are into soothing music that
has spiritual messages by way of lyrics, flute, tabla, excellent guitars etc.
Then this, first time ever in UK release (on cd) must be yours!!
Tracks...
1. Cosmic Surfer
2. Wonders of the Universe
3. Vishnu Narain
4. Hallelujad
5. Celestial Procession
6. Self
7. Freedom
8. Water Goddess
Bonus tracks:
9. You Never Stay the same
10. Sweet Jesus
Review by Dave Thompson
By 1972, the magical aura that once surrounded Quintessence had long since dissipated, just as the band itself had shed much of the evocative panache that characterized their greatest moments. One more album on the unfamiliar pastures of RCA was not going to correct their decline, but Self emerged a delight regardless, chiefly courtesy of the live second side that caught the band in full flight at Exeter University. Despite being just two songs long (""Freedom"" and ""Water Goddess""), the performance rolls back the years so effectively that the faintly workaday weight of side one is barely even relevant to the album's glory. There, of course, the band's customary blending of Indian mantra and jazzy heartbeats is as eclectic as ever, and the only downside is that the group has not really moved on from its original vision.
Country: UK
Released: 1972
Re-released: 2008
Label: Rca/ Esoteric Recordings
2008 CD Esoteric 2076 Bonus Tracks
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