HURDY GURDY-Hurdy Gurdy (1971/2002 Heavy Prog-Psych from Denmark)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Artist: HURDY GURDY
Album: Hurdy Gurdy
Released: 1971 Denmark
CD 2002 Red Fox Records (with two bonus)
Genre: Psychedelic-Heavy Prog
Review:
***Hurdy Gurdy's early-'70s self-titled album is period hard rock with substantial blues-rock influence and some hangover from the psychedelic era. Although Claus Bohling was a virtuosic guitarist (he also plays harmonica and sitar on the record), there's not too much to the songs, which are mostly vehicles for the power trio to spin off riffs owing much to the high-volume wattage of late-'60s Cream, British blues-rock, and particularly Jimi Hendrix. "You Can't Go Backwards" (the sole nongroup original on the album) seems the result of multiple absorptions of Hendrix's "Red House," and while the Indian sounds of "Peaceful Open Space" (on which Bohling plays sitar) make for a change of gear, it's emblematic of the superficial way in which many rock groups tried their hands at raga-rock in passing. Bohling's faintly accented vocals (all in English) are nothing special either. This was an adept power trio, but skill isn't enough to make lasting music; you need to have something to say as well, and Hurdy Gurdy didn't seem to have much./by Richie Unterberger/
Track List:
01 Ride On -Bøhling, Forné 5:07
02 The Giant -Bøhling 4:56
03 Tell Me Your Name -Bøhling, Forné, Otzen 4:25
04 Peaceful Open Space -Bøhling, Otzen 5:16
05 Babels Tower -Bøhling 3:15
06 Spaceman -Bøhling 4:16
07 Lost in the Jungle -Bøhling 8:37 08 You Can't Go Backwards -St.John 3:59
BONUS TRACKS
09 Lost in the Jungle
10 Lend me your Wings
This trio, formed in the late sixties in Copenhagen as Boom Boom Brothers, later abbreviated their name as B.B.Brothers and made at least one single for Sonet. The group was based in London for a while around 1968-69, where they took up their new name Hurdy Gurdy. Among the musicians they befriended was Donovan, who wrote the song "Hurdy Gurdy Man" for them. The intension was that the Danish group should record the song, but Donovan turned out to enjoy the song so much that he recorded it himself and refused to let them use it! Other Hurdy Gurdy recordings from this period are rumoured, but apart from an excellent single on Spectator ("Tick Tock Man"/"Lend Me Your Wings"), none of them have been released.
Their eponymous album for CBS was recorded with Freddy Hansen in the Rosenberg studio, a place where several legendary albums were conceived. This one ranks among the top 10 Danish albums and comprised blues and jazz influenced heavy progressive rock with strong melodies and competent vocals. The trio had obviously heard the first albums by Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Jethro Tull, but also added an Eastern track with tablas and sitar.
Claus Bøhling - vocals, guitars, sitar, harp
Torben Forne - bass
Jens Marqvard Otzen - drums
|
