FAR CANAL

If you'd go all the way to have a complete view over Jody Grind, you'd doubtlessly have to get both of their full works, not just the more important and significant 1969 debut - and perhaps the definitive compilation could go in the basket as well, despite not being truly special. Far Canal is, optimistically, not even a quarter worse than the previous effort, showing the group was plugged to their moody yet also tasty approach of rock till the end - and the pleasure of listening to their leisure expression would surprisingly make it a winner! True, on the other hand, how Far Canal is different from its precedent, not only in the new musicians Tim Hinkley collaborates with, but also in the substantial taste of their style. It's a lightweight album compared to One Step On, but it recovers this essential quality with quite exceptional bits of pieces and with an interesting, at least, music about which to talk about, long after the play is over. And, coming back to the main idea from the first sentences or so, it's nothing else than simply Jody Grind's second work. Not weaker, not less Jody Grind-esque. Simply the second of the batch - and you should definitely choose both for your collection.

The change of musicians is significant (eye-popping, let's say), but Hinkley also kept the concept of Jody Grind well on his shoulders. So what did truly One Step On had that now it's missing well enough from Far Canal, constituting a major difference in style? Par-psychedelic, par-heavy, check; London groove, myeah; jam atmosphere, hazes and creativity, check; brass full sound, double-check. Far Canal, from this point of view, sticks to the late `60s feels (in fact, it sinks often back into it, by its mellow or characteristic songs), and never gets back to the sound of brass-rock that impressed so apart from much of the rest. Otherwise, psychedelics, heavy streams (guitars), a bit of jam here and there, all checked yet again!

Even more #1: if you enjoyed Jody Grind's mix of artistic, eclectic, funky and jammy feelings, here on Far Canal everything is of the same passion. Of course, their music isn't the best to name out of everything from that period, but the certain vintage sound and groove will please enough ears, especially when the band does play, on certain tracks, by the accurate style of those days' Brit psych, pop `n` rock.

Even more #2: if One Step On can be considered proto-progressive, Far Canal surprises with some moments - sadly, only some - that are full-blown progressive - and, generally, the sound will make you think it this way. Apart from this, if it was intentionally or incidentally that the band adapted similar progressive structures as other big bands, in those particular moments, it's by itself a discussion for another full review...

Far Canal is made out of nine pieces, four reaching the top length of over 7 minutes - and, incidentally, 2 out of the 4 are candidates for the best piece of this record. Regarding this, the lack of an epic, similar to the one on the debut, is another thing that creates the difference between the albums. Yet it shouldn't demoralize fans, because, as it's structured, Far Canal is powerful, durable and diverse enough. The first thing to notice is how one of these pieces is a live recording - and the quality of the recording is overall very nice. The album starts with Rock 'n' Roll, which I think it's close or even the same with Rock 'n' Roll Man from One Step On. It anyway copies its quality: that of an unimpressive, unrepresentative cover from this band. Past We've had it, who's only special thing is also unusual: classic guitars (instead, a beautiful vocals song), and past the jammy Bath Sister, that combines nonetheless organ rhythms in the vein of Focus with heavier guitar kicks, Jump Bed Jed is much in Jody Grind's style, the vocal part having interesting lyrics but tad negligent choruses, while the improvisation in the middle part is more worth listening to. Paradiso is a success, with its psychedelic organ consuming sound, with the usual dynamic and powerful guitar improvisations, all on a cycling rhythm that at one point turns into a very repetitive, but cool percussion intermezzo. The live song, Plastic Sh*t goes even back more in time, being blues with melodies a la Hendrix. Squeezed between this and another 7 minutes track, Vegetable Oblivion is a rock filler, but has its soft progressiveness. Red Worms And Lice is yet another fine and complex moment, the organ-guitar/rock-psych combination standing again inside the beat of such a nice piece. Far Canal's - and with that, Jody Grind's - last word is a jazzy, relaxed, lifted on a piano melody Ballad For Bridget. The sensible, vanishing ending of this and the album itself is unusual yet good.

In the end, I'd confess I'm sometimes more pleased with Far Canal than with One Step On (over there, side B is a bit shallow, while a shallow piece here means an easy one or a filler), though it's unadvised to disconsider the debut's epic and brass-rock in comparison with anything from here. Not essential, but good and enjoyable is how it all sounds.