A STORY ENDED

1. "Future Song" (4:06) almost hard rock--even the vocal (courtesy of bassist Mark Clarke) is unusually aggressive-- especially for something that is supposed to be grounded in Jazz-Rock Fusion. (This is more like Jazz-Rock if anything on the Jazz fringe.) The sax play of bandleader Dick Heckstall-Smith is, of course, supposed to be the featured element of this album, and it is quite prevalent--as is the work of electric guitarist. Powerful, an okay song, but by no means a contribution to J-R Fusion. (8.75/10)

2. "Crabs" (5:12) piano, bass, and drums support vocalist Paul Williams (and Dick's tenor sax) in a Dr. JOHN/LEON RUSSELL/TOM WAITS-like song and vocal performance. When the music moves into upbeat, uptempo mode for the choruses it sounds much more like the music of DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS-led BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS (without the banked horns). Nice creative jazz-rock. (8.875/10)

3. "Moses In The Bullrushourses" (3:41) another song that sounds right out of the Blood, Sweat & Tears or early Joe Walsh catalogue of music. Vocalist Graham Bond gets a little lost and drowned out by the thick weave of music in which he sings. Nice group background vocals from Mark Clarke and Graham (on a second track). Graham's organ play is quite animated as well. (8.75/10)

4. "What The Morning Was After" (5:30) opens sounding like a variation on the opening to John Coltrane's "Acknowledgement" from A Love Supreme. But then the song restarts at 0:35 as an acoustic guitar-based early STEELY DAN-like tune (think "Doctor Wu"). At 2:35 there is even a cool shift into an uptempo BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS/RICHIE HAVENS-like motif (reminding me very much of the first vocal motif and melody line in Steely Dan's "Aja"). A very cool song that I like very much for its idiosyncratic (and eclectic) construct and melody lines. (9.3333/10)

5. "The Pirate's Dream" (11:09) the only song with drum virtuoso Jon Hiseman sitting behind the drum kit. Chris Spedding is also a contributor to this heavy rocker with both prog and jazz-rock tendencies. Next to vocalist Chris Farlowe and bassist Mark Clarke, Dick is the busiest and most impressive performer on this odd journey of a song. The group vocals are also impressive and Graham Bond's presence as organist and Moog contributor is also notable and appreciated. (17.75/20)

6. "Same Old Thing" (6:41) an old-time swamp blues guitar beginning eventually is joined by drums and bass and Paul Williams' gravelly blues rock voice. Dick starts to sneak his sax into the spaces between verbal phrases in the way a blues guitarist does (and Caleb Quaye does in the channel opposite Dick). The tempo and motif switches a little at the two-minute mark and then, less than a minute later, Paul rests, making room for Caleb's classic jazz-blues-rock guitar to solo. Dick takes the next solo starting at 3:48: smooth and melodic with some nice, very solid bass and drums beneath him until the 4:37 mark at which time a second (and third?) saxophone joins in to play off of, take over from, and supplant the previous track. Paul returns to screech and scrawl out the songs finale JOE COCKER style. Very adroitly and creatively done, just not my kind of music. (8.875/10)

Total time: 36:19

I can see (and hear) the reasons for the respect if not love for this album as the musicianship is always at a high, high level and the songwriting is wonderfully creative. This is just not the kind of music that has ever turned me on.

89.05 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition of blues- and jazz-rock-dominated music rendered by an assortment of highly-skilled musicians.

Social review comments

Review related links

• Send comments to BrufordFreak
• Report this review (#3190951)
• Buy DICK HECKSTALL-SMITH music online with PA partners
• Show all DICK HECKSTALL-SMITH MP3/Stream
• Go to DICK HECKSTALL-SMITH page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to A Story Ended page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for DICK HECKSTALL-SMITH related discussions