1972-75

"1972-75" is a compilation release/collection of songs that should have been the second album from Danish progressive rock act The Old Man & the Sea plus a few archive gems. In 1975 The Old Man & the Sea was sadly dropped by CBS Records even before releasing anything on that label and it meant the end of the band as they weren´t able to secure another deal. The album therefore ended up shelved and it wasn´t until 2003 that Karma Music picked it up for a release. When you listen to this album it´s hard to understand why though as the compositions are well written and the musicianship is excellent. Some of the tracks from "1972-75" also appear on the bootleg album titled "The White album" along with some unreleased live songs from when the band re-united for a short period in the 90s.

Stylistically the music on "1972-75" is somewhere between the early symphonic prog of Yes and the more hard rock oriented progressive rock of an artist like Kansas (add a bit of Deep Purple to the mix and you´re just about there). The music is a bit more simple than the music of both Yes and Kansas though. There are many hard rock guitar riffs on the album as well as some very dominant organ playing. One of the greatests assets, other than Tommy Hansen´s excellent organ playing, is the vocals by Ole Wedel who is a very strong singer with a great voice. Tommy Hansen and Knud Lindhard´s backing vocals are also very well performed. All lyrics are sung in English.

All material on the compilation are of a good quality but I have to mention the instrumental and synth dominated "Love 77" as it´s a standout track. "The Sea of Green part 1" and "2" are also pretty special as they are actually a re-arrangement of a track from 1972 where Tommy Hansen has only used the original drum tracks. It´s one of the more progressive songs on the album. "Nasty backbone" is another highlight.

There were several well playing band´s in Denmark in the 70s (artists like Burnin´ Red Ivanhoe, Secret Oyster, and The Savage Rose come to mind), but you can add The Old Man & the Sea to that list. They are a very well playing band. "1972-75" is well produced too and upon conclusion it´s a real shame this album didn´t see the light of day back when it was recorded. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

A hodgepodge assembly of studio tracks culled from demos, live recordings and an unreleased second album that is nevertheless brilliant. The vivacity of the music eclipses the patchwork nature of the collection: thunderous organ lines, relentless energy and a lead vocalist capable of some truly stunning chops. The Sea of Green pts. 1 and 2 are a lost prog masterpiece, maintaining intense emotional tension; Nasty Backbone plays on the softer acoustic side, while The Jam is, predictably, a jam session whose predictability ends at its uninspired moniker. The Old Man and the Sea are a mutually driven organ/guitar outfit, allowing for mouthwatering interplay between instruments. You could power a major city for a year on the energy these guys are capable of composing at their height. Several tolerable-to-good tracks (Elvira, Sadness) are inescapable but enjoyable. Album really picks up towards the conclusion - everything from Sea of Green to Down By the Sea is undiluted prog mastery.

My only experience with this Danish band is their self titled release from 1972 which is for me a 3 star record. So consider me quite surprised to hear a compilation of tracks recorded between 1972 and 1975 that I feel is much better than that debut. This was released in 2003 and we get 15 tracks worth over 67 minutes with the majority of it being that unreleased second album which would have been great along with some stuff from those sessions. Then three songs recorded at a different studio along with that live closer. So a few different lineups and eight musicians in total.

This is just surprisingly consistent with really good compositions, a strong singer and the music is mostly organ or guitar driven. Again I'm into so many of these songs even though it's not the proggiest album I've heard by a long shot. They know how to create memorable melodies which is a talent in itself. And they had my attention right away with that opener that is an experimental soundscape ending with the sound of waves. No structure or vocals. Then were off with "Lady Nasty" an almost 8 minute piece but it's what follows that won me over to this record rather quickly, a couple of spins only really.

The back to back "Elvira(The Night Rider)" and "Sadness" are awesome followed by the adventerous two part "The Sea Of Green". Some killer tunes late with "Roll The Dice", "Down By The Sea", "Love 77" and "The Jam" at over 7 minutes and simply that, a jam. These guys really won me over as well with the slower to mid paced tunes with backing vocals which I normally wouldn't be into but again they have the gift as far as I'm concerned.

This is one of those rare 4 star compilation albums and it's archival to boot!