AUDIENCE

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This London quartet recorded their debut album with the large label Polydor (Phillips), but for some reason the record got pulled from the stores soon after its release and is now a much sought-after collector's item. The album had received a first Cd reissue with the German TRC, but for some reasons, the album was only lasting some 28 minutes. Released again nowadays, the full album is present as well as three bonus tracks, but I am not positive of the legitimacy of this release or its label. Nevertheless it is nice to hear Audience's debut even if we are far from their next two albums, which are masterpieces of the British proto-prog scene. The lest we can say is that this album is a bit naïve (is that really a flaw) and lacks a bit musical direction (on the other hand, this.), but holds enough charm to allow its weaknesses go easily forgiven.

Audience developed a blues-derived proto-prog that had two main characteristics, guitarist Howard Werth's voice (which can sound like VdGG and Gnidrolog's voices) and Keith Gemmell's many wind instruments. Tracks like the opening Banquet (this has the power of future records), the superb Heaven Was An Island (with its great percussive intro leading to a sizzling sax and wild lyrics), the dreamy Maiden's Cry (plaintive yet riveting with its sax approaching VdGG's Jackson), the solemn Leave It Unsaid and a first version of House On The Hill are all excellent tracks indicating the greatness of their future oeuvres.

Other tracks like Poet (cool flute), Waverley Stage Coach (too bluesy), River Boat Queen (weird, not unpleasant but highly surprising with its strings in the background), Harlequin (a bit of a filler), the forgettable and brassy Too Late etc. are slightly weaker

The three bonus tracks do not really hinder the album's running (except for the closer that is really not of good recording quality - and its origin not explained), but do not add much in value either as they do not range in their better tracks. But in some ways they are related to the song Ebony Variations from their second albums by presenting an underlying jazz facet that surfaces now and again.

Yes this debut is hardly representative of Audience's blistering and sizzling hard-bluesy prog of their future Friend's Friend's Friend and its better-known successor House On The Hill. But if you loved those two albums enough, this one will also please you because the nascent Audience sound is there, with their power musical powers waiting to be unleashed. Because of this album's quick disappearance from the market, you will find many of the ideas getting a second chance (under different names mostly) over the following two albums, making this album sounds sometimes like a demo. Your call on this one.

This is one of the most pleasent surprises I´ve had all year, when it comes to prog rock. I never heard of Audience before and what a shame that was.

Audience is a british band playing a blues based prog rock variant ( very american sounding really). Don´t let the blues scare you away though, as this is much more diverse than that. The music is pretty normally radio rock structured so it´s not here you find prog tendencies. It´s more in the choice of moods and chord changes. The music is driven mainly by lead singer Howard Werth ( he has a very impressive voice. Very distinct) and the wind and brass player Keith Gemmell. In some of the songs ( River Boat Queen and Pleasant Convalescense) strings are the most dominant instrument. The three basic instruments bass, guitar and drums play really basic things, allthough the guitar does have it´s moments.

This is not your average day prog rock, so don´t expect too much technical or symphonic sounding playing from Audience. What you get though is a well playing band with a very diverse style within their concept of bluesy prog rock. If you listen to this album, please don´t discard of it before you have listened to the first four songs, then you´ll understand what this great band is capable of.

I´ll be looking forward to listening to the next two Audience albums, as I understand that they are the most praised ones from their discography. This one is a forgotten gem.

You've been a great Audience

Audience's fifteen minutes of fame came when they released their masterpiece album, "House on the hill" on Charisma Records. They had however been around for some time before that, and this eponymous album, originally released by Polydor records, goes back to where it all started.

Deciding to adopt the name Audience, rather than persist with the laborious Lloyd Alexander Blues Band from whom they emerged, the band recorded this album in early 1969. "Audience" is a typical album by a band desperately trying to find their direction. That is not to say there is nothing of value here, there most certainly is. The unique voice of Howard Werth is not fully exploited, but songs such as the opening "Banquet" would have sounded OK on "House on the hill".

Thereafter we have the anonymous soft pop of "Poet", the upbeat folk blues of "Waverley stage coach" and the Stackridge (whom Keith Gemmell would later join) like folk parody of "River boat queen". The last of those is the most interesting, the arrangement having definite prog nuances.

"Heaven was an island" supposedly contains incisive political lyrics by Trevor Williams, but the slurred, semi-shouted vocal delivery of Werth makes them all but indecipherable. The track actually sounds rather Family like, with some jazzy improvised sax as the instrumental break. There are other early hints of the jazz rock which would come to the fore on later albums, especially through the wind instruments of Keith Gemmell.

"Maidens cry" reportedly inspired part of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to heaven", Audience having supported the Zepsters in 1969. The song is a fine, moody piece with notable harmonies and confident sax. The final track on the original album is an early version of "House on the hill", a song the band would substantially rework when recording their third album ("House on the Hill"). The version here is totally recognisable though, and one of the highlights of the set.

The recent and somewhat overdue CD release of the album (called "Audience, the first album") has a few additional tracks from the period. "Paper round" is a lightweight Traffic pop like number which features a nice change of pace midway. "Troubles" was the first song written by Werth, when he was 15 years old. Only the backing track was recorded around the time of this album, so Werth recorded the vocals for it in the mid 1990's for this re-release. "The going song" is a track from the incidental music recorded by the band for a film called "Bronco bullfrog", the music never having been previously released.

Incidentally, the version of "Too late, I'm gone" included here is not that which appeared on the original album, but one which features Mike D'Abo on piano. The inclusion of this version was at the behest of Howard Werth, who assures us that the differences are otherwise minimal.

In all, a mainly pop orientated debut, but one which contains regular and transparent indications of what would follow. The quality of the songs, the performances, and the arrangements all combine to confirm that this is an ambitious band with the talent to turn those ambitions into success.