QUIET SUN

The proggiest effort by Manzanera came to life on this album with a short-lived lineup "Quiet Sun". It is often overlooked by those focusing on primary music output by Manzanera/Eno. Not for MacCormick as he was the most versed in Canterbury out of all here. The unknown Jarrett takes most of the keyboard duties and does it well but not getting into a conflict with the shining Manzanera. All tracks are adventurous, be it the energetic Canterbury workouts such as "Bargain classics" or quiet reflection on "RFD". If we compare this to "801 live" that came out in the same year, this one is more instrumental oriented, dynamic and progressive rock oriented, the other one having two cover versions (good ones, fortunately) and contains Eno- penned tracks which are decent. Listen to both to make your decision. All that remains to be said at the end is "Wow how tightly these lad could play!"

For many years I thought Quiet Sun was a spinoff of Roxy Music and Matching Mole, but in reality this group predated those groups having formed in 1970. But then they broke up before anything was recorded with Phil Manzanera going on to Roxy Music and Bill MacCormick to Matching Mole. Dave Jarrett was (and still is) an unknown to me, I know little of him, and Charles Hayward was later in This Heat. By 1975 Quiet Sun reunited likely because Phil made it big with Roxy Music, and Bill in Matching Mole, while obviously nowhere as commercially successful as Roxy Music, had their devoted fans thanks to Robert Wyatt devotees and fans of the Canterbury scene in general.

Mainstream was their only album, released on Island's HELP budget subsidiary (has that black label with the pink "i", a throwback to the 1969-'70 pink label but in reverse) and it's pretty ironic to name it mainstream as it's not particularly mainstream. It's a Canterbury album, think of a more rock-edge Hatfield & the North at times and that's what you get, hard-edged guitar playing from Phil Manzanera, and Dave Jarrett providing organ and electric piano. Eno provides some electronic treatment, I think I hear a little on "Mummy was an Asteroid, Daddy was a Non-Stick Kitchen Utensil" (humorous title that could have easily been on a Hatfield & the North album). "Bargain Classic", and "Mummy Was an Asteroid" shows the more rocking side of the band, while "R.F.D." is dominated by rather dreamy sounding electric piano which is pretty common in the Canterbury scene. "Rongwrong" is full of great arrangements but my least favorite piece on the album as there are vocals demonstrating Charles Hayward is a drummer, vocals not exactly his strong point. Luckily they are sparse but this is one album that would get the full five stars if it were 100% instrumental, or perhaps Eno sings on "Rongwrong", because while he isn't the greatest singer, I had no trouble hearing his voice. Regardless this album is a classic and really deserved to be heard!

Quiet Sun is absolutely Canterbury Scene musique. Everything is covered in this fuzzy tone and the percussion has so much energy

Compared to other similar bands the music here is somewhat dark and propelled not by keys but guitar. A mostly instrumental affair each track offers a delight for the ear.

Sol Caliente is a Manzara tune so one should rightfully expect guitar led music. A strong opener it maintains an identity revolving around the riffing of guitar with enough turns/twists to make the track quite sublime.

Trumpets With Motherhood seamlessly begins when Sol Caliente ends and consists of a very pretty piano line in addition to the previous songs instruments. It functions as like an outgrowth as it does not segue into the next song.

Bargain Classics opens sparsely with percussion then more is added until what I believe is a fuzz organ explodes onto the scene. A brief calm takes over then organ and guitar come to play the theme which afterwards is subsumed by a space tinged part then return to the theme. Lovely.

In true Canterbury fashion RFD just starts when Bargain Classics ends, blurring the lines between songs. This one is much more calm, very beautiful string synth and crystalline keys add some really fantastic variety to the album.

Mummy Was An Asteroid? has a long name. Anyways the song returns to the dark atmosphere with electrified guitar, swelling wind fx and gothic keys. Lots of fun stuff in this one, a very well rounded song.

The next track is Trot which starts with silence for a second (might just be on Spotify) then a quiet e piano arpeggio occurs over which the band plays. Eventually, it vanishes so the keyboard can do something else. Boy is it pretty when the piano comes. It has that effervescent Jazz flavour that exudes cool and is supported so tenderly by the bass. Towards the end the guitar stars in a screaming solo.

With a definitive end on the last track, Rongwrong begins. It kicks off with fuzz guitar or organ (their hard to tell apart!) and piano. This then becomes a cool piano section of sorts for song then the singing comes in. It's delivered in the Canterbury School for sure, very relaxing and pretty catchy. You get a bass solo on this track too, good stuff although after the bass/piano duet part I don't quite love some of the singing that closes the song.

Overall this a wonderful addition to the Canterbury Scene and definitely a super strong release worth hearing in my opinion. Also these same guys released more music under the name Level 47 I believe. It's not the same but I think still worth checking out. Canterbury Sound Score 5/5

Review Nº 423

Quiet Sun was an English prog rock band from the Canterbury Scene. It was originally formed around Dulwich College in 1970 as a four piece progressive rock band featuring Phil Manzanera (guitar), Bill MacCormick (bass), Charles Hayward (drums), and Dave Jarrett (keyboards). The band's name came out from an article on sunspots and solar flares that MacCormick's brother, Ian, had been reading, called "The Year Of The Quiet Sun". In 1971, Manzanera left to join Roxy Music, MacCormick joined Matching Mole, Jarrett went into teaching, and Hayward joined to Gong. Three years later, Manzanera was riding high on Roxy Music and decided to reform Quiet Sun while spending the latter part of 1974 working on a solo album to be known as "Diamond Head". Manzanera booked 12 hour studio days, recording his solo album for eight and Quiet Sun for four, resulting in "Mainstream". The group mostly re-recorded the songs they had rehearsed back in 1970, though several songs from that time instead found their way onto "Diamond Head", including "Frontera". Both albums formed the basis of much of the "801" live shows, which featured Manzanera and MacCormick.

So, coordinating those sessions meant long nights, excellent brew, and cross-collaboration with both Roxy Music's alumni as well as reconvening the old band to reinvent song arrangements and create something fresh. "Mainstream" shows the quartet as anything but a conventional rock act, struggling to establish a unique identity but in the best possible fashion. This album is clearly the other side of the musical coin with distinct variations on "Diamond Head".

Bearing sonic similarities with "Diamond Head", "Mainstream" is a far more unusual affair. The songs and understated nature of the project made the recording almost a tribute to the previous incarnation of the band with hints of the "801 Live" to be. At times the songs feel improvised and in other times move in multiple directions at once. They're carefully thought out pieces. Manzanera's guitar shrieks and screams while the band engages in some tricky, jazzy playing underneath. Like modern jazz, each player's part is inventive and worth individual attention. Yet, like rock, it well rocks.

"Mainstream" is the first and only album of Quiet Sun and was released in 1975. "Mainstream" has seven tracks. The first track "Sol Caliente" is a real classic track and defines most of the rest of the album. It has some accurate keyboard sounding of the soil and extremely wrapped guitar carvings. The second track "Trumpets With Motherhood" has a soft Hayward fusion background that is enriched by the synth oddities of the wizard Brian Eno, who was invited to the studio by the band. The third track "Bargain Classics" is a bright and interesting experimental track. It's a tripped out percussion driven Jarrett's composition that sealed the deal for me as far as my ranking of this album is concerned. I really love this track. The fourth track "R.F.D." has an absolutely astounding crystal sound. It's a mellow drifting song with nice keys and synths. This is a great tune for a true classic Canterbury title, if there ever was only one classic Canterbury title. The fifth track "Mummy Was An Asteroid, Daddy Was A Small Non-Stick Kitchen Utensil" is a great track due to the work of both, keyboardist Jarrett and Manzanera's playing. It's nowhere near as wacky as its title might suggest. Instead it's a guitar shrunk fest with glittering Caravan's styled keyboard runs. All delivered in an aggressive "Starless And Bible Black" era King Crimson's style. Demos of the band's early works which were sent to various record labels of the day are included, as well as the rejection slips, which further reveals Jarrett as the Mike Ratledge acolyte he truly was. The sixth track "Trot" has a lovely piano solo of Jarrett. It has some nice dynamics changes too, like going from a Steinway part to a screaming guitar riff. Jarrett uses the Steinway grand piano, but also the Rhodes and the Farfisa, which he mixes very well. The seventh track "RongWrong" has always been an oddity among oddities. It bears almost no similarity to a same named track from "801 Live" album. That latter version has straightforward vocals, courtesy of Brian Eno, but the one on "Mainstream" is, like everything else on this difficult, yet but wonderful prog rock album, primarily instrumental. When the vocals appear, they're quite different, both in content and delivery.

Conclusion: For me, albums like "Mainstream" and the other British jazz-rock groups provided a stepping stone into jazz proper. They also got me listening to American prog jazz/rock artists like Weather Report, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny. "Mainstream" is thankfully no longer "a lost gem", as many others, as many still refer to it, and Quiet Sun was a missed opportunity for the music industry at the time, and by 1972 they were no more. Thanks to Phil Manzanera's fame with Roxy Music, we have this fitting tribute to a highly talented bunch of musicians, and I for one will keep on going back to play it many times as I want. "Mainstream" is more than 40 years old, but "Mainstream" is still an enjoyable album to listen to. I think "Mainstream" is a little more spacey and a little more symphonic, than the usual Canterbury masterpieces. So, I recommend this album to all prog rock fans. "Mainstream" is really a great album.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

QUIET SUN were a short-lived, British Jazz-Rock combo. Their line-up included Phil Manzanera (of Roxy Music fame) on guitar. Their one and only album "Mainstream" (1975) has been described as Canterbury Scene music, although none of the London- based band members are actually from the city of Canterbury. After all, Canterbury Scene is more of a musical description than a geographical location. Although Quiet Sun split up in 1972, Phil Manzanera got the band together again in 1975 for a one-off studio session and this album was the result. Renowned record producer and former member of Roxy Music, Brian Eno, participated in the making of the album, although he wasn't credited as the album's producer. The 2011 CD reissue of "Mainstream" included five bonus tracks added to the original seven mostly instrumental pieces on the album. So, what can we expect from Quiet Sun's "Mainstream" album? One suspects that the band were being a little bit ironic with the "Mainstream" choice of album title. Is it going to be mainstream music or something a little more offbeat? Well, let's find out.

It's sunny side up for the 7-minute-long opening number "Sol Caliente" (Spanish for "Hot Sun"), a warm and inviting sunburst of fuzzy guitar-driven, psychedelic Jazz-Rock. This long uptempo instrumental piece really gives the musicians a chance to shine in a psychedelic jazz guitar freak out, with a nifty keyboard player in his element and with the drummer pounding away on his kit with frenetic energy as if his life depends on it. It's not exactly a toe-tapper, because your feet could hardly keep up with the frantic pace of this upbeat and offbeat piece of music with its unusually complex time signature, so just lie back and enjoy it. There's more funky fusion on the way with "Trumpets with Motherhood". It's anybody's guess what this bizarrely- titled piece of music is all about, because it's another instrumental number. You might at least be expecting to hear some trumpets though in a piece of music titled "Trumpets with Motherhood", but no, there's not a toot of a brass trumpet horn to be heard anywhere, because this is another uptempo fuzzy guitar and electric piano combination. It's less than two minutes long though so there's barely time to nip out the room and make a cup of tea, so you may as well stick around for the next number, "Bargain Classics". You're unlikely to find this rare album in the bargain classics section of your local store though, as it's a pretty hard album to get hold of these days. So, what does the music sound like you may well ask. Well, it's a very offbeat and "off-piste" piece of music in a highly irregular time signature, which is intricately complex and fascinating to put it kindly, but which is all over the place, to put it unkindly. It all depends on your point of view: if you're an aficianado of Jazz Fusion, then you may go into rhapsodies of delight upon hearing this musical mayhem, but on the other hand, if Jazz-Fusion is not your thing, then you may want to skip to the next piece of music, which is "R.F.D.". The meaning of the initials "R,F.D." are shrouded in mystery, but this is a pleasantly soothing, laid-back mellow number to close out Side One, so lie back, relax, and let the music play as the cares of the day drift away, because this gorgeous piece of music is like a bright ray of sunshine on a hot sandy beach.

Side Two opens with one of the most bizarrely-titled pieces of music of all time: "Mummy was an Asteroid, Daddy was a Small Non-Stick Kitchen Utensil". It's just as well it's an instrumental piece, because if this song had lyrics, they'd probably make no sense at all, although that's never been a problem in the wierd and wonderful world of prog, where just about anything goes when it comes to song lyrics. Anyway, back to the music we have here, and it's another intense and fast-paced Jazz-Fusion freak out, which is *almost* as freaky as the track title implies, but don't let that put you off, because the music is very impressive. It's also pretty wild and "finger-licking" good, so be prepared to hear some fast and furious acid guitar riffs. We're off at a "Trot" for Song No. 6 now, a 5-minute-long piece of uptempo Jazz-Fusion which gallops along nicely to bring us to the closing piece of music on the album, "Rongwrong". It's another bizarre track title in an album full of peculiar and offbeat track titles, and at times, peculiar and offbeat music to match. "Rongwrong" is the longest song on the album at nearly 10 minutes in duration. It's also the first real song on the album, as it actually includes lyrics for the first time. If you think the song title is bizarre though, take a look at these off-the-wall lyrics:- "I'm looking in my little black book, to see if I was right or rongwrong, within the confines of whoremonger logic, to even try to sing this song. I could have asked the I Ching, but that would have taken up too much time, And with the time before fall, I didn't see there was no time to lose, If things got bad it could always turn into a blues, Like they do back home on the Delta ? grunt and groan." ..... Confused? You will be! Never mind the lyrics though, what about the music? It's joyful, uplifting and exuberant, but also quite offbeat, which is just what we've come to expect by now from an album that is a little bit off the beaten track.

This Canterbury Scene album of Jazz-Rock/Fusion is certainly not "Mainstream" and it may not be to everyone's taste, but it is pretty good and definitely worth a listen. One can't help feeling though, that the album could have been better if most of the tracks had included vocals instead of just the final song on the album. It certainly would have made the music more memorable if most of the tracks had included lyrics. That said, if you're heavily into Jazz-Fusion, then this rare long-lost album might be right up your street.

Quintessential Canterbury sound.

This one-off album of a reformed Quiet Sun band is very enjoyable. The title is tongue-in-cheek. Once you put it on, it becomes evident right away that the band had no intentions of using it to establish a career, score a hit single, or anything. There is no pretense of this album having any meaning, other than the group wanting to record it for posterity. I don't find it especially original, although it has sufficient numbers of odd time signatures, fuzzy/jazzy solos, and fun quirky musical humour (one totally imagines bemused and bespectacled musicians) that mark it as quintessential Canterbury scene in style. Indeed, it even has the drummer singing like Hastings/Wyatt! (albeit sparingly thankfully - most of the album is instrumental, and the vocal is the weakest part of the music). On the whole, this is recommended. It is enjoyable all the way through, and flows well. But it is not the missing holy Canterbury grail, and does not match the best of the Canterbury scene (early Softs, Caravan, Hatfields, etc). I give it 8.0 out of 10 on my 10-point scale, which places it just inside the 4 PA rating.

Quiet Sun is a one-album project by big names before they were very big. Music on "Mainstream" could be best described as eclectic jazz-rock. Soft Machine and Gong influences first come to mind. You soon find out that Quiet Sun's music is much more than that. The music is mainly based on psychedelic jazz jams with "odd" time signatures, very typical of so called Canterbury sound. Other detectable flavors include those of Henry Cow with a hint of Mike Oldfield-esque ambience in some places.

It took me quite a few listens to find out what is the deal with this album. At times I still do not feel like the music leads to anywhere. However, that can be forgiven. The material on this work indeed is very complex and will only be properly digested by experienced prog fans (and even some of those might not find it enjoyable). The listener is quickly soaked in by difficult jams, that seem familiar. Namely, Phil Manzanera's fuzzy guitar tone is very much like the one heard on Hatfield And the North's debut album. Fuzz organ a la Mike Ratledge and Dave Stewart are also to be heard on "Mainstream". And (again) fuzz bass is a sign of clear inspiration of Hugh Hopper and Mont Campbell. The band draws countless amounts of beautiful musical textures, thanks to skilled use of many keyboard instruments and synthesizers, some of which were played by Brian Eno. The rhythm section provides the excellent canvas for the rest of the band to paint on it. "Rongwrong" is for me the best piece on the album with a bit more structure than other pieces, while "Sol Caliente" is the true essence of the album - featuring jazz rock jams with a taste of psychedelia.

The album is a really difficult work, a complex piece of art. Still, after aproximately 5 listens to the whole album, I find it very demanding. Naturally, it won't please newcommers. However, it should find itself on a shelf of every prog nut. Recommended!!!

QUIET SUN is a strange little beast. The jazz-fusion band existing in the Canterbury Scene was one of the few to incorporate highly distorted rock guitar in its sound. The band actually started under the ridiculous Pooh And The Ostrich Feather moniker in 1970. The band's existence has everything to do with Robert Wyatt who with Bill McCormick the bassist brought this idea into fruition. MAINSTREAM is the first and only offering from this band which formed and disbanded and then reunited and because of Phil Manzanera's success in Roxy Music allowed this group to reform and record these ideas and finally release this wonderful musical magic in 1975.

The band consisted of percussionist old-school friend Charles Hayward (This Heat, Mal Dean's Amazing Band, Radar Favourites, Dolphin Logic), bassist Bill MacCormick (Matching Mole, Robert Wyatt, 801 w/ Manzanera, Eno, etc) and of course, Phil Manzanera, who is most famous for his lead guitar work in Roxy Music but is also less famous for his Latin American music hailing from Colombia and Venezuela. This album, however, was his very first collaborative effort and what a beautiful one it is.

While MAINSTREAM incorporates all those wonderful, delectable sounds that make up the Canterbury scene of jazz-rock fusion like the beautiful jazz-rock offerings of Hatfield and the North, QUIET SUN offers some serious rock guitar to the mix above and beyond the call of duty. It didn't hurt that Brian Eno participated in the project as well as long time music critic and Nick Drake popularizer Ian MacDonald who not only contributed as a lyricist with QUIET SUN but also lent his vehement support of the band's credentials in the progressive musical world.

Really, how can you go wrong with such progressive classics titled "Mummy Was An Asteroid, Daddy Was A Small Non-Stick Kitchen Utensil"? The Canterbury scene is here in full swing with the addition of excellent guitar contributions. The musicianship is absolutely brilliant and the tracks may need a bit of time to grow on you but ultimately they have won me over big time. This is an album that whispers in my ear that it's time to hear it again.

When i ordered this i expected a simple original album format but i ended up with the 2011 remastered version that is in a strange form of a booklet that explains the entire history of the band and although it doesn't fit neatly in the midst of my CD collection, it does present itself as a standout amongst the crowd in not only packaging but also in its unique approach of incorporating the Canterbury Scene with the hard rock that dominated the mid-70s. I, for one, find this to occupy a unique niche in all of music history at a particular time and place. The irony is that this album which was an idea of the earliest of 70s almost never came to be. I am grateful that it did because it is one beauty in the making.

Before I leave this lifetime I must stand up and post a review of this horrid album--an album I bought back in the 70s and immediately disliked but which, as I do with all of my purchases, I deigned to return to, to give it another chance, always thinking that my tastes, maturity, or musical knowledge would help me to better appreciate the "genius" of this work that so many others extoll.

1. "Sol Caliente" (7:34) nice playing from all members except the grating sound of the second guitarist's rhythm stokes. Melodically the song never really gets into the ear (maybe it's not meant to--what with the experimental scales and chromatic devices practiced in the jazz world in those days). (8/15)

2. "Trumpets With Motherhood" (1:47) a cacophony of sound effects thrown into the wind for a couple minutes. (2/5)

3. "Bargain Classics" (5:48) Are the dreamy keys and/or angular rhythms of this song somehow expected to help us forget or wash away the waste of time and mental disturbance of the previous song that eventually emerges out of the chaos. Not for me! It remains silly, soporific, and self-indulgent. A song that adds nothing positive to my world. (8/10)

4. "R.F.D." (3:23) keys and guitar effects drawn out much longer than they need be. Another odd presence on this album. (7/10)

5. "Mummy Was An Asteroid, Daddy Was A Small Non-Stick Kitchen Utensil" (6:00) interesting for the solo of its odd-sounding keyboard, while structurally it's first two minutes are boring in their straightforwardness. The Fender Rhodes' "Riders on the Storm" keyboard chord progression is distracting from the raunchy, grating rawness of the lead guitar(s). (Why does Manzanera get two tracks for two separate leads?) The rest of the band--drums, bass, and other keys--perform very nicely, with great unity. (8.75/10)

6. "Trot" (5:18) multi-layers of keyboards offset from one another make this song interest--which is hard since the dentist drill sound that Manzanera has chosen is outright obnoxious. Who is Dave Jarrett? He is talented. His work on this jazzy song are the highlight. People love Phil Manzanera's guitar work! I just can't get past the jarring, grating sounds he chooses. And they call this "Canterbury" style music?!?! Go figure! (8.5/10)

7. "RongWrong" (9:34) the lone epic of the album, it opens strongly and then denigrates itself by lurching into a cheezy, syrupy electric piano solo. Phil Miller-like guitar leads a transition into a kind of rudimentary Elton John-like pop section over which male singer opens his delivery. Singer Chris Hayward must have been the only volunteer to take on these duties as he is not very good--not very rehearsed and definitely not of polished singing voice. (Again: Maybe I just don't get it; maybe it's supposed to be bad--for some desired effect that only the British could appreciate.) Bass solo over piano and organ in the middle. Back to the pop song arrangement for the eighth minute. At least the lyrics are fairly loose extemporaneous in the Canterbury tradition. (Was it a tradition?) Sounds so 60s-ish. (17/20)

Three stars; good but not an essential or even necessary listening experience. I'd even go so far as to call it "forgettable." Still, these were professionals; they made a serious (I think) attempt at releasing a sellable album.

Quiet Sun - Mainstream (1975)

This album didn't meet my expectations, it is much better.

Quiet Sun is one-album Canterbury group with the well known guitar-player Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music, Brian Eno, 801) as leading member. Though I don't have any interested in the music of Roxy Music, I do have an interest in Canterbury classics like this one. Charles Hayward provides some of the most exciting & inventive drums (think of tight up-tempo jazz, rock power & classical bombast) I have in my collection and keyboard-player Dave Jarett has that perfect slightly distorted, angelic Fender Rhodes sound when he isn't using that typical distorted organ sound that became such a recognizable feature of the Canterbury sound. Finally, bass-player Bill MacCormick has as strong grove and powerful jazz-rock sound with a strong low pitched attack. In addition, Brian Eno is mentioned for 'treatments & oblique strategies' whatever they may mean. Perhaps he helped the band to get the amazing sound it has.

The strategy of Quiet Sun is a real winner for me. There are enough recognizable features to name this a full-blown Canterbury album; short repetitive melodies within a heavy jazz-rock styled setting, distorted organs, long instrumental compositions, a bit of fun (though way more subtle then in for instance Hatfiel and the North), silly names for instrumental compositions and that type of fast grove that has an hypnotic element to it that seems to have been reserved for the Canterbury musicians. The winning factor is however the way Quiet Sun managed to mix these musical elements with raw progressiveness, an almost King-Crimson-like relentlessness artistic vision on heavy, dissonant (slightly avant-garde) progressive rock. Furthermore, the sound of the Polydor vinyl is brilliant and some inventive ways of amplification of a specific set of sounds really gets me in the most exciting moods. The final element is surprisingly heavy guitars of Manzanera that in some cases reach the level of heavy metal, though not presented as such in the mixing. To be conclusive; serious Hatfield meets the best of Larks Tongues in Aspic.

The first six compositions are all 100% winners for. Exciting, mind-blowing, fast, original and intensive. The only problem is the last track Rongwrong, on which the composition is of lower level of brilliance and the vocals of Hayward are at best disappointing. The track seems to be produced less good and I can't find the enthusiasm that treated the other tracks so well. To be honest, I would have preferred a 30 minute record without this song.

Conclusion. The first six tracks provide us of the highest level of heavy progressive rock in the Canterbury style that is possible. Perhaps a bit to edgy for the collector of classic symphonic prog, but for those who perceive their taste as leaning towards the eclectic prog this is one of the most rewarding releases I found so far. Though I'm to to happy about the last track on the album, I'm still going to give this album five stars because of the intense brilliance and artistic freedom expressed on the other tracks of this both classic and obscure record.

By the way, beautiful cover artwork! I enjoy just looking at this record.