WERE ONE OF THE GREATEST PROG BANDS OK¬

BYE

Week of August 4, 2002

Gravy Train

Personnel:

Norman Barrett - vocals, guitar
Barry Davenport - drums
J.D. Hughes - woodwind, keyboards, vocals
Les Williams - bass, vocals
Russell Cordwell - drums
Jim Frank - drums
George Lynon - guitar
Pete Solley - synth
Mary Zinovieff - synth, violin

Albums:
Gravy Train (Vertigo 6360 023) 1970
Ballad Of A Peaceful Man (Vertigo 6360 051) 1971
Second Birth (Dawn DNLS 3046) 1973
Staircase To The Day (Dawn DNLH 1) 1974
All reissued on CD by Repertoire (REP 4063-WP, 4122-WZ, 4164-WZ and 4133-WP respectively) 1991.

45s:
Strength Of A Dream/Tolpuddle Episode (Dawn DNS 1036) 1973
Starbright Starlight/Good Time Thing (Dawn DNS 1058) 1974
Climb Aboard The Gravy Train/Sanctuary (Dawn DNS 1115) 1975

Starting like your typical Vertigo act, Gravy Train's first album sounds faintly like early http://www.jethrotull.com/ - Jethro Tull , mainly due to similar flute lines, but without a dominating personality like Ian Anderson. Hard-rock riffing is alternated with more quiet and melodic moments and the flute is high in the mix throughout. The tracks are not at all "folky" as some dealers' lists describe them. Some of the music sounds like any old power trio. A nice track is "Dedication To Syd" (Barrett), a quiet but highly atmospheric experimental piece. Much better is the surprisingly rare second album for Vertigo. The solos are tighter and more controlled and the compositions are better. It is also less bluesy, very crisply produced and features good multi-part singing, greatly enriching their textures. They also try a track with a hook, the lovable "Home Again". Lack of commercial success drove them away from Vertigo and into the arms of Dawn, while gigging all over the country to create a following. The result, "Second Birth", is not very satisfying and actually sounds like a step backwards. Although more diversely arranged than either Vertigo album, the songs lack distinction and verve, making this sound like an attempt to please too many people simultaneously.

Their swansong, housed in a Roger Dean cover and with a revised line-up, starts with the very best cut they made, "Starbright Starlight", a blistering piece of melodious hard-rock, that sets the standard for similarly inclined music (though not many may have heard it, of course). The rest of the album isn't up to the same standard, but the title track with its Bach-derived intro and an unexpected foray into Greek folk, is good too. All in all, a band that plays well, but has too few original ideas to be of more than passing interest. 

(Marcel Koopman)
Taken from The Tapestry of Delights - The Comprehensive Guide to British Music of the Beat, R&B, Psychedelic and Progressive Eras 1963-1976, Vernon Joynson   ISBN 1 899855 04 1

Velvetclown wrote: More like Lumpy Gravy

f**kING IDIOT

Karnevil9 wrote: Velvetclown wrote: More like Lumpy Gravy  f**kING IDIOT

Now now, Karn, thats a little harsh..

Never heard of them, but I see they have a Roger Dean cover. Thats a good start! I'll have to investigate. So many bands, so little time..

Kinda reminds me of Les McQueen of Creme Brulee fame! (League Of Gentlemen-BBC TV Comedy)

Poor Les... he was once a member (rhythm guitarist) of the band Crème Brulee, and how he likes to look back and pine for his "nearly there" rockstar days. Crème Brulee did the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981, and was nearly signed to Pickwick in '76. Their big hit was "Voodoo Lady" In the Second Series, Les learns that Crème Brulee has reformed and is touring. He goes to their show, where he sees that they have found a replacement for him ) Lead singer Tony Cluedo doesn't even recognize him. When he learns from Tony that Brulee was going to make a comeback but the funding fell through, he offers his redundancy. He arrives in full uniform for the press-conference, only to discover that he's been had. Has a job at the St. Mary of Bethlehem Hospital helping the elderly and disabled. He occassionally fills in for the hospital's DJ.In series 2 he shirks his responsibilities to sit up and play Crème Brulee records all night, and some "loonies" escape from the ward... Quotes: It's a sh*t business I’d walk in a urinal and heads would turn! Heeeeeyyyyyy...