FUZZY DUCK

Made up of former members past-and-present from the likes of early psych-and-prog bands Five Day Week Straw People, Andromeda, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown and The Greatest Show On Earth, North London's Fuzzy Duck came and when in the blink of an eye, leaving behind a single, self-titled, Cream-and-Deep Purple-inspired slice of heavy-style prog-rock that to this day remains one of the most valuable and sought after vinyl releases of the last fifty years. According to legend, only 500 copies of 'Fuzzy Duck' were actually pressed, and the album was lost in the midst of rock 'n' roll time until German label Repertoire Records reissued the record in a special edition mini vinyl-replica sleeve in the late 1990's, thus re- invigorating interest in this most obscure of records. Indeed, the fact that it was Repertoire and not some other independent specialist label that re-released 'Fuzzy Duck' is a good sign; Repertoire have a history of unearthing great 'lost' albums from the past, and have in recent years rescued the long-ignored reputations and discography's of some truly unique progressive rock and psychedelic rock bands whose careers, for whatever reason, failed to ignite. Bands such as Jade Warrior, Black Widow, Leaf Hound and May Blitz have all seen their music remastered and re-released to critical and commercial acclaim, building Repertoire an impressive catalogue of beautifully-packaged and wonderfully obscure albums that should delight the legions of prog fans who admire the likes of Pink Floyd, Genesis, Soft Machine and Hawkwind. 'Fuzzy Duck', which was released in 1970, had been long forgotten by the music world. However, now, in the 21st century, the album is being rightly re-evaluated and is now hailed as a prime example of classic British proto-prog, complete with heavy trimmings. Each song bristles with a funky, organ-driven gusto that lends the occasionally-ersatz material genuine power. It is by no means the most complex of releases, but their is a vibrant energy that is evident in almost every rock-solid song. Imagine Deep Purple jamming with The Who and Yes' organist extraordinaire Tony Kaye and you have the uniquely powerful sounds of Fuzzy Duck. Fascinating in the extreme, this is the sound of truly obscure British rock. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010