TITANIC

This is a very special album for me. I purchased it 1971. In those days, I got acquainted with one of their hit singles ''Sultana'' (actually it was a B-side but I'll discuss this in the review of their second album).

I was so in love with this single that I bought their debut album, and I was quite impressed.

The fantastic opener ''Searchin'' is the first jewel available. It is the archetype of a strong heavy-prog track. The work on the organ is fabulous and is only shy of Lord or Hensley. (but not too much). Also to be noticed is the excellent percussion work (but this is another asset of ''Titanic'').

The heavy and psychedelic mood goes on with another winner: ''Love Is Love''. It is again a very powerful and dynamic song. Just listen to the superb bass/drums section. Absolutely brilliant. This really kicks ass my prog friends. The second highlight.

''Titanic'' has also released some wonderful prog-rock ballads like ''Mary Jane''. It is quite amazing to see that the arrangements were signed William Sheller (a popular French singer but almost unknown in those times). It is a romantic keyboards-oriented song with a catchy melody but there's also a sad side to it. This album is really excellent so far.

''Titanic'' is probably paying tribute to the Fab Four with ''Cry For A Beatle''. Vaguely jazzy and intending to be melodic. It is funny but can't be considered as a great track.

The B-side of the vinyl opens with the heaviest song from this work: ''Something On My Mind''. Almost doom intro, but of course what categorizes this band is the use of the heavy organ. It is also the occasion for the band to integrate a more guitar-oriented track (the first one so far). Not for delicate ears to say the least. But I bloody like it.

The next couple of songs (short ones) are a little weak in comparison. Too much brass in here for ''Firewater'' and a old fashioned sound for the heavy-psych ''Schizmatic Mind''. None of these songs are bad but they just don't play in the same league than the other pieces.

Now. ''La pièce maîtresse'' as far as I'm concerned. The wonderful ''I See No Reason'' clocking at over eight minutes. It starts as a heavy-rock ballad (again organ and bass are all mighty) and it slowly offers a wonderful crescendo part full of soooooo pleasant keys as well as nice backing vocals. It speeds up to offer the most emotional guitar solo from the whole album (and probably from their entire discography). It is an excellent moment of heavy prog music. The fourth highlight. It was the closing number of the original album.

The CD version offers both songs from their hit single: ''Half Bread'' and ''Santa Fe''.

Both sides of the band are represented here: the melodic and rock ballad-oriented with enjoyable keyboards for the former (which was the B-side) and the punchy and very much percussion (''Santana'') oriented ''Santa Fe''. The extravagant beat is really kicking and the sound is pretty similar to the one of ''Sultana''. But that's another story.

I'm really pleased that ''Titanic'' has been added to PA. They fully deserve it (but maybe in another category). If you're in for Purple, Heep, Atomic Rooster etc. I highly recommend this very good album.

Now, in terms of rating: the original certainly deserves four stars. Since the CD is enhanced with two very good tracks I would say that nine out of ten is accurate. And for the emotional moment I've just had, I rate this debut ''Titanic'' album with five stars.

Unfortunately, I don't have any childhood memories for this album, nor I know much about it. I just seemed like a good deal. And don't take me bad, it's not bad music, actually, I quite enjoy it. There are negatives, of course, like it's still "proto", finding of themselves and music path they'll take and also drumming on first two songs seems annoying to my ears (maybe it's just me). It's driven by lazy drumming, but most importantly, ever-present organ. It's exactly the sound you'll expect in a band from this era. Melodic, sometimes (never disharmonic).

4(-), typical band to be honest. Think of for example "Rare Bird" here. There's for sure history connected with them. I read it on few pages around the internet, but I'm not eye witness, just a young guy who stumbled over this. "I see no reason, I see no reason".

Thanks to the catchy, Santana-styled hit single 'Sultana', history has cast the heavy Anglo-Norwegian outfit Titanic - vocalist Roy Robinson, guitarist Janne Loseth, organist Kenny Aas, bassist Kjell Asperud and drummer John Lorck - as something of a one-hit-wonder; a quick glance at the group's career suggests otherwise. Formed in 1969, Titanic have actually enjoyed a pretty solid career, personified by an initial nine-year run of writing, recording and touring that produced six studio albums. Whilst many will remember Titanic for 'Sultana's jangly rhythms(which, incredibly, reached no.5 on the UK singles chart) Titanic also managed to issue a series of albums that mixed heavy rock power, psychedelic arrangements and bluesy organ riffs, a run initiated by 1970's powerful debut and eventually ended with the 1979 album 'Eye Of The Hurricane'. Though true commercial success always seemed to elude them, Titanic have always enjoyed a small-but-loyal international fanbase which has since seen them re-form twice, initially with 1991's cunningly-titled 'Lower The Atlantic', and then once again with 2008's 'Diamonds & Ashes'. However, for the true Titanic experience, it is this eponymous debut from 1970 that one must seek out. Originally issued by CBS before finally receiving a proper remastering for Repertoire Records excellent 2002 CD reissue, 'Titanic' ties bruisingly heavy guitar-and- organ interplay, pounding percussion, and yearning melodies into a hard 'n' bluesy acid-rock concoction brushed with a slight pop-sike hue. The chugging, seven-minute opener 'Searchin', the percussion-heavy assault of the album highlight 'Something On My Mind' and 'I See No Reason's imperious riffing are exactly what Titanic are about; powerful drums backing crushingly-heavy blues-based riffs and juicy organ runs. Add the gruff vocals of Englishman Roy Robinson and you have Titanic at their youthful best. Elsewhere, though, you will find surprises. The pretty, piano-led semi-ballad 'Mary Jane' with its orchestral backing and sentimental tone proves a real departure, making for a slightly awkward stylistic shift, whilst the Fab Four homage 'Cry For A Beatle' exhibits a light and hazy psychedelic-pop vibe. Most bizarre of all, however, is the big band-and-jazz fashioned bop-rock of 'Firewater', a brassy, two-and-a-half-minute sub-'Sultana' cut that sports a slight Chicago shade and a very abrupt ending. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2013