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himtroy View Drop Down
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Points: 1601 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: National Health
    Posted: January 08 2010 at 22:16
While I hear some people list National Health in lists of bands they like I feel they're never really discussed. And while thats not much for a topic I've been waiting too damn long for it to come up!  

So I'd like to hear some thoughts on the band.  Maybe which album you prefer more, what you think of the first albums vocalists vs their non inclusion on the second album.  

Personally, I don't think I've ever heard a band both as technically inclined and tasteful as National Health.  They're so ridiculously talented and organized to the point where its absolutely mind blowing to me, even though I do listen to a lot of very progressive music.  I also feel that Alan Gowen (specifically on the first album) does some of the most amazing Moog work I've ever heard.  

I've had their first album for years, and finally obtained their second album about a week ago.  I felt it lived up to expectations and I may like it more, but that might just be the fact that its very new to me.
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Padraic View Drop Down
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Points: 31165 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2010 at 22:21
I'm a National Health junkie.

Do check out the live set Playtime, after Stewart left the band and they recruited Gowen to play during a small tour of the U.S.  Some of the most face-melting jazz-rock you've ever heard in your life.

Of the two primary studio albums I prefer the second - I believe it really encapsulates Stewart's vision for the band.  Certainly the debut is not far behind.

Beyond that a collection of odds and ends Missing Pieces is also worth obtaining for some wonderful compositions from Mont Campbell.

Pretty much my favorite band of the Canterbury subgenre.
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Padraic View Drop Down
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Points: 31165 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2010 at 22:23
Originally posted by himtroy himtroy wrote:

what you think of the first albums vocalists vs their non inclusion on the second album.  


I love Amanda Parsons and wish there were more recordings with her singing.  But the tracks on Queues are brilliant without any vocal, so I just like things the way they turned out.  Just sort of wish there was an extra album with her on it (actually, the aforementioned Missing Pieces does contain some tracks with her singing such as "Clocks and Clouds").
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Atavachron View Drop Down
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Points: 64349 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2010 at 22:25
love this band, Queues my favorite but the first is superb and the third very good-- their taste, subtlety of composition, breadth of knowledge, and good humor made them one of the truly great prog/fusion outfits, on a par with Yes at times


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Points: 610 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2010 at 23:41
I prefer the first album. Has more keyboards and better vocals and the songs a more consistent
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Raff View Drop Down
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Points: 24391 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2010 at 07:05
Fantastic band, extremely accomplished, a delight to listen to. Like Progmonster, I have a slight preference for their debut, though both albums are incredible. Unfortunately, I have only heard parts of the third years ago, since I don't own the album (but hope to correct this ASAP). On the other hand, I cannot help regretting the absence of one of my favourite vocalists of all time, the wonderful Richard Sinclair (listening to The Rotters' Club now). If you're curious, I've reviewed both NH albums here.
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Points: 8847 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2010 at 07:23

I bought their debut a couple of weeks ago and I can't stop listening to it. Great band.
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Nightfly View Drop Down
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Points: 3659 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2010 at 10:56
Originally posted by Padraic Padraic wrote:

Originally posted by himtroy himtroy wrote:

what you think of the first albums vocalists vs their non inclusion on the second album.  


I love Amanda Parsons and wish there were more recordings with her singing.  But the tracks on Queues are brilliant without any vocal, so I just like things the way they turned out.  Just sort of wish there was an extra album with her on it (actually, the aforementioned Missing Pieces does contain some tracks with her singing such as "Clocks and Clouds").
 
totally agree with that, Of Queues..... is brilliant as it is but Amanda Parsons contributions to the debut are excellent. i wish there was more of her about. apart from being part of the 3 part vocal group with Hatfield and the North I'm not really sure what else she did.
 


Edited by Nightfly - January 09 2010 at 11:02
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Negoba View Drop Down
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Points: 5208 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2010 at 11:06
Love 'em. Queues is my favorite. Missing pieces is worth having.
 
It's one of those bands that is going to take some serious listening before I'm ready to review. But National Health, Egg, Gong, Khan (basically Hillage-Stewart) is what I love about Canterbury.
You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
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toroddfuglesteg View Drop Down
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Points: 3658 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2010 at 11:12

If this is a kind of a National Health Appreciation Society thread; I am in.

Playtime is one of the better prog live albums out there and the first two albums is both brilliant. I have yet to listen to Missing Pieces and Al Coda. 

Originally posted by Negoba Negoba wrote:

Love 'em. Queues is my favorite. Missing pieces is worth having.
 
It's one of those bands that is going to take some serious listening before I'm ready to review. But National Health, Egg, Gong, Khan (basically Hillage-Stewart) is what I love about Canterbury.

Please add Alan Gowen's final album (listed as BEFORE A WORD IS SAID by Gowen, Miller, Sinclair, Tomkins) to your list here. Hatfield & The North also deserve to be included.
I guess the Hugh Hopper and Alan Gowen album Two Rainbows Daily deserves to be checked out too.  



Edited by toroddfuglesteg - January 09 2010 at 11:15
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TODDLER View Drop Down
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Points: 3126 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2010 at 12:32

The first 3 National Health titles are a must. Missing Pieces is brilliant. There are a few pieces on Missing Pieces that cross into King Crimson circa 1973-1974. In observation, this is only brief. But it's really interesting. Phil Miller emulates a Fripp sound while Bruford taps on a cowbell and various other percussion and Dave Stewart plays some really unusual chord voicings. Very dark like Crimson and well, with Bruford present.....you know the rest.....  It's an interesting aspect to their music and for this particular title however, I enjoy the band for their originality and not for whom they emulate. Dave Stewart has the most entertaining stories to tell about being on the road and about the dark side of the music business. He has a great sense of humour. The booklet is included inside of the triple cd set release of the three Health titles. Pip Pyle who drummed for Gong, is at his best with National Health. He has octopus arms remember? Amanda Parsons. I don't know what has happened to her. Maybe she just retired and that's fine. What an amazing vocalist she is. This is a band that I can always go back to and it really means a lot to me. They were and are very important to the growth of progressive music.
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The Hemulen View Drop Down
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Points: 5964 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2010 at 15:07
Someone might have posted this before, but it's always worth a look:



National Health are fabbo.

Edit: First vid was slightly out of sync. This one looks okay though.


Edited by Trouserpress - January 09 2010 at 15:11
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Negoba View Drop Down
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Points: 5208 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2010 at 15:23
I do have one Hatfield album. It's good but I like National Health better.
You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
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himtroy View Drop Down
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Points: 1601 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2010 at 15:44
I'll have to find Playtime, that sounds like something I need to hear.  I think I've settled on the fact that I l prefer the S/T to Of Qeues.  But it's close.
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Points: 3126 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 10 2010 at 21:14

Various sections of the pieces on the S/T are very dreamscape oriented for me. Especially some of the intros where it's Amanda Parsons voice blending with Dave Stewart's keyboards. The last section of Elephants keeps me staring out the window. There is a section of music from the 3rd album dedicated to the memory of Alan Gowen where the Northettes produce this kind of sound. It may just be 2 of the Northettes, I'm not sure. The effect it has on me is very strange. I think of death it seems or someone from the past who is now dead. I get a strange visual from this band's music. I love this band.  
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Atavachron View Drop Down
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Points: 64349 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 10 2010 at 21:17
didn't much like Playtime, I missed both the composed music and Dave Stewart
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fuxi View Drop Down
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Points: 2459 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 11 2010 at 14:49
I grew up with QUEUES, so it's still my preferred NH album, although possible the debut is even finer (especially because of Alan G.'s moog!) What I like so much is the way QUEUES incorporates wind instruments: some brass, and Jimmy Hastings' clarinet, if I remember it well. Also a superb vocal on that song about John Wayne!
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