GRAVY TRAIN's ("A Ballad of...") is a magnificient work of art and may represent one of the 70's most impressive albums. Combining delicate prog (aka JADE WARRIOR and CRIMSON's "In The Court" ) with well timed and thought out harsher explosive moments and extended jams. "A Ballad Of A Peaceful Man" is filled with heavy "Psychy" guitar, loads of delicious analog keyboard parts and a lot of amazing flute playing. One word of caution is that lead vocalist Norman Barrett has a very distinctive heavy sound which I love but may not appeal to everybody out there. I actually think that my love affair with GRAVY TRAIN's music rests somewhere in the cleverness and beauty of the musical contrast these guys deliver. Essential music for your ears...!Tracks :
1. Alone in Georgia (4:35)
2. (A Ballad of) A Peaceful Man (7:06)
3. Jule's Delight (6:58)
4. Messenger (5:58)
5. Can anybody hear me (2:59)
6. Old Tin Box (4:45)
7. Won't talk about it (3:00)
8. Home again (3:25)
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thanks - steve.
ReplyDeleteI've had this for a few years now, and I continue to love it more and more the more I listen to it. It's cool, mellow, unusual, soulful and unlike anything else, either by this band or anyone else. This is another one of those fantastic records that fell through the cracks, and wow, how sweet is it to look down and find it sparking in the gutter of history.
ReplyDeleteUsed to own this on vinyl way back when all those great early Vertigo LPs were pushing the musical boundaries of this 16 year old (well I was in 1971).
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me hear it again.