Esoteric Recordings are for me, one of the best labels since
discovering the reissues of the first two Rare Bird albums, Supersister, Burnin’
Red Ivanhoe, Julian’s Treatment, Marsupilami, and one of my favorites, Web. One
of the bands that I almost thought they released only one album was a group
called Fields. Since I championed their sole self-titled debut album back in
October of 2010, I thought they could have gone on to be bigger than Yes or
ELP.
Well here we are in 2015 and this year, something has crawled
through into the other side of the room. It is Fields unreleased second album
and follow up to their sole self-titled debut which could have been the next
big thing, but then shelved for 41 years because of the changing of the guard
in the Music Business and management changes which can be a real hassle. Not to
mention, never listening the entire album from start to finish and never
considering another follow up. Again, it can be a big gigantic bummer.
They were three quarters done and it’s one of the reasons
what the album could have sounded like. And now Fields second album entitled, Contrasts: Urban Roar to Country Peace, is
perhaps one of the most touching and powerful hidden treasure gems that
Esoteric Recordings have released. From the moment I put the CD on, I knew that
something brilliant is about to happen.
Vocalist and Bassist Alan Barry left the band to pursue a
solo career because he knew he couldn’t be in a group and preferred to embark
to work on his own. And soon, the late Frank Farrell of Supertramp entered the
line-up. The band recorded their second album at CBS Studios in London at
Theobald Street 43 years ago and it may not be their best album, but it is a
treat discovering the hidden treasure of what could have been their follow up. It has touches of Prog, Jazz, and Classical music thanks to
Graham Field’s keyboard work.
On tracks like the Organ improvisation Put Out to Grass, it shows Graham in a
symphonic mood as he Frank and Andy help out to set the tempo for an amazing
groove and it almost resembles a tribute to both Cressida and The Nice. Opener, Let Her Sleep
begins with sirens blaring and bursting into a blaring sound that Graham does
followed by McCulloch’s drum work and that little bit of a Bach-sque concerto
that Field does is mind-blowing before Frank sings “One more knock/Yes it’s one more shock/Like the great tick-tock/Of a
giant clock/If there’s someone there/Let him hear my prayer."
It is such a powerful line and almost a plea for someone to
give the person some sleep before the clock goes off with the bells. Then it
segues into the ascending wonders of Wedding
Bells which gives Andy McCulloch a chance to go into some powerful lines on
his drums and not to mention the string section to close it off at the end
while the tempo changes into a moment of a Piano ballad as Frank sings his
heart out on Someone to Trust in
which it’s an homage to John Lennon’s songwriting and with touching beauty with
an emotional style on The Old Canal.
But the music changes from Classical and Ballads into a
driven Jazz Fusion rhythm as they go into a driven beat on Wonder Why. Frank Farrell’s bass line, Andy’s paced drumming,
Graham’s keyboard going into major and minor chord changes and synth solos followed
by the vocals singing which almost reminded me of The Northettes, gives it a
perfect transcendental experience.
Fields then goes into a joyous and high-spirited wonder with
an enthusiastic feel on how Music Was
Their Game before closing off with a lukewarm acoustic folk turned into a
pastoral adventure on Storm. At times
it reminded me of the Trespass-era
and bits of Yes thrown in with the climatic thunders between organ, bass,
guitar, female vocals, synth and Frank’s voice featuring stop and go time
signature as Graham goes into the fanfare rhythm on his Hammond and synth solo
as if he’s creating a magical adventure before fading into the sunset.
The three bonus tracks are like more of the hidden pieces
that were left inside the treasure. There is the mellowing groove on Set Yourself Free, Graham’s tribute to
the Thames on his Rhodes and Church Organ as Frank helps out on the Bass melody
with the ambient and symphonic beauty The
River, and going into a Blues 12-bar rhythm to close it off for Spring.
The 15-page booklet features liner notes by Sid Smith that
includes an interview with Graham Field about the making of the lost second
album and features an amazing artwork of a city and one picture of the band
featuring Frank Farrell. Esoteric Recordings have done a wonderful job
releasing this unseen gem and if you love their sole self-titled debut album,
then this is the one worth exploring next to see why they were ahead of their
time and brought the essence of Symphonic, Jazz, and Classical Prog like no
other.
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