-- Atomic Rooster - In Hearing of Atomic Rooster | (Audio CD) MSRP $ 18.98 Amazon Price $ 18.98 Savings $ 0.00 | |  Release Date: 20 June, 1995, Repertoire
TRACK LISTING - Breakthrough
- Break the Ice
- Decision/Indecision
- Spoonful of Bromide Helps the Pulse Rate Go Down
- Black Snake
- Head in the Sky
- Rock
- Price
- Devil`s Answer [*]
Usually ships in 1 to 2 days | | | Great third album from Atomic Rooster | Why haven`t I tried Atomic Rooster much earlier? They are a band I heard of forever, been aware of forever that Carl Palmer was in this band before ELP (he only appeared on Rooster`s debut album before jumping ship to ELP), and I even remembered a local Eugene, Oregon radio station (KRVM) playing "Black Snake" and "Head in the Sky" back in 1994 on a prog rock-oriented program called Deep Water Melodies.
OK, so In Hearing Of was their third album with just as many lineup changes. Now the band included vocalist ex-Cactus vocalist Pete French alongside guitarist John Cann, organist Vincent Crane, and drummer Paul Hammond. Many people call Death Walks Behind You as their high point, and while I have yet to try that album if In Hearing Of is anything to go by, I`m going to be in for a real treat for that album.
Anyway, this is a truly wonderful combination of hard rock and prog, certain to please fans of both, as the opening cut "Breakthrough" demonstrates, with some great piano and organ work, and some nice bluesy vocals. "Break the Ice" features some truly guitar guitar riff from Cann himself, and more great organ work from Crane. "Decision / Indecision" is a piano-oriented ballad which is not typical for the album, but works fine. "A Spoonful of Bromide Helps the Pulse Rate Go Down" (luckily not a parody of "A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down" from Mary Poppins) is an instrumental piece and by far the most traditionally prog-oriented piece. "Black Snake" is a truly nice mellow number, dominated by Crane`s organ work, while the band rocks once again with "Head in the Sky". "The Rock" is the album`s other instrumental piece, with some Chicaco or Blood, Sweat & Tears-like horns (arranged by yours truly, Vincent Crane), imagine if those two bands sounded more like Atomic Rooster, this is what you get. The CD reissue also includes their hit single, "Devil`s Answer", still an excellent song, even if includes Chicago or BS&T-like horns. Oddly, the American LP on Elektra has this on In Hearing Of, but not the British vinyl, so basically if you own the CD reissue with "Devil`s Answer", you got the complete American LP. I guess Elektra wisely knew the American audience was not as likely to buy singles so that`s why they tagged "Devil`s Answer" to the end of side one of the LP (right after "A Spoonful of Bromide").
What`s also interesting is the cover is by Roger Dean, perhaps one of his most down-to-earth covers, it bears so little resemblance to the Yes album covers he`s best known for, but then Roger Dean had done covers that looked little like Yes album covers like Babe Ruth`s First Base (1972) and Gracious` This Is... (1971).
This is an excellent album and a must have. | | | | Atomic Rooster - `In Hearing Of...` (Repertoire) 3 1/2 stars | | Originally released in later 1971,this was Atomic Rooster`s third actual album.`In Hearing...` is a decently written and produced lp and all,but it isn`t AS rocking as the band`s first two efforts. Looked at the CD`s liner notes and I saw that even though guitarist John DuCann,organist Vincent Crane and Paul Hammond (Rooster`s true classic line-up)is on this album,they apparently decided to hire an extra player (one time Cactus member) Pete French to handle the vocals. While I`ll admit French is acceptable,he`s certainly no John DuCann. Best tracks to be found here are "Break The Ice",the rocking "Head In The Sky"(this lp can use more cuts like this one)and the two good sounding instrumentals "A Spoonful Of Bromide Helps The Pulse Rate Go Down" and "The Rock". Plus,a bonus track of "Devil`s Answer" is tagged on. What I suggest is,if you happen to recently be discovering this band like myself,look for sites online that may have sound clips of this CD`s tunes. Decide from there if you like this title. | | | | HEAR THIS | | SEVENTY ONE WAS AFINE year TO hear this, ONE JOHN CANN was to jump the SAD SHACK of affairs HE ENVISSIONED, quite bitterly AND ITS quite LIKELY their CROWNING eddyfying COLLOSSUS metal MORGUE ice running through its veins, JUGGLER its a wonderous slaughter of previous, MUDDINESS, MERKINESS, its like light years more ethereal, LIGHTER AND bouncier, AND CANN FRENZY IS ALOWED ROOM TO GET SORTED OUT,ITS LIKE CRAME illuminated his genuis by eliminating his shredder excentrix, EPELEPTIC TENDENCIES, or HE was given serious SHOCK TREATMENT,but his MASTERLY notes and chordsARE GIVEN A REVELENCY, in plain TO hear estacy.CAUSE their is not like sixty million of em to hear at the same time. MAYBE HES PLAYIN WITH HIS HANDS BEHIND HIS BACK AND HES PLUCKING THESE MIMALIST TEASES, to sacrifise to the SNAPPY JASSY tunes, | | |
-- zzzz
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