Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Atomic Rooster
Label: Sanctuary Records
Release: 1970
Runtime: 40:14
Rating: 3.5/5
Atomic Rooster, one of the most enigmatic progressive rock bands of all time, went through two distinct stylistic eras (an early prog rock one and a later, mostly heavy rock one), with the brilliant organist and pianist Vincent Crane (1943-1989), sadly no longer with us, calling the shots the whole time. Crane, who suffered from chronic bouts of schizophrenia that dogged his entire tragic life right up to his premature death, left the cult band The Crazy World of Arthur Brown in 1969 after yet another attack of that treacherous mental illness, taking the young, barely 19-year-old drummer Carl Palmer with him. With the legendary singer Arthur Brown, he had created the unforgettable psychedelic rock hit »Fire« on the band’s self-titled debut.
For his new band, named after the Chinese year of the rooster (1969), he also recruited bassist and singer Nick Graham (who later worked with Skin Alley, David Jackson and Jim Capaldi, among others). Originally, the late Brian Jones (Rolling Stones) was supposed to play with Atomic Rooster too, but death had ‘surprised’ him in the meantime, so Crane, Palmer and Graham were forced to record the self-titled Atomic Rooster debut without a guitarist. Well, just a few weeks after the record came out, Graham left, and guitarist and singer John Du Cann (1946-2011) came in from Andromeda to replace him. Du Cann’s guitar lines were used on the later American version of the album, which sounded quite different (and better) than the original British edition.
Here’s something especially interesting: given the mostly dark, occult-tinged lyrics and musical atmospheres that marked their career, Atomic Rooster were founded on exactly Friday the 13th, 1969, which is also the subject of the punchy opening track on their cult self-titled debut. »Friday The Thriteenth« is defined by Crane’s mighty, massive Hammond organ passages, which were a rare constant throughout their whole career, and by the brilliant, completely unpredictable drum antics of the young Palmer, who was already showing off his priceless talent back then. You can also hear all the way through that Graham provided a solid bass line, while his mostly blues-leaning vocals were versatile enough for Atomic Rooster’s complex sonic vocabulary, which was already pulling toward harder waters from the first steps – something you hear even better on the American version of the album, with Du Cann’s punchy guitar passages. Later on, Graham was outdone vocally by both Du Cann and (especially) Chris Farlowe.
»And So The Bed« is marked by a shimmering Hammond organ line. Graham’s slightly eccentric vocal approach is a perfect fit for the hedonistic lyrics, snarling and all, while Palmer’s drum fills are brilliant once again. In fact, apart from Crane’s far too early death and the band’s breakup in 1989, the biggest loss for Atomic Rooster was precisely the departure of this young drumming gem to the progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The nearly seven-minute ballad »Winter«, steeped in a pastoral mood, is the fan favorite from this album among most of the band’s followers. Here Graham’s ‘angelic’ vocal approach, bordering on falsetto, is completely different from most of the other tracks, and his delicate flute playing slots in nicely with the calm, romantic atmosphere amid the sparkling piano. Eventually a complex instrumental section takes over, with plenty of solo spots on piano, drums and flute, but it never for a moment threatens the lovely central pastoral melody. »Decline And Fall« is built mostly on dramatic organ lines and unpredictable drum escapades with plenty of solo moments. Interestingly, Graham’s irritated vocal doesn’t kick in until the closing section.
»Banstead« is a ballad soaked in mighty organ passages and Graham’s inconsolable vocal approach, building bridges between hard rock and progressive rock, which is something Atomic Rooster mastered for most of their career. »S.L.Y.«, named with an enigmatic acronym, is another lively number with an untamed, blues-rock vocal and plenty of crafty drum fills, while, as usual, it all gets tied together by Crane’s masterful organ solo experiments.
»Broken Wings«, drenched in bluesy rock vocal charm, is a painful love confession featuring a majestic orchestral intro arrangement and Crane’s massive Hammond organ escapades, while a slow tempo reigns throughout the branching drum passages. The complex instrumental »Before Tomorrow« (alternatively titled »Shabooloo« on the British version of the album), where Crane’s fiery organ masterpieces dominate once more, has an unusually cheeky ambience and a series of intricate drum motifs that keep the rhythm energetic and dynamic. The American version of this track, with Du Cann’s guitar phrases that were brutal for the time, comes off especially well. Crane and Palmer were a truly great team, and it’s a shame their time together was so short, but the young drummer learned plenty from his often depressed organist partner in that time, which would later come in handy alongside the even bigger keyboard ‘megalomaniac’ Keith Emerson.
Some CD reissues of »Atomic Rooster« also include Du Cann’s creation »Play The Game«, which, thanks to his ragged guitar riffs and uncompromising vocal approach, is stylistically the hardest-hitting track on the whole release.
Atomic Rooster’s debut was a fitting start and a good sign of where this cult band, equally important for the development of progressive rock and heavy rock, would hang out stylistically for most of its career, a band forever marked by gloomy prophecies, tragedies and lineup changes. Du Cann’s arrival, Palmer’s departure for ELP and the arrival of his replacement Paul Hammond nudged their sound closer to heavy rock, or proto-metal, waters already on the next album, »Death Walks Behind You« (1970), which led some people, partly because of the dark lyrics, to start comparing them to Black Sabbath and Black Widow, even though apart from an interest in the occult these bands had very little in common.
Lineup
Vincent Crane – Hammond organ, piano, backing vocals
Carl Palmer – drums, percussion
Nick Graham – bass guitar, vocals, flute
John Du Cann – guitar and vocals on the newly recorded tracks for the American release
Production
Atomic Rooster and Tony Colton
Track list
1. Friday the 13th
2. And So to Bed
3. Winter
4. Decline and Fall
5. Banstead
6. S.L.Y.
7. Broken Wings
8. Before Tomorrow aka Shabooloo
