Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Cressida
Label: Vertigo Records
Release: 1970
Runtime: 45:17
Rating: 4/5
The British progressive rock scene of the second half of the sixties spawned a whole string of fascinating bands that, for one reason or another, stayed obscure, falling apart after two or three albums at most and mostly sinking into oblivion even faster. Only decades later did some music enthusiasts start rediscovering and appreciating a few of the ‘lost’ achievements of these ‘forgotten’ prog gems. Scotland’s Cressida belonged in that category. Hunting for sonic role models, they clearly listened to a lot of legends like The Moody Blues, The Nice and Caravan, while their melancholic, symphonic sound and extensive use of Hammond organs now and then recalled other lesser-known groups of the time, such as Beggars Opera, Cirkus and Fantasy. In rare moments, mostly thanks to the regular use of massive layers of Hammond organ and mystical vocal harmonies, they even brought early Uriah Heep to mind, their far more successful label mates at Vertigo Records. Here and there, especially in the work ethic of the rhythm section, you could also pick up on some jazz-rock elements.
Maybe their short life and obscurity also had something to do with the fact that they took their name from a little-known female figure from Homer’s Iliad, who is still a female symbol of fickleness and betrayal today. According to Shakespeare’s dramatic adaptation of the ancient Greek myth, titled ‘Troilus and Cressida’, Cressida was a Trojan woman who fell in love with Troilus, the youngest son of the Trojan king Priam, during the Trojan War. But her great love didn’t last long: during a prisoner exchange, with the blessing of her treacherous father, she quickly hooked up with the Achaean hero Diomedes, whom Dante placed in the eighth, second-to-last circle of Hell in the Divine Comedy, where false counselors, hypocrites and flatterers suffer in eternal flames.
Cressida, formed in 1968, were originally called Charge, but the original lineup wasn’t exactly keen on that name. It included singer/acoustic guitarist Angus Cullen, guitarist/additional singer John Heyworth, bassist Kevin McCarthy and drummer Iain Clark. The latter is the best-known name of the bunch: after Cressida broke up, he was a member of Uriah Heep from 1970 to 1971, recording the album »Look At Yourself« (1971) with them and going out on their first American tour. A year later, right before the recording of their debut, organist Lol Coker was replaced by Peter Jennings, who, alongside drummer Clark, was the most impressive musician in the band, and with his shimmering layers of organ was the main guarantor of their dynamic, richly varied sound, which was packed with plenty of wistful and dramatic sections.
Their self-titled debut from 1970 mostly featured shorter songs, only two of which ran longer than five minutes. Singer Angus Cullen’s melodic vocals, which sounded a bit like Pye Hastings (Caravan), were blessed with remarkable warmth and played the lion’s share in creating the varied, though mostly melodramatic moods. Already on the melodic opener »To Play Your Little Game«, dominated by mighty organ passages, they show off a knack for dynamic time shifts and the quick changes of atmosphere that follow.
The members of Cressida weren’t exactly gifted songwriters, since most of the songs lack a solid core and you often get the feeling they could have squeezed at least one or two more sections out of certain parts, but they were all the more convincing as weavers of intense ambient moods. With its pastoral pulse, courtesy of a gentle acoustic melody, »Winter Is Coming Again« slightly recalls some early work by Barclay James Harvest. »Time For Bed« is a short but wonderfully melodic fusion of acoustic-guitar folk and jazz-rock piano variations. The title track is, somewhat predictably, one of the more interesting creations on the album, with Cullen’s mysterious, wistful vocals shining again between relatively complex instrumental variations. »Home And Where I Long To Be« opens with a mysterious, ethereally spiced arrangement that, with its subtlety and dreamy nature, packed with quality acoustic moments, even sounds a bit like a softer version of Nektar, and also like Wishbone Ash.
»Depression« has a darker mood thanks to the sacral and slightly sinister organ sound, while the hypnotic vocal harmonies are especially striking here. »One Of a Group« puts heavy emphasis on dense layers of organ and yet another melancholy-tinged vocal performance, and there’s also a short but rough-edged guitar solo. »Lights In My Mind« is another standout composition, featuring an epic arrangement and some pretty lively work from the rhythm section, and of all the songs on »Cressida« it also has the biggest potential for a successful single.
»The Only Earthman In Town« is marked by an excellent instrumental closing section with fantastic Hammond organ variations. »Spring ’69« is a short folk-rock ballad with a pastoral-romantic melos. The subtle »Down Down« is another track where everything is geared toward building a melodramatic mood. »Tomorrow Is A Whole New Day« makes a very good, lively finish to the album, with the band members merging some of their greatest instrumental strengths into an interesting, unpredictable sonic collage with the obligatory emphasis on melody.
»Cressida« was a fairly impressive debut from this progrock collective, hardly anyone remembers them these days, where the positive sonic elements outweighed some of its (typical first-timer) flaws. Cressida were one of those bands that seemed to have success within arm’s reach, but in the end fell just a little short of joining the biggest names. In 1971 they mustered enough energy for one more studio album, »Asylum«, which was no worse than the self-titled debut. On it, Heyworth was replaced by future Black Widow guitarist John Culley, but even he couldn’t save the band from falling apart. Over the following decades Cressida became a cult band, and from 2011 on they started playing live again. The original lineup, minus the late Heyworth, got back together. At the urging of their big fan Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth), who helped pick the tracks, they released an archival, limited-edition LP titled »Choices« in 2013 for their most loyal followers.
Lineup
Angus Cullen – vocals
John Heyworth – guitar, lead vocals on “Home And Where I Long To Be”
Peter Jennings – organ, piano
Kevin McCarthy – bass guitar
Iain Clark – drums
Production
Cressida
Tracklist
1. To Play Your Little Game (3:15)
2. Winter is Coming Again (4:42)
3. Time For Bed (2:18)
4. Cressida (3:57)
5. Home And Where I Long To Be (4:04)
6. Depression (5:02)
7. One Of A Group (3:35)
8. Lights In My Mind (2:45)
9. The Only Earthman In Town (3:32)
10. Spring ’69 (2:14)
11. Down Down (4:15)
12. Tomorrow Is A Whole New Day (5:19)
