Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Pendragon
Label: Toff Records
Released: 1988
Length: 51:52
Rating: 2/5
With their debut “The Jewel” (1985), Pendragon secured cult status among fans of the new wave of progressive rock in the mid-eighties, when a bunch of talented bands were popping up all over Britain, most of them feeding on the legacy of the seventies symphonic prog rock groups. “The Jewel,” despite its important role in the revival of symphonic prog rock, wasn’t without weak spots and was therefore a long way from masterpiece status, unlike, say, the outstanding debuts of neo prog rock champions Marillion and Scotland’s Pallas, but it was a nice launching pad for the rest of their career.
Instead of continuing to pour on the symphonic prog rock, Pendragon went for a more commercial sound on “Kowtow”, something similar to what their neo prog “cousins” IQ did at the tail end of the eighties. In one way it was a rational decision, since at this stage of their career they still hoped to break out of the prog rock underground onto bigger stages, the way Marillion managed to, but alas, they never had what it takes to make it in the pop rock world and storm the airwaves.
Bandleader, guitarist and singer Nick Barrett got well and truly burned chasing that sudden commercial success with the pop-rock-flavored “Kowtow”, because the album delivers everything except what their fans expected at the time (that is, fighting-fit progressive rock heavily influenced by the classic symphonic prog bands of the seventies), while for traditional pop rock listeners it’s still a bit too demanding, since there’s no shortage of melodic but also complex arrangements. That Barrett never had the vocal chops to convincingly sing power ballads isn’t even worth debating, even though at this point in his career he was trying hard to prove otherwise. The unexpected commercial successes of “fallen” prog rock heroes Genesis and Yes in the mid-eighties probably set a bad example, too. Those seasoned old cats did pull off the transition from prog to pop convincingly and gradually, whereas an attempt like that at an early stage of their studio career could have been nearly fatal for Pendragon.
The greatest irony is that this botched attempt at a sonic transition happened right when keyboard wizard Clive Nolan, who had joined the band before the live album “9:15 Live” (1986), was becoming one of the key factors in developing the band’s recognizable sound and the crowd’s absolute favorite. Nolan cultivated a classical keyboard pedigree, while his playing style was heavily influenced by the legendary Rick Wakeman (Yes), which means he could effortlessly, and with a subtle touch, play several different types of keyboard instruments at once. His sprawling symphonic arrangements and witty solo spots are often what save the album from sinking completely.
“Kowtow” isn’t without pleasant surprises, so let’s start with the good stuff. A few times, mostly on the second half of the album, Pendragon successfully wake up their experimental, progressive rock genes, and by combining layered symphonic arrangements in Mr. Nolan’s inventive direction with sensitive guitar passages, which Nick coaxes out of his fingers with exquisite finesse as always, they prove why prog connoisseurs fell for them so easily right from the start of their career. One such example is the epic “Total Recall”, which has a whole palette of exciting symphonic arrangements on piano and synthesizers. They soon build a pleasant melody and, with a few charming guitar bits laid over a thick layer of keyboards, deliver multi-part harmonies. Nick’s “eccentric” vocals are also usually at their most convincing in the dramatic moments. The opening interplay of keyboard curtains and a gentle acoustic guitar melody sets the stage for a tense, mysterious atmosphere
The ten-plus-minute “The Haunting” is another pleasant surprise, if not quite a prog rock feast, since there’s no shortage of dramatic sections and unexpected switches between mighty moods and time signatures. Waves of Mellotron in the background lend a majestic orchestral touch, while sudden rhythmic shifts and gallant bursts of melancholic slide guitar are a treat for the ears. Nolan’s artful layering of synth textures, especially in the middle of the piece, and his knack for weaving them together with the “weeping” sounds of Nick’s guitar make for the best moments on the whole album. The mostly melancholic-Celtic mood is inseparable from the band’s sonic heritage and even the band’s name, so it’s no surprise that this is the best song on “Kowtow”.
The title track brings some satisfaction too, with a string of refined, smoothly flowing symphonic curtains, while the central melody, built on a fusion of bristling guitar phrases and a sensitive keyboard arrangement, creates a convincing, dramatic mood. A great payoff, as the melodic chorus, backed by layered vocals, intertwines with symphonic harmonies in the background, gives a nice glimpse of the sonic direction of their future studio releases.
The failed experiments are the commercially minded songs that dominate mostly the first half of the album, like the opening pop rocker “Saved By You” with its almost danceable chorus and as simple a central motif as you can get. Some Bon Jovi type would surely have scored a hit with their version of this thing, while Pendragon make complete fools of themselves chasing the big stages like this. “The Mask” is a pretty forced compromise between symphonic prog and pop that, apart from some excellent guitar solos and refined synth textures, offers nothing particularly exciting. The melancholic “Time For a Change”, in the way it works melodic rock guitar finesse through emphasized symphonic arrangements, is the only one of the commercially minded experiments that comes off as at least decent. The epic chorus is nicely laid over a mighty layer of synthesizers, but sadly the sudden, rushed ending of the song leaves it feeling half-baked.
On “I Walk the Rope” Nick tries on the role of AOR power ballad singer, while a dash of saxophone even brings a slight breeze of jazz. The romantic melody and gradual build-up of a melancholic mood are convincing enough, but Nick’s voice was never made for ballads, even though backing vocalists, led by Nolan, help him out on the choruses. The next ballad, “2 Am”, keeps flirting with a light version of jazz by laying saxophone arrangements over broad waves of keyboards, while Nick once again comes across as rather unconvincing when expressing romantic emotions. The obvious resemblance to the Dire Straits classic “Your Latest Trick” is more of a slam than a compliment here. The anthemic “Solid Heart” is so utterly uninspired it wouldn’t even be worth mentioning if it didn’t have some juicy Nolan embellishments on the keyboards.
Despite the commercial leanings of “Kowtow” and the release of the EPs “Red Shoes” and “Saved By You”, Pendragon, for the reasons already mentioned, failed completely in their attempt to win over the ears of the MTV generation, hungry for light (some nasties would say “shallow”) musical entertainment. At the time of release, “Kowtow” was a considerable and justified disappointment for most of the band’s followers, and it’s still their worst album today. These days, after the test of time, though, you have to admit that despite the misguided stylistic direction there are a few goodies on it that remind you what they’re capable of when they’re in top form and not thinking about commercial success. Leaning, with more or less success, on the legacy of the great seventies prog rock bands was always their most prized trait, but also the most criticized one. It took them years to finally manage an album on which they struck a successful compromise between old and new and sounded convincing even without closely following the mighty prog legacy of the seventies (“Pure”, 2008). The attempt at a sudden, forced departure from their winning sound nearly broke the band up on “Kowtow”, but to many people’s surprise they miraculously recovered on the very next album, “The World” (1991).
Lineup
Nick Barrett – vocals, guitar
Pete Gee – bass guitar
Clive Nolan – keyboards
Fudge Smith – drums
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Julian Siegal – saxophone
Production
Pendragon
Track list
1. Saved By You (3:58)
2. The Mask (4:01)
3. Time For A Change (3:56)
4. I Walk The Rope (4:47)
5. 2 AM (4:14)
6. Total Recall (7:00)
7. The Haunting (10:40)
8. Solid Heart (4:20)
9. Kowtow (8:56)
