Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Kayak
Label: Harvest Records
Released: 1973
Length: 53:35
Rating: 4/5
Kayak were (and still are) the best-known and most established representatives of Dutch (symphonic) progressive rock, right behind Focus. Unlike Focus, they never quite managed to break out of their home turf and win over the rest of Europe, though in the Netherlands they were pretty popular throughout the entire seventies. In 1979 they even landed a high spot on the Dutch pop charts with the single »Ruthless Queen«. The band was founded by keyboardist Ton Scherpenzel, whom all Camel fans know well too, and drummer Pin Koopman.
The deciding factor that usually makes or breaks the early Kayak records for people is the ‘special’ voice of singer and Mellotron player Max Werner, who sounds like Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath) just started going to first-grade singing school. His at times paranoid, wickedly sounding vocal approach, dropped in the middle of mostly upbeat and melancholic compositions, can get annoying fast, so it’s no surprise that in 1978, at his own request, he was replaced behind the mic by longtime band devotee Edward Reekers, a completely different and much better singer who is still a member of the band today. From 1978 until 1982, when he left Kayak, Werner was thus ‘demoted’ by his own choice to drummer and backing vocalist. On the flip side, Kayak always had really great backing harmonies, handled by all the members of the band and basically one of their main sonic ‘weapons’.
The versatile Scherpenzel, today the only original member, was without a doubt the main ‘star’ of this lineup from their debut »See See The Sun« onward, as his layered and mostly epic keyboard arrangements are the key ingredient of the recognizable Kayak sound the whole way through. »See See The Sun« was in many ways heavily influenced by the British symphonic prog scene led by Yes, while some of the arrangement and songwriting ideas are specific to the relatively obscure Dutch prog scene.
The opening track »Reason For It All« kicks off with a subtle piano arrangement, followed by colorful vocal harmonies heavily inspired by Yes, which fit nicely into the all-pervading symphonic grandeur. In the middle comes a longer instrumental section where the Kayak guys show off their sharp sense for melodic improvisation. After that strong album opener comes »Lyrics«, where a playful vocal approach rules over a relaxed mood, accompanied by stately symphonic arrangements. »Mouldy Wood«, with fierce bass lines by Cees van Leeuwen, furious guitar passages and thoroughly paranoid singing, shows another, darker, more atmospheric side of Kayak.
On the dynamic epic »Lovely Luna«, subtle keyboard curtains dominate the opening, before a darker, distinctly melancholic atmosphere slowly takes over, with dirty guitar passages and dramatic, sacred-sounding vocal harmonies. In the middle section, the Mellotron steps in with epic triumph, while the dynamic multi-part vocals at times recall the usual practice of Gentle Giant. »Hope For a Life«, where the obvious Yes influences once again can’t be missed, is among the better achievements on »See See The Sun«, with guitarist Johan Slager coming alive with hard rock passages, while Werner once again shamelessly channels Ozzy. Luckily, the excellent Scherpenzel holds it all together with his epic layers of keyboards and his sharpened feel for melody, otherwise the whole thing could easily have slid into outright chaos.
»Ballet Of The Cripple«, another melodramatic epic, boasts a tense mood and excellent symphonic motifs, even though at times it sounds as if the members of Yes had decided to team up with a ‘rehabilitated’ Ozzy, if you can even picture that. »Forever Is a Lonely Thought«, yet another epic with plenty of varied atmospheric moods, is mostly built on calmer sections, while Werner sounds a lot better in his usual, lower register than when he’s singing the high vocal lines. Of course, he gets strong support all the way through from the mighty backing vocals and majestic Mellotron arrangements, which deliver a layered, orchestral sound.
The fun »Mammoth« features fiery guitar passages, the playful sound of a ‘street’ organ, epic Mellotron layers and melodramatic vocal harmonies, while Werner, singing a dramatic tale about the last mammoth, once again turns into Ozzy’s doppelgänger. The title track, which is also the closer, goes for a solemn atmosphere with strong Mellotron backing, while the high, ‘angelic’ registers take over again between the vocal harmonies and the harmonica interludes. The reissue also includes two bonus tracks, the playful-sarcastic »Still Try To Write a Book« and »Give It a Name«, which is hard to listen to because of Werner’s annoying vocal mugging. Neither is up to the level of the earlier songwriting, though they do have some interesting, if not exactly fun, moments.
»See See The Sun« was a very good debut and a valuable addition to the Dutch prog rock scene, even though it took Kayak quite a few more years before the rest of the world noticed them, even a little. Kayak were signed to Harvest Records, a subsidiary of the big British label EMI, which was certainly no small potatoes, but their music still spread rather slowly across the other European countries, and today they’re known only among fans and regular followers of the prog rock scene.
Lineup
Ton Scherpenzeel – keyboards, backing vocals
Pim Koopman – drums, synthesizer, marimba, backing vocals
Max Werner – vocals, percussion, Mellotron
Cees van Leeuwen – bass guitar, harmonica, backing vocals
Johan Slager – guitar, backing vocals
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Giny Bush and Martine Koeman – violin on “Lyrics”
Ernst Reijseger – cello on “Lyrics”
Gerrit-Jan Leenders – backing vocals, percussion on “Hope for a Life”
Rijn Peter de Klerk – percussion on “Hope for a Life”
G. Perlee – “Flamingo” barrel organ, Amsterdam, on “Mammoth”
Production
Gerrit-Jan Leenders and Kayak
Track list
1. Reason For It All (6:29)
2. Lyrics (3:42)
3. Mouldy Wood (5:16)
4. Lovely Luna (8:19)
5. Hope For A Life (6:49)
6. Ballet Of The Cripple (4:39)
7. Forever Is A Lonely Thought (5:26)
8. Mammoth (2:57)
9. See See The Sun (4:13)
Bonus tracks:
10. Still Try To Write A Book (2:01)
11. Give It A Name (2:44)
