Customer Reviews

Aardvark

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First of all, I want to thank the record seller for entering this item on the amazon site, giving me the chance to say some words about this fantastic group. They were a special find in the record cut-out bin for me when I was young, and I grew up with them.

So far as I know, Kensington Market only put out 2 LPs: Avenue Road, and this one, Aardvark. They seem to have fallen through the cracks when it comes to reissues on CD---why I cannot say. So many cut-out (think 3-for-a-dollar) discoveries I made back then have found their way on to CD, but not them, even though many lesser 60s bands have long since been reissued.

Information is scarce about the band. There's not a lot of data on the album covers. They were produced by Felix Pappalardi of Mountain fame, who also produced the Cream. On Aardvark, he is credited with "Musical Direction" as well as Production, and it shows in the heavyness, and the wistful, surreal weirdness of most of the tracks (similar in flavor to Cream's Wheels Of Fire and the Mountain albums), even contributing a short interval piano piece called "Ciao".

Kensington Market were: Gene Martynec (keyboard, guitar, vocals), Keith McKie (rhythm guitar, vocals), Luke Gibson (guitar, vocals), Alex Darou (bass), and Jimmy Watson (drums & percussion). Same personnel both albums. Gene Martynec later showed up as an arranger on Lou Reed's Berlin album. These guys were all standout musicians and played well together. Ponderous of sound, rhythmical, delicate and ethereal. It's sad that they haven't gotten more recognition, hard to figure. I want to help remedy that, 'cause these two LPs are among my all time favorites. In fact, frustrated at their long unavailability on CD, I burned my own from the vinyl. Both albums fit neatly on one 80 min disc, with some room to spare, so if they ARE ever released as such it should be a twofer. Hint, hint...

Let me peer into the crystal a little... Sometime back, I remember reading something about the group that doesn't appear on either album cover, though for the life of me I can't recall the source. I think that they were based in Canada, but the members were possibly multinational. I do remember reading that Martynec was from Germany. That's about it, that's all I see.

Aardvark would have been their second album, I assume, since it is designated WS 1780. Both are on the Warner Bros. Seven Arts label. Avenue Road is WS 1754.

Aardvark is the more mature album of the two, and I have to wonder where they could have gone from there. I would call it a masterpiece. No doubt, they suffered the fate of most bands and disintegrated. They made their statement, and departed. Most of us didn't even manage that. I won't do a track by track analysis, because I love them all. I will say that one of my early favorites was "Half Closed Eyes", a tender, psychedelic ballad penned by McKie and given an out of this world treatment on organ and Moog. But the entire record is great, and they deserve to be counted among the many influencial groups of the 60s.

Two standout tracks from Avenue Road: "Aunt Violet's Knee", a lovely, haunting piece in the return-to-childhood mold ("...Early as evening the east winds have come, Warm to the west they bring wet and they're done..."), and "Looking Glass", about a different time, a different war ("...Cooking a ration card meal for herself, and her cat, Now she is dusting the chair where her boy once sat, After all it's war..."). This album tinkles like windchimes, refracts light like a suncatcher in the window, has the charm of a luminous crescent moon candle, glow-in-the dark stars on the bedroom ceiling. They seemed to be casting about a bit on this LP, not sure whether they wanted to present themselves as pop or psych. One or two of the girl paeans struck me as a little banal, but as they are beautifully arranged (in keeping with the rest of the tracks), listenable. All in all, I enjoy these two albums immensely and would love to hear a faithfully done remaster of them.

Not that I expect any recording industry personnel (or anyone else, for that matter) to read this, but---if you're out there, please. Remaster Kensington Market and make them available to the general 60s retro buying public.

Thank you and good night.

© 2006 RAPWreckerds

Wow, it amazes me that anyone could dislike these two albums. But it shouldn't---is there anything in this world that is universally popular? No, not even water, trees, the air we breathe, apparently... And let's not even include supreme deities (oops!). As for me, I would definitely include A & AR on any desert island (or Mars/Lunar outpost) list. But that is merely the opinion of one who was profoundly touched by these offerings, admittedly. They were a special find in the record cut-out bin for me when I was young, and I grew up with them.

I am glad that they are finally available, after many long years, on compact disc. Too bad they weren't both included on a single twofer CD since, as has been pointed out, they would have both fit on one 80 min disc with room to spare for those lost singles and maybe some unreleased tracks, alternate versions, and whatnot. Or, since they were released on separate discs, even more tracks could have been added---perhaps even interviews. As it is, I already have both albums on vinyl.

Being's there wasn't a lot of data about this fantastic group on the album covers, I hadn't been able to find out much about them until relatively recently. Given was that they were produced by Felix Pappalardi of Mountain (check out Nantucket Sleighride, and others) fame, who also produced Cream (good example: Wheels of Fire). On Aardvark, he is credited with "Musical Direction" as well as production, and it shows in the heaviness, and the wistful, surreal weirdness of most of the tracks (similar in atmosphere to Cream's Wheels Of Fire and the Mountain albums), even contributing a short interval piano piece called "Ciao".

Kensington Market were: Gene Martynec (keyboard, guitar, vocals), Keith McKie (rhythm guitar, vocals), Luke Gibson (guitar, vocals), Alex Darou (bass), and Jimmy Watson (drums & percussion). Same personnel both albums. Gene Martynec later showed up as an arranger on Lou Reed's Berlin album. These guys were all standout musicians and played well together. Ponderous of sound, rhythmically oriented, delicate and ethereal. It's sad that they haven't gotten more recognition, hard to figure.

Let me peer into the crystal a little... Sometime back, I remember reading something about the group that doesn't appear on either album cover, though for the life of me I can't recall the source. I think that they were based in Canada (the fact is well established now), but the members were possibly multinational (well, Martynec, at least---I do remember reading that he was from Germany). That's about it, that's all I see. Not much...

The Aardvark vinyl is designated WS 1780. Both are on the Warner Bros. Seven Arts label. Avenue Road is WS 1754.

Aardvark is the more mature album of the two, and I have to wonder where they could have gone from there. I would call it a masterpiece. I must say, in its defense, that I didn't warm up to it right away (nor, most likely, to Avenue Road). But, for some reason, I did keep listening. Sometimes when you're straining too hard to "find" something, it's just not there, and your preconceptions blind you to those intangible qualities that are. If you're looking for a Clapton, best listen to Cream. He was great there, but his frenzied licks would have been out of place here. There's no need for me to do a track by track analysis, because I love them all. Each is a thing of beauty to me; the melodies are strange, otherworldly, the bass lines powerful and seismic. I will say that one of my early favorites, the one that probably got me hooked into the album, was "Half Closed Eyes", a tender, ecstatic, psychedelic country ballad penned by McKie and given an out of this world treatment on organ and Moog that reminded me, in some ways, of snowflakes falling. And it was, simply...out of sight... But the entire record is great, and they deserve to be counted among the many influencial groups of the 60s.

Two standout tracks from Avenue Road: "Aunt Violet's Knee", a lovely, haunting piece in the return-to-childhood mold ("...Early as evening the east winds have come, Warm to the west they bring wet and they're done..."), and "Looking Glass", about a different time, a different war ("...Cooking a ration card meal for herself, and her cat, Now she is dusting the chair where her boy once sat, After all it's war..."). This album tinkles like windchimes, refracts light like a suncatcher in the window, has the charm of a luminous crescent moon candle, glow-in-the dark stars on the bedroom ceiling. They seemed to be casting about a bit on this LP, not sure whether they wanted to present themselves as pop or psych. One or two of the girl paeans struck me as a little banal, but as they are beautifully arranged (in keeping with the rest of the tracks), listenable. All in all, I enjoy these two albums immensely and would love to hear a faithfully done remaster of them (without compression---please!). As I haven't sprung for the 2 CDs, I can't critique their audio fidelity, and leave that for someone else who has.

Kensington Market suffered the fate of most bands and disintegrated. They made their statement, and departed. Most of us didn't even manage that.

© 2010 RAPWreckerds

Poor Kensington Market. They had two albums, one in 1968 and one in 1969.
Although signing with a big label (Warners/Seven Arts), neither album got
any promotion from the label, save a couple minor articles in local newspapers. Although Avenue Road has at least a few excellent/really good
songs, AArdvark is clearly the best. It may take a few listenings to start liking it; it's kind of low-key, but once those songs get into your
head, They won't let go. Still listening, listening--------

Not being familiar with Kensington Market, I bought this cd based on 2 facts. First it being produced by Felix Pappalardi, one of my favorite bassist/songwriter/vocalist/producer, who had big time credentials as the producer of the classic lps by the Youngbloods and Cream, and as a brilliant performer in Mountain, one of my all time favorite hard rocking bands fronted by the great fatsby himself, Leslie West, and Pappalardi. Second, a somewhat mixed review in Vernon Joynson's classic encyclopedia of Canadian, Australian, etc. psychedelic rock "Dreams, Fantasies, and Nightmares." What a letdown when I found that the album is full of pop songs, performed in rather pedestrian fashion by the Canadian band. And this, their second and final album, is far superior to their debut album, "Avenue Road" which was also reissued on the Wounded Bird label out of NY. The album's highlights, which are few and far between, sound like the weaker tracks from a Cream album, minus of course the guitar work of Eric Clapton. To add insult to injury the releases are straight reissues of the lps and do not include any non-lp singles. While the cds can be obtained on the cheap and may hold nostalgic meaning to some, those of us who purchased the cds expecting to hear some good Canadian psych a la Plastic Cloud or 49th Parallel are going to find nothing but disappointment. Many of the arrangements are Beatleseque, but don't take that as meaning they sound anything like the Beatles. We should be so lucky. I'm amazed that a major label, Warner Bros. picked up this band and Pappalardi took the time to produce the two albums. While "Aardvark" may hold some moments I can't think of any off hand. Sounds like just plain old pop pablum to me. My advice, save your money. There are many worthwhile Canadian bands out there to listen to. But Kensington Market, unfortunately, is not one of them. I wonder what the other reviewers heard on this album that I didn't. I'm just glad I only paid [...]per cd. Even that was overpsayment. To add insult to injury, the run times are short, "Aardvark" filling 37 minutes, certainly leaving lots of room for bonus tracks or perhaps putting the two lps on one cd, since "Avenue Road" has a run time of 29 minutes. I'd really like to have something good to say about this album, but even after a few listens none come to mind. Avoid it. No matter what the cost.

I bought this record back in 1969. I had never heard of the group but loved the cover and noticed that Felix Pappalardi produced it so having extra money bought it. I loved it from the start very nice well crafted songs that sound a bit british. I would recommend it to everyone as it holds up well and not at all dated.

I found this at a cut-out bin in the grocery store in about 1972 (remember those? They'd cut one corner of the LP album cover and mark it way down?) and bought it because I liked the cover art & name. It ended up being one of my favorite albums when I was a teenager. The song "If it is Love" is still a favorite of mine, and almost every title is great. I'm so glad to find this album again. There's something mesmerizing and very pleasant about their sound. The earlier album by this group is nothing like this (I don't like it), but this one is a winner! :)

After way too many years, both Avenue Road and Aardvark are available (legally) on the Pacemaker label from Canada.

I bought Avenue Road some 40 years ago, and never knew about the 2nd album. If it is as good as Avenue Road, somebody please release both albums on CD. It has been long enough. I am nearing 60....