Customer Reviews

Atomic Rooster

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

 

 

Atomic Rooster's debut album is a showcase for the virtuosic talents of keyboardist Vincent Crane and drummer Carl Palmer, the latter defecting afterwards to form Emerson, Lake and Palmer. At this juncture, the band has yet to establish its individual style, but many of the key ingredients are already in place here. Vincent Crane organ playing is already very much accomplished, with its jazz, blues and classical influences very prominent in his solos. The additional overdubbing of guitar parts by future AR guitarist/vocalist John Cann on "Friday the 13th," "Before Tomorrow" and "S.L.Y." help fill out the sound.

The songwriting here is tentative compared to on subsequent AR releases. On "Atomic Rooster," the songs are constructed primarily around unison guitar/organ riffs and jazz/blues themes, offering little more than platforms for Crane and Palmer to demonstrate their chops. The instrumentals "Before Tomorrow" and "Decline and Fall" are good examples of this. The former is a modal jam that features Crane wailing away on his Hammond while abusing the wah-wah pedal, before John Cann takes a solo that threatens to burn through both stereo speakers. "Decline and Fall" is a jazz-rock workout showcasing both Crane's and Palmer's chops, Palmer showing off his skills in a drum solo equal to, if not superior, his future efforts with ELP. "Banstead" and "Winter" afford the opportunity for Crane to branch out and incorporate classical influences into Atomic Rooster's songs and give the band its "progressive rock" credentials.

The lyrics only hint at the Satanic and death-like imagery that would pervade their followup classic, "Death Walks Behind You. Bassist/vocalist Nick Graham's melodramatic delivery works well on songs such as "Banstead," a depiction of Crane's stay in a mental hosptal. "Winter" is a quiet piece with a melancholy vocal by Graham, highlighted by Crane's jazzy piano and Graham's flute solo. However, on tunes such as "And So to Bed" and "S.L.Y.," Graham's vocal stylistics verge on the parodic, as he veers on the edge of becoming a hack blues-shouter.

While most people would buy this album just to hear what Palmer sounded like before he joined ELP, "Atomic Rooster" holds its own. While much of the album sounds tentative in light of what was to come later, the main musical ideas that Crane would develop to the fullest with AR are laid out for everyone to hear.

Having formed Atomic Rooster from the recently demised Crazy World of Arthur Brown (of 1968's Fire fame), this was the first release from Vincent Crane, Carl Palmer and Nick Graham

Elements of the time are apparent on such songs like "and so to bed" which is reminiscent of Deep Purple of the time... In Rock, Fireball/ the Nice ...the Nice(1969 album). In general the entire music scene after the demise of the Beatles where searching for the new direction to go. Fortunately for some and unfortunately for others the band never really caught on in the US.

Nick Grahams vocals are best heard on songs like "Broken Wings" as well as the Organ prowess of the late Vincent Crane and Carl Palmer on percussion is really on fire here, less subdued than with ELP

The real surprise about this band is why they never caught on bigger considering the acts that were a going concern at the time, which this band could have held their own against (Savoy Brown, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Pre "Smoke on the Water" Deep Purple).

The band had a long career until the unfortunate death of Vince Crane, and have a very interesting "Heavy" rock catalouge. Very Good, Very Interesting.

I absolutely *love* Atomic Rooster's debut. The guitars, organs, drums and everything else is constantly played in what can only be described as an "appealingly sloppy" way. Seriously!

Sloppy in that a bunch of musical instruments are either playing at once or jumping in a thousand different directions, but appealing because most of it is quite memorable, melodic, and simply *rocks*.

These are EXACTLY the kind of rock albums from the early 70's I look forward to hearing the most. Along with Lucifer's Friend, Bloodrock, and Captain Beyond, you absolutely NEED Atomic Rooster's debut.

"Friday the 13th" is a straight forward rock song with vocals that actually become better with time. "And So to Bed" contains jazzy vocals similar to a few Grand Funk and Blues Image songs I could name. Songs like these definitely sound a bit odd at first, but with time you may learn to appreciate them. The lyrics in this song are well... strange, hehe. It's actually one line that catches my attention, but I'm not allowed to say which one!

My absolute number one favorite song is "Winter". A *chilling* (no pun intended) example of lyrics I can relate to, and I mean that in the most haunting way possible, because I'm relating to exceptionally depressing lyrics. Wow, haha. This song immediately strikes a strong reaction out of me every time I hear it, and that reaction is mostly an urge to cry.

I swear this song was written for me even though I wasn't even born yet when this album was released. Oh, and the flute solo in the middle is incredibly fitting. Flutes always remind me of wintertime, for whatever reason (and watching kids build snowmen!)

Another favorite is "Before Tomorrow". Talk about an extremely intense guitar jam!! It's the guitar playing I enjoy the most because each line really is fantastic, but the keyboards (which are played just as frequently) serve their role quite nicely as well.

A song that reminds me of the classic Texas rock band Bloodrock is "Banstead". Just *listen* to those vocals and tell me they don't sound exactly like Bloodrock.

"Decline and Fall" is probably the weakest song here, but it's not *that* bad. I could do without the slightly overlong drum solo near the end of it though. I've heard enough of those over the years. "Broken Wings" is a nice attempt at a soul ballad combined with rock. Good stuff.

A GREAT album in my opinion, and a must own for all early 70's rock lovers.

I got this CD out mainly out of historical interest. This was the only album Carl Palmer recorded with Atomic Rooster before leaving to form Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

The key ingredients to Atomic Rooster's sound are apparent, with lots of Hammond organ/guitar interplay (the latter instrument overdubbed to the album by John Cann, who joined the band in time for the followup album "Death Walks Behind You"), along with Palmer's thunderous approach to the drums he would display to the fullest with ELP.

Music-wise, the entire at times veers into second-rate hard rock/R&B/jazz rock on tunes like "Broken Wings" and "S.L.Y.". Bassist/vocalist Nick Graham isn't a key fit here, as he at times seems to try too hard to sound like a blues shouter.

Nevertheless, highlights include the modal jam "Before Tomorrow", with Crane's wah-wah drenched Hammond taking a blistering solo before Cann (who appears uncredited in the credits on the CD) takes a searing guitar solo. "Banstead" is a rather baroque-sounding piece, with a moody, chord progression and an anguished vocal courtesy of Nick Graham. "Winter" is more reminiscent of something by Jethro Tull, with some jazzy piano and a flute solo courtesy of Graham, which gives the song, along with "Banstead", Atomic Rooster's "progressive rock" credentials, if any. The closing piece "Decline and Fall" is a jazz-rock tune that affords Crane and Palmer the opportunity to unleash their chops.

The only worthless track has to be the bonus cut, "Play the Game", which does not feature Graham and Palmer, but instead features their replacements guitarist/lead vocalist John Cann and drummer Paul Hammond. This tune, a heavy riff-rocker, does not fit within the overall context of the album, and should have been included on another Rooster album, either "Death Walks Behind You" or "In Hearing of Atomic Rooster".

As stated above, this CD is mainly a curio for fans of Carl Palmer. ***1/2 out of *****.

I am not going through the review above, which is not true about this album and about Hammond organ wizard Vincent Crane. Carl Palmer is only a good drummer and can not be attraction to this album without Great Vincent Crane. Probably that guy(reviwer) is not into a real ProgRock.
I hope many of you(who know) agree with me and it's good to know for who don't know, that Vincent Crane (RIP) was one of the GREATEST keyboard players of 70th progrock era. He stood in one row with Tony Kaye(YES), Patric Moraz(YES), Rick Wakeman(YES), Keith Emerson(ELP), Jonh Lord(Deep Purple), Ken Hensley(Uriah Heep), Rick van der Linden(Trace) and on and on ... And He was not last in that BIG ROW, where each name is a Hammond Organ Brilliant Master.
From all 5 Atomic Rooster's albums this one is my favorite. Give it a try and you will not be disappointed. I hope Vincent Crane will take the place he really deserves in your heart like he's got in hearts of others and unfairness will be corrected at least this way, because I still can not get it, why this group did not get recognition (BTW many others too)...