Before A Word Is Said

Phil Miller, Richard Sinclair & Trevor Tompkins Alan Gowan (Author) | Format: Vinyl

Product Details

• Vinyl
• Label: Europa Records
• ASIN: B001Q1O3FA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #595,001 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Recorded in April and May 1981, this album contains some of Alan Gowen's last sessions (he died in 1982). Different in many ways than the core corpus of the Canterbury progressive rock movement (Soft Machine, Caravan, National Health), this quartet album moves deeper into jazz  jazz by rock musicians, yet not blatantly jazz-rock. Jazz has always been part of the Canterbury essence, in Richard Sinclai's melodic basslines and in Phil Miller's blues guitar background. Gowen continues to explore the dreamy mood exposed in Two Rainbows Daily, his collaboration with Hugh Hopper dominated by sad, subtle Moog melodies. Drummer Trevor Tomkin adds a light free jazz touch, his playing moving outside the beat in the quietest passages to provide textures rather than pulses. Writing credits are split between Miller, Gowen and Sinclair. The guitarist's tunes are jazzy and more upbeat. "Nowadays a Silhouette" stands out; it began its life as part of National Health's repertoire. Sinclair's only contribution, "Umbrellas," features his evanescent wordless vocals. A soft number, it pre-figures his solo material of the 80s. Gowen brought the darkest, most melancholy pieces. The title track is a lesson in understatement, its slow theme floating over sparse arrangements, yet it delivers the memorable of the set. This album takes fans of the Canterbury scene elsewhere, on a ride between parentheses, and will be of interest mostly to aficionados and collectors, but it is a fine session. Just not quite the think you expect.