Customer Reviews

House on the Hill

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"The House On The Hill" was probably Audience's most celebrated album and was their first collaboration with the very famous and trendy Gus Dudgeon (who came to fame with his work with Elton John) as producer which proved to be a meeting of complementary minds and humour lasting through the next Audience album and Howard Werth's solo career.

Audience was a band whose appeal is as fresh today as it was when they were influencing the hippest scene of the early seventies. They were described variously at the time as a "Progressive", "Underground" or "Art Rock" outfit, although their uniqueness actually defined any pigeonholing, but their influence was wide spread.

Audience was formed in early 1969 from the remnants of a psychedelic/soul band known as "The Lloyd Alexander Blues Band". Their original concept was based around Howard Werth's strong powerful voice and unique electric nylon strung guitar, plus the blaring echoing sax and flute of Keith Gemmell. Together with the underpinning heart beat of Trevor Williams' stomping bass and Tony Connor's inventive drum work (his live drum solos had to be seen to be believed).

The initial musical spark was built around a mixture of highly incongruous styles, including medieval folk, bossa nova, soul, rhythm and blues, and jazz.

It worked well, but soon developed into something of its own whilst getting louder and more suited to the larger venues at which they were increasingly being asked to play alongside such acts as Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, and many more.

By the time of "House On The Hill" (1971) Audience were at the peak of their creative style. Opening song "Jackdaw" is a truly powerful track with Werth's vocal complemented by Zappaesque Fuzz bass and clarinet from Gemmell.

A lot of people have likened the moody spine tingler "I Had A Dream" to Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heavens Door". However, when you realize that it was written and recorded quite some time before Dylan's classic, it becomes quite apparent how far Audience's influence spread.

Though Audience disbanded before they could consolidate the huge success they so richly deserved, their name and reputation has lived on through those initiates around the planet who were fortunate enough to see them live or listened to their original vinyl releases before they were finally on C.D.

Howard Werth's voice pairs well with Keith Gemmell's ubiquitous gruff sax. Much of their overall strategy was later to find success in some of the music of Roxy Music and David Bowie.

"House On The Hill" is one of the early seventies golden moments. Listen and enjoy.
Mott The Dog

In 1971, I was ten and my big brother brought home a couple of new records; Sabbath's "Master Of Reality," Jethro Tull's "Benefit" and "Aqualung," King Crimson's "Court Of The Crimson King" and Audience's "House On The Hill." At that time, we didn't have a television and I used to stay up all night listening to the song "House On The Hill." This was a creepy song with equally creepy lyrics and a haunting sax solo. This was the source of many nightmares and my interest in music (along with "The Yes Album"). This was (and is) a great album to lie in bed at night with the lights out and just absorb. Great album, great melodies, great arrangements, great musicians and great memories!

Between 1969 and 1972, the four members of Audience recorded five albums with varying ranges of brilliance and creativity. "House" is their best, and a sure proof of the difference a great producer can make. Gus Dudgeon produced three of Audience's LPs before leaving to craft Elton John's best works, including "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". For those totally unfamiliar with Audience, try listening to "Love Lies Bleeding/Funeral For A Friend" and imagine a full album of that sort of thing.

Led by Dudgeon, singer/guitarist Howard Werth and Keith Gemmel on sax and flute, Audience reached a level of innovation on "House on the Hill" that sublimely characterized that magical era of music production in the late 60s and early 70s, a period perhaps unmatched for creativity by any other in history.

Many bands of the time drew heavily on jazz, classical, old Renaissance era themes and structures (Rick Wakeman, Yes, Traffic) to create great music, but nobody topped Audience's achievment with "House on the Hill". I don't think anybody has since, either.

The album is built around the songwriting of Werth and bassist Trevor Williams, with a brilliant collboration between Werth and Gemmel on a paragon of gritty love story called "You're Not Smiling". Perhaps my personal favorite, though, is the only non-original on the album; their rendition of "I Put A Spell On You" still generates goosebumps and an inner churning that's hard to nail down, nearly 30 years later. The title cut, "Indian Summer", I Had A Dream", "Raviole" and "Jackdaw" are all the kind of songs that would justify the cost of a CD all by themselves. Put them on one album and you have a classic.

Oddly, these brilliant musicians broke up for good before making any kind of mass-market imprint, and never played together again. In fact, they played very little individually, showing up occasionally on relatively obscure British albums, never really making a mark.

Dudgeon went on to be a producing superstar. In the mid-70s he produced an album called "Howard Werth and the Moonbeams", which I have not heard. Someday I will find it; until then I will just hold out hope that it comes even halfway to reaching the benchmark the ensemble set with "House on the Hill".

In my former life as an FM Underground DJ, I remember the day this album arrived at the station. It was based on the single semi-hit "Indian Summer" which never sounded as impressive as it could have since it was being played mostly on AM radio competing with Bubble Gum top 10.

A couple of us jocks put the album on and could not believe what we were hearing. At first play, we all swore Van Morrison had done some sort of off-label secret project. Werth's voice was so compelling, it had to be Morrison. And no one had ever heard of Audience at the time.

For weeks I played various cuts from the album on air every night. We never had such a strong response to an album. Everybody wanted to know who this was. We didn't really know at the time. It just appeared one day from out of nowhere in our ususal supply of free albums.

I lost my vinyl copy years ago. But the songs have haunted me since then. I could hear each of them somewhere in the back of my mind they became so etched in my memory.

I was poking around in the iTunes store yesterday and did one of my normal seaches for some of the old gems (Papa John Creach, Jesse Davis, etc.) and found the Audience "Audience" album, but not the greatest one, "Fool on the Hill". Dug deeper and found it here on Amazon and HAD TO ORDER!

I can't belive it. 34 years after breaking this album on the air, it still sounds as great and is just as emotional as it was back then. Truly a classic.

Not your typical prog-rock, there's no electic guitar. Instead
Howard Werth plays an amplified classical guitar. He's quite
good, however his voice is an acquired taste. When Keith Gemmel
plays the flute, it gives a Tull-ish feel, and his sax playing
reminds me of David Jackson from Van Der Graaf Generator. The
rhythmn section is above average. Prog-Rock fans in search of something different may find this of interest.

My first experience with "House On the Hill" was during the early 1980's when the local radio station had a "for headphones only" program which featured the album's title track every Sunday night. The song became a common subject amongst my music-junky friends who couldn't understand why the album was nowhere to be found in stores. The intensity & heaven-sent range of Werth's vocals (actually predating Chris Cornell a good 20 years & almost sounds dead-ringer with a passive listen) are what really drew me to this song. After I was thoroughly blown away & addicted to the song, the radio program was suddenly dropped, leaving me hanging. In fact, it left me hanging a good 17 years when I finally stumbled across the CD version.

The album's opener "Jackdaw" is pretty much an abbreviation of the entire album & is contructed similarly to the title track. The song rocks with Werth's vocals soaring to heights only Cornell could imagine & beyond. William's fuzz bass solo in the song's mid-section is classic psychedelia. The dexterity of Werth's nylon-accoustic guitar playing is sensational here and throughout the whole album.

"You're Not Smiling" is another gem with a killer hook & very convincing vocals. "Raviole" is a memorable classical guitar workout backed by the LSO. "I Put a Spell On You" is a heaven & earth shattering rendition of great emotional intensity, easily rivaling CCR on the vocal & instrumental departments.

"House On the Hill" is an outstanding track on all fronts. The rhythm section is stunning; William's bass line is mysterious & satanic, while Connor's complex drum patterns are something to die for. The psychedelic saxophone solo is a real mind-bender & really adds a dimension to the already spooky number.

To sum it all up, this record is a must have. I still can't believe it took me nearly 20 years to even find it. Better late than never. So, hurry up & buy.

Audience was a terrific band from the end of the sixties genre (early seventies). House on the Hill and Lunch are some of the greatest albums from this period. Audience was somewhat like Jethro Tull, but very unique in their sound. Both albums contain great music and lyrics. Your Not Smiling, Indian Summer, Nancy, on Hill and Stand By the Door, Ain't the Man You Need, Trombone Gulch and Buy Me an Island, on Lunch. Also on Lunch the song, In Accord, is a great-intertwined tale of love and music.

If you like classic rock music then this album is worth buying. I agree that It Brings a Tear should have remained. Also the vinyl song order was there for a reason (Gus Dudgeon, Producer).

It is nice to read the other reviewers comments and to know that I was not alone in my enjoyment of Audience's music. I wish someone would / could build a web site on Audience like they have done for Wishbone Ash. Does anyone from the Elektra Records label know what happen to the band's members?

The best album by a great early 70s group, now sadly forgotten. Audience did 4 albums before breaking up; Howard Werth had been mooted to replace the late Jim Morrison in the Doors (nothing came of that plan, obviously) but went on to solo work with his later band the Moonbeams. This record is really the defining example of Audience's pop folk-blues, an amalgam of the early sounds of Traffic, Jethro Tull, and Caravan, with Werth's singing also bringing in elements of Van Morrison or Bowie circa Hunky-Dory. The title track (reworked from their debut album), Jackdaw (with its ferocious fuzz bass solo), and the magnificant I Had A Dream show these guys off best, but the whole record is great, as was their whole catalogue. Fans will note that the CD updates the original UK LP sequence, which was retooled for its US release. Hence, you get Eye To Eye instead of It Brings a Tear -- but don't panic! "Tear" is available on the previous album, Friend's Friend's Friend, instead.

I've been listening to this album since the late seventies and have always considered one of my personal "top ten" albums of all time. The song writing is execeptionally good - melodic and complex. Howard Werth's vocals are riveting. Some of the instrumental passages are a little long and dated, but nobody's perfect.

Frankly, I was surprised to find this title in CD format on Amazon. I figured this had been condemned to out of print obscurity like so much great music. I'm a little disappointed in the song layout on the CD. My vinyl LP includes a song called "It Brings a Tear" that's not included on the CD that was the best song on the album, in my opinion. Instead the CD includes "Eye To Eye" which I thought was sophomoric. In addition, the LP started with "Indian Summer", which is a better grabber to start an album. I've got a feeling my LP is an American release while the CD is a British release, but that's just a guess on my part.

This album has been in my top 5 for 31 years and I play it at least four times a year - often more. That says a lot! The track 'House on the Hill' appears on Audience's first album entitled, simply, 'Audience' (a very rare album indeed). There the track is in a simpler form and lacks the power that it has in this classic version.

It is impossible to describe Audience's music in terms of comparisons - no other band has ever sounded like this: The combination of thundering bass, unique drumming (that went on to form the rhythm of Hot Chocolate - I kid ye not), screaming sax and nylon strung guitar. A most unusual line-up. All supporting the most interesting voice of the 70's - Howard Werth. Axl Rose later copied Werth's style - poorly.

The original English album, featured neither 'Indian Summer' (which was the product of another session) nor 'It Brings a Tear', which originally appeared on the excellent 'Friend's Friend's Friend', which was the band's second album. I can only imagine some American and Canadian releases had variations of the playlist.

Jackdaw, Nancy, The House on the Hill and Eye to Eye are without doubt among my favourites, but there isn't a bad track on the album. Listen to the orchestration complementing the Spanish guitar on Raviole or the flute solo on Jackdaw. For me, the album's crowning glory is the cover of Nina Simone's 'I Put a Spell on You' - it beats the original into the ground. The power on this track, is quite simply, awesome!!

Buy this album. I promise that you will not regret it. Buy the others too, they are all classics. The only one I haven't mentioned in this review (so I will) is their final album - 'Lunch'. Not as good as House on the Hill which was their best, but still boasting some excellent material.

Paul Grogan