Customer Reviews

Last Autumn's Dream (Dig)

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What a bizarre Hippie album this is, and yet how utterly, completely unique and unlike any other band does this group sound! Tired of endlessly predictable '70s sounds? Get this CD (it's worth the steep price despite its short single-album length) and get hit by a fresh wind of incense. This band is on the one hand very familiar sounding and easy to get into and on the other way more original sounding and uncategorizable than the relatively prog-rock sounding Van der Graaf Generator.

That's why the tag of 'progressive rock' is not quite accurate I think, because, though musically & philosophically sophisticated and accomplished, these guys have more in common with Tomita, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Traffic and Black Sabbath (depending on which tune or which part of any particular tune you're listening to) than bands like ELP, Yes, King Crimson, or Genesis. For one thing they almost never use any, even remotely 'classical-sounding' scales in their music, though their melodies are beautiful and often elaborate. They have a weird mix of Japanese music, East Indian Music, mellow folksy Hippie acoustic music, and hard-rock that works for them, and creates its own slightly corny poetry. Some of their mellower tunes might remotely sound like early King Crimson stuff like "Moonchild," but then on the very next tune you might have a section with a guitar soundscape with Indian Tabla percussion backing that sounds sort of like Fripp & Belew on Discipline's "Sheltering Sky." This is 1971, folks! This band is one bad mofo that just can't be pigeonholed.

And I do agree that the late Tony Duhig was one of the great guitar players of the '70s, brilliant, fresh and original sounding with a definite dragon's bite is what the man's playing is for sure, though you're not going to get any long self-indulgent 'jams' here, just dense, super-cool, comprehensive musicianship with occasional flourishes of wild abandon (as on the hilarious tune "Joanne, gonna have a party" where he sounds like a whammy-bar crazed mixture of Tony Iommi & Carlos Santana powered by a Jet Engine!).

I love this album, it's just plain magical, the sort of record they just don't make anymore, because this type of culture barely exists nowadays. How else can you explain the fact that almost every great hippie band of the early '70s that's still around is a mere shadow of their awesome former selves, turning out endlessly mediocre & sometimes even downight embarrasing product?

So, in order to experience real music again, we have to dig into the past for stuff we may have missed and that's how I came to the great and relatively little-known "Jade Warrior"; that is, I searched what other people had written about the band right here on Amazon, bought based on the trust I put in the reviewers' tastes being similar to mine without being able to listen to samples, and I was more than satisfied; I wouldn't be writing this review if I wasn't. Like so many great '60s and '70s bands, Jade Warrior is the sum of all its faults and the overbearing enthusiasm and passion which synergizes those faults into a brilliant quality missing from most of today's bands.

I have a collection of over 1000 titles, and this one is arguably at the very top for me. I say arguably because I have one or two others I like just as much. Who says only one can be at #1? I have been listening to this album for more than 20 years and still have not gotten tired of it. Each song is an entity unto itself - on any other album each would be designated the best - here are all the best together. It begins softly, builds to a grand crescendo, then rocks like nothing else, then gets spacey, then rocks some more, then there is a piece I can only describe as layers upon layers of sound. That is the first half. The second half is more jazzy yet rocks at the same time. The album ends on a note of magnificence. Strong imagery fills every song, both musically and lyrically. My favorite verse, from Lady of the Lake: In a robe of starlight spun by poet's hand/Bringing hope to those who journey through your land/Seven rings adorn your fingers, on the water incense lingers/Willingly I sing at your command. Yeah, it was 1972, but the lyricism of this passage rings through the decades. The music greatly enhances these words - they both fit together perfectly. In some ways it is sad that a dispute over the direction of the band split the original lineup. We have enjoyed a more jazzy Warrior since then, and they have not produced anything bad, ever; still, I can't get enough of this stuff. When was the last time you just sat and listened to an album all the way through without getting up? That happens to me almost everytime I listen to it. Poetic, mystical, raucus, jammin', slammin,' and groove-infested all at the same time. I think I'll play it now.

First, my thanks to Gary for alerting me to the better quality of these newly-remastered recordings. I own the German Line imports and trust me & Gary on this: they are travesties, and the people at Line should be ashamed of themselves. And thanks to both Gary and robfox for saying so eloquently what I've always believed...that these guys are probably from another planet. I have never heard any other band on earth come close to the sound of Jade Warrior. To say they were and are ahead of their time is an understatement of astronomical proportions. I can still remember the first time I heard LAST AUTUMN'S DREAM at a friend's house...I recall being distracted from the game we were playing by the beauty of "Morning Hymn," the jazziness of "May Queen," the bordering-on-heavy-metal-dance-floor vivaciousness of "Demon Trucker," and last but not least, the priceless, dreamy/ethereal atmospheres of "Lady of the Lake" combined with the concluding instrumental majesty of "Borne Onto the Solar Wind." And that was just side TWO! I had to hear it again, and again...and the next day I beat a path downtown to find a copy of the album. The rest, as they often say, is history. In the reviews I've read of this particular album of theirs, no one has mentioned the vocal magic of Glyn Havard. When I first heard this album, I thought he sounded remotely like Ian Anderson (which I hope he would consider a compliment). I was saddened when the original line-up ended, and sadder to hear that Glyn did not leave the band on good terms. To say that I like the old Jade Warrior more than the revamped jazz/world/new age/instrumental Jade Warrior would be inaccurate; to me, it's like apples and oranges. But I digress. The bottom line is this...If you are a fan of the true sound of the progressive rock of the 70's, and like your music to be daring, avant-garde and even a little dangerous in some spots, this is the band for you. Their talent and potential knew no limits, and it was a sad, sad day when we lost Tony Duhig back in 1990. As Jon stated on the inner sleeve of BREATHING THE STORM, "he was one of a kind and is irreplaceable." It has been a few years since their last album, DISTANT ECHOES, so let us hope that Jon and the new Jade Warrior will remain with us for many years to come...there are, I believe, enough of us hardcore JW fans who will always rally behind them as the JW banner is carried on into the 21st century. They are truly a band of gifted musicians who deserve to evolve and thrive for years to come. And to David Duhig: David, I hope you read this and will contact me again, as I have lost your address. My best to you, and to Camilla and Anthony Duhig. Peace........Doug

"Last Autumn's Dream" is possibly the most accessible of Jade Warrior's early albums. Unusual instrumentation, an overall feeling of great calm and occasional grandeur, and a couple of very eccentric but catchy rockers. A godd starting point for anyone wanting to acquaint themselves with this band.

Superior remaster and presentation for this much loved 3rd Vertigo LP on CD.
An aggressive-pensive Jethro Tull would be a poor comparison as Jade Warrior was a highly intense group of musicians, maybe too good.
Originally did not sell well; imagine for the time poor marketing and exposure.
To me this is the best of the 3 Vertigo albums.
After this one and a move to Island Label the quality though good was never better than here.

In terms of quality to their well received debut album 'Jade Warrior' this 3rd Vertigo offering from 1972 just has the edge, particularly so in that it was the springboard for the four classic Island albums which followed. In retrospect this album clearly contained the seeds of a restless and changing style...one that did not require a vocalist for what they really wanted to say. Key tracks to illustrate this are 'Dark River' and 'May Queen'. As usual though with Jade Warrior...an album of contrasts, from the sublime to the downright violent! I guess this is what makes their music so interesting and refreshing to this day.

I heard Jade Warrior a long time ago but I had forgotten what they were like I should have bought this a long time ago. They are so progressive that they could put this back on the market and I feel a lot of people would get into it, a greate combination of folk, jazz and rock long live Jade Warrior.

I'm definately a product of flower children. Both of my parents still regale me with stories of protests, skinny dipping in mountain lakes, and the various stellar acid trips they went on.
And of course, it's all about THE MUSIC! My father has taken it upon himself to, in his words, "Instill good taste in music to the fruit of his loins." Lucky for him I have just as deep a passion for music as he does and deffinately a wider appreciation(He's convinced rock-and-roll died in '78).

We'd spend hours discussing/arguing over guitar riffs, lyrics, arrangements etc. He told me about this little known band called Jade Warrior that he heard on the radio late one night that just blew him away. He found an LP and played it to distruction and never forgot their sound. His description of their music was still so impassioned (as if he just heard them yesterday not 20 years ago) that without knowing anything else I wanted to hear them. The internet is a wonderful thing (my father, of course, still refuses to change with the times)! I found a copy and and bought two. Now I would know what all the fuss was about. He Wasn't wrong. From the first sound I was hooked!
LAST AUTUMN'S DREAM, especially, is incredible! It hasn't become dated in the slightest. I first heard it in '96 and it sounded fresh and beautiful and even progressive. The Japanese and Indian influences provide extra sublty to the fantastic guitar playing. Between the beautifuly mellow instumentals like Dark River and the heavier distortions of Snake and Joanne there is something on this albumn for everyone. Born on a Solar Wind is probably one of the best endings to an albumn I've heard. It leaves me aching for the shear beauty of it and yearning for more. It's slow start that steadily builds and builds and builds carries my heart right along with it. If you don't own this albumn you should. Music is the language of the soul, and LAST AUTUMN'S DREAM speaks volumns!

When I gave the Cd to my father he almost cried (though he'll deny it to his dying day) He couldn't believe I found it. We listened to it right away, loud, with the lights off, and the inscense burning. We where Born on the solar wind to better and more beautiful lands.

Unusual, cutting edge, great musicians, off the beaten path. Such is the legacy of Jade Warrior. One heck of a great band with a large catalog of great music to enjoy. This is one of my favorite releases by them. A Winters Tale, a beautiful song, lovely, enchanting and timeless, it paints a vivid mental picture and evokes emotions few songs could ever hope to accomplish. Lady Of The Lake, Borne Unto the Solar Winds, excellent guitar and interesting compositions, Snakebite, a rough and tumble cut, and the only cut to get any mainstream airplay, the interesting The Demon Trucker. For lack of a better term, this is simply Underground music at its best. Highly recommended!

Last Autumn's Dream represents Jade Warrior as a somewhat schizophrenic band, alternating sublime inner beauty with raucous social statements.

The album open's with "A Winter's Tale", a wistfully sweet ballad sung in a voice as soft as David Carradine's Kung Fu character, at least until the chorus, which gets a bit more strident in a way that only heightens the intensity of the mood.

"Snake" is an angry, guitar-driven statement with a political rather than personal message, as aggressive in it's approach as any of today's metal bands.

"Dark River" is another enchanting introspective instrumental journey that spotlights the flute's contribution.

"Joanne" is paean to the spirit of group celebration, again more of an upbeat rocker, with a brief psychedelic departure in the bridge.

"Obedience" has the feel of a hypnotic Eastern meditation, though with a sharp percussive accent that gives it a sense of urgency.

"Morning Hymn" returns to the mellow inner state, again with vocals reminiscent of the humble Kwai Chang Caine.

"May Queen" is a more upbeat romp, but with a playful, joyful theme.

"Demon Trucker" is another guitar-driven, hard-rockin' party song that espouses a hedonistic philosophy.

"Lady of the Lake" conjures a perfect mix of contemporary Western rhythm with ancient Eastern melody, which flows sympathetically into the instrumental "Borne on to the Solar Wind".

This is the only album I've heard by them, but from what I've read, I believe it represents them at their best. The instrumental mix is atypical of rock, yet, when present, the lead guitar has a wonderful sweet, thick tone with just the right amount of edge to it. A fascinating and unique relic of a progressive, experimental era worth revisiting.