Customer Reviews

Time Is Near (Reis)

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

 

 

Unless you're my age and were fairly widely educated about music at the time, you missed this, an album that was as good as many more popular LP's and never got the recognition it deserved.

Keef Hartley was (is) a drummer who was mostly known for being with John Mayall's band at various times, but this album is all about Miller Anderson, a talented singer, guitarist and vocalist that drives this music. Keef Hartley was known as a blues artist, but there's nothing here like that at all. Think Blood Sweat and Tears maybe, but better, less smaltzy, more like ensemble jazz with a rock kick. A big sound, biting guitars and horns, fast driving, propelled by a solid backbone. Miller Anderson's voice will grab you right away.

Anyway, check it out and you'll see what I mean. Skip the first two songs and it makes a great set, but in this CD age the running time will seem short. There are a few songs on NW6 and the first album that can be mixed in to your playlist for this band . . . and that's about it.

The liner notes said that they felt for the band, the time was near. It wasn't, as it turned out, but they left a few minutes of solid music for the ages.

These guys were pretty amazing. Keef Hartly band mixed soul and jazz and rock in very inventive ways.

None of this was self-concious or advertized as it may have been with Chicago or post-Al Kooper Blood Sweat and tears. These songs had a rock groove-and a genuinely 60s FM underground bend at that--but the horns played sweet R&B changes over vocals that could rival Otis Redding or Sam and Dave.

This album takes ideas from "pop" and "rock" and "progressive" --back when those labals truely drew lines--and melds them to wonderful musical clay.

Far far far too few people know the Keef Hartly Band, and are truely missing out. I can't speak highly enough of this album or its makers.

This album opens with two tracks that are a little more radio oriented than anything on Halfbreed, but that are still excellent tracks. The rest of the album is more progressive and I think as good as Halfbreed. Certainly these were two great records. Even though I was young when they came out, I don't know how my music friends and I missed these albums. It's exactly the kind of music we were looking for. I am very glad to find them now, it's always nice to find great music that I missed during rock's golden age.

The Keef Hartley Band released a lot of good albums. Their masterpiece however is The Time Is Near there are no filler tracks on this album although i would have liked to see some of the shorter tracks at a longer length. I would catagorize The Keef Hartley Band in some ways to Chicago for that Horn Rock sound but also Blues Rock as well. Miller Anderson had and has the best voice to come out of scotland and he is one great guitarist as well. Now the title of my review is suggesting that this could be a concept album. Most of the songs in some way hafto do with Death, Change, Despair, Wasted Time and so on i absolutely love dark song writing like that. My favorite tracks are The epic 10 min title track, You Cant Take It With You, From The Window and the jazzy instrumental Premonition. Their debut album Halfbreed is deadly but The Time Is Near beats it out. Recomended to Horn Rock, Blues Rock and Jazz Rock lovers. Check this out

Incredible stuff by a band that even most people who know superb music have not been turned on to but once they are they fall in love with this British Progressive/Blues/Rock Band which had members in it from John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. Think JM but more upbeat, more prog and musicianship, more varied and the horns are as hot as Hades on July 4th!

Simply a smashing collection of textured songs that will keep you amazed and entertained.

I think that once you buy this CD you will also buy "Halfbreed" and "Battle of Northwest Six"cause you will want the whole collection of their songs from the three main albums which make up a slice of music you will find as refreshing as a piece of watermelon on a hot Summer's day.

5 Stars.