Standin' At The Crossroads : THIRD EAR BAND - 1972 Third Ear Band 's Music From Macbeth

Τρίτη 21 Οκτωβρίου 2008

THIRD EAR BAND - 1972 Third Ear Band 's Music From Macbeth

Third Ear Band evolved within the London alternative and free-music scene of the mid 1960's with members coming from The Giant Sun Trolley & The People Band to create a uniquely improvised music drawing on Eastern raga forms, European folk, experimental and medieval influences. They recorded their first session in 1968 for Ron Geesin which was released under the pseudonym of The National-Balkan Ensemble on one side of a Standard Music Library disk. Their first actual album, Alchemy, was released on the EMI Harvest label in 1969, (featuring John Peel playing Jew's Harp on one track), followed by Air, Earth, Fire, Water (aka Elements) in 1970. They recorded two soundtracks, the first in 1970 for an animated film by Fuchs of Abelard and Heloise (which first saw release as part of Luca Ferrari's Necromancers of the Drifting West Sonic Book in 1997) and then in 1971 for Roman Polanski's film of Macbeth. After various later incarnations & albums they finally disbanded in 1993 owing to leader & percussionist Glen Sweeney's ongoing health problems.
They also opened the Rolling Stones Free Concert at Hyde Park on 5th July 1969.(From Wikipedia)
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Third Ear Band- Hyde Park {Live 1970}

Paul Minns: oboe, recorder

Glen Sweeney: drms,Percussion

Paul Buckmaste: cello, bass guit

Simon House: violin, VCS3

Denim Bridges: guitars

Lyn Dobson: soprano saxophone, flute, vocals

Ursula Smith: cello, violin

Richard Coff: Violin, Viola

(included16 tracks)

1. Overture 2. The Beach 3. Lady Macbeth 4. Inverness: Macbeth's Return/The Preparation/Fanfare/Duncan's Arrival 5. The Banquet 6. Dagger And Death 7. At The Well/The Princes' Escape/Coronation/Come Sealing Night 8. Court Dance 9. Fleance 10. Grooms' Dance 11. Bear Baiting 12. Ambush/Banquo's Ghost 13. Going To Bed/Blind Man's Buff/Requiscant/Sere And Yellow Leaf 14. The Cauldron 15. Prophesies 16. Wicca Way

The unique style of Third Band is most worked out here in shorter tracks, more and brighter ideas. Most beautiful (and an absolute classic) is the song sang by a boy,"Fleance" and the bird song like passages, like "Court Dance", and the medieval inspired like passages. Oboe sound again most beautiful. A few passages are more experimental. Within the rest of the music full of clarity these little parts are not easy. This release is the music for the Roman Polanski film.
The album was originally issued on the Harvest label, it was reissued on BGO and later with a different cover on Voiceprint. (psychedelic folk)