The Parlour Band — Is A Friend? 1972 (UK, Progressive Rock)
The debut album by the Channel Islands band, which a year later adopted the name "A Band Called O," and later still, "The O Band." The quintet, led by composer and keyboardist Peter Filleul, seamlessly combined pastoral psychedelia, American West Coast motifs, and progressive rock structures in their work. Moreover, all of this is embellished with vibrant melodies and beautiful vocal polyphony.
The Parlour Band have the dubious honour of being the first band from the small English Channel island of Jersey to be signed by a major UK label (Decca) and put into a studio to record an album. This was in late 1971 after Decca had been impressed by some very basic demos submitted the previous year by Peter Filleul, the band's song writer, lead vocalist and keyboard player. At the time, the band was based in Leicester as the group's drummer (Jerry Robins) and one of the guitarists (Jon 'Pix' Pickford) were studying at the local polytechnic (also the venue for the group's first mainland concert).
The other two group members were brothers Craig and Mark Anders (guitar and bass, respectively), and the five of them shared two low-rent houses typical of the squalor fit only for habitation by mice and students! However, the accommodation did give the band space to practice and Leicester was a fairly convenient location to travel from to get to gigs, although after signing a deal the band relocated to London to be nearer the hub of the English music industry.
From the opening Hammond riff of Forgotten Dreams with its accompanying layered vocals there is no mistaking that Is A Friend? is a product of the 70s. A fantastic opening which surprisingly leads into the more mellow Pretty Haired Girl. The harmony vocals are spot on and the twin lead guitars provide a gloriously melodic interlude. What is essentially a superior pop song breaks with conformity with a guitar solo which stridently leads the listener directly into Spring's Sweet Comfort.01. Forgotten Dreams - 0:00
02. Pretty Haired Girl - 2:41
03. Spring's Sweet Comfort - 5:34
04. Early Morning Eyes - 10:40
05. Follow Me - 14:35
06. Evening - 19:36
07. Don't Be Sad - 24:39
08. Little Goldie - 28:00
09. To Happiness - 31:24
10. Home – 34:44 including:
a). Once More Loneliness
b). Fortress
c). Home
Personnel:
Peter Filleul – lead vocals, keyboards, acoustic rhythm guitar
Craig Anders – acoustic & electric lead guitars, slide guitar
Mark Ashley Anders - bass
Jon "Pix" Pickford - wah wah Gibson guitar, lead vocals (06)
Jerry Robins - percussion
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Sue Bell, Laura Lee, Joan Baxter - backing vocals (05)
Nick Tauber - producer
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Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use"
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