Rare Bird haute qualité [1969] by Rare Bird NEUF

Performer Notes:

• Personnel: Steve Gould (vocals, guitar, saxophone, bass guitar); Mark Ashton (vocals, drums, background vocals); Ced Curtis (guitar); Dave Kaffinetti (electric piano, keyboards, synthesizer); Graham Field (organ); Fred Kelly (drums).
• This debut featured an organist and an electric pianist, but no guitarist, resulting in a moody Hammond-heavy album from a band that would later become more progressive and varied in its sound. "Beautiful Scarlet" shifts easily from histrionic soul to offhanded slow-four interludes, and the instrumental "Iceberg" shows off the organist Graham Field and the rest of bands chops well. The whispered vocals and weird background noises of "God of War" achieves the kind of creepy gloom appropriate to an era of carpet bombing and napalm. Indeed, the production and instrumentation of this album makes it very much of a period piece, though certainly not in any derogatory sense. ~ Paul Collins

Producer: Ken Burgess, Paul Holland, Peter Rice, Andy Curtis, John Anthony, Steve Gould

Format: CD (1 Disc); Stereo

Country: USA

Studio/Live: Studio

Release Date: 20 November, 2007

Label: Dark Peak Productions

Dimensions: 12.9 x 14.5 x 1.1 centimeters (0.07 kg)