Hatfield and the North

Hatfield and the North (1974)

1. The Stubbs Effect - 0:22
2. Big Jobs (Poo Poo Extract) - 0:36
3. Going up to People and Tinkling - 2:25
4. Calyx - 2:45
5. Son of "There's No Place Like Homerton" - 10:10
6. Aigrette - 1:37
7. Rifferama - 2:56
8. Fol de Rol - 3:07
9. Shaving Is Boring - 8:45
10. Licks for the Ladies - 2:37
11. Bossa Nochance - 0:40
12. Big Jobs No. 2 (By Poo and the Wee Wees) - 2:14
13. Lobster in Cleavage Probe - 3:57
14. Gigantic Land Crabs in Earth Takeover Bid - 3:21
15. The Other Stubbs Effect - 0:38
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16. Let's Eat (Real Soon)* - 3:16
17. Fitter Stoke Has a Bath* - 4:35

I avoided this album for a long time, mainly because of the crass song names. But I was finally curious enough to overcome the initial turn-off, and I was shocked to find an accomplished and thoughtful album lurking beneath the juvenile titles. The songs with lyrics sung by the ex-Caravan bass player Richard Sinclair (the two "Big Jobs," "Licks for the Ladies") cleverly expound and poke fun at the bizarre business of creating and performing music, and the songs with lyrics sung by the Northettes (more on them later) are simply gorgeous.

Though divided into many tracks, the album plays like two side-long suites, seamless segues linking one song to the next. Side one of the original album ends with "Rifferama" and side two with "The Other Stubbs Effect." High caliber instrumental interplay is the name of the game: whether it's the appropriately tinkly jazz piano work of "Going up to People and Tinkling," the playful sax-driven march of "Son of 'There's No Place Like Homerton'," the mind-melting time-bending virtuosity of "Rifferama," or the glorious 11/8 explosion that closes "Shaving Is Boring," this is a band that plays and plays well. Dave Stewart's piano/organ work in particular is excellent, but Phil Miller provides some tasty lead guitar work, Pip Pyle's drumming is sharp as a razor, and Richard Sinclair's bass work is, as always, inimitable.

Let's be honest, though: Sinclair's vocals are nothing to write home about. Very calm, very sedate, very British. Even when he's making oddball noises in the mic, it's tough to tell whether he's having fun. He does bring some thoughtful lyrics to the table, though. On "Licks for the Ladies," he compares what they are doing to more popular, accessible music, and delivers a simple yet poetic commentary on the art of composition: "In the end, choosing notes to see if they make friends." A humble yet heartfelt approach to making music, as opposed to the more pretentious practitioners of progressive rock - ELP, I'm looking at you....

The instrumental prowess and homespun charm would be good enough, but they top it all with the addition of the Northettes - a trio of female singers who provide beautiful choral pieces in the second half of "'Homerton'" and for most of "Lobster in Cleavage Probe." These ladies sing complex, madrigal-esque tunes, usually just backed by muted electric piano. Their voices float effortlessly above the warm instrumental backing, and their melodies and harmonies trace fantastic patterns in the air. If they felt like singing for the whole album, I for one wouldn't object.

And that's the only thing preventing a perfect rating: knowing the instrumental and vocal excellence available to this band, the weaker moments ("Fol de Rol," "Bossa Nochance," the first five minutes of "Shaving Is Boring") really stick out like a sore thumb. I guess no one's perfect...

Arbitrary rating: 4.5 out of 5 notes making friends