Space Shanty - Khan

Space Shanty (Khan, 1972)

1. Space Shanty - 9:01
2. Stranded (including Effervescent Psycho Novelty No. 5) - 6:35
3. Mixed Up Man of the Mountains - 7:15
4. Driving to Amsterdam - 9:23
5. Stargazers - 5:33
6. Hollow Stone (including Escape of the Space Pilots) - 8:18

Paradoxically, Khan's sole album Space Shanty starts where most albums end - a big, loud, raucous stinger, with drums, keys, bass, and guitar hammering a power chord in free time before drifting into silence. The undisciplined intro blasts open the doors of the ears to let in the hard rock, folk, stately classical, and easygoing jazz that will follow - and that's just the first three minutes of the first song.

Keyboardist Dave Stewart (later of Hatfield and the North) and guitarist Steve Hillage (later of Gong) are the dominant forces in this ambitious prog rock opus. Bassist Nick Greenwood contributes solid work, and drummer Eric Peachey successfully navigates Hillage's complex time signature changes. All the elements of a great 70's rock album are present - bubbling organ, brazen synth, razor sharp guitar, echo effects, calm acoustic moments, and compositional diversity out the wazoo.  It even has a concept of sorts, with its lyrics tending toward the cerebral and philosophical (though it also has a fair amount of "I am free," "I can fly", and "I found myself in you").  The six songs are replete with feel-good themes, freak-out moments, hard-rocking segues, and empassioned instrumentation.

The weak point has to be the vocals. Hillage and Greenwood are listed as the singers. I'm not sure who's the lead, but the vocals are very over-the-top, almost like pseudo-opera. They do harmonize nicely though, providing some of the album's more gentle moments in "Stranded", stirring up excitement in the dramatic coda to "Mixed Up Man of the Mountains", and making singable the jagged jazz of "Stargazers".

The strongest point may be the time signatures.  The six songs weave times and themes so seamlessly, almost effortlessly, you don't even notice how complex the music is, or how many hairs the musicians must have pulled out of their heads learning these tunes. The strange meters are brought to life by lots of great melodies. The aforementioned "Stargazers" has one of the most memorable and natural themes in 13/8 time I've ever heard.

On the whole, Space Shanty is a delightful listen, even if it does come off a bit as a relic of its time, a time when bands strove toward musical greatness and exploration no matter the cost.  In this case, the cost (besides commercial success) may have been overall impact - the music is so busy and diverse, it never coalesces into something truly great, though it is stuffed to the brim with flashes of musical brilliance.

Arbitrary rating: 4.5 out of 5 hard-rocking segues