SNAFU: Live Nottingham 1976

Fresh from a solo album featuring the likes of Tony Iommi, Ian Paice and Herby Flowers, ex-Freedom singer Bobby Harrison formed the band SNAFU, bringing with him Juicy Lucy guitarist Micky Moody, who had also performed on the frontman's solo outing, Funkist. The pair bonded on and off stage and alongside one-time Procol Harum man Pete Solley (keys), Colin Gibson (bass) and drummer Terry Popple, recorded a self titled debut in 1973 and the Situation Normal follow up just one year later. The band's third album, 1975's All Funked Up, would see Brian Chatton handle keyboards in place of Solley, while Tim Hinkley added some piano. However by 1976 Hinkley was the band's full time keyboard player as SNAFU headed to Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham, where along with others, John Moon would record the show for Radio Trent. As he did many an act over the years, such as Thin Lizzy, Gerry Rafferty and Rory Gallagher.

Fast forward to 1992 and Moon would sadly be made redundant from the radio station, when he, rather unusually, had the Radio Trent archive assigned over to him, saving 120 recorded concerts from being simply discarded in the process. That SNAFU show from 1976 was one of the many saved and now the six song set is presented here by Angel Air Records. With Harrison contributing to the interesting Jeff Perkins penned liner notes, it makes an involving bookend for a band who were over long before they really should have been. Moody tempted off to join David Coverdale's Whitesnake, the young guitarist making the understandable decision to throw his axe skills in with the ex-Deep Purple man as he forged ahead with his new group. SNAFU recruited Colloseum six stringer Clem Clempson, but with Harrison struggling to see a future for his band without Moody, things never worked out and SNAFU folded.

Here three band originals, "Long Gone", "Unsettled Dust" and "Highway" compete keenly for attention with three covers, the band's deep, funky, bluesy style arguably ahead of its time. Harrison proves to have the perfect voice to nail the groove expertly into place, while it will come as no shock that Moody's fretwork possesses a real warmth and fluidity, even if this, understandably, is hardly a hi-tech recording.

Once the band ended, Harrison turned his attention towards forming a new outfit, Niagra. Short lived, they would only record four tracks together for Tommy Vance's radio show, which are added here as bonuses. With the only source available being an old cassette recording, there's no denying this is scratchy stuff, and yet with a more commercially aware hard rock sound, "Crossfire" and "Cold Eyes" still suggest Niagra shouldn't have fallen as readily as their name suggested. However, they did, Harrison eventually moving to Iceland to take a break from the music business.

If you're Bobby Harrison, Micky Moody or SNAFU completist, then Live In Nottingham 1976 will prove a vital addition to your collection. For anyone else there's undoubtedly a great hard blues rock act here to be discovered, although I'd suggest catching up with their studio output first.

See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!

Track Listing
1. Don't Keep Me Wondering
2. Long Gone
3. Big Legged Woman
4. Every Little Bit Hurts
5. Unsettled Dust
6. Highway
BONUS TRACKS by NIAGRA (radio sessions recorded 1977)
7. Crossfire
8. Victim Of Love
9. Cold Eyes
10. Don't Be A Fool

Added: August 18th 2017
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Live Nottingham 1976 at Angel Air
Hits: 2111
Language: english

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