In the mood for some incredible early 70's jazz-rock fusion? Well, look no further than this stunning debut from Secret Oyster, available now for the first time on CD thanks to the folks at The Lasers Edge. Formed from the ashes of Burnin' Red Ivanhoe, Secret Oyster was comprised of Karsten Vogel (sax, organ), Claus Bohling (guitar), Kenneth Knudsen (electric piano), Bo Thrige Andersen (drums), and Mads Vinding (bass). These guys created some exciting sounds on this debut (also known as Furtive Pearls in some territories), more on the rock side here than the more jazzy recordings that would follow. Here, there's plenty of emphasis on extended rave-ups featuring hot guitar solos, intense keyboard interplay, and raging drum passages, which should be good news for 70's fusion fans.
Tunes like "Vive La Quelle?" and "Fire & Water" show that even though these guys were new to each other as a band, the synergy was already there and they could rip with the best of them. Not content to let bands like The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, Return to Forever, or Lifetime take the fusion crown, Secret Oyster blast through sophisticated rippers like "Public Oyster" (featuring some hot Fender Rhodes from Knudsen), "Dampexpressen", and "Blazing Lace" with plenty of passion and fire. You can almost hear as well a hefty influence from The Soft Machine on some of these songs, especially in the sax, organ, and electric piano department, and the fact that this band was not afraid to take chances with their music. Vogel's sax solos just scream throughout on this one, as he adds an element of free-jazz and improvisation to these songs, something that should come as no surprise to those that follow his current work with Robin Taylor's Free Universe.
It's actually very easy to recommend this debut to anyone who appreciates 70's prog and fusion. This reissue features a nice little essay from Vogel, as well as two live bonus tracks recorded in Copenhagen back in 1973. Can I say highly recommended?
Track Listing
1. Dampexpressen 4:27
2. Fire & Water 5:37
3. Vive La Quelle? 8:52
4. Blazing Lace 4:59
5. Public Oyster 10:51
6. Mis(s) Fortune 1:32
7. Ova-X 5:03
8. Dampexpressen 7:25
9. Orlavær 2:16
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