{"id":8330,"date":"2017-02-04T00:10:03","date_gmt":"2017-02-04T00:10:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hippy.com\/hip\/?p=8330"},"modified":"2017-02-04T00:10:03","modified_gmt":"2017-02-04T00:10:03","slug":"kevin-ayers-mandala-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/reviews\/kevin-ayers-mandala-light\/","title":{"rendered":"Kevin Ayers – Mandala Light"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Kevin Ayers<\/strong> the English songwriter and poet and was a key influential force in the\u00a0 psychedelic movement of the mid sixties. BBC DJ John Peel<\/strong> wrote, \u2018Kevin Ayers’ talent is so acute you could perform major eye surgery with it.<\/em>\u2019Kevin Ayers<\/strong> started out with The Wilde Flowers<\/strong> then to Mr Head<\/strong>, the remnants thereof blossoming into the pioneering psychedelic Soft Machine.<\/strong> Soft Machine<\/strong> featured drummer vocalist Robert Wyatt<\/strong>, bassist Hugh Hopper<\/strong>, keyboardist Mike Ratledge<\/strong> & guitarist Daevid Allen<\/strong>. Ayers <\/strong>later switched to bass following Allen’s departure to Gong<\/strong>. The contrast between Ayers’<\/strong> baritone and Wyatt<\/strong>‘s breezy tenor freewheeled between psyche and jazz influences. The band shared stages at the \u2018UFO Club\u2019 with Pink Floyd<\/strong>. who were sincerely influenced by them. Soft Machine\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0 debut \u201cLove Makes Sweet Music\u201d \/ \u201cFeelin’ Reelin\u201d in Feb 1967, included Jimi Hendrix<\/strong> on the B side. Ayers <\/strong>then walked out of the Machine and launched Joy of a Toy<\/em> that relished in his misty “Girl on a Swing” and haunting \u201cLady Rachel\u201d backed by Soft Machine<\/strong> and Gong <\/strong>drummer Rob Tait<\/strong>, but owing everything to the textured arrangements of David Bedford<\/strong> and his classical brass augmentation.(Live tours included Dantalions Chariot<\/strong> guitarist Andy Summers<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

Ayers\u2019 debut \u201cSinging a Song in the Morning\u201d featured Syd Barrett<\/strong> on guitar & backing vox while his album Shooting at the Moon<\/em> included The Whole World <\/strong>comprising ex Sallyangie<\/strong> guitarist Mike Oldfield<\/strong> on bass\/ lead guitar. Avant-garde composer David Bedford\u2019s<\/strong> keyboards and ex Tony Knight\u2019s Chessmen<\/strong> \/ Gass <\/strong>saxophonist Lol Coxhill<\/strong> gave the album an ethereal Prog mode, well checked on\u00a0\u00a0\u201cGemini Child\u201d. Ayers<\/strong> was largely overwhelmed by the abstract Wyatt <\/strong>who surged uncomfortably on the title track -a reworking of Soft Machine\u2019s<\/strong> \u201cJet Propelled Photographs\u201d while Oldfield <\/strong>secreted lavish solo\u2019s on \u201cReinhardt and Geraldine\u201d \/ \u201cColores Para Delores\u201d and \u201cLunatic\u2019s lament\u201d.The whimsical Kevin flutters lightly through the edible \u201cThe Oyster and The Flying Fish\u201d and \u201cClarence In Wonderland\u201d. The Bonzo<\/strong> dogging \u201cHat\u201d intended for BBC\u2019s \u2018Radio One\u2019 with Bridget St. John<\/strong> as backing vocalist was put back on at Kevin\u2019s 1978 Rainbow Take Away<\/em> as \u201cHat Song\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ayers<\/strong> then launched his opus Whatevershebringswesing <\/em>featuring the embellishing 8min title track that became his signature sound that became the ultimate brass\/ classical rubicon thanks to Bedford\u2019<\/strong>s gifted grasp, Gong\u2019<\/strong>s saxophonist Didier Malherbe<\/strong>, Hot Club of London<\/strong> violinist John Derick<\/strong>,and Oldfield<\/strong>\u2019s underrated bass. Best be consumed by the overwhelming \u201cThere Is Loving\/Amongst Us\/There is Loving\u201d and the title track\u00a0 to understand their cosmic depth. The apocalyptic \u201cSong From The Bottom Of The Well\u201d has to be the scariest demise put to wax while the seductive \u201cMargaret\u201d and dreamy \u201cLullaby\u201d are exquisite creations. The Whole World<\/strong> backed Ayers<\/strong>\u2019 \u201cButterfly Dance\u201d shrouded in choral harmonies with East Of Eden<\/strong> drummer Dave Dufont<\/strong> replacing Fincher<\/strong>. The whoppy \u201cStars\u201d backed the enlightening \u201cStranger In Blues Suede Shoes\u201d best heard live.<\/p>\n

The seventies gave us the accessible Bananamour<\/em> which included “Shouting in a Bucket Blues” and whimsical “Oh! Wot A Dream – tribute to Barrett.<\/strong> Ayers<\/strong> then assembled ex Larry Parne\u2019s<\/strong> drummer Eddie Sparrow,<\/strong> ex Khan <\/strong>guitarist Steve Hilage<\/strong> & ex Bobby Patrick\u2019s\u2019s Big Six \/Tony Sheridan<\/strong> bassist Archie Legget<\/strong> for the introspective Decadence<\/em>, a ghostly portrayal of Nico.<\/strong> 1974 was the artistic peak for Ayers<\/strong> once washed by \u201cLady June\u201d with contributions by Roxy Music\u2019s Brian Eno<\/strong> & Delivery <\/strong>drummer Pip Pyle<\/strong>. Kevin Ayers\u2019<\/strong> Hyde Park free concert, 29 June 1974 The Confessions of Dr. Dream & Other Stories<\/em> featured Oldfield, Patto<\/strong> guitarist Ollie Halsall<\/strong> & King Crimson\u2019s Michael Giles.<\/strong> In 1974 Kevin gathered Oldfield, Cale, Eno, Nico<\/strong> & the Soporifics <\/strong>for a final countenance at the ‘Rainbow.’ (Wyatt<\/strong> played drums) The live album opened with its Parisian \u201cMay I\u201d accordion flavoured\u00a0 Moulin Rouge side-walks ballad. Kevin extended the version into the French quarter re- titled \u201cPuis Je?\u201dThe ghostly highlight was the eerie version of Mae Axton\u2019s<\/strong> \u201cHeartbreak Hotel\u201d which Cale<\/strong> secreted, Eno<\/strong>\u2019s screeching piano bashing \u201cBaby\u2019s On Fire\u201dand Oldfield<\/strong>\u2019s guitar solo\u2019s that ran through the ethereal \u201cTwo Goes Into Four\u201d and Love<\/strong> influenced \u201cEverybody\u2019s Sometime And Some People All The Time Blues\u201d. (The night before Cale<\/strong> caught Ayers <\/strong>sleeping with his wife which he replies in the bile-soaked \u201cGuts\u201d from his 1975 Slow Dazzle<\/em>) .<\/p>\n

In 1976 Ayers <\/strong>releases the erratic Yes We Have No Ma\u00f1anas<\/em> (So Get Your Ma\u00f1anas Today<\/em>) with contributions from Cochise <\/strong>pedal steel guitarist B.J. Cole<\/strong> & ex Dantalions Chariot \/ Kevin Coyne\u2019s<\/strong> keyboardist Zoot Money.<\/strong> After Ayers<\/strong>\u2019 second \u2018Harvest\u2019 tour with ex Family Rob Townshend,<\/strong> ex Taste Charlie McCracken<\/strong> & Somers<\/strong>. The \u2018Harvest\u2019 Odd Ditties<\/em> was launched comprising single B-Sides or unreleased demos.The late ’70’s Ayers<\/strong> became caught up in chemical addictions resulting in the low key 1983’s Diamond Jack,<\/em> Queen of Pain<\/em> & 1988’s prophetic Falling Up<\/em> plus a recorded a vox track for Oldfield’<\/strong>s “Flying Start”. An acoustic album Still Life<\/em> with Guitar<\/em> recorded with Fairground Attraction<\/strong> surfaced in France while a concert tour with Liverpool’s Wizards of Twiddly<\/strong> played epitaph to England’s greatest musical Gandalf.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Added:<\/b> April 9th 2011
\nReviewer:<\/b> shiloh Noone<\/a> | See all reviews<\/a> by shiloh Noone
\nCategory:<\/b> Music<\/a>
\nScore:<\/b> \"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"
\nRelated Link:<\/b> Seekers Guide To The Rhythm Of Yesteryear<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kevin Ayers the English songwriter and poet and was a key influential force in the\u00a0 psychedelic movement of the mid sixties. BBC DJ John Peel wrote, \u2018Kevin Ayers’ talent is so acute you could perform major eye surgery with it.\u2019Kevin Ayers started out with The Wilde Flowers then to Mr Head, the remnants thereof blossoming […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8330"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8330\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}