National Health (album)
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- For the Maxïmo Park album, see The National Health.
National Health | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 1978 | |||
Recorded | February – March 1977 | |||
Genre | Jazz fusion, progressive rock, avant-garde | |||
Length | 49:58 | |||
Label | Affinity Records, Get Back Records | |||
Producer | Mike Dunne | |||
National Health chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
National Health is the first album recorded by the progressive rock and jazz fusion group National Health, one of the last representatives of the artistically prolific Canterbury scene.[3] Although it was created during the rise of punk, the album is characterized by lengthy, elaborate and mostly instrumental compositions that combine prog and jazz elements.
Critical reception[]
In a retrospective review, All About Jazz wrote that "revisiting the disc over 30 years later reveals a strength in composition, improvisation and orchestration/arrangement that makes it another high point in the careers of everyone involved."[4] The Billboard Guide to Progressive Music called the album "easily the best of [National Health's] three releases."[3]
Track listing[]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Tenemos Roads" | Dave Stewart | 14:43 |
2. | "Brujo" | Alan Gowen | 10:19 |
3. | "Borogoves (Excerpt from Part Two)" | Stewart | 4:16 |
4. | "Borogoves (Part One)" | Stewart | 6:37 |
5. | "Elephants" | Gowen, Stewart | 14:37 |
Personnel[]
- Phil Miller – electric guitar
- Dave Stewart – acoustic piano, electric piano, organ (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5), Clavinet (track 3)
- Pip Pyle – drums, glockenspiel (tracks 2, 5), pixiphone (track 5), gong (track 1), cowbell (track 1), tambourine (track 1), finger cymbals (track 2), shakers (track 2), bells (track 2)
- Neil Murray – fretless bass guitar
with
- Alan Gowen – acoustic piano (tracks 2, 5), electric piano, moog synthesizer
- Jimmy Hastings – flute (tracks 1–3, 5), clarinet (tracks 3, 4), bass clarinet (track 1)
- John Mitchell – percussion (track 1), güiro (track 2), temple block (track 2), conga (track 3)[5]
- Amanda Parsons – vocals (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5)
References[]
- ^ Nickson, Chris. "National Health – National Health | AllMusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Volume 6: MUZE. p. 126.CS1 maint: location (link)
- ^ Jump up to: a b Smith, Bradley (1997). The Billboard Guide to Progressive Music. Billboard Books. pp. 137–138.
- ^ Jazz, All About. "National Health: National Health / Of Queues and Cures article @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz.
- ^ "AllMusic Review by Dave Lynch". allmusic.com. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
External links[]
- National Health at Progarchives
- Biography at Calyx Club
- Discography
- Gnosis website
Categories:
- National Health albums
- 1978 debut albums