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Ahh... Hatfield &
The North... sometimes nothing suffices like this group's definitive
concoction of jazzy, off-beat progressive rock. Those
shimmering guitar solos, fluid rhythms, sparkling synths and
choppy organ motifs bubbling around in the groups distinctly
quirky, and distinctly English, brand of exquisite, melodic
prog-fusion. If any band could possibly define the "Canterbury"
sub genre, Hatfield & The North might be that band.
The group consisted of a veritable all-star team of Canterbury
musicians. Stalwart Dave Stewart on keyboards (Arzachel,
Egg, Khan), Pip Pyle, fresh from a brief stint in Gong on drums,
Caravan's beloved Richard Sinclair on vocals, and of course
the incomparable Phil Miller, from Matching Mole, on guitar.
Unfortunately, the group's brief flash of brilliance lasted
for only two albums, both of which are classics of the scene.
Thankfully, most of the group (Pyle, Stewart, Miller) would
go on to play in the more expanded ensemble format in National
Health, another seminal group whose first two albums would at
least rival the classic Hatfield output. In any case,
both Hatfield albums are, at the very least, must-haves for
those exploring the Canterbury scene, though also perhaps two
of the finest English progressive rock albums ever.
- Greg
Northrup [2001]
 Hatfield
and the North (1973)
This album is quickly becoming
a favorite of mine, though I perhaps might just prefer their next
masterpiece, Rotter's Club. Still, I find myself
playing this one all the time, a truly imaginative, unconventional
and sweetly relaxing slab of shimmering prog-fusion. Every
musician on the album turns in an amazing performance, especially
the core quartet of Sinclair, Stewart, Pyle and Miller.
Perhaps a little more downbeat, breezy, and relaxed than Rotter's
Club but still very much in a similar style. The self-titled
is perhaps a little more ornate, more guest musicians provide
for a consistently wider instrumental palette, as opposed to a
relatively stripped down and more energetic approach on the next
release. The album flows together as sort of an extended
suite, with exquisite, melodic solos, crisp rhythms and interlocking
parts. Wonderful vocal textures drench the album, from Richard
Sinclair's distinctively off kilter poetry, to wordless chanting,
soothing female backing vocals courtesy of the "Northettes".
"Calyx" features Robert Wyatt's enchanting wordless vocals, before
segueing into the keyboard romp of lengthy "Son of 'There's No
Place like Homerton", which in turn segues back into nonsensical
chants in "Aigrette". Sinclair's bass playing on "Rifferama"
is so perfect, employing punchy lines the weave flawlessly in
and out of the various solos, extraordinarily complex yet seemingly
effortless. The whole album is linked together in this fashion,
making it difficult, not to mention pointless, to distinguish
between the different tracks. The album is a long piece
of truly wonderful, melodic, jazzy progressive that is unimaginably
rich in texture, emotion and just plain fun. You won't even
come close to grasping it in a few listens, as themes and motifs
crop up unexpectedly throughout. This is an album you really
need to explore gradually, every listen has become more and more
enjoyable as I've been able to latch on to and anticipate various
themes. I've had this album in my changer for weeks and
look forward to fully unraveling its brilliance. If you're
into the Canterbury sub-genre, you probably already have this
album. If you aren't yet, you should be, and you should
probably pick this one up right after The Rotter's Club.
- Greg Northrup
[May 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
 The
Rotters Club (1975)
The
Rotters Club is definitely
one of the definitive "Canterbury" albums, a sub-genre of progressive
rock that was decidedly jazzier, more instrumentally based and
featured a more humorous, less-pretentious take on everything.
The serious musical chops and tongue-in-cheek attitude fenced
off many of these groups from the kind of criticism that more
theatrical contemporaries like Yes and Genesis were being pummelled
with. Hatfield & the North were on the forefront of
this movement, carrying some already distinguished musicians
from the likes of Caravan, Matching Mole and Egg. Rotters
Club was their second album and is a monster of jazz infected
progressive rock, made up of great extended jams and phenomenal
musicianship from all parties.
"Share It" opens
up with Richard Sinclair's whimsical vocals, already familiar
to all Caravan fans, and is a very nice track. However,
it is the last time we see vocals for awhile, as Hatfield and
the North places much less emphasis on lyrics and such than
Sinclair's former band. Instead, songs like "The Yes No
Interlude" and "Underdub" are just replete with exciting playing,
great organ from Dave Stewart as well as exquisite guitar work
from Phil Miller. "Mumps" is a huge epic track that features
some more vocals here and there but for the most part is another
explosive instrumental. Basically this album is probably
the next step the average prog fan should take into exploring
Canterbury after Caravan's best albums.
- Greg Northrup [February 2001]
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