Release : Heaven - Brass Rock 1 (1971)
Artist : Heaven
Album : Brass Rock 1 (1971)
Genre : Progressive Rock
Source : CDDA
Label : Esoteric
URL :
Date : 00-00-2008
Encoder : LAME 3.97 / -V2 --vbr-new
Quality : 205kbps 44100 kHz Joint Stereo
Tracks : 10
Time : 58:17 min
Size : 85.86 MB
1 Things I Should've Been 6:19
2 This Time Tomorrow 5:14
3 Never Say Die 3:57
4 Come Back 5:24
5 Song for Chaos 7:41
6 Morning Coffee (A Theme to a Film) 4:58
7 Number One (Last Request) 4:58
8 Number Two (Down at the Mission) 5:40
9 Dawning 5:13
10 Got to Get Away 8:53
Heaven was a local band when film footage of them appearing at the Isle of Wight
festival drew the attention of producer Rikki Farr who secured a recording for
CBS. Sadly despite some positive reviews of the resulting 1971 double album they
did not achieve much success and split up. The album is captured in its entirety
here in remastered form with some concession to the original 14-sided sleeve in
a fold out shot of the band standing at the foot of a rather large totem pole.
The most obvious reference point is Chicago Transit Authority evident early on
in the crisp brass lines and a Terry Kath influence in the guitar player with
lots of staccato and wah-wah and later on in the high paced drumming surely
inspired by Danny Seraphine. A singer who sounds like Captain Beefheart. is a
touch incongruous but still! In contrast the instrumental ôThis Time Tomorrowö
takes a leaf out of the Jethro Tull and Focus book and not just because of the
appearance of flute but because of the elements of folk, blues and classical,
with some smart drum breaks, clearly delineating this as an attempt to push
boundaries in a more overtly progressive rock style. The high tempo music on
ôCome Backö also reminded me of the original (Gary MooreÆs) Skid Row. ôSong For
Chaosö for me the best composition, the musicians stretching out across various
moods and atmospheres with some great brass solos- piccolo trumpet and clarinet
are also used giving a wide variety of sounds. Further on the music is more
blues rock in style. The penultimate track ôDawningö is a lovely pastoral piece
with prominent flute, starting with bird sounds and waves crashing with one of
the three singers sounding very like Jon Anderson. A string quartet introduces
the closer ôGot to Get Awayö, the most immediate and infectious number on the
CD, nearly 9 bluesy minutes with eastern rhythms and percussion giving way to
passage of play reminiscent of CTAÆs ôIÆm A Manö. Heaven show great potential on
this album without necessarily having the immediacy or strength of material of
contemporaries Blood, Sweat and Tears, CTA and, to a lesser extent, If. Esoteric
has made a marvelous job of remastering and repackaging what has become a bit of
a collectors item.