National Health - Complete [2CD Set] (1990)

16 Apr, 09:33
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Artist: National Health
Title: Complete
Year Of Release: 1990
Label: East Side Digital [ESD 80402/412]
Genre: Jazz-Rock, Prog Rock, Canterbury Scene
Quality: CBR 320 kbps / FLAC (tracks+cue, log)
Total Time: 2:38:26
Total Size: 363 mb / 961 mb
WebSite: Album Preview

If it never serves any other purpose, this two-disc collection of National Health's complete official output will at least always work as an effective refutation of the belief that all 1970s British prog-rock was overblown, self-indulgent, Mahlerian twaddle. Of course, most British prog-rock was just that, so it would be easy to understand anyone's reluctance to spend much time with it. Also, National Health has to be the least inviting band name in the history of British rock. But if you make the effort, you'll be richly rewarded. Yes, the compositions are long and they have titles like "Borogoves" and "Tales of a Damson Knight." Yes, there are lots and lots of solos. But there's also lots of structure and self-discipline undergirding those compositions and guiding those solos, and the band never seems to lose sight of the fact that they're playing for people other than themselves. That means there are melodies (sometimes even jazzy ones) and rhythmic hooks (sometimes even funky ones...okay, very slightly funky) as well as interesting textures and impressive fretwork. Highly recommended. (This isn't actually a "complete" collection of National Health's recorded output -- see Missing Pieces, also on East Side Digital, for a good compilation of outtakes.)

:: TRACKLIST ::

CD 1:
1. Paraclesus (1:41)
2. Tenemos Roads (14:32)
3. Brujo (10:13)
4. Borogoves (excerpt from part two) (4:12)
5. Borogoves (part one) (6:29)
6. Elephants (14:32)
7. The Bryden Two-Step (for Amphibians) part 1 (8:52)
8. The Collapso (6:16)
9. Squarer for Maud (11:30)

CD 2:
10. Dreams Wide Awake (8:48)
11. Binoculars (11:43)
12. Phlakaton (0:08)
13. The Bryden Two-Step (for Amphibians) part 2 (5:31)
14. The Apocalypso (6:32)
15. Portrait of a Shrinking Man (5:33)
16. T.N.T.F.X. (3:12)
17. Black hat (4:51)
18. I Feel A Night Coming On (6:35)
19. Arriving Twice (2:17)
20. Shining Water (8:50)
21. Tales of a Damson Knight (1:53)
22. Flanagan's People (5:20)
23. Toad of Toad Hall (7:25)

Tracks 2 to 6 from "National Health"
Tracks 7 to 13 from "Of Queues and Cures"
Tracks 14 to 23 from "DS al Coda"

Line-up / Musicians
- Dave Stewart / organ, electric & acoustic piano, Minimoog, tone generator (all, except 12)
- Phil Miller / guitar (all, except 12)
- Alan Gowen / moog, electric & acoustic piano (1-13, except 12)
- John Greaves / bass (7-23, except 12)
- Neil Murray / bass (2-6)
- Pip Pyle / drums, electric drums, percussion, glockenspiel, finger cymbals, shaker, bells, hand claps (all, except 1)
- Mont Campbell / bass (1)
- Steve Hillage / guitar (1)
- Bill Bruford / drums (1)

Guest musicians:
- Jimmy Hastings / flute, clarinet, bass clarinet (2-6, 9, 11)
- Amanda Parsons / vocals (2 to 6, 15)
- John Mitchell / percussion, temple blocks, guiro (2-5)
- George Born / cellos (7, 9, 13)
- Paul Nieman / trombones (7, 11, 13)
- Phil Minton / trumpet (7, 11, 13)
- Selwyn Baptiste / steel drums (8)
- Keith Thompson / oboe (9, 11)
- Peter Blegvad / voice (9)
- Rick Biddulph / bass (10)
- Ted Emmett / trumpet (15-23)
- Annie Whitehead / trombone (15-23)
- Barbara Gaskin / backing vocals (15-23)
- Elton Dean / saxello (15-23)
- Richard Sinclair / vocals (15-23)

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