Egg - The Civil Surface (1974)

Artista: Egg

Álbum: The Civil Surface
Año: 1974
Género: Canterbury
Duración: 41:36
Nacionalidad: UK

Lista de Temas:
1. Germ Patrol
2. Wind Quartet 1
3. Enneagram
4. Prelude
5. Wring Out The Ground (Loosely Now)
6. Nearch
7. Wind Quartet 2

Alineación:
- Dave Stewart / organ, piano; bass
- Clive Brooks / drums
- Mont Campbell / bass, voice, French horn and piano
Guests:
Jeremy Baines / Germophone & Bowle
Lindsay Cooper / oboe, basson
Tim Hodgkinson / clarinet
With Help of:
Amanda Parsons / singing
Ann Rosenthal / singing
Barbara Gaskin / singing
Steve Hillage / guitar
Wind Quartet performed By:
Mont Campbell / French horn
Maurice Cambridge / clarinet
Stephen Solloway / flute
Chris Palmer / basson

Lo pidieron por chat, Alberto se copa y lo trae, y yo lo publico, pero da la mala suerte de que no solamente no tengo ecuchado este trabajo sino que también es poco lo que he escuchado de Egg a lo largo de mi vida, así que me voy bajando el disco y me dispondré a escucharlo en estos días. Pero no por eso quiero dejar de traerles el disco para que ustedes también lo conozcan o lo disfruten.
Por eso, y porque me falta tiempo para hacer alguna otra cosa, es que solamente voy a dejarles comentarios de terceros aquí. Bah, total siempre son mejores que los míos, así que nadie se va a dar cuenta.

Egg era un trio compuesto por piano/organo, bajo y bateria, pertenecientes a la escena mas pesada del genero progresivo Canterbury e integrado por Dave Stewart (organo y piano), Mont Campbell (composicion y organo) y Clive Brooks (bateria).
Su musica es un revuelto de Free Jazz y de la musica clasica con experimentacion de nuevos sonidos combinado con largos desarrollos instrumentales armonicos y de ritmos complejos. Su sonido es primerizo del rock progresivo de los 70's.
Egg - "Egg" (1970) fue grabado en los Estudios de Landsdowne y Trident. En este album podemos encontrar aun rasgos de la psicodelia inglesa practicada a finales de los 60's, en especial el tema "The Song of McGillicudie the Pusillanimous (5:07)". Hay una adaptacion un tanto jazzera/camara de (2:46) del "Fuga en D Minor" de Bach, aunque personalmente de las que he escuchado sigo prefiriendo la que realizo, claro esta en otro tono, Jon Lord en su album en solitario "Antes de que me olvide".
"I Will be Absorbed (5:10)" es un tema relajante y muy atmosferico y depues tenemos una suite de 20 minutos "Symphony no.2" donde hay largos pasajes llenos de improvisacion y desarrollos armonicos de organo y piano utilizando pequenyos preludios y trozos de musica clasica.
Egg - "The Polite Force" (1971) Concebido en 1970 en los estuidos de Morgan de Willesden, no pudo ser editado hasta 1971 despues de unos problemas con DECCA que les dijo, cuando el album estuvo terminado, que por un error burocatrico no disponian ya de contrato con ellos. Considerado por muchos su mejor album, donde se aprecia una mejor produccion y perfeccion en su composicion. El tema que abre el album "A Visit to Newport Hospital (8:25)" ya nos deja claro lo anteriormente descrito. El segundo tema "Contrasong" participan 4 musicos de instrumentos de viento Henry Lowther y Mike Davis a la trompeta y Bob Downes y Tony Roberts en el saxo tenor.
La influencia del Free Jazz sigue patente y los largos pasajes de organo y piano son aun mas distorsionantes y heavys que su primer album. El tema "Boilk" tiene 9 minutos de extranyos ruidos..., que dan ganas de quitar el cd del reproductor, pero esto se arrregla... porque seguidamente llega la suite de 20:42 minutos llamada "Long Piece No.3" dividida en 4 partes, es una composicion compleja con un increible solo de organo estilo Canterbury, es sin duda alguna el mejor tema de Egg.
Egg - "The Civil Surface" (1974) Tras su separacion en 1972, el trio decidio en 1974, aprovechando antiguo material grabado, reunirse en los estudios Saturn para realizar y autoproducir un nuevo album de caracter mas vanguardista y experimental que sus dos anteriores albums. Reformaron completamente la banda e invitaron para esta ocasion al mismisimo Steve Hillage (guitar y Wring out the ground), junto con Jeremy Baines (germophone and bonk[?]), Lindsay Cooper (oboe & bassoon on Nearch y Germ Patrol) Tim Hodgkinson (clarinete on Nearch y Germ Patrol), Amanda Parsons, Ann Rosenthal & Barbara Gaskin (coros y preludios) ambas pertenecientes al grupo Hatfield and the North, Mont Campbell (french horn), Maurice Cambridge (clarinete) y Stephen Solloway (flauta) y Chris Palmer (contrabajo) a los cuales se les puede escuchar en los solos instrumentales atomosfericos y en las composiciones arriesgadas y vanguardistas del "Nearch".
Sin embargo, el estilo Egg anterior, puede que sea el material antiguo, es mas reconocible en los temas "Enneagram" y en el "Wring Out the Ground (Loosely Now)". El tema que abre el album "Germ Patrol" es una mezcla del primer Egg y de la musica de nueva banda de Steward "Hatfield and the North" en la cual el participaba desde 1972 junto a David y Richar Sinclair, es un tema instrumental dificil de digerir.
En fin.... Una banda a escuchar para los fans de los largos pasajes canterburianos de organo y piano... jazzisticos vanguardistas, amantes de la experimentacion y el riesgo... del sonido primerizo del rock sinfonico aparecido a principios de los 70's que sucumbio en el mas profundo olvido por no ser comercial y por tener composiciones indigestas para las masas.

Juan Mellado

1974 ha sido aclamado como un gran año para el prog y eso es tan cierto para la contribución de huevo como para las bandas más conocidas. Es una lástima entonces que La Superficie Civil está tan reconocido. Incluso los fans Stewart tienden a pasar por alto el álbum a favor de su trabajo anterior con Hillage (bueno, pero no tan bueno) o de su trabajo posterior en Hatfield y el Norte y el Sistema Nacional de Salud (la verdad es genial). Si los períodos de trabajo de Stewart nos trajeron estilos más jazzy / espacial / jamming, La Superficie Civil nos da más influencias de la música clásica y un sonido más cercano a RIO (y nota apariciones de Cooper y Hodgkinson).
No es que la superficie Civil es todo Stewart. El álbum erróneamente atribuye todo a la banda, pero Campbell fue probablemente el compositor, director, como en los álbumes anteriores de huevo, aunque parece Stewart estaba alcanzando en la superficie Civil . Entrada compositivo Brooks parece haber sido pequeña a lo largo de la historia de huevo. Este fue el último álbum de huevo, la captura de Campbell mientras se estaba transformando en un compositor de música clásica - por lo tanto, la inclusión del "Cuarteto de Viento 1" y "... 2". También fue parte de lo último que supimos de Campbell hasta que se libere en los años 90.
Estilo clásico de Campbell es cerca de RIO de hoy en día de la talla de Hodgkinson (se Hodgkinson influenciada por Campbell?) Y que estilo infecta la totalidad del disco, aunque el estilo jokier de Stewart (como con Arzachel, Hatfield o Nacional de Salud) aún muestra a través también. Incluso tenemos "Nearch" explorar el uso del silencio y ritmos interrumpidos. Hay una sección de ritmo fuerte. Tocar el bajo de Campbell es bueno: no es que Campbell tiene un estilo bass adelantado - más bien, el bajo trabaja con la madera. Brooks batería funciona bien también, con algunas similitudes estilísticas a Cutler. Sin embargo, la superficie Civil sigue siendo diferente de estos otros estilos. Teclados y madera, son en primer plano, produciendo un sonido muy diferente a la mayoría de prog y aún más profundo que la mayoría de las bandas de sintetizadores e incluso Gong, mientras que el sonido en general es más relajado de alguna manera que tarde RIO.
Sus primeros contactos con Hillage todavía se ciernen sobre las descripciones periodísticas de Stewart, a pesar de que su trabajo conjunto es poco propio de un trabajo posterior de Hillage en Gong y más allá. Sin embargo, aquí, como invitado de Hillage en "sacar hacia fuera la tierra libremente" es más típico de él - tal vez más como su trabajo con el Orbe - con la guitarra añadiendo una nueva capa distintiva en la parte superior de la música.
En total, esto es genial prog: música novela con raíces en el rock y en otros lugares, tanto complejas y pegadizo (muchas veces he vagado por tararear "Escurra la tierra libremente") - muy recomendable.

el gusano progresivo

Ahora con comentarios (algunos pocos, hay muchos otros que no copio) en inglés:

With Dave Stewart as leader of the band you might have expected that this album would have a strong influence of Canterbury music. The combination of his organ style, energetic drumming by Clive Brooks, bass guitar and French Horn (oboe, bassoon, clarinet) delivers a really good music harmony with its unique sound. As Dave Stewart also helped Steve Hillage's band KHAN who produced only one album "Space Shanty", the music has no major difference between the two. It's probably the vocal part that's different because Khan "Space Shanty" was a song-oriented album while EGG's "Civil Surface" is a full music-oriented album. The other bands that similar to EGG are: National Health, Hatfield & The North, Steve Hillage.
Song like "Enneagram" flows beautifully with variations of chords produced from organ accentuated with drum work and insertion of oboe, clarinet and bassoon. The music varies between simple and complex arrangements with excellent composition, overall and it moves from slow to relatively medium/fast tempo music with jazz/ fusion influence in addition to Canterbury. "Germ Patrol" continues the tradition of organ-oriented music with great drumming and bass lines. Piano and French horn improvisation have also enriched the textures of the music. For me it's rewarding experience whenever I play this album especially with nice flow of the music combining unique sounds of individual instruments and the melody. In some parts I can sense an exploration to avant-garde and repetition of certain segments but with different textures. "Prelude" explores Dave Stewart's organ solo in multi-layered sounds followed excellently with a stream of music resulting from bass, drum, organ and some choral section. "Wring Out The Ground Loosely Now" features Mont Campbell on vocal Organ work characterizes this track and it has variety of styles - being a Canterbury and avant-garde. I like the solo organ continued with unique arrangements of the accompanying music that features organ as lead melody.
Provided that you are familiar with Canterbury, this album is an excellent addition to your prog collection. The music is original. The composition is neat and great. Keep on proggin' ..!

Gatot Widayanto

I have fond recollections of Egg's eponymous debut album, which at the time was innovative and different. It was with high hopes that I therefore acquired "The civil surface". Falling within the genre or sound defined as Canterbury, Egg never managed to move beyond a sort of cult status, with a small but faithful following. The years have been relatively kind to the band though, and they are now regarded with affection and with the recognition which passed them by at the time.
"The civil surface" was recorded in 1974, after the band had reformed. The highly regarded Dave Stewart (not the Eurythmics one), has spent some time in Hatfield and the North before getting back together with his fellow Egg members, to record one further album.
While my review of the first Egg album was by and large favourable, I did feel that it was rather one dimensional, with an over emphasis on the organ playing of Stewart. "The Civil surface" is certainly more diverse, but the greater diversity does not I'm afraid make for a better album.
The compositions here are generally more fusion based, straying at times towards Krautrock. Many of the compositions are effectively leftovers from the band's earlier albums. "Wring out the ground" for example, the feature track on side 2, has all these features, plus some more conventional Canterbury influences. The track also features Steve Hillage making a guest appearance on guitar.
In terms of sound, in addition to the keyboards of Dave Stewart here we have a wind quartet, various wind instrumental virtuosos, and a female vocal trio. The overall impact of this is to give the album a modern classical feel, with many pleasant sounds.
It is though the compositions which generally fall short. Gone are the traditional classical interpretations and improvisations, to be replaced by avant-garde compositions. There are at times strong hints of the wonderful work of early 70's multi- instrumentalist Yoel Schwarcz and his work with Continuum, but unlike the music of that band the tracks are not developed to their full potential.
The overall impression here is of a band trying desperately to work out why they got back together. There is a lack of a clear direction which points to a little too much democracy, and a shortage of useable material. The latter is borne out by the two "Wind quartets" which are used to bring the album up to a decent length. This album is simultaneously enjoyable and frustrating.

Bob McBeath

Egg's reunion album, originally issued through Virgin records and recently rereleased under licence by Esoteric Recordings, is a bit of an odd bird. As detailed in the Esoteric version's liner notes, which provide a decent history of the band's career, there was never any question of Mont Campbell, Dave Stewart and Clive Brooks resurrecting Egg full time: this album was simply an attempt to record some unreleased Egg songs for posterity before the members returned to their various full-time projects, with a couple of tasteful Mont Campbell-composed wind quartets to pad things out a little.
Although the title is based on a similar pun to that of their previous album (The Civil Surface instead of The Civil Service, like The Polite Force instead of The Police Force), the sound is very different - much more laid-back and relaxed, perhaps reflecting the tone of the recording sessions. Dave Stewart brings along some influences from his day job in Hatfield & the North - there's even a guest appearance from the Northettes, Hatfield's backing singers - and indeed if you didn't know this was an Egg album you might be tempted to guess that this is a collection of long-lost Hatfield demo tapes.
I say demo tapes because there are a few problems with the production. In particular, whilst Clive Brooks' drum work is excellent and a key component of the music, it is mixed far, far too loudly much of the time; Dave Stewart has gone on the record as saying that this was an issue. The problem was especially bad on the Virgin CD reissue, and in fact I didn't like the album when I first encountered it precisely because of that. To my ears, the Esoteric Recordings remaster goes a long way towards correcting the problem, bringing out the true joys of the album for the first time. Many of the songs focus on the interplay between Brooks' drums and Dave Stewart's organ, with Mont Campbell's bass work and other contributions providing a subtle touch. Ex-Uriel bandmate Steve Hillage guests on Wring Out the Ground (Loosely Now), Lindsay Cooper and Tim Hodgkinson of Henry Cow lend a hand on many tracks, and all in all there's an impression of various Canterbury scene luminaries having a good time giving Egg a suitable send-off. Part of me wonders what the songs would have sounded like if Egg had recorded them in 1972; would they really have had this dreamy, Hatfield-like air, or would they have had a bit more of the dark intensity of the Polite Force? We'll never know, although anyone lucky enough to have attended an Egg concert back during the band's lifetime probably have some idea.
While Canterbury fans will doubtless want to get their hands on the album, it's neither the best the scene has to offer, nor a complete waste of time (despite the issues with the mix): it's good, and pleasant, but nothing more than that. Three stars.

W. Arthur

The member was doing indeed variegated work from the announcement of Egg of the second album in 1971 to the reorganization of the band with this album. It is guessed to them that some position for Canterbury Scene had already been established though the session for BBC also had gone. It might have the element like their a few humours and projects etc. of Canterbury though this album is recognized as the last album of fact Egg that Bass player's Mont Campbell has interest in French Horn and makes a variegated guest participate. Lindsay Cooper and Tim Hodgekinson of Henry Cow including The Northettes. And, the guest such as old friend's Steve Hillage is indeed gorgeous. The credit of the tune are all names of the band and the tune of Quartets that seems that Campbell composed it also gives the change and the surprise to the flow of the album. Because such an element is included, the overall impression might be a little loose. However, the route of Egg is always kept by the sense of Stewart. The impression of Rock of "Wring Out The Ground Loosely Now" raises this album-quality. It puts on a little abstract lyrics and the humour and the sense of Egg flow. They pull this album and the act is pulled to the history of the band at the end. The sense and the humour of Egg were one of the products to which Canterbury had given birth though the history was a short life.

Kazuhiro Kojima

EGG had actually broken up before this album with Dave Stewart moving on to form HATFIELD AND THE NORTH and Mont Campbell off to get his music degree. There was some unfinished business though as the band felt some of the material they had composed and played live needed to be put on an album, so they reformed for this record only. They brought in some guests to help out in Steve Hillage, Tim Hodgkinson, Lindsay Coooper, THE NORTHETTES (Barbara Gaskin, Amanda Parsons & Ann Rosenthal) among others. After this Clive Brooks the drummer would go on to play in a Rock / Blues band while Stewart and Campbell would form NATIONAL HEALTH. That early incarntion of NATIONAL HEALTH composed lots of music and played live many times but never put out an album because no record label would sign them. Check out their "Missing Pieces" album to hear these previously unrealesed tracks.That first incarnation had among other Bill Bruford, Pip Plye, Steve Hillage, Phil Miller, Phil Lee, Alan Gowen and more.
"Germ Patrol" opens with faint percussion as other sounds eventually come and go. The drums take the lead then keys come in. Some fuzzed out organ after 4 1/2 minutes. Nice. "Wind Quartet 1" and the part 2 were added to really pad the album says Dave Stewart. He also says they're not really EGG material but something Mont was working on. "Enneagram" is the highlight for me and a song they used to open their shows with. Just a solid sound to open with those crisp drums. The sound quality is excellent. It settles 4 minutes in and this sounds amazing too. It's bulding then it settles again around 6 1/2 minutes before kicking in one more time. Incredible !
"Prelude" opens with keyboards and bass before the drums join in. Female vocal melodies (THE NORTHETTES) come and go.The organ dominates around 3 minutes. "Wring Out The Ground Loosely Now" kicks in right away with vocals, drums and keyboards standing out. Great sound. It turns spacey after 2 minutes. Drums and a melody around 3 minutes, fuzz organ follows and some nice bass. Vocals and that opening soundscape are back after 6 minutes. What a song ! "Nearch" opens with drums and wind instruments. I'm thinking HENRY COW before a minute.
A very solid album that all Canterbury fans should check out.

John Davie

This was one of my sweetest experiences of prog in a long time. Egg's third record is also, in my opinion, their best, and I mourn their exit from the prog scene with this record. I am not at all in line with other reviewers who say that the second is best and the first is worst. I would say that the third is the best and the second is the least interesting one, even if they all impressed me a lot.
In many ways this is how I want prog to sound. The record is varied. It contains some tracks with not very usual instruments which are played with splender and the harmonic feeling I get is equal to what classical music such as Bach and Stravinskij can give the listener. Other tracks just have bass, organ and drums and it's totally enough. The best prog poesn't need more than that. Egg uses to be conpared with Emerson, Lake and Palmer but unlike them Egg is not extravagant. They have easy melodies and they are not so symphonic, but they are so interesting.
I think I see a big egg on the cover and the musicians are the same: Clive Brooks(drums), Dave Stewart(organ, piano,bass) and Mont Campbell(bass, vocals, french horn and piano) BUT they also got help from very talanted guests such as Lindsay Cooper on oboe and basson, Tim Hodgkinson on clarinet and Jeremy Baines on germanophone and bowle and Steve Hillage on guitar(track 5), the singing of Amanda Parsons, Ann Rosenthal and Barbara Goskin(track 4) and Maurice Cambridge(clarinet), Stephen Solloway(flute) and Chris Palmer(basson) on the tracks 2 and 7.
The most ordinary song is "Wring out the ground" which also is the only to consist of common vocals, great appearence of Mont Campbell. It is a powerful track, the album's most symphonic and it has a chorus with bruning slogans, even if this track also has experiental and virtous parts as well(10/10). The two very classical sounding "Wind Quartets" are totally amazing, I love every second of them, they caress my skin. They give us something else that hasn't been the same with bass, drums and organ(10/10x2). "Enneagram" is perhaps the most experimental track here but I don't have problems with that such as on their last record. The coherence is perfect and the musicians work so well together(10/10). Three tracks haven't got my highest rating but it could be fortuities. "Germ Patrol"(8/10) is absolutely qualified and the experimental "Nearch" has so fantastic basson in it(8/10). First I didn't enjoy "Prelude" but I relistened and had to change my mind. I hear Stravinsky in it and a progressive chorus by some ladies(8/10).
All a whole I don't doubt to call this record a masterpiece, absolutely in parity with those of Caravan, Camel, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes. Egg brought me a flavor of the essential prog. This is a must-listen-album and the very best by Egg. I also must praise the participation of the bassonist Lindsay Cooper who died this autumn. She brought this band the fifth star!

Drömmaren Adrian

So good to get this on CD again; I bought it on vinyl in 1974. For me, the best track is 'Wring Out...' - utterly wonderful stuff. Such a shame they didn't do anything else after this. the best of their three albums. Essential, if you liked the Hatfields and National Health. And where's Dave Stewart gone??

mastic03

Hmmm...it's interesting how we can differ on the subject of music, as at this point (6/24/2010) this only has 3 stars. I find this to be By Far the best Egg release, and amongst the finest releases of the genre.
To these old/young at heart ears, I just love this stuff. The singing is a perfect color added to wonderful, complex music. The drumming and bass playing are not just the foundation, but wonderfully woven into the fabric of the music. Mont Campbell is simply too talented for words - as the future would prove out. And Mr. Stewart does what he does the very best: mixing melody, rhythmic counterpoints, and expressive quick playing...talk about talent. And although the Wind Quartet pieces seem a bit out of place, when listened to as a complete project, they fit beautifully.
So, a glorious ending to an historic group in the Canterbury/Prog family of music from talented beyond belief muso's that offer us there thoughts and dreams from that small slice of heaven - Mother England.
Long live Real Ale, Guinness, Progarchives.com, and the British Isles.

Thomas May

Gorgeous morning English music. I'm unsure how this is the lowest rated studio Egg album. It includes admirable about Egg before (psychedelic textures, odd rhythmic stuff, pure talent), and gets rid of what sucked about Egg before (no long mellotron/percussion experimenting tracks, variety of timbre). I can't see the ELP comparison anymore. The Soft Machine association is also very diminished. Read The Copious Notes for more info on that. I don't listen to a whole lot of ELP but from what I have heard, Egg is miles beyond what ELP did creatively.
Maybe Keith Emerson IS a better keyboard player than Dave Stewart (that is debatable), but Mont Campbell is a master composer thinking beyond most prog acts. The easiest thing to compare this era of Egg to is Henry Cow. Campbell's composing style is most comparable to Stravinsky, while Tim Hodgkinson of Henry Cow's is comparable to serial and avant-garde composers. There are many many classical elements in place of the rock n' roll ones. The music is more tightly composed, but some piece leave room for improvisation. The downfall of this album is that some of its great aspects, such as the variety in timbre, could not be performed live. Mont's bass playing is precise and incredible, as usual. I adore his tone- not too much treble but when applied to a fuzz box it has more intensity than a guitar.
My favorite piece is Prelude. I'd love an analysis of it. There is a ton of chromatic counterpoint provided mostly in the bass that is pure bliss. Germ Patrol reminds me of Hendrix's Third Stone From The Sun but.. better. :p Ennegram is intense. Nearch is clever. Most people say the wind quintets are out of place but I think they are fitting. Wring Out The Ground is superb and fun to jam to. ;)

Max Engleman

This album was my introduction to the compositional genius of Dave Stewart and Mont Campbell--how they managed to create works that managed to be both avant-garde and accessible--tossing around wacky meters and dense, gnarly chords with apparently utter nonchalance, bridging the old psychedelic world with the evolving Canterbury sound of Hatfield and the North. "Germ Patrol," "Enneagram," and "Wring Out the Ground" are the winners here--each one of these pieces is a monster of shifting tonalities, surprising and twisty turns, and great interplay between the instruments--and it all seems effortless. Much can be done with a simple organ trio, as this album abundantly demonstrates.
Compared to the heavy organ onslaughts that ELP and Le Orme were doing at the time, people have told me Egg's music sounds a bit clinical and detached. For the wind quartets, I'd agree. But Stewart's and Campbell's wry quirkiness is stamped all over this music, and not just in the ridiculous titles. This is killer stuff for any Canterbury aficionado!

ods94065

The third work of EGG released in 1974 "Civil Surface". The content is music with strong forward color that unites the pop sense with a classical accent and the contemporary music. It is an ensemble that carefully calculated a musical effect of a variegated rhythm. A cynical peculiar humour sense is alive and well. The member of NORTHETS and HENRY COW and Steve Hillage also participate in the guest.

braindamage

Why is this a 'Masterpiece'? Because it is totally unique in all the progressive rock spectrum...and because it is damm good! By this album Dave Stewart was about to break up the band but got himself a deal with Caroline (Virgin records sub) and composed some of the most amazing music ever. It is quite diferent from the other Egg albums as the music here feels much more detailed and refined. Also a 'medieval' flair is present trhough out as a woowind ensemble is used to great effect. Also there is a lot of humor and experimentation . Great solos from all and a true canterbury gemm composition wise. Get it anyway you can if bands like National Health and Hatfield and the North are your cup of tea...but expect something quite diferent anyways!

mhiraldo

Que lo disfruten. Y que pases un buen fin de semana. Y otra vez agradezcan a Alberto.