Kestrel＜限定盤＞

後にSPIDERS FROM MARSに参加するDave Black(g)、元GINHOUSEのDave Whitaker(dr/per)等により'75年結成された英国産プログレッシブ・ロック/モダン・ポップバンド、英Cubeから発表された'75年唯一作が韓国Merry Go Round/Beatballより'23年待望のアナログ・リイシュー!

元々英国オリジナル盤は、メガレアな一枚として知られていましたが、プログレ・ファンのみならず幅広い層から愛されれるサウンドも相まって、その価格は高騰の一途を辿っています。Tom Knowlesの深みのあるボーカルとDave Blackのテクニカルでセンスの良いギターを軸とするハードなサウンドをベースにしつつ、John Cookのエレピ/ストリングス系シンセ/メロトロンを駆使したカラフルで時に重厚なキーボードが楽曲を引き立てるモダン・ポップの傑作。キャッチーな"Acrobat"I Believe In You"Take It Away"、英国的なウェットな感性が光るバラッド"Last Request"、ポップながらもドラマティックな起伏に満ちた展開が素晴らしい"In The War"August Carol"等、楽曲/アレンジ/構成等全くスキの無い、レア度の高さも納得の名作中の名作です!
音源はKevin Grayによるラッカー・カット、オリジナル・マスターテープからの新規リマスタリング音源を使用。中心メンバーであるDave Blackによる英解説、INSUN LEEによる韓国語ライナーノーツ、貴重写真を掲載したインサートを添付。

The development of electronic keyboard instruments has been much like the fashion industry; it really is a shame that these two worlds can't be brought together, in which case Mellotron trousers and a Fender Rhodes sports shirt, both back in fashion, would be a perfect match. In the early '70s, the former keyboard was just about everywhere on the hit parade, supposedly on the verge of replacing entire symphony orchestras with the touch of a finger. Kestrel was a quintet from Newcastle, England that featured a keyboardist named John Cook on Mellotron, among other axes. He was not the only talent in the group, nor the only reason to listen to the only album the group ever made, originally released in the mid-'70s on the Cube label. But largely forgotten like many a progressive rock album from this era that enjoyed only piddling success, the Kestrel effort has become the subject of cult interest basically because there's a Mellotron on it. In 2000, a Japanese collector's label reissued the album on CD. In a somewhat superficial judgment of Mellotron playing from this period, Cook seems to suffer from the same problems everyone else did. The Mello-nauts were too busy listening to themselves, apparently soaking up the wonder of so much sound coming out of every touch. While it wasn't exactly a string section, it was pretty cool, maybe too cool. The instrument seems to run from subtlety, overemphasizing the inevitable piddling melodic content. If the comparison can be switched from fashion to cooking, the result would be a goulash in which somebody has poured an entire beaker of paprika. Still, the Mellotron does not fail to liven up some of the Kestrel tracks. The finale entitled "August Carol" has shown up on several lists of "greatest Mellotron performances ever," faithfully compiled by enthusiasts. The group also features an excellent singer, Tom Knowles, and a journeyman rocker named Dave Black who plays guitar and writes songs. He was a member of David Bowie's band for a few years and went on to form several other groups such as Goldie and 747. Black wrote all but one of the songs on Kestrel, none of the material being particularly original or absorbing. The overall sound is going to be what listeners will find either appealing or not, but either way there is no denying that as far as '70s progressive rock goes, Kestrel was the real thing. ~ Eugene Chadbourne