All of the profits from the sale of this record will go to the Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament. They deserve to be quite considerable because this is yet another in the long line of highly inventive and imaginatively presented S.M.E. albums. It was recorded live at two sessions and, at both, the audience were invited to join in, both vocally and in minor percussion roles.
Click Piece aims at creating a musical tapestry of short staccato sounds made with the mouth. This is highly successful and was first investigated using horns and percussion on Oliv (reviewed August 1969), although I have seen it in live performances. This gives way to Sustained Piece, in which the ‘players’ sing a sustained sound and drop out when they need to breathe again. Since everyone breathes at different intervals the sound is continuous, although varying in depth constantly. Above this Stevens and Watts play a superb drum/soprano duet which achieves a consistent creative level.
See A Vision is a beautiful dirge that closes with everybody chanting, while Park Piece is an improvisation that builds gradually away from its fragmented musical sources. Watts repeats a simple phrase and Stevens improvises around it on drums. This is well done, although the passage in which Stevens sets out to echo the soprano phrase sinks into monotony if only because it goes on too long. This is a small point, however, in what is a very good record. It is not for the conservative but one that should appeal to all S.M.E. followers and fans of the European free school. It can be purchased from A Records, Flat 4, 14 Blakesley Avenue, Ealing, W.5.
Discography
For You To Share – (i) Click Piece; (ii) Sustained Piece (27½ min) – (iii) If You Want To See A Vision; Park Piece (27½ min)
Trevor Watts (sop); John Stevens (dm) plus unknown assistants. London, 9 & 20/5/70.
(A-Records A 001 £2.25)
