Country Lane — Substratum 1973 Switzerland, Heavy Progressive Rock

Описание: Country Lane — Substratum 1973 (Switzerland, Heavy Progressive Rock)

The starting point in the history of "Country Lane" is considered to be October 1970. That's when three guys came together in the Swiss town of Chaux-de-Fonds: keyboardist/vocalist Oliver Maire (from the band "Structures"), guitarist/vocalist Raymond Amey (of "Rhinos" and "Next Time"), and guitarist Freddy von Kaenel (of "Golden Birds"), who founded the new band. Somewhere between July and October 1971, they were joined by a couple more like-minded individuals: bassist Gian Carlo Duella and drummer Jean-Francois Donze (from "Open Road"), who formed the new band's excellent rhythm section. The musicians spent the rest of the year honing their performance skills, and in early 1972, they realized an ambitious stage project: they began performing their self-composed rock opera, "The Story of Alan and Pearl," at concerts. The piece lasted an hour and a half (!), but, unfortunately, this epic was not released on vinyl. On June 10, 1972, Country Lane was fortunate enough to open for Gong at concerts in Chaux-de-Fonds and Geneva. Following these performances, Country Lane began a lucky streak—they won second place in a music competition. The victory paid off in two ways: they signed a recording contract with Splendid Records, and the band was also invited to perform at several festivals. The musicians were fully prepared to record the album, so it only took them one day—November 9, 1972. The new material, while shorter than their rock opera, still evokes admiration. "Substratum" was released on May 16, 1973, and presented listeners with top-notch music. Critics compared the record to the work of Uriah Heer, Deep Purple, Nektar, Fairport Convention, and Soft Machine. Country Lane performed psychedelic heavy rock with a blues foundation and organ playing a prominent role. The second side of the vinyl record featured a conceptual work telling the story of a certain Captain Bloom. It features fragments reminiscent of early Procol Harum and The Doors, although Country Lane's music is also distinguished by a healthy dose of humor. Unfortunately, Spendid Records was experiencing serious financial difficulties at the time and was unable to properly promote the album. Having lost their contract, Country Lane disbanded that same year, 1973, and its musicians retired from music for a long time. A few years after the band's breakup, Oliver Maire died while traveling through Greece on a motorcycle. In the late 1990s, Raymond Amey and Freddy von Kaenel attempted to reform the band with new musicians, but nothing came of it.

Tracks:

01. With A Sweet Whistle To My Ears - 0:00

02. It's Only Your Memory Playing Just The Thought Of A First Love - 6:21

03. Substratum - 8:56

04. In The Morning Sun - 10:44

05. Good Old Time - 14:11

The Disgusting Story Of The Captain Bloom - including (06-09):

06. Song To Ivan (Period) - 16:48

07. Letter To A Friend - 23:49

08. Captain Bloom - 31:29

09. Lilliput's Safari - 34:09


Personnel:

Raymond Amey – lead guitar, 12-string guitar, kazoo, lead vocals
Olivier Maire - organ, piano, spinet, lead vocals (05)
Freddy von Kaenel – rhythm guitar & banjo
GianCarlo Duella - bass
Jean-François Donze - drums
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Jean-Pierre Louvin – producer

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