Size: 56.8 MBBitrate: 256
mp3
Ripped by: chrisGoesRock
Remastered version + Bonus
No matter what, we are talking about a very strange band, with only this album to date. Formed in Wales in 1969, Elias Hulk stormed local and London clubs during the next couple of years. Their music is blues based, melodic and hyper-dark and constitutes a genre of its own. Some say that their sound is closer to Leaf Hound. True, but not entirely, since Elias Hulk must be listened to closely to appreciate their uniqueness. Nick Saloman from The Bevis Frond hails them as one of his influences.
1970 could be called a turning point in history. It was a time in US history when war, this particular conflict unknowingly almost halfway through its lifespan, was worn like a jagged scar, space exploration had become the curiosity of most of the world, and Arnold won his first Mr. Universe honor (all of which are equally important, of course). Simultaneously it was the last gasp/initial breath of the flower flying ‘60s/flower dying ‘70s, and history recalls several bands, sung and unsung, that would either toll their entrance with the new decade with a heavier din or would renovate their sound into a different creature. I don’t have to name them, do I? Elias Hulk are part of that crossover, and it’s almost as if the title of this UK band’s lone lp is an unwitting symbol to the times musically. In addition, it is the year of my birth, so for that reason alone it was destined for greatness.
This five-piece season their stew made up mostly of swallowable hard rock chunks and non-smoky blues paste with a few dashes of psych and a smidgen of progressivism, concocting an interesting taste that’s gentle, dynamic, and powerful. There’s a calm vigilance mixed with a harder, burgeoning flavor throughout all eight courses, and chef Peter Thorpe speaks to most helpings in a tranquil, soothing tone that at times can spawn a gritty texture. I’m no cook, so let’s talk music. “Anthology of
Dreams” moves along with a mostly vibrant, thumping rhythm, a short cymbal-heavy chorus, and bluesy vocals that comfortably slide over the din like a hang glider over a battlefield. “Nightmare” is cacophonous with throbbing, impromptu drumwork, a craggy main riff, and grainier vocals. This moves strategically into the composed “Been Around Too Long”, a soft, serenely sung walk in the rain with fidgety percussion commandeering a silky solo, meanwhile “Yesterday’s Trip”, a track that sounds more the boisterous continuation of the previous tune, is pounding in its delivery and antagonistic like a punch-drunk brawler.Side two opens with “We Can Fly”. From the stuffed-up, Ozzyesque vocals to the lengthy, Ward-like drum solo at the track’s center, an idle Sabbath fan just may mistake the downtrodden pitch and plodding, bass-driven step for the Birmingham quartet. Chalk up another for the legends. Calypso-like guitars waver in the melancholy of “Free”, an aural ode to the depressed soul, the scorned lover, and the impoverished. Glints of hopefulness light a galloping chorus, and sentimental lyrics are easily decipherable in Thorpe’s peaceful, unscuffed resonance. Words die in “Delhi Blues”, an overwhelming, jangling guitar ensemble that for the most part perpetuates “Free” and on its own becomes irritating after the first three minutes. Classic ‘70s warble…that funk-enthused, fretboard-crooking stuff that sounds like someone hitting a bent saw is either prevalent in the moody “Ain’t Got You” or is just a tool of the time I enjoy way too much. Aside from that, more downhearted lyrics set some of the tone. The remaining character takes turns being rambunctious and hard etched, tranquil and unruffled.
Album collectors will be confronted with two covers, both of which trade hands for $200-$250 or more. I’ve found German pressings have the blue band montage without the title on the cover, meanwhile the British/Australian versions have a patent-bending Incredible Hulk-ish creature holding two women hostage with “Unchained” along the top: no song variations, so take your pick. [Source Unknown]
Musicians:
Granville Frazer - Guitar
James Haines - Bass
Bernard James - Drums
Neil Tatum - Guitar
Peter Thorpe - Vocals
Tracklist:
01 Anthology of Dreams
02 Nightmare
03 Been Around Too Long
04 Yesterday's Trip
05 We Can Fly
06 Free [Bonus]
07 Delhi Blues [Bonus]
08 Ain't Got You [Bonus]
Buy This CD At: https://www.recordheaven.net/butik/
1. http://www.shareonall.com/Elias_Hulk_sdxa.rar
or
2. http://www.shareonall.com/Elias_Hulk_tomr.rar
