01. Traveller (2:40) 02. Prenormal Day At Brighton (2:45) 03. Masai Morning (6:44) 04. Windweaver (3:43) 05. Dragonfly Day (7:45) 06. Petunia (4:46) 07. Telephone Girl (4:54) 08. Psychiatric Sergeant (3:08) 09. Slow Ride (2:36) 10. Sundial Song (5:08)
- Tony Duhig / guitars - Jon Field / percussion, flutes - Glyn Havard / bass, vocals
Review Jade
Warrior's first album following Tony Duhig and Jon Field's emergence
out of the psychedelic July captures them abandoning the best of that
band's whimsical moodiness in favor of a symphonic spirituality
epitomized from the outset by the soaring guitars that ecstatically
slice through the opening "Traveller." Reminiscent, in places, of a
less-precious successor to Quintessence and the Incredible String Band
in that moods and esotericism do sometimes get the better of the band's
more conventional music impulses, Jade Warrior is nevertheless a
remarkable album, all the more so since its makers could readily have
given the likes of Jethro Tull and the Moody Blues some serious
competition in the mellifluous prog stakes. Glyn Havard's vocals
themselves can sound extraordinarily Ian Anderson-ish in places, with
Field's wielding of the flute and some distinctly edgy tempos only
furthering that impression. Elsewhere, however, the same tools combine
to induce emotions that range from trance to terror, an accomplishment
that means highlights of the album are difficult to single out.
Although the ten tracks are clearly delineated, the song titles are
little more than passing impressions of the music's own sensations,
rendering Jade Warrior one of those rare albums that is best
experienced as a seamless whole. ~Dave Thompson, Allmusicguide
Biography Jade
Warrior was an eclectic group led by Jon Field and Tony Duhig, who met
during the 1960s while working in a factory. The two did not
immediately but spent several years improving their musical skills,
Field on percussion, Duhig on guitar. They finally created a group
named July, with Tom Newman, Chris Jackson and Alan James. Newman would
later engineer (Mike Oldfield's landmark album Tubular Bells. July
released one album of eccentric psychedelic pop in 1968, then folded.
After
the demise of July, Duhig traveled to Iran, where he met guitarist and
future bandmate Glyn Havard. Field remained in England, learned to play
flute and created the Jade Warrior identity while writing music for a
friend's dance drama. Jade warriors were the samurai of ancient Japan,
cultured killers well schooled in arts ranging from poetry to murder.
Duhig and Havard returned from the Middle East and contacted Field. The
trio adopted the Jade Warrior name. Duhig and Field created most of the
music, with Havard playing bass and contributing lyrics and vocals.
This initial formation, supplemented at times by guitarist David Duhig
and drummer Alan Price, signed with Vertigo Records and released three
albums in three years: Jade Warrior, Released and Last Autumn's Dream.
The band's sound combined a straightforward rock style with the sudden
tempo changes and experimental instrumentation typical of early '70s
art rock bands. Jade Warrior developed a loyal but small following.
Vertigo canceled its contract, although the band had recorded nearly
two albums worth of followup material. Most of this work was squelched
for 25 years. The albums Eclipse and Fifth Element were recorded in
1973 but not released until 1998.
The group was on the verge of
breaking up when Island Records offered a three album deal that
eventually stretched to four records. But the change in labels
reflected a similar shift in the band's sound. Island wanted to
emphasize instrumentals. This left little room for Havard, who left the
band. Jade Warrior became a duo, as Duhig and Field played numerous
instruments to realize their increasingly exotic musical vision. The
music became increasingly dreamlike, pushing a lighter jazz sound to
the forefront. During the Island period of 1974 through 1978, Jade
Warrior albums featured myriad percussive sounds but drum kits were
rarely in evidence. The band liked to create a soothing, ethereal feel,
then shatter it with gongs and unexpectedly raucous electric guitar,
usually from guest David Duhig, Tony's brother. The albums featured
occasional celebrity guests such as Steve Winwood, but Jade Warrior had
a style of its own. The band's foray into what would later be labeled
world and ambient music parallels the excursions of Brian Eno, who
described Floating World as an important album.
During the
1980s, Field and Tony Duhig released a pair of albums, Horizon (1984)
and At Peace (1989) but couldn't rise beyond cult status. Duhig was
under a great deal of stress during much of this period. He opened a
recording studio, mortgaging his house for funds. The studio flopped
and Duhig's lender foreclosed the house.
Field became a session
player, but after meeting bassist Dave Sturt, he took steps to revive
Jade Warrior. He recruited guitarist Colin Henson. Tony Duhig was about
to rejoin the fold when he died of a heart attack. Field and the others
carried on, releasing two albums on Red Hot Records, Breathing the
Storm and Distant Echoes, the latter featuring a guest appearance by
former King Crimson violinist David Cross. The band began another album
in 1996, but it has never been finished. Field, Henson and Sturt
scattered to live in different parts of England and showed no
inclination to finish the project. ~Casey Elston, Allmusicguide
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