Tracks : 01 Banjocul 02 Mountain Music Part 1 03 Hey You People 04 Teaparty For An Orchard 05 Ode To Resistance 06 Your Song & Mine 07 Gideon's Trap 08 Blue Day's Morning 09 Mountain Music Part 2 Line up : Cy Nicklin : Lead vocals, Rhythm & Acoustic Guitars, Percussion Neils Hendrikson : Lead Guitar, Piano, Lead Vocals on Acoustic Guitar, Harpsichord Michael Friss : Bass, Organ, Flute, Two Finger Piano, Percussion Rodger Barker : Drums, Percussion
Culpeper's Orchard is a great Danish psych/rock group that put out
three albums. The first time you listen to the opening strains of "Banjocul,"
you'll think, "What did I get myself into?" But then comes the
opening chords of Mountain Music and you'll know you are in for one fun
guitar jam for the entire album. Though definitely in the psych vein,
Culpeper's Orchard isn't a rehash of the '66-'69 psychedelic bands or
the "west-coast sound." Instead, the band takes intense
electric jams that dissolve into beautiful folk-like acoustic
arrangements and harmonized vocal melodies. Even the lead guitar is
clean and jangling, eschewing the popular fuzz-tone of that era. The
Orchard combine known styles with Danish-folk arrangements into an
original style distinctly their own. Hendrikson's electric lead played
over driving dual acoustic rhthym guitars never fails to get me out of
my chair and bopping 'round the living room. His lead guitar style in
"Gideon's Trap," "Your Song and Mine," and the
two-part "Mountain Music" draws heavily upon Eric Clapton
during EC's time with John Mayall and Cream. This is most obvious in
"Mountain Music Part 2," where he plays many classic Clapton
licks from the Bluesbreaker album in homage to Eric. Though drawing from
Clapton, Hendrikson doesn't wear it on his sleave, having developed a
unique style of his own. Don't look for outstanding technical ability or
phenomenal musicianship because you won't find it here. Just expect some
good solid psych 'n' roll and you'll be as happy as I am with this
album. Highly recommended.
A completely different beast from the usual, this obscure Danish
group produced a really underrated album in 1971 that should please
those fans of innovative sixties acts. This album is amazingly
stylistically diverse. Opening with a banjo/vocal ditty, you really have
no idea what is going to happen next as Culpeper heads into a great rock
flight like the best of the early Vertigos with Jack Bruce on vocals.
Strong point of this group is the lead guitarist who's tone and emotion
causes this group to really excel. As the album progresses you hear the
Byrds, the Beatles, Crosby Stills and Nash, Procul Harum, Chocolate
Watchband, 13th Floor Elevators, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, the list
goes on. The way it all comes together is extremely powerful and in my
opinion far better than much of those bands music. In truth this is like
an amazing tour into the late sixties and early seventies by a simply
excellent band.
Sources : Gibraltar Encyclopedia Progressive Rock Web Site
(Found on 26 Mar 2000, but no longer there on 23 Jan 2001) : http://gen.culpepper.com/Interesting/arts/orchard.htm
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