Rock Archeologia

Tony Hazzard - Go North: The Bronze Anthology (2-CD) 2005

Artist: Tony Hazzard
Album: Go North -The Bronze Anthology
Label: Castle Music Ltd.
The Copyringht in this Compilation is owned by
℗ & © 2005 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd.
Catalog#: CMDDD 1094
Made in the E.U.
Country: UK
Format: FLAC (track .cue+log)
Bitrate: lossless
Cover: JPG 200 dpi - Full Scan
Total Time: 02:21:21

• And about bloody time too! Tony Hazzard, much like Graham Gouldman (surely his closest stylistic contemporary), has been appallingly ill served by the digital age. There are no anthologies of his work as a hit-making songwriter for Manfred Mann, The Hollies, Lulu, Herman's Hermits and Andy Williams amongst others and his own three wonderful albums and smattering of singles released between 1966 and 1973 remain beloved artefacts in the collections of the lucky few who have bothered to track down original copies. Until now.
• Sanctuary has compiled all of the material Tony cut for the Bronze label between 1971 and 1973. It charts his transition from Eurovision-friendly but equally underground-savvy commercial pop writer to bandleader and rural troubadour in the tradition of The Band, Bob Dylan and Randy Newman. Well, didn't everybody have to at least dabble with that sound in 1971? But for all of Tony's Woodstock aspirations (which include covering everything in dense layers of acoustic guitar, pedal steel and piano courtesy of B J Cole, Mike Batt, Caleb Quaye, Dave Greenslade and the biggest session names of the day), he could never escape his northern English roots and effortless pop nous. And it's those qualities that have saved his solo work from going the way of so many Heads, Hands And Feets.
• 1971's Loudwater House has two modes: full-on mid-paced country-rock ('Blue Movie Man', 'Woman In The West' and the hilarious ode to a particularly brain-impairing local beer 'Abbott Of The Vale' – "too much of him, you'll turn a whiter shade of pale") and short, solo vignettes with guitar or piano accompaniment ('Daffodils', 'Sara's Birthday', the gorgeous 'Another Day Will Come'). Only the rambling in-jokes of 'Loudwater Zoo' spoil this one.
• By the time of 1973's Was That Alright Then? (to which one razor-sharp reviewer at the time remarked simply "no"), the musical palette had been expanded to include fragile, baroque pieces like 'The Potter' and 'Blossom', the epic tear-jerker 'I Think I'm Over Getting Over You' and the self-depreciating fish 'n' chips whimsy of 'Paul McCartney' ("I'm beginning to hate the style of T H / I wish I was McCartney"). It also boasts one of the greatest opening tracks in memory, the rousing call to arms that is 'Loudwater Band'. If that one don't put a smile on your face then you should get back to scrutinising ELP matrix numbers pronto! The only clunker here is 'Mama' which is far too long, way too sentimental and should have been jettisoned in favour of the non-album B-sides 'Mrs Q' and 'Hangover Blues' which are both winners.
• A good selection of singles, demos, alternate versions and even a brand new and utterly tasteful re-recording of '(Get Back Go Home) Go North' plus informative liner notes courtesy of David Wells round off this superb package.

• Disc 1
01. Blue Movie Man 02:46
02. Daffodils 01:12
03. Woman in the West 03:32
04. Sara's Birthday 01:25
05. Abbot of the Vale 03:44
06. Mum and Dad 01:12
07. Redwoods Back Home 05:00
08. Loudwater Zoo 05:49
09. Another Day Will Come 02:10
10. Lie Down 04:54
11. Promised Land 03:18
12. Don't Need to Anymore Now 01:40
13. Loudwater House 04:51
14. Abbot of the Vale (Alternative Version) 04:18
15. Blue Movie Man (Alternative Version) 02:46
16. The Way I Feel 02:41
17. How She's Making Out 02:01
18. All Time Now 03:11
19. (Go Home Get Back) Go North 03:26

• Disc 2
01. Loudwater Band 03:39
02. The Potter 04:06
03. Sweet Ruby Ruby Nite-Time (It's Time to Blow Out the Stars) 02:47
04. Blossom 03:14
05. Paul McCartney 02:01
06. I Think I'm Getting Over You Now 03:52
07. How Can a Woman Like You Smile 03:35
08. Wheels 03:52
09. Got to Be You Got to Be Me 03:53
10. Mamma 06:08
11. Chorleywood Bottom Rag 02:06
12. Mrs Q 04:00
13. Hangover Blues 03:36
14. Seventh Son 03:59
15. (Go Home Get Back) Go North (2005 Version) 10:24

Credit:

Willie Dixon - Composer

Tony Hazzard - Composer, Primary Artist

David Wells - Annotation, Liner Notes

Paul Bevoir - Artwork, Design

Steve Hammonds - Coordination

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