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Reviews

National Health — Playtime
(Cuneiform Rune 145, 1979/2001, CD)

Playtime Cover art

There are a number of people who consider National Health to be one of the finest bands that have ever graced this planet. The group left behind four studio albums but sadly their exemplary live work has never been documented — until now that is. Once again Cuneiform Records has performed a public service with the release of these rare tapes from the 1979 incarnation of the band which included original members Phil Miller and Pip Pyle along with former Henry Cow bassist John Greaves. In an odd twist, Alan Gowen was asked to rejoin the band,j replacing Dave Stewart on keyboards. As Pip Pyle notes in the usual (for Cuneiform) extensive and informative liner notes, Stewart left his own band as he felt that they were moving in a more “free” and less “composed” direction not to his liking. It’s certainly true that the music here has a strong improvisational element, however the compositions are uniformly strong and the playing quite inspired. The band really ignites on several of the tracks, including such album favorites as “Dreams Wide Awake” and “Squarer for Maude.” The remainder of the tunes are from D.S. al Coda, the second Gilgamesh album, and Before a Word Is Said (by a quartet which included Gowen and Miller). There is also one previously unreleased Pip Pyle tune and a pair of short ditties by Greaves, so each of the players is represented by their own compositions. Recorded at a jazz club in France and at a college gig in Philadelphia during the band’s only ever U.S. tour, Playtime adds immeasurably to the legend of National Health. Ignore this gem at your own peril!

by David Ashcraft, Published 2001-03-01

2001 kicks off in high gear with another essential release from Cuneiform, who keep tracking down those seemingly lost Canterbury live tapes! Another document in question is any audio record from National Health’s fledgling tour of America circa 1979. The band had just lost Dave Stewart and recent Henry Cow members Georgie Born and Lindsay Cooper, resulting with a “group in-limbo” status. Enter Alan Gowen back into the keyboard chair to replace Stewart, and then the entire group off to the smiling shores of the US eastern seaboard (plus a few additional college locales). What is impressive in these live recordings is how easily Gowen fills the role necessary for the band’s complicated arrangements as well as provides a jazzier soloist for the trio to interact with. Having been in the band for the initial incarnation doesn’t confine his role since he also submitted new tracks such as “Flanagan’s People” and the title track, both which varied dramatically from their studio forms. Several of these tracks wound up in subsequent releases including D.S. al Coda and Before a Word Is Said. These include guitarist Phil Miller’s “Nowadays a Silhouette” which features a looser arrangement than the studio version which would appear nearly a year later. The band was also keen to perform extended versions of “Dreams Wide Awake” and “Squarer for Maud” from the recent Of Queues and Cures album, where again, the band’s mode of operation veered closer to free jazz. Aymeric Leroy also gives a detailed account of this period with a ten-page overview together with Pip Pyle’s statement of Gowen’s adept playing. Playtime should be considered a must have release to the band’s legacy as well as the best representation of Gowen’s process as a gifted performer.

by Jeff Melton, Published 2001-03-01

Filed under: New releases, Issue 21, 2001 releases, 1979 recordings

Related artist(s): Phil Miller, National Health, Pip Pyle, John Greaves, Alan Gowen

More info
http://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/playtime

 

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