It's been a half century since Pavlov's Dog burst onto the burgeoning progressive rock scene of the early 1970s. Hailing from the city of St. Louis, Missouri, their heady blend of rock, classical and folk music turned them into cult legends. The band has seen lots of lineup changes and internal turmoil over the years, leading to extended breaks between album releases. But today, DavidSurkamp – lead singer, main songwriter and last remaining original member of Pavlov's Dog – continues to fly the banner high, accompanied by an accomplished group of musicians that is a credit to the band’s good name.
This year – exactly 50 years since Pavlov Dog recorded their legendary debut Pampered Menial – the group plans to release a new album of original material and head out for an extended 50th anniversary concert tour. What's more: The box set Essential Recordings 1974 – 2018 combines five newly remastered recordings from their vibrant career in a deluxe re-release package.
Some history: Pavlov's Dog was founded as a seven-piece in St. Louis and quickly drew the attention of several major record labels on the strength of a batch of self-produced demos (later released as The Pekin Tapes). They debuted on record with 1974's Pampered Menial and followed that up with At the Sound Of The Bell two years later. Pavlov's Dog's trademark in these early years was David Surkamp's unique, high-pitched, vibrato-laden singing – the ballad “Julia,” perhaps the band's most famous song, being a classic example. Despite sharing stages with the biggest rock acts of the time (Aerosmith, Thin Lizzy, Journey and many more), they never quite broke through commercially at home in the USA; their third album Has Anyone Here Seen Siegfried? circulated as a bootleg before finally getting an official release years later. The studio sessions for that album brought tensions within the group to a head, resulting in a temporary breakup in 1977
In 1990, the one-off project Lost In America brought Surkamp together with fellow founding member Doug Rayburn. But it wasn't until 2004, after the original lineup gathered for a 30th anniversary performance, that the second chapter of Pavlov Dog's career truly began. The band has been touring regularly ever since. A pair of live recordings emerged – Live and Unleashed (2011) and House Broken (2016) – as well as two highly acclaimed studio projects: 2010's celebrated comeback Echo & Boo and the more recent Prodigal Dreamer.
The Essential Recordings 1974 – 2018 boxset is available in two different versions: a standard edition CD Box as well as a deluxe LP box. The limited-edition LP box includes five 180g vinyl LPs on differently colored vinyl. The albums included:
Pavlov’s Dog's debut, recorded in 1974, is regarded as a milestone in the progressive rock genre. Produced by the team of Murry Krugman and Sandy Pearlman (Blue Öyster Cult), the album opens with “Julia” – the ballad that made the band famous. Moreover, the nine tracks – most of them written by singer DavidSurkamp – create the blueprint for their unmistakable sound. Progmagazine calls the album "a thrilling experience, with impassioned folk ballads, psych rock and irresistible drama." Pampered Menial ranked #71 in eclipsed magazine's listing of the 150 Best Prog Rock Albums.
At The Sound Of The Bell
Despite the departure of two key founding members, Mike Safron and Siegfried Carver, prior to the recording, many consider At The Sound Of The Bell to be the band's finest hour. Born from sessions at New York's famous Record Plant Studios, a world-class lineup of musicians that included drummer Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson), bassist Elliot Randall (Steely Dan) and saxophonists Andy Mackay (Roxy Music) and Michael Brecker (Billy Cobham) adds tasteful accents to the classic Pavlov's Dog sound.
Has Anyone Here Seen Siegfried?
For decades, Pavlov's Dog's "lost album" – recorded in St. Louis in 1977– was available only in inferior quality. With the rediscovery of the mastertapes several years ago, it became possible to hear the album as originally intended. Tensions within the band had reached the boiling point as they entered the studio and would lead to a breakup soon thereafter. Nevertheless, tracks like the piano ballad "Only You" and the somber "Suicide" are brilliant additions to the band's canon.
Lost In America is the result of a songwriting partnership between founding members David Surkamp and Doug Rayburn that bore fruit in the late1980s. The pair is joined here by Michele Isam, who displays excellent chops on saxophone and vocals, as well as Steve Scorfina, lead guitarist from the band's early days. Though the album is often overlooked, Germany's Rocktimes praised the 1990 incarnation of Pavlov’s Dog for its ability to write "snappy choruses" and "refreshing contemporary songs."
ProdigalDreamer
2018's Prodigal Dreamer is a late-career milestone. Prominently featuring current member Abbie Steiling on violin, the disc's complex arrangements work with familiar elements from rock and folk to create a sound reminiscent of the band's mid-70s classics. Pavlov Dog's most recent album made eclipsed magazine's list of the top albums of 2018, while decibelgeek.com calls it "a late-night chill out album (with) quality songs and lovely performances by all the musicians."
Ruf Records GmbH
Thomas Ruf
Ludwig-Wagner-Straße 31a
37318 Lindewerra
Website: www.rufrecords.de
Info: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavlov's_Dog
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten