The Canterbury Scene ☕

[Guybrush]

Hi there!

To me, few scenes have ever been more thread-worthy on a music forum than the Canterbury Scene. I hope you'll join me in the celebration and perhaps discovery of the wonderful bands and artists connected to it.

If you're unfamiliar, The Canterbury Scene is what happened when an Australian named David Allen moved to England in the early 60s where he befriended Robert Wyatt and Mike Ratledge.  They made a band together called the David Allen trio.. which was David Allen reading spoken word poetry to backing music by Wyatt and Ratledge. That band was scrapped, but then they created a new band called The Wilde Flowers which again kinda gave birth to Soft Machine, Gong and Caravan. From there, we also kinda got Hatfield and the North, Khan, National Health, Kevin Ayers, Bruford, Delivery, Matching Mole.

Less connected, but still talked about in the scene are bands like Egg, Henry Cow, Isotope, Gongzilla and Gilgamesh. Then you have a whole host of bands that either touched the scene briefly through collabs, like Panzerpappa or Karen Mantler, or were located outside of it all but were clearly influenced, like Ain Soph.

Musically, it's quite diverse, but with a lot of it falling into prog rock, fusion jazz or somewhere in between.

So what's your favorite stuff from the Canterbury Scene?

[larsvsnapster]

The first Hatfield and the North album very easily.  I don't think I'll ever tire of hearing that one.

[Guybrush]

The first Hatfield and the North album very easily.  I don't think I'll ever tire of hearing that one.

Oh man, you may have gone straight for the best one ❤️ how beautiful is that run of songs from Licks for the Ladies up to and including Lobster in Cleavage Probe? And then Calyx, Son of There's No Place Like Homerton.. Their sound is so original and unique and also so beautiful and soothing at times.

One of my all-time favorites for sure.

Have you btw heard this little pre-Mumps medley? It was on a Virgin sampler, which makes it relatively rare, but has been added as a bonus track to certain releases of their debut. It's brilliant.

[Guybrush]

This song might scare some away, but..

National Health feels kind of like a continuation of Hatfield and the North, only a bit more structured and less fluid - often a bit more challenging and less focused on vocals.

When I first heard them, it was their debut, and the first song on that record is this one, Tenemos Roads:

It is written by the amazing Dave Stewart (Egg, Hatfield and the North, Bruford) and is a 14-15 minutes prog epic. To me, it's one of those songs that, despite being a challenging listen with parts in 25/8, it still manages to be catchy. Dave was real good at that. And there's something unique about this sound. It's an itch I can't get scratched anywhere else.

I reached out to Dave on DM's a long time ago and asked him about the song's inspiration. He told me it came from the book The Worm Ouroboros, an early 1920s fantasy book by E. R. Eddison. Of course I had to read it. I'm not sure I can recommend the book, but the song is great 👌

[larsvsnapster]

This song might scare some away, but..

I found the 25/8 section you're talking about, and it occurs in "Elephants" from the same album.  It's divided 6-6-6-7(4+3)and it's during the solo section, a descending chordal figure whose rhythm ends 1.1.123. 

[Lexi Darling]

A good few of my favorite musicians of the era are from or associated with that scene, in particular Steve Hillage and Tim Blake, who both were members of Gong at some point and put out excellent solo work afterward.

As a synthesizer/ambient dork I'm partial to Hillage's Rainbow Dome Musick and Blake's Crystal Machine and New Jerusalem albums.

[Guybrush]

I found the 25/8 section you're talking about, and it occurs in "Elephants" from the same album.  It's divided 6-6-6-7(4+3)and it's during the solo section, a descending chordal figure whose rhythm ends 1.1.123. 

Hey, talk about dedication. Nice! I haven't actually looked for the part myself, but was writing from memory as its something mentioned once in a while, like in this post:

Post in thread 'time signature 25/16' https://www.tdpri.com/threads/time-signature-25-16.368722/post-4663488

Although here it says 16th notes, so I may have gotten that wrong.

But as you write, to me it sounds like it goes mostly in 6s which of course isn't difficult. I love playing and making music in 6/8s myself.

Thanks for checking it out. I'll have a listen myself, also to Elephants 🙂

A good few of my favorite musicians of the era are from or associated with that scene, in particular Steve Hillage and Tim Blake, who both were members of Gong at some point and put out excellent solo work afterward.

As a synthesizer/ambient dork I'm partial to Hillage's Rainbow Dome Musick and Blake's Crystal Machine and New Jerusalem albums.

Hey, I haven't heard any of those! Will check out. The only Hillage album I know well is Fish Rising which of course contains material intended for Khan's planned second album. It's pretty good 🙂

[Guybrush]

Just wanted to post something here before I go to bed, so here's two nice versions of Hugh Hopper's song Memories.

We gots some Robert Wyatt:

And here's a version by Material featuring a very young Whitney Houston.

[larsvsnapster]

Thanks for checking it out. I'll have a listen myself, also to Elephants 🙂

Once you hear it it's obvious.  As it comes out of the synth solo, the rhythm is easy to spot 1..2.. 1..2.. 1..2.. 1.1.123

[ribbons]

Just wanted to post something here before I go to bed, so here's two nice versions of Hugh Hopper's song Memories.

We gots some Robert Wyatt:

And here's a version by Material featuring a very young Whitney Houston.

Whitney Houston's debut recorded performance backed up by the mighty Laswell & Co. and Archie Shepp on sax, on a lovely Hugh Hopper ballad.  Who would have thought? 

Now taking a rushed late lunchtime listen to a couple of tracks from Kevin Ayers's Joy of a Toy.  Thanks for this thread, @Guybrush !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEGNfw-jd_M&list=PLCIVQjOLLGl4KoptSugyULmUKrw4N4zyN&index=5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCMJf4P3ePY&list=PLCIVQjOLLGl4KoptSugyULmUKrw4N4zyN&index=7

[grindy]

Cool and lesser known modern band from Italy

[ribbons]

^ Homunculus Rex is a great band. 

Also, for Italian good measure:  the Genoese band Picchio dal Pozzo's self-titled debut album - very Soft Machine-influenced, and dedicated to Robert Wyatt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InqNhh79or0

[Saulaac]

Song for Insane Times is beautiful, ribbons. It moves too fast for me to work out the progressions but I'll work it out later. And what is that great tempo which I can't describe? It's not exactly groove. Timbre perhaps.

I had a delve into Canterbury and Zeuhl a few years ago. (Cheers Guybrush for another good thread idea. Zeuhl next maybe?!)

Particularly liked Caravan and I got hooked for a while on "Pengola" (L'auberge du Sanglier) that has really nice meandering keyboard solos which reach for the high notes. I since learned that "L'auberge du Sanglier" was an inn/hotel in the back of beyond about an hour from me near Albi in France which for some reason hosted some amazing concerts in the 60s/70s. Pye Hastings describes how he came up with the title "L'auberge du Sanglier" around 2:50 below:

Pye Hastings on Caravan and France

I've also been listening to this new band for a couple of years, who remind me a lot of that Canterbury sound. They have done concerts with full orchestra (Legend of Lumbar) and play those kind of  festivals where you'll get a good pint of cider 

Lydian Collective 'Out Of The Woods'

[grindy]

Song for Insane Times is beautiful, ribbons. It moves too fast for me to work out the progressions but I'll work it out later. And what is that great tempo which I can't describe? It's not exactly groove. Timbre perhaps.

I had a delve into Canterbury and Zeuhl a few years ago. (Cheers Guybrush for another good thread idea. Zeuhl next maybe?!)

Particularly liked Caravan and I got hooked for a while on "Pengola" (L'auberge du Sanglier) that has really nice meandering keyboard solos which reach for the high notes. I since learned that "L'auberge du Sanglier" was an inn/hotel in the back of beyond about an hour from me near Albi in France which for some reason hosted some amazing concerts in the 60s/70s. Pye Hastings describes how he came up with the title "L'auberge du Sanglier" around 2:50 below:

Pye Hastings on Caravan and France

I've also been listening to this new band for a couple of years, who remind me a lot of that Canterbury sound. They have done concerts with full orchestra (Legend of Lumbar) and play those kind of  festivals where you'll get a good pint of cider 

Lydian Collective 'Out Of The Woods'

Thanks for posting Lydian Collective! Love them and never heard of them before.

[grindy]

Another little-known band, this time from Spain.
Magick Brother & Mystic Sister are pretty song-oriented and rooted in psychedelic rock but the canterbury is still strong within this one.