2023/4 Albums Thing 415 - Wizzard “Wizzard Brew”
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During the recording of the Electric Light Orchestra’s 2nd album (imaginatively titled “ELO2”) Roy Wood found himself having a “frank exchange of opinion” with their manager Don Arden which ultimately led to Roy leaving the band. He took a couple of ELO members with him (Cellist Hugh McDowell and my Uncle, Bill Hunt who in Wizzard played mainly keyboards), hooked up with some members of Birmingham band Mongrel (Bass man Rick Price and drummers (yes, two !) Charlie Grima and Keith Smart), found himself a couple of Sax players (Mike Burney and Nick Pentelow (whose Dad was Arthur Pentelow who played Mr Wilks in “Emmerdale Farm” trivia fans)) and formed Wizzard. Between 1972 and early 1974 Wizzard produced a string of 6 top 10 Glam-pop-tastic singles including the #1’s “See My Baby Jive” and “Angel Fingers” and the unbelievably NOT #1 “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday”.
Then in March of 1973, just as “See My Baby Jive” was primed to hit #1, Wizzard released this, their debut album. I have no idea what the kids who had propelled debut single “Ball Park Incident” into the top 10 and who must have been hearing “See My Baby Jive” on the radio ahead of release, must have made of this. Those two singles had been Glammed up rock ’n’ roll pop tunes, this album, well, the only way it can be described is…it’s Prog Rock. We should have been prepared though, track 1 side 1 starts with what can only be called a drum solo (!) and the album is on uber prog label Harvest who were much more comfortable with the likes of Pink Floyd, the Third Ear Band, Barclay James Harvest, Spontaneous Combustion and the Edgar Broughton Band thatn they were with sparkly pop singles. Nothing about Wizzard's singles thus far could have prepared fans for what was to be found within these grooves.
There are 6 tracks in total, one running to 7 minutes 37 seconds (although technically it is 2 songs segued together), another reaches 9 minutes and 12 seconds and the second track on the record “Meet Me At The Jailhouse” clocks in at a preposterous 13 and a half minutes ! The kids who were buying those pin sharp, 3 and 4 minute pop singles must have been thinking WTF is this ???
Now in fairness to the band, Roy Wood was not far removed from ELO and his vision of a classical/rock hybrid, Bill Hunt was a classically trained musician, Saxophonist Mick Burney was a veteran of the Brummie Jazz scene, so maybe pin sharp pop singles weren’t foremost in some members list of priorities. They had all that space on an album to play with and boy oh boy did they stretch their musical wings.
First song “You Can Dance The Rock ’n’ Roll” kicks things off sounding not unlike ELO and certainly in line with what you might expect from Wizzard. Second track “Meet Me At The Jailhouse” begins with a booming Prog guitar riff, followed by some random, solo, free form Sax for a couple of minutes and it only gets more ridiculous after that ! A half decent tune almost breaks out a couple of times but it keeps being buried beneath heavy riffage, soloing, random snippets of “Jerusalem” and bits that sound like incidental music from a 1950’s avant-garde Jazz musical ! The very silly “Jolly Cup Of Tea” (with its cheeky musical “quote” and more than passing resemblance to Birmingham City anthem “Keep Right On To The End Of the Road”) comes as blessed relief.
If what you know of Wizzard is “See My Baby Jive”, “Angel Fingers” and that Xmas song then go buy yourself a greatest hits collection, because, unless you also have a hankering for Prog and free Jazz, “Wizzard Brew” may not be for you.
Buffalo Station/Get On Down To Memphis - https://youtu.be/ikh_yQ85E-0?si=pM44Zk6V9or971pO