Not many may remember Raw Material, an early British prog band who, along with similar groups like Cressida and Spring, helped shape the sound of the legends that were shortly to follow. Perhaps themselves inspired by such 60's stars The Doors as well as The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Raw Material's songs were rooted in jazz and blues, yet a touch of classical mixed with rock firepower evolved into progressive rock as we now know it.
The first trhree songs of their eponymous debut album, from the London based quintet, includes three strong, long tracks: "Time And Illusion", which had a long instrumental break and vibraphone on leading role; "I'd Be Delighted", which featured strong vocals, good flute and sax work and "Fighting Cock", which builds in strength after a mellow beginning.
Their classic debut album was originally issued in October 1970, and receives its definitive reissue with this deluxe double-CD. As well as the full album, it features both sides of all three singles they'd made to date, as well as the whole of the Sounds Progressive LP they'd released under a pseudonym. The set includes a 16-page booklet offering detailed background notes (drawing on original interviews) and copious photos and promo materials, as well as a reproduction of the promo poster sent to a few UK record shops at the time.
Tracks
Disc 1
1. Time And Illusion (Vic Coppersmith) - 7:30
2. I'd Be Delighted (Ed Welch) - 5:06
3. Fighting Cock (Ed Welch) - 3:48
4. Pear On An Apple Tree (Ed Welch, Phil Sawyer) - 2:58
5. Future Recollections (Colin Catt, Phil Gunn) - 3:54
6. Traveller Man (Yash Klodzinski, Larry Page, Dave Green) - 6:13
7. Destruction Of America (Colin Catt, Herbie Flowers, Phil Gunn) - 2:20
Disc 2
1. Time And Illusion (Vic Coppersmith) - 3:11
2. Bobo's Party (Melanie Safka) - 3:13
3. Hi There Hallelujah (Ed Welch, Michael d'Albuquerque) - 2:46
4. Days Of The Fighting Cock (Ed Welch) - 3:09
5. Traveller Man (Part 1) (Yash Klodzinski, Larry Page, Dave Green) - 3:21
6. Traveller Man (Part 2) (Yash Klodzinski, Larry Page, Dave Green) - 2:59
7. Who Do You Love? (Ellas McDaniel) - 2:06
8. Living In The Past (Ian Anderson) - 3:26
9. Man Of The World (Peter Green) - 2:29
10.I'm A Man (Jimmy Miller, Steve Winwood) - 2:59
11.Spirit In The Sky (Norman Greenbaum) - 3:43
12.Let's Work Together (Wilbert Harrison) - 2:31
13.Second Generation Woman (Rick Grech) - 2:22
14.Sympathy (Graham Field, David Kaffinetti, Steve Gould, Mark Ashton) - 2:23
15.Badge (Eric Clapton, George Harrison) - 2:15
16.Race With The Devil (Adrian Gurvitz) - 3:01
The Raw Material
*Colin Catt - Vocals, Keyboards
*Mike Fletcher - Saxophone, Flute, Vocals
*Dave Green - Guitar
*Phil Gunn - Bass, Guitar, Mellotron
*Paul Young - Percussion
With
*Frank Ricotti - Vibraphone
*Colin Catt - Mellotron
*Peter Flowers - Mellotron
*The Ladybirds - Vocals
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