Formed in 1969,
Humble Pie was an English rock band led by ex-Small Faces singer-guitarist
Steve Marriott and a very young yet-to-be famous Peter Frampton. Very much in
the line of contemporary acts like The Faces, The Who and Led Zeppelin, Humble Pie
never really achieved the recognition and success of their peers but did
release a few good albums in the period between 1969 and 1975, whilst also building a reputation as a strong
live act.
One of their
earlier more experimental albums was 1969s Town
and Country, their second release and one of their best works.
Stylistically Town and Country was
very different from the hard rock sound Humble Pie became known for in the
early-70s and contained an eclectic mix of acoustic folk, rock and roll, and
boogie rock. In fact the album was very much in the mould of their live shows
at the time which contained an acoustic set followed directly by an electric
set, with softer tracks interspersed with heavier guitar-driven material. This album
much like the band itself was very much a showcase for Frampton and Marriott to
display their talents, the former who would go on to establish a successful career
as a classic rock staple in the mid-70s, and the latter who had a reputation to
live up to in the form of one of the 60s most loved bands the Small Faces. And showcase
their talents they did, Frampton’s
acoustic guitar playing is incredibly layered and very much like that of the great
English folk players of the early-60s, while he gets a chance to display his
vocal qualities on tracks such as “Home and Away” and “Take Me Back”. Because
Frampton sings solo on several of the tracks and on occasion in unison with Marriott,
we hear less of Marriott and his amazing vocal prowess. A shame considering he possessed
one of the greatest voices to come out of Britain. But when he does let rip on
songs such as the soulful “Cold Lady” and the rock and roll boogie of “Sad Bag
of Shaky Jake” his vocal delivery just oozes soul and gospel and is definitely one
of the highlights of the album. The singing on bonus track “Wrist Job” is out
of this world, with Marriott not only singing like a man possessed with that gravely
soulful voice of his but also showcasing his ability on the Hammond organ with
a blistering solo. Why this track missed the final cut for the album is hard to
fathom.
One criticism I do have
of Town and Country is that there is
probably a little too much in the way of acoustic/folk tracks for my liking, especially
as the more rockier tracks are of such good quality and not to mention Marriot’s
background as a great R&B singer. In some places the acoustic numbers have
a tendency to drift along without doing much to the point that it gets a bit laborious
to listen to, but I guess when you consider that the folk sound on display is
most unlike them musically we can accuse this and evidently credit them for
experimenting this early on in their career.
Although Town and Country did not do anything commercially,
it gave a good insight into the bands developing sound, as well as their folk
and rock and roll influences. Also from my perspective it is a more enjoyable
listen than some of their later albums where they do get very heavy in gravitating
towards a hard rock sound. I think the combination of acoustic-folk with rock
and roll tracks gives the album plenty of balance and some nice diversity something
that their later work tended to lack on occasion. I believe Town and Country holds up pretty well
alongside some of the more popular albums from the period and is worth a listen
if you are into British rock from the late-60, early-70s.
B+
- Sam
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