Reviews
Artist: Larry Friends and Family
Album: Cycles
Tracks: 10
Website:http://www.myspace.com/larryfriendsandfamily
Having spent an amazing Saturday chilling out at the Hop Farm Festival in Kent in the illustrious company of Bob Dylan + band, Ray Davies + band, Mumford and Sons, Pete Docherty and others, Sunday could have felt a bit flat but fortunately I had an excellent antidote to hand, in the form of "Cycles", an album only recently released by NJ band Larry Friends and Family. That it has been released is a dream-come-true for the band members, having recorded "Cycles" in 1972 during a period when they were performing live, but only unleashing it on the public a few months ago.
The album is likely to be of interest to many Strawbs fans, not only because Witchwooder Amanda's dad, David Baughn, is a member of the band, and neither only because many Strawbs fans will have seen Larry Friends and Family support Strawbs at The Strand Theatre just a year ago, in July 2009. (I have just had a quick scan of reviews on Strawbsweb of that performance, and note that the band played as a four-piece - this album lists six musicians (David Baughn, Rosemary Eads, Don Neblock, Michael Rado, Ed Warner, Mike Wolf); seven if you count David Hutchison, responsible for hand claps among other things.)
As those who have previously seen LF&F play should already know, their songs encompass a multitude of styles and many must presumably have been well ahead of their time when they were recorded almost 40 years ago. Lead vocals alternate between male and female, thick harmonies are never far away, and songs are embellished with a wide array of instrumentation, all beautifully played. Haunting flute, jazzy piano, sensitive acoustic and classical guitar, some delicious thumping bass, percussion and even some early synthesizer is in there, giving listeners an amalgam of folk-rock, jazz and a little bit of rock'n'roll. All the perfect recipe for lazing on a sunny afternoon.
According to the sleeve notes, John Hawken encouraged the band to release "Cycles", which doesn't surprise me at all. The strong female harmonies in some songs are very reminiscent of Illusion and Renaissance, while the diversity of vocals and instrumentation brings many other great bands to mind, including Strawbs themselves.
All ten tracks on "Cycles" are original compositions written by various band members, and several are of the story-telling variety, with "Suite - For the Unknown Solder & Vietnam Lullaby" evoking similar emotions through its tale of war as "The Pro Patria Suite" from "Dancing to the Devil's Beat". LF&F constantly change pace, vocal style and instrumentation, keeping the listener interested to hear what comes next. (I have to mention also that Rosemary Eads' vocals remind me a great deal of Jacqui Mowbrey, the female vocalist in Dick Greener's "other" band - The Swiss Cottagers.)
I don't like to pick out "stand out" tracks as the whole album flows so well from one track to another, but I have no hesitation in recommending "Cycles" to anyone who fancies listening to an album of many styles with a generally laid-back, dreamy feel running through it. Apparently it was digitally remastered in 2007-8; those responsible obviously did a great job as the sound is superb. The album is also beautifully packaged in a sleeve which has obviously been given a lot of thought, and which details the band and their story.
Well done to Larry Friends and Family for finally releasing this album, which gives a fascinating insight into US musical experimentation forty years ago, and is now giving pleasure well into the twenty-first century.>/p>
Lindsay Sorrell