AMALGAM — Another Time (review)

AMALGAM — Another Time album cover Album · 1976 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
After some kind of turmoil following the Innovation album, Amalgam presents a fairly different line-up with Genocky on drums, Cowling (of Gnidrolog and Pat Travers Band fame) on bass and guitarist Hayton. Coming with a cold green electronics artwork, the OT was recorded in the spring of 76 on the Vinyl Record label (can’t invent THAT, right? ;-))) ; and to my knowledge it was the first album without John Stevens and proof that there was friction between him and Watts, we find the Suzy Jay track from Innovation in a different form on the present album. For those of you that know of Welsh bassist Peter “Mars” Cowling from his rock group roots (he was the bassist/cellist of Gnidrolog in the early 70’s) and his later 70’s Pat Travers Band, Amalgam is the chronological chain between these two eras, and it’s quite a showcase for this awesome bassist.

Compared to the inaptly-titled Innovation album, Another Time is definitely more groundbreaking and experimental album. Indeed we’re facing a complex fusion that although will make you move your booty as Innovation did, it probably won’t have the same effect on most of the wives and girlfriend, because it could be a tad challenging for them, but this applies to a lot of standard-jazzheads as well. Right from the first few notes of the opening Jive, you know you’ll be in for a technical adventure, but man do these guys have the chops! This was my first acquaintance with Steve Hayton’s guitar string torture and what en experience it was… but it’s also been a lone encounter. Anyone know of his other stuff, outside the Watts crowd? But to be honest, the real show stealer is “Mars” Cowling amazing and wandering bass while Watts’ sax remains fairly melodic throughout the album, and Gennocky’s drumming is as inventive as possible. The Suzy track is more accessible than on the Innovation album, though. The Trane homage is correct, but a little too jumpy and technical IMHO. The most complex track of the album is Just East Of Mars, the only track where Watts allowed a co-credit, but the nearly-dissonant Eastern-European sax makes a strange mix with the rhythm, but it doesn’t take a long time before getting used to it.

On the flipside, 11-mins+ title track opens on a lengthy bass and drums intro, before Watts and Hayton come in unison and later more sax is dubbed on, while the guitar will play second fiddle, but still manage to pull it out brilliantly. Some impressive bass tricks & chops open-up the album-closing Chips, but this is the toughest track to get into, because Watts veers fairly dissonant, which doesn’t really help out the album’s overall cause. Although Another Time is fine JR/F album, it does venture off a little too left-field at times, thus hurting its chance with more-conventional listeners. I personally think that this, Samanna and Innovation are their top three releases.

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