IAN CARR — Belladonna (review)

Album · 1972 · Fusion

4.5/5 · 2025-05-11
FunkFreak75

In effect a NUCLEUS album, I can see, however, how/why Ian Carr dropped that moniker for this album in that only one musician (other than himself) remains from the original Nucleus albums (Elastic Rock and We'll Talk about it Later). (Brian Smith.)

1. "Belladonna" (13:42) an album that sounds very much as if it is taking its cues and inspiration from the post-Bitches Brew work of Joe Zawinul & Wayne Shorter (who had just launched their WEATHER REPORT project with both the self- titles debut and 1972 release, I Sing the Body Electric, both having been released prior to Belladonna's July recording sessions) and especially, Herbie Hancock, whose Mwandishi and Crossings albums had also both been released prior to Belladonna's recording sessions. (In case you were wondering, Chick Corea's Return to Forever album had its European release in September of 1972, two months after, Belladonna came out.) While Brian Smith's soprano sax is the real start of this show, Gordon Beck's peaceful Hohner electric piano is a key component to its success. While Brian's play and melodies are quite pleasing, even enjoyable, the song never gets elevated into anything but a long late night contemplative--and, perhaps a fitting inspiration for Vangelis Papathanassiou for the spacey "New Age" music that would occupy his attention for the rest of his life. (26.333/30)

2. "Summer Rain" (6:13) after a 90-second slow and deliberated intro in which Ian's trumpet and Brian's tenor sax set the melodic groundwork, this song is blessed by a dynamic breakout performance on the "dirty" Fender Rhodes by a Kiwi age-mate of Ian's, Dave MacRae (who would stay with Ian for the next three Ian Carr/Nucleus albums). I find myself not only absolutely mesmerized by this piece, but actually loving both the sound and melodies created by Dave and his Fender Rhodes. (It's the same sound that French downtempo chillout band AIR used so successfully on their massively-popular 1998 debut album, Moon Safari.) Bass, jazz guitar (mixed far-left into the background) and chill drums progress throughout the length of the song. Weird to hear Allan Holdsworth--the Allan Holdsworth--relegated to playing rhythm/background jazz guitar using neither his own trademark scales nor his own "trademark" sound. (9.6667/10)

3. "Remadione" (3:48) flutes take up a full two minutes of this song's opening while dirty Fender Rhodes electric piano (L) and more rock/proggy lead electric guitar gently support. The third and fourth minutes see the full band engage in another AIR-like downtempo motif while Dave and Allan ramp up considerably their "duel." (9/10)

4. "Mayday" (5:41) opening with the "Shaft"-like cymbal play and over all sound of Bitches Brew and Mwandishi/Crossings, Allan is strumming away wildly in the background while Dave MacRae and Gordon Beck. At 3:35 the band's rhythm section feels as if it finally "falls into" the song's main motif--which is an awesome jazz-rock groove while Brian continues soloing. The finish is tailed off with a coordinated horn section riff and poof! It's over! I'm not so great a fan of Brian's sax solo (most of the time I don't even hear it) but the bass and double keyboard play are awesome. (9.125/10)

5. "Suspension" (6:15) opening tracks dedicated to bamboo flutes, electric pianos, and percussion sounds is kind of cool--definitely evoking garden and/or Japanese/Asian images/feelings. Roy Babbington's bass enters around 1:15, soloing on its own as if trying to find its place in the mix, but then suddenly at 1:55 he "falls into" a steady riff that becomes the foundation for the rest of the song--and which Allan Holdsworth doubles up with his own lowest octave strings. Meanwhile the bamboo flute and Gordon Beck's dreamy Hohner electric piano continue to explore the background but now we add Ian's trumpet up front left and, soon, Dave MacRae's dirty Fender Rhodes in the right channel. The bamboo flutes disappear as Ian and the two electric pianos continue to explore their passions on their own tracks with their own separately effected instruments (Dave's Rhodes getting particularly wild--sounding like a wile organ or heavily-treated lead guitar). Despite a rather mundane and pastoral opening, this one became something quite interesting--especially with that cool Fender Rhodes sound flailing aggressively away in the final third. (9.125/10)

6. "Hector's House" (4:33) though definitely firmly rooted in the rock traditions, this one has one of the more convincing jazz-rock feels to it--all built on a riff and motif that is not so far from the opening song, "Song for the Bearded Lady" from We'll Talk about it Later. Brian Smith really tears an awesomely-smooth high-speed performance on his soprano sax in the second and third minutes while Allan Holdworth really rips up the soundwaves in the fourth with his jazz-rock guitar shredding. Once again there are such highs in this song to offset the lows/deficiencies. (9.125/10)

Total Time: 40:12

One of the most significant outcomes of the making of this album is the meeting of young Allan Holdsworth and elder statesman Gordon Beck as the two would forge a life-long friendship that would result in their collaboration on no less than four albums over the next few decades.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of highly-creative First or Second Wave Jazz-Rock Fusion.