Search - Clark Hutchinson :: Gestalt (Dig)

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Kerry Leimer | Makawao, Hawaii United States | 06/04/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is the most curious of Clark Hutchinson's three released albums, an eclectic though not always successful mixture of Spanish Guitar, standard electric blues, rudimentary tape experimentation and free jazz intonations. At moments you get the feeling that they might just break into something as powerful as Peter Green's "Oh Well". But mostly it's just that look that comes across your face -- similar to that belonging to the RCA terrier, his head cocked in puzzlement at the sounds emanating from the speaker.



Unlike the ultra-homogenous and trance-inducing "A=MH2", or the straight-ahead, albeit still eccentric blues of "Retribution", "Gestalt" is a bit of a muddle. I'm more tempted to refer to the effort as "fumbling" instead of the more ennobling "experimental". The vocals lack the force of "Retribution", the overall sound is on the too bright to almost shrill side of the spectrum and the playing, while often elegant and expert is saddled with some pretty mediocre music. The excursions into contrasts are uniformly unconvincing, typified by the opening track. Here an ultra fast Spanish Guitar opens the piece, slows down and then abruptly disappears into a kind of vacant rock-cum-blues song. In other places a sax wails from some remote outpost in seemingly complete freedom from everything else that's intent on simply trying to get on with it.



Such abstractions are nothing new or that radical, even in 1970. But on this record they seem to come and linger, linger and leave without real purpose. A truly odd record from a truly eccentric group: worthwhile for completists only.



"

White Stoned Blues - above and beyond

Golovanov Alexey | Limassol, Cyprus | 04/07/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those who don't know - Clark Hutchinson is not one person (as I thought when living behind Iron Curtain), it's Mick Hutchinson (guitars) and multi-instrumentalist Andy Clark - seasoned and talented musicians with unusual professional careers. Mick Hutchinson at the beginning of his career (we talking mid-60s) studied traditional Indian raga under Sam Gopal (in 1967 they appeared together at the cult concert in London - together with Pink Floyd and Arthur Brown). Both performed and recorded with Sam Gopal (virtuoso player and scholar of tabla) - Escalator.

The two musicians 4 albums altogether (1969-1971), all for "Nova" - progressive subsidiary of "Decca". The first album ("Blues") was released post-mortem only, when the band was no more, the second - A=MH2 (A=MH2) - recorded within only 12 hours in 1969 - it WENT STRAIGHT TO THE TOP OF CHARTS - BETWEEN LED ZEPPELIN II and SIMON & GARFUNKEL. That was a revolutionary attempt (successful) to break the mould of white blues and the misery of early psychedelia (when tabla or sittar was a must, but very few knew what to do with them)and to blend Eastern influence with the richness of European school of orchestration.

1970 - comes the third album - "Retribution" (Retribution ) - the duo grew up into a band (Added: Del Coverley - drums; Steve Amazing - bass)- mesmerising, hypnotising as whatever they did.

"Gestalt" ( a term from psychology) came out in 1971, and it is very mellow and sad album, full of depression and disappointment. Don't listen to any critics - listen to the albums yourself!!! Make up your mind yourselves - Clark Hutchinson was not just another obscure British act from the 70s, this is something apart!

Don't miss a long-awaited collection too -Free to Be Stoned-Complete Anthology.

P.S. Find "Captain Beefheart Radar Station" on the Internet - I have a printout of an article by Simon Smith about "Clark Hutchinson" in front of me - that's the best I've ever read about them. Better read it than my amateurish review"