Search - Curved Air :: Lovechild

Good for what it is

kireviewer | Sunnyvale, Ca United States | 02/12/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Released in 1990, this is taken from recordings sessions from 1974 for what was supposed to be Curved Air's fifth album. It is 34 minutes long and the sound quality is fair to good. The mix is sometimes flat and subdued. The cover is a zoom in of the cover of the first album, Air Conditioning. There are some minimal liner notes and credits.



This is not really a complete album and a little short at 34 minutes. Some of the music doesn't sound like it was really meant for a Curved Air release. There are a few tracks that are weak and not up to the best of Curved Air (like the opening two track medly). But it is still enjoyable and there are a couple of really good songs (on par with some of the best of Curved Air).



This is the same line up that was on Air Cut, Sonja Kristina (original vocalist), Mike Wedgewood (bassist who joined the band on the third album) and Eddy Jobson on keyboards and vioions and Kirby Gregory on guitar. It is not 100% clear, but I think Florian Pilkington-Miska is back as drummer after sitting out on Air Cut.



Air Cut and this CD were Eddy Jobson's first major recordings. He was only 18 at the time. It certainly shows. Sometimes his playing is weak and no match for Darryl Way or Francis Monkman, and other times he is very good. At this time, he seems to me more comfortable with keyboards than the violin.



Kirby Gregory or Gregory Kirby or just plain Kirby, is an adequate guitarist, but more into blues. So, at times his guitar solos are don't fit in and are not that innovative, again, no match for Francis Monkman. He does have a nice little blues instrumental. It starts our great, but then goes nowhere. It makes me wonder if it was the music for a vocal track that never got completed.



So, is this worth buying? If you are a Curved Air nut, you will probably get it no matter what I say. If you generally like the group, it is probably worth getting if you can find it at a reasonable price.



During the sessions for this album, the group broke up and the tapes went into a vault (until being released in 1990). Eddy Jobson joined Roxy Music (sort of replacing Brian Eno) and then went on to form UK and then play with Jethro Tull and Frank Zappa. Mike Wedgewood joined caravan. Darryl Way and Francis Monkman rejoined the band, they group went on tour and released an excellent live album in 1975. The group broke up again, Kristina got more new musicians and released a few more albums. Kristina, Way, Monkman and Pilkington-Miska got back together for a nice broadcast concert that is now available on CD under many titles."