Band X- Best of Band X -RSD24
SKU: 603111761411
With it's tongue in cheek title, The Best of Band X (there had been no previous Band X releases) snuck into the record racks in 1976, the first the world was to hear from musician/producer/writer/arranger (and later all-American hero) Craig Peyton. Fitting in somewhere between contemporaries like Weather Report, Headhunters and Stone Alliance, Craig Peyton definitely ploughed his own musical furrow even in an exceptionally fertile era. Originally a jazz drummer and vibraphonist, Craig was interested in utilizing the potential of some of the new synthesizers that were coming onto the market in that era, (beating even Stevie Wonder to the use of the Fairlight keyboard). Band X consisted of Alan Grzyb, Victor Preston and Joey Bellomo alongside their auteur, Craig Peyton. Despite being, broadly speaking, 'jazz', Craig's music had a synthetic feel and, like many musical conceptions of the future, sounds decidedly retro-cool today. Drummer Bellomo contributed synthesizer work, and horn-player Grzyb also contributed keyboards. Bass-man Preston also played trombone, and alongside Grzyb's bassoon and clarinet and the assorted electronics, it was not your standard jazz ensemble. Quirky song titles (some of which wouldn't sound out of place on a prog-rock album from the same time) confirm the image we have of a musical maverick. Much of the current demand for this very hard to find album owes itself to DJ Amir's championing of the track Home: many have remarked on it's similarity to the classic Steely Dan sound of the same era; other reference points might be Shuggie Otis and Michael Franks. It's a poignant, floaty and ultimately unique song, with Craig providing the 'blue-eyed' vocal, as he does on the other vocal track Afterthought, which also sounds like it could've happily lived alongside Shuggie's Inspiration Information album. A vocal and a lively slice of sequencer space-funk with some truly trippy keyboard work, here's another track with loads of potential for contemporary appreciation.
Track List
- Rip Van Winkle
- Red Cloud
- Trullion Alastor
- Afterthought
- Picking Mushrooms with Rabbit
- Home
- Black Hole
Shop online 24/7 at Darkside Records.
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Format: New Vinyl/Rock
Band X- Best of Band X -RSD24
SKU: 603111761411
Release Date: 4.20.24
***All RSD Releases are available IN-STORE ONLY on release day. First come, first serve. No preorders, no holds, no shipping. Any remaining stock will be available for purchase on our website at 8am on Sunday 4.21.24.
Shipping calculated at checkout.
> Due to the current limited nature of music titles, ALL CD & Vinyl purchases are limited to ONE copy per customer, per item. If you place multiple orders for multiples the same title, your subsequent orders will be canceled.
With it's tongue in cheek title, The Best of Band X (there had been no previous Band X releases) snuck into the record racks in 1976, the first the world was to hear from musician/producer/writer/arranger (and later all-American hero) Craig Peyton. Fitting in somewhere between contemporaries like Weather Report, Headhunters and Stone Alliance, Craig Peyton definitely ploughed his own musical furrow even in an exceptionally fertile era. Originally a jazz drummer and vibraphonist, Craig was interested in utilizing the potential of some of the new synthesizers that were coming onto the market in that era, (beating even Stevie Wonder to the use of the Fairlight keyboard). Band X consisted of Alan Grzyb, Victor Preston and Joey Bellomo alongside their auteur, Craig Peyton. Despite being, broadly speaking, 'jazz', Craig's music had a synthetic feel and, like many musical conceptions of the future, sounds decidedly retro-cool today. Drummer Bellomo contributed synthesizer work, and horn-player Grzyb also contributed keyboards. Bass-man Preston also played trombone, and alongside Grzyb's bassoon and clarinet and the assorted electronics, it was not your standard jazz ensemble. Quirky song titles (some of which wouldn't sound out of place on a prog-rock album from the same time) confirm the image we have of a musical maverick. Much of the current demand for this very hard to find album owes itself to DJ Amir's championing of the track Home: many have remarked on it's similarity to the classic Steely Dan sound of the same era; other reference points might be Shuggie Otis and Michael Franks. It's a poignant, floaty and ultimately unique song, with Craig providing the 'blue-eyed' vocal, as he does on the other vocal track Afterthought, which also sounds like it could've happily lived alongside Shuggie's Inspiration Information album. A vocal and a lively slice of sequencer space-funk with some truly trippy keyboard work, here's another track with loads of potential for contemporary appreciation.
Track List
- Rip Van Winkle
- Red Cloud
- Trullion Alastor
- Afterthought
- Picking Mushrooms with Rabbit
- Home
- Black Hole
Shop online 24/7 at Darkside Records.
Follow us on Instagram.
