Audience - 1971 - The House On The Hill [RE-POST]

4 stars
 I never thought that two people would get a jump on this great band before I did . This is a all-too-forgotten group that recorde on thr Charima label along Genesis and VDGG. Although very different , Wreth's vocals can remind me of Gnidrolog and Hamill's incredible voice. The sax can remind you of David Jackson , but is there more connection to VDGG? I think not as this an eclectic band that can irk you for those very reasons afore-mentioned , but also please you for those exact reasons also challenging your ears . This is the album one should start with and work backwards. I can't be sure of this but on the back cover , it looks as though , it is Hugh Hopper of Soft Machine being dragged out of the house. As for the numbers on here my fellow reviewers mentioened all those fantastic numbers and they are rght on the spot. Jump on this and its predecessor. Well worth the hunt (From Progarchives.com)


Studio Album, released in 1971

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Jackdaw (7:28)
2. You're Not Smiling (5:12)
3. I Had a Dream (4:17)
4. Raviole (3:38)
5. Nancy (4:14)
6. Eye to Eye (2:30)
7. I Put a Spell on You (4:08)
8. The House on the Hill (7:27)
9. Indian Summer (3:16)

Total Time: 42:10

Line-up / Musicians

- Howard Werth / guitar, guitar (electric), vocals
- Tony Connor / percussion, drums, vocals (background), vibraphone
- Gus Dudgeon / percussion
- Keith Gemmell / clarinet, flute, saxophone
- Trevor Williams / bass, guitar (bass), keyboards, vocals

Releases information

LP Charisma CAS 1032 (1971)
LP Charisma CHC4 (1983)
CD Virgin CASCD 1032 (1991)

 =>Audience - 1971 - The House On The Hill  CD Virgin CASCD 1032 (1991)  <=

Or buy => here

Audience - 1972 - Lunch [RE-POST]

The band's sound is driven by Werth's strong voice (somewhat reminiscent of CCR's John Fogerty) and acoustic guitar -- there are no electric guitars or synths -- and the tenor sax of Bobby Keys. Drums, bass, piano, vibes, marimba, trumpet, trombone, flute and accordion fill out the mix, and impart a joyful atmosphere to the proceedings.
Taste is a highly individual thing, but I can't understand why my fellow reviewer Hugues Chantraine has given this terrific disc such a poor rating. For the record, LUNCH is not a concept album, but simply a fun CD, and not one to take too seriously. This is perfect music for friends, good times and cold beer! I enjoy every song here, but some are particular standouts: The opener "Stand by the Door" is about as close as this album gets to "Progressive Rock," and gets under your skin (in a good way!) from the first listen, with its plaintive lyrics, infectious chorus, and superb harmony vocals. This magnificent song should have been a hit!

Audience – The First Album 1969

Studio Album, released in 1969

Audience's fifteen minutes of fame came when they released their masterpiece album, "House on the hill" on Charisma Records. They had however been around for some time before that, and this eponymous album, originally released by Polydor records, goes back to where it all started.
Deciding to adopt the name Audience, rather than persist with the laborious Lloyd Alexander Blues Band from whom they emerged, the band recorded this album in early 1969. "Audience" is a typical album by a band desperately trying to find their direction. That is not to say there is nothing of value here, there most certainly is. The unique voice of Howard Werth is not fully exploited, but songs such as the opening "Banquet" would have sounded OK on "House on the hill".
Thereafter we have the anonymous soft pop of "Poet", the upbeat folk blues of "Waverley stage coach" and the Stackridge (whom Keith Gemmell would later join) like folk parody of "River boat queen". The last of those is the most interesting, the arrangement

Audience - 1970 - Friends,friends,friend [RE-POST]

AUDIENCE was a London-based group that recorded their first album in 69 and had their eponymous debut pulled from the stores a few months after its release, which makes the album a major collectible (Cd versions were also hard to come by until a recent reissue). They got signed by Tony Stratton-Smith of the Charisma label ( GENESIS , VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, THE NICE and a few others) but although not a purely progressive group , they bore a lot of characteristics of the masters. Among which , a profound (and somewhat derangesome) singer whose voice reminds you a bit of PETER HAMMILL, a great wind players able to switch to from flutes to saxes and oboe and a bassist (who wrote the acknowledgement written above ) that doubled on KBs but those remain discreet.