Various Artists – Time Machine
Details: 2005, Universal, 3CD
I seem to have spent an in-ordinate amount of time on 2009 releases recently which is all very well, but the collector inside gets an equal amount of satisfaction from unearthing a lost or previously personally undiscovered gem from rock music’s past as I do from hearing a new album hitting the spot. For the musical archaeologist though, a scatter-gun approach to unearthing lost treasure can be expensive and only occasionally successful, especially when looking at the classic early labels of the late 60s and early 70s. That’s why collections such as this are a Godsend, reprising the old sampler albums of old but nowadays offering many more than the average 12 or so tracks that they did to sink your teeth into. “Time Machine – A Vertigo Retrospective” to give this clam-shell style box-set it’s full and proper name emerged roughly four years ago now and of course focuses squarely on that most collectable of labels, the Vertigo Swirl imprint. Featuring 41 tracks and something like nearly 4 hours of music its a valuable taster that can stop (or at least offset for a while!) what could be a pricey purchase of an individual artists release, especially if your after vinyl because of course a rare Vertigo Swirl can cost a small fortune! It also disproves the theory that some seem to hold that if it appeared on the Swirl it was automatically something to behold in terms of musical quality. That’s clearly not the case. The label was home to some great albums and great artists but as you listen through the set you realise that it was more simply a home to what was then called progressive rock… basically a catch all of styles for anything that didn’t fit on more mainstream labels a record company may also have had.
Disc one is a good example of the label’s variety wrapped up in the first few tracks. The appealing rock of Colosseum and “The Kettle” from the very first Swirl
album sits aside a rollicking slab of r&b in the shape of Juicy Lucy’s “Who Do You Love”. Clear Blue Sky move from folk-rock to blistering guitar within the confines of “My Heaven” and Mannfred Mann’s Chapter Three offer a pointer as to what was deemed progressive with a song about as far away from Mann’s previous band’s hits as perhaps could be expected at that point, with the gloomy “Travelling Lady”. The fact Vertigo spawned some artists who were to breakthrough from the underground scene is nicely exemplified by the inclusion of tracks from Black Sabbath and Rod Stewart, and not the most obvious of tracks either as usually happens on compilations. Instead there’s “Behind The Wall Of Sleep” and “Handbags And Gladrags” to remind of both acts formative years. Meanwhile the proto-metal talents of May Blitz, the likes of jazz oriented Nucleus, proggers Gentle Giant and the female fronted Affinity may all ring a bell but if your anything like me you’ll be reaching for the fortunately well annoted 48 page booklet for pointers on Gracious, Bob Downes and Ben. Although maybe not where Ben is concerned. “The Influence” a ten minute plus jazz-fusion marathon to endure rather than enjoy at the end of this disc.
Compiled in a loose chronological order, disc two sees further well known names that graced the label introduced with Uriah Heep’s “Lady In Black” a familiar song aside offerings from The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (“Midnight Moses”) and Nick Simper’s post Deep Purple band Warhorse who enter the fray with “Mouthpiece”. Again there’s lesser known acts such as Dr. Z, Jimmy Campbell and Tudor Lodge to discover but what is noticeable is that back in these time artists generally got a second chance regardless of sales. It was after-all a time when a hit single was seen as something of a sell-out of underground principles in some quarters so offering from later albums by May Blitz, Colosseum and Juicy Lucy are a reminder of days when label support actually was a given. Given the clearly limited appeal of some of the offerings such support is as admirable as it seems almost non-existent these days.
Probably the only disappointment in disc three for me is the choice of Status Quo’s “Paper Plane” as the representative of the British boogie merchants début on the label. A hit single and a great song, but included on so many compilations down the
years. Besides there is better to be found on the “Piledriver” LP which being one of the better sellers for the label is one of the most common vinyl “swirls” to be found. Certainly more common than albums from accompanying bands Atlantis, Nucleus, Aphrodite’s Child and in vinyl form anyway Jade Warrior who’s “Mwenga Sketch” or at least the “Eclipse” album it represents here has along with the bands other albums been subject of good looking reissues in recent years on the Repertoire label. A label that is a good source actually for further investigation into a number of the bands on this set. Ironically not Ian Matthews though! A folk artist with connections to Fairport Convention he is one artist who I was tempted to buy albums of after listening to this set, although it was “If You Saw Thru’ My Eyes” not the “Tigers Will Survive” album I found, that was the original home to the song “Little Known”; a title that just about describes my knowledge of many of the artists on this set! One name that is familiar is “Vangelis O. Papathanassiou” although that mouthful would get shortened before notoriety was found. Fittingly though its Vertigo’s most successful act of the period that gets the final say. The mighty Black Sabbath signing off a fittingly eclectic but superbly realised collection with “Spiral Architect”.
Overall, this is simply a great collection for the collector, compiled with great thought undoubtedly, and although a few years old now it’s still relatively easy to find too. Certainly easier than finding affordable vinyl copies of some of the acts featured, and although it will never climb to the prices some of those rarer titles have demanded, I have no doubt that one day it could become quite a collectable in its own right.
Score: 4/5
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BL
