Hatfield And The North reform! Eek!

Ah, was not aware. I have the vinyl. Love these guys.

I see it was posted on the Matching Mole thread, but I missed that Phil Miller passed away several weeks ago. I'm listening to the Hatfields debut today, one of my alltime favorite prog records. RIP.

You know why it is so good?
I reckon one reason is that it is not really prog but more like jazz rock with folk touches or something like that.

Yeah, that sounds about right. I'm not sure what folk they were listening to, but I discovered this Brazilian band several years ago via ILM; something about the intro especially sounds amazingly like the Hatfields.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnOMHXRsiEM

That's great far-out stuff. There is something hatfieldish about the beginning, you are right. Though later on this goes a little further into slightly dissonant almost free-jazzy places.

some of the best albums ever EXCEPT for the vocals (rotters club and the s/t) except for the vocals!

why? i agree the music is great but the vocals give it the little extra thing and make it unique. i love the englishness of richard sinclair's accent. somehow he sounds so timeless in a medieval kind of way.

idk i think that itibere stuff sounds like... zappa! in the same way that, say, tipographica does.

the music is insane, the vocals are something else... i sort of ignore them but i can see how they might be unignorable

I love Sinclair's vocals. I can't think of another style of singing that would work better with the music, it sure doesn't want any Peter Hammill or John Wetton blasting over the top of it imo.

I'm sure Zappa was at least somewhat of an influence on almost any band doing jazz-rock in the 70s, hence song titles like "Big Jobs No. 2 (by Poo and the Wee Wees.)

ok im relistening to the s/t and im wrong this is the best music ever made and the vocals are fine!

big blind spot for me here, I need to get on that

Feeling the s/t more than Rotters Club but man these are such beautiful records

^^^ I've always said the same, but just listened to Rotters Club this morning, and there is such incredible playing and arranging on that as well; all four players (plus guests) just ridiculously good. It maybe doesn't flow quite as well as the debut. The guitar solo on "The Yes No Interlude" is one of the fuzziest, Frippiest, best things ever.

Used to think the s/t was better but also prefer Rotters Club right now. It's a bit more straight ahead and the playing slightly 'tougher'. Also just less familiar.

I've only ever had the CDs so it seemed odd that they appeared to reprise Fitter Stoke Has A Bath on the second album; the single version is stuck on the end of the first. By the way I am 12 what is this song about?

A live Half Way Between Heaven And Earth is one of the extra tracks on Rotters Club and it is teh beauty. IIRC there's a slightly longer edit on more recent reissues or something.