Here are my original CDRWL scribblings from 2010:
Cover is a bit misleading, showing head honcho Lau holding up a saxophone, which would indicate a honk fest. In contrast, this is a deep psychedelic funk album, with lots of wah wah guitar, phased / echoed sax, flute, heavy bass & drums with plenty of ranting from Lau, channeling his best Frankie Dymon imitation. Picking up a strong Hendrix influence as well. Considered by many to be one of the most expensive albums from Australia, and it's easy to see why. Super album.
Worth noting that Lau's second album That Rongeng Sound, while no less rare, is quite a disappointment when compared to the monster Dragon Man album.
Ownership: CD: 2014 Strawberry Rain. Tri-fold digipak where the top folds out replicating the poster insert. Also has two bonus tracks from a 1977 single that we covered on The 45 Revolution.
Worth noting that Lau's second album That Rongeng Sound, while no less rare, is quite a disappointment when compared to the monster Dragon Man album.
Ownership: CD: 2014 Strawberry Rain. Tri-fold digipak where the top folds out replicating the poster insert. Also has two bonus tracks from a 1977 single that we covered on The 45 Revolution.
8/30/10 (first listen / review); 6/6/14 (update / new entry)
An ebay auction included a full history (credits and thanks go to the author): "Born in Malaysia of Chinese ancestry, Leong Lau studied Chinese Opera and played flute with the Chinese Community Orchestra. He joined the Sydney Dance Company in 1969 as a dancer and was trained in ballet, modern and improvisational dance. After five years, he entered the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he trained in professional music performance and composition, and then played concert flute with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Leong Lau has remained somewhat of an anomaly in the record collecting scene. “Dragon Man” is a fantastic LP loaded with wah-wah guitar, fuzz solos, flute solos & wild vocals. An artist with a sound that's as wild as his look on the cover – a definite individual from the Australian underground of the 1970’s – serving up some incredibly offbeat vocals alongside a range of his own instrumentation on guitar, alto, tenor, and flute! The album has some nice heavy bass at times, which creates a raw funky edge that's a real surprise – not straight funk, but kind of a psych-funk groove that really fits with the rawer bluesy energy that Leong Lau is trying to convey in his music. A very compelling fusion of sounds from many different corners – with titles that include the long jammer “Deep In The Jungle”, the funky flute workout “Dragon Man”, and the tracks “Soul Baby”, “The Atlas Revolution”, and “Rhythm Pounding”"
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