I'd longed struggled with the debut album from Gilbert Artman's Lard Free. Having already digested the superb I'm Around Midnight and Lard Free III, the debut was cut from a different cloth, one not so much to my liking. To this day, I'd submit it's the weakest of the 3, but on reflection there's still much to admire. One thing that becomes apparent here is that Lard Free were still working with a jazz background. And free jazz at that, a style I'm not ever likely to warm up to. So the opening songs reflect that, though the raw guitar is very appealing in this setting. Side 1 would have fit perfectly on the Futura label. It's not until Side 2 that the band demonstrates an early version of the sound that Heldon adopted just one year later. Brooding electronics, and searing atmospheric electric guitars and calming-the-nerves smooth saxophone. 'Livarot Respiration' has this wonderful late night jazz groove - as found in the Twilight Zone.
Overall a good one, but not necessarily representing the sound Lard Free are most known for.
Ownership: CD: 2008 Captain Trip (Japan). Papersleeve edition. Gatefold.
I had the original of this one in the mid 90s, but as noted, it fell outside of my taste range at the time, and I let it fly.
1994 (first listen); 4/3/19 (review / new entry)
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