Warm Dust
Band members Related acts
|
line-up 1 (1969) - Paul Carrack -- organ, piano, guitar - Terry Corner bass, recorder - Dave Pepper -- drums, percussion - Les Dransfield Walker -- vocals, harp, guitar
line-up 2 (1969-70) - Paul Carrack -- organ, piano, guitar - Terry Corner bass, recorder - Dave Pepper -- drums, percussion NEW - Alan Solomon (RIP 2023) -- sax, horns NEW - John Surguy -- sax, horns, woodwinds - Les Dransfield Walker -- vocals, harp, guitar
line-up 3 (1970-71) NEW
- Keith Bailey -- drums, percussion (replaced Dave Pepper) vibraphone, shakers
line-up 4 (1971-72) NEW
- John Bedson -- drums, percussion (replaced Keith Bailey) vibraphone, shakers
|
- Ace (Paul Carrack and Terry Corner) - The Action (Alan King) - Brian Auger's Oblivion Express (Keith Bailey) - Back to Back (Les Walker) - The Bleeding Heart Band (Paul Carrack) - Graham Bond Initiation ( Keith Bailey) - The Boys (Alan King) - Paul Carrack (solo efforts) - Clat Thyger (Alan King) - Command All Stars ( Keith Bailey) - Cooking Tonite (Les Walker) - Ensemble Of The Crossroads Guitar Festival 2019 (Paul Carrack) - The Estrellas (Les Walker) - Gideon's Few (Alan Solomon) - Gnidrolog (John Bedson) - Heart and Soul (Les Walker) - The Hurt (Les Walker) - Inner Sleeve (John Surguy) - Jasmin T (aka Jasmine Tea) (Alan Soloman and John Surguy) - The Joint (Keith Bailey) - Joy ( Keith Bailey) - Juice On the Loose (Alan King) - Mickey Jupp Band (Terry "Tex" Comer) - Pete Kelly's Soulution (John Surguy) - Reg King (Alan King) - Mark Knopfler's Guitar Heroes (Paul Carrack) - Nick Lowe & His Noise To Go (Paul Carrack) - Nick Lowe And His Cowboy Outfit (Paul Carrack) - Man Doki Soulmates( Paul Carrack) - Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath ( Keith Bailey) - The Michigan Flyers (Les Walker) - Mighty Baby (Alan King) - Mike & The Mechanics (Paul Carrack) - Rhythm & Blues Inc. (John Surguy) - Roxy Music (Paul Carrack) - Scrawler ( Alan Solomon) - Snatchin’ it Back (Les Walker) - So On and So Forth (Terry "Tex" Comer and Dave Pepper) - The Southside Dynamos (Les Walker) - Spin 1ne 2wo (Paul Carrack) - Spontaneous Music ( Keith Bailey) - Squeeze (Paul Carrack) - Ringo Starr And His All-Starr Band - Terry and the Hot Sox ( Alan Solomon) - Tiger (Les Walker) - Keith Tippett Trio ( Keith Bailey) - Les Walker (solo efforts)
|
Genre: jazz-rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Peace In Our Time Company: Uni Catalog: 73109 Year: 1970 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $50.00
|
"Peace In Our Time" was one of the first "collectable" LPs I went out of my way to purchase. It was also one of the first major disappointments I purchased. I think I played it two of three times before reaching the conclusion it wasn't for me and putting it up for sale. Twenty years later I stumbled across a copy at a community yard sale and for the asking price, decided perhaps I should give it another chance.
Anyhow, here's what I initially thought about the LP.
Albums by this short-lived UK outfit have gotten increasingly favorable reviews, which is the reason
I plunked down some hard earned cash to hear what the hype was about. Imagine an English
version of Blood, Sweat and Tears, fronted by a singer with 25% of David Clayton
Thomas'
chops. Add in an irritating sense of political and social
consciousness (much of it plain crap), and you'll
So my initial comments were pretty mean-spirited, perhaps just plain nasty. The album was actually a jazz-rock concept piece with the title being taken from a September 1938 speech British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain made after signing the Munich Agreement with Germany. ( Within a year Germany had invaded Poland and begun World War II.) With admirable anti-war, pro-ecology and other activist themes, each of the eight songs started with a snippet introducing a historical event (World War II, Biafra, Palestine, Hiroshima) before launching into an array of jazz-rock pieces. With Les Walker handling lead vocals the music was okay. Lyrics notwithstanding, none of these melodies were particularly memorable. Tracks like "Winds of Change" and "Blood of My Fathers" were more commercial than most Canterbury horn groups, but you certainly weren't going to spend your day humming "Very Small Child". Elsewhere there was no questioning their early-'70s commitment to a better world . These guys once presented Pope Paul VI a letter questioning why the Catholic Church didn't simply stop war). Just be warned this was not a party album. Anyone doubting those comments needed only look at the inner sleeve photos which included images of starving children, concentration camp survivors, dead soldiers, etc..
So what do I think about the album some thirty years after I first encountered it? Musically it 's still not great. Their jazz-rock grooves were professional, if seldom memorable. As for the album concept; it remains pretentious, but I'm more sympathetic to the causes this time around. At the same time I find the album incredibly depressing. Some fifty years after it was recorded it stands as sort of a "mankind's greatest misses" list. Pretty much every evil they highlighted back in 1971 remains with us today. War, ecological concerns, starvation, East versus West political conflict, Palestine, etc. Certainly a timepiece, but it shows me grandma and grandpa were far cooler than I ever though.
"Peace For Our Time" track listing: 1.) Blood of My Fathers (Alan Solomon - Terry Comer - Paul Carrack - Keith Bailey - John Surgey - Lesley Walker) - 5:05 rating: *** stars The sentiments behind the "Chamberlain" spoken word introduction were certainly earnest, but heavy handed. Built on a killer Terry Corner bass line, "Blood of My Fathers" quickly found a surprisingly funky jazz-rock groove anded sound pretty good until Les Walker's effects laden lead vocals kicked in. Always wondered what they did to get that odd effect on his voice. 2.) Winds of Change (Alan Solomon - Terry Comer - Paul Carrack - Keith Bailey - John Surgey - Lesley Walker) - 5:10 rating: *** stars Backed by Keith Bailey's percussion and an array of bleeping '70s computer sound effects, "Winds of Change" opened up with references of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the effects of radiation; as well as a dig at environmental pollution. This one opened up with the spotlight on Carrack's soulful organ pattern and the Alan Solomon and John Surguy horn and woodwind section. Very early-'70s vibe, though more melodic than some of their competition. Carrack's voice would probably have been better suited for this one. 3.) Justify Things Your Hands Have Done (Alan Solomon - Terry Comer - Paul Carrack - Keith Bailey - John Surgey - Lesley Walker) - 8:32 rating: ** stars Powered by Paul Carrack's soul-jazz organ riff, Solomon and Surguy's sax work and some group chanting, "Justify Things Your Hands Have Done" sounded like something out of King Sunny Ade's Afrobeat catalog. At the three minute mark the song abruptly shifted into discordant jazz territory and eventually shifting into a supper club MOR closing.
(side 2) 1.) Rejection (instrumental) (Alan Solomon - Terry Comer - Paul Carrack - Keith Bailey - John Surgey - Lesley Walker) - 4:40 rating: *** stars Inspired
by Russia's 1968 invasion of Czechlosvakia, the pretty instrumental
"Rejection" showed Warm Dust were equally appalled by Soviet Union
actions in Eastern Europe, The
album's lone cover, "Very Small Child" was written by former World
of Oz singer David Kubinec. It was a perfect fit for Warm Dust's concept
piece. Opening with African percussion and "chanting" the song was
seemingly inspired by the mass starvation associated by the mid-'60s Biafran
secessionist movement. Featuring Walker's nice voice and what sounded
like a chorus of flutes, the song was build on a pretty, almost
pastoral melody. It made for a stark comparison with the subject
matter. Sad to think that today few remember the million plus who
starved to death in the conflict. The
horns remained prominent, but "Song for a Star" was easily the
album's hardest rocker. Sad to realize that their comments on the suffering
of Palestinians are still valid some fifty years later. With
an acoustic blues sound, "Write a Letter" was unlike anything else
on the album. And let's end the album with a pro-ecological statement. "Peace of Mind" was a pretty, keyboard powered ballad with some of Walker's nicest vocals. Sadly another example of an area where mankind has made precious little progress over the years.
© Scott Blackerby September 2025
|
BACK TO BADCAT PAYMENT INFORMATION
get a feel for what these guys were all about. While it may have made for a beguiling and cutting edge statement when originally released, looking backwards it's
at best naive; at worst hysterically inept. Gawd only knows why, but 1970's "Peace In Our
Time" saw Warm Dust signed by MCA's Uni subsidiary. Produced by John Worley, to
my ears the album reflected the worst possible characteristics of 1960s music (I know
I'm suppose to be praising this thing since I want you to buy it ...).
Exemplified by tracks such as "Blood of My Fathers", "Very Small Child'"and the seemingly endless and chaotic
"Winds of Change" the band's mix of lame jazz moves, shitty horn arrangements (geez, couldn't they at least
have made an effort to play in the same key), and third grade political and social insights were enough to make you laugh (or barf).
Elsewhere their stab at acoustic blues ''Wrote a Letter" proved equally incompetent. Was anything here
worthwhile? Well, the in-between song spoken interludes were at least funny. One could only hope that the GI on the front cover survived.
Certainly felt more sympathy for the GI than the hippy on the back cover.