An escapee from king crimson
Peter Baklava | Charles City, Iowa | 05/22/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Gordon Haskell is a musician who has shown true grit and perseverance. It took 35 years for anyone to notice his talent, but he has a very interesting history in the business. He contributed to a 'freakbeat' band called 'Les Fleur de Lys' in the 60's that has since obtained a cult status. Then he was invited by an old school chum (Robert Fripp) to take over the bass guitar duties in King Crimson. This was something of a brush with success for Haskell, because King Crimson was a huge band in the progressive rock fold. But Haskell didn't take to having his voice mangled by synthesizer effects while he tried to enunciate ponderous lyrics (early King Crimson was sometimes the aural equivalent of Ray Harryhausen movies.)
Haskell left the band and made a gentle, whimsical King Crimsonish album called "It Is and It Isn't". It tanked, and Haskell went into obscurity for many years.
He resurfaced in 2001 with this effort, "Harry's Bar", and joined the company of other ex-Crimsonites who have made good, like Bill Bruford and Keith Tippett.
This album is very smooth and sentimental, and well, er, 'adult'. Haskell is a warm singer with a romantic streak a mile wide. I would hope that all music lovers who remember Haskell's days in King Crimson would now give him a shot. His approach is very literate and tasteful, and he's accomplished something Robert Fripp has never managed to do: making a grown up album with jazz musicians.
Unfortunately, Haskell's solo albums--and he's made many--are not easy to find in the United States. This is ironic, because Haskell, although a Britisher, was born to an American father. His music is definitely worth seeking out. I recommend you do so."
An unexpected treasure
chicAna | northern california | 11/06/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I heard a bit of 'How Wonderful You Are' on my NPR station and fortunately they identified the artist- I immediately(I was at my desk at work), got on Amazon and ordered 'Harrys Bar'. This CD has become a favorite- His voice, his songwriting are evocative, beautiful and elegant- I plan to order the rest of his CDs- This is romantic, wistful music- I recommend this CD to anyone who loves a well crafted love song- you won't be disappointed- The whole CD is fabulous"
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1