Search - Winter Consor :: Road

ROAD, THE GREATEST LP I'VE EVER HEARD

William J. Leary | BOSTON | 07/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I BOUGHT THIS RECORD BY ACCIDENT IN 1972 OR 73, THINKING IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT I HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR BY SOME OTHER GROUP. WHEN I GOT IT HOME AND LISTENED TO IT I REALIZED THAT IT WAS NOT WHAT I HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR, BUT IT VERY QUICKLY BECAME THE MOST FREQUENTLY PLAYED RECORD IN MY COLLECTION. IN 1974 I HAD BEEN LISTENING TO A SMALL LOCAL RADIO STATION IN CAMBRIDGE THAT PLAYED FOLK AND OTHER NON-POP MUSIC. ONE DAY THEY PLAYED THE SONG "ICARUS" AND SAID THEY HAD A PAIR OF TICKETS TO GIVE AWAY TO SEE "THE WINTER CONSORT" PERFORMING AT THE BERKLEY PERFORMANCE CENTER TO THE FIRST FIVE PEOPLE WHO COULD CORRECTLY NAME THE AUTHOR OF THE COMPOSITION. HELL I KNEW THE AUTHOR OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD SINCE I HAD LISTENED TO THE SONG ALMOST DAILY FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS BUT I DID NOT KNOW THE RADIO STATION PHONE NUMBER. AFTER 15 MINUTES OF KICKING MYSELF IN THE BUT FOR NOT KNOWING THE NUMBER I WAS TALKING TO MY BOSS AND LAMENTING MY SITUATION TO HIM AND HE SAID TO ME "WHAT RADIO STATION IS IT?" WHEN I TOLD HIM HE REMINDED ME THAT THERE WERE PROBABLY NOT MUCH MORE THAN FIVE PEOPLE LISTENING TO THE STATION ANYWAY SO I MIGHT AS WELL CALL INFORMATION FOR THE PHONE NUMBER AND CALL THEM WITH MY ANSWER. I DID THIS (NOW NEARLY 30 MINUTES AFTER THE CONTEST HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED)AND TO MY SURPRISE I WON THE TICKETS. I WENT TO THE PERFORMANCE AND WAS TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY BY THE CONCERT AND STILL CONSIDER IT THE APEX OF MY CONCERT GOING LIFE. SADLY I LOST THE RECORD SOMEWHERE OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RE-ACQUIRE IT. I WOULD TRADE MY FIRST BORN FOR IT IF IT WERE AVAILABLE."

A great forgotten performance

Steven P. Tidwell | Raleigh, North Carolina United States | 06/05/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The version of the Winter Consort that recorded this is essentially if not exactly the same personnel that recorded "Icarus". At least some of the music here comes from that LP and this serves as a worthy companion to that LP. As mentioned elsewhere, the group Oregon is contained wholly within this Winter Consort, so anyone who enjoys that group and the work of the individual members of Oregon will enjoy this as well.



The performance and recording (at least on the LP) themselves are exceptionally good. Musicians like these never had the kind of recording budgets of more popular artists, but as obviously extremely well trained and educated musicians that was not a problem. They could perform live perfectly (and did so in the studio as well).



This has long been a favorite LP of mine. I haven't gotten the CD, though I'm sure I will someday despite what may have been done to it."