Year : 1973 (Universum Records Edition 2007)
Style : Classic Rock , Hard Rock , Blues Rock
Country : United Kingdom
Audio : 320 kbps + scans
Size : 91 mb
Bio:
Strider was a hard/blues rock band from London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom, that was formed in 1972.The band was formed by guitarist Gary Grainger, keyboard player and lead vocalist Ian Kewley, bassist Lee Hunter (real name Strzelczyk) and drummer Jimmy Hawkins. They spent their early days supporting the likes of Humble Pie, Status Quo and Deep Purple. Their debut album, ''Exposed", was released on Phillips Records in 1973, and it featured Babe Ruth's Jennie Haan on backing vocals, as did the second. Their second and final effort featured new lead vocalist Rob Elliott and Tony Brock in place of Jimmy Hawkins. After they split Grainger went on to feature in Rod Stewart's band and Tony Brock moved on to The Babys.Note: not to be confused with the nineties band of the same name.Strider released only two albums but their legacy far outweighed their contribution as a band due to the work their members did after they broke up.The first album Exposed was recorded by Grainger, Hunter, Hawkins and Kewley. Internal disputes flared resulting in Hawkins leaving.The band performed at the 1974 Reading Festival. By the time of the second album the drum position had been filled by Brock and the band had been augmented by singer Elliot. Misunderstood also featured Jenny Haan who was then on the threshold of quitting Babe Ruth.The internal squabbles finally became too much and the band folded in 1974. Following the split Grainger spent some time with Rod Stewart before working with the likes of Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle. Kewley formed Limey, worked with Paul Young before working with Manic Street Preachers. Brock was perhaps the most prolific as his career included The Babys, Eddie Money, Rod Stewart and Jimmy Barnes.
Album:
In fact, this debut album, *Exposed*, really needs to be listened to with headphones or at a certain volume to be fully appreciated. And when you do, even ears that have been saturated with guitar-driven “rock” music for ages start to tingle with delight as they listen to this fantastic album. One might add that not even the passage of time can diminish this ever-renewed pleasure. There’s no over-the-top or raucous hard rock here. It’s closer to a Free-style hard blues—or even, to some extent, Mountain when it ventures into relatively lyrical territory. Unlike those two bands, however, the piano—not the organ—plays a defining role. While it’s certainly Gary Grainger’s raspy guitar that sets the tone, Ian Kewley’s piano creates striking contrasts. It allows Strider to slip one foot out of a wild, slightly gritty atmosphere and into a slightly subdued, refined space. A rich-sounding Gibson-style guitar (SG? he’s known to own an astonishing 1969 with two pairs of Stratocaster pickups arranged side by side like two humbuckers, an ebony fingerboard, and a mahogany body. And a second 1973 Zemaitis, with an aluminum plate, two humbuckers, and six potentiometers - pushing his amps to the limit, scorching his notes with fuzz, tempered by an aristocratic piano played with restraint. However, while the pianist seems determined to add a touch of polish notably by choosing the piano over the organ, which was more popular at the time his rough, furious, and gravelly vocals bring this hard blues back to the streets, to dark, seedy alleys. In this regard, Strider could often be described as a fusion of Joe Cocker (early albums) and Free. Or the Faces and Mountain. Quite a program. But once again, Jenny Haan, the singer from Babe Ruth, steps in to prevent things from getting out of hand. Ultimately, Strider plays with contrasts-light and shadow, the explosive energy of a fiery guitar and the freshness and clarity of a piano. Thus, “Ain’t Got No Love” begins with a calm piano and a light slide guitar, evoking the pastoral songs of Rod the Mod, before a heavy riff and an avalanche of drums come crashing in. The piano has no choice but to try to keep up with this charge of rough-and-tumble, determined men, picking up the pace to a steady trot, all while occasionally attempting to ease the tension. And just when it finally seems to succeed, a harmonica bursts in to reignite the embers. The cover of Jackie Wilson’s “Higher and Higher” follows the same pattern, beginning as a melancholic, stripped-down slow dance, with only a gliding bassline and minimalist piano as accompaniment—over which Kewley is on the verge of bursting into tears...until he kicks himself in the butt, lets out a rallying cry (or a cry of pain?—like, “I’ve got something stuck”), rallying the frenzied drums, the frantic guitar, and the impassioned backing vocals, transforming this oft-covered classic into a fierce heavy-soul track. Grainger’s solo is melodic and flute-like, reminiscent of Adrian Gurvitz’s (more from his Gun days than his Three Man Army days). With “Flying,” it’s quite the opposite. A heavy, gritty guitar kicks things off on its own, before stepping back slightly to make way for the piano. With “Ether’s Place” (also released as a single), the band reimagines the Faces in a rougher, more rugged style. Kewley, who seemed to have a rather limited vocal range—singing in essentially the same way on the first two tracks—naturally adopts a Rod Stewart-esque delivery. Meanwhile, with “Woman Blue,” the band bridges the gap between Free’s dramatic blues (it seems, incidentally, that Kossof’s refined and sensitive playing had an impact on Grainger’s style) and Humble Pie’s feverish blues.The band wraps up this debut album with a particularly heavy version of “Get Ready.” Nearly nine minutes of sticky, gritty hard blues that features a long break where the warm tones of a vaguely jazzy Latin rock come through.The original soul only barely surfaces through Haan’s backing vocals.The latest CD release offers, as bonus tracks—in addition to the dispensable “45 rpm” versions of two songs a brilliant live track,“Road Runner,” which reveals an even heavier side of the band, thanks in particular to Kewley, who lets loose both on his (electric) piano and on the mic, where he rasps his vocal cords. Despite strong demand in the first few weeks after its release, sales of “Exposed” proved disappointing given the album’s undeniable quality. Perhaps this was due to the possible reasons mentioned above—but the competition was fierce; it was the year of “Dark Side of the Moon,” “Billion Dollar Babies,” “Tres Hombres,” “Tattoo,” “House of the Holy,” “Aladdin Sane,” “Pronounced 'leh-nérd 'skin-'nerd,” “Grand Hotel,” “Tyranny and Mutation,” “Betty Davis,” “Tales from Topographic Oceans,” “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” “Goats Head Soup,” “Raw Power,” etc... Faced with mounting difficulties, internal conflicts arose, and the drummer and bassist were let go. Thus, the following year, a new lineup recorded the band’s second and final album, “Misunderstood.” It’s practically a new band, with Kewley having handed over the mic to a new singer with a seemingly broader vocal range, but one who lacks that wild, raw edge that made their debut so charming. Even though Kewley occasionally lends a hand as a backing vocalist, always alongside Jenny Haan. “Misunderstood” is more varied and much better produced, but the band has toned things down, occasionally flirting with progressive rock or simply mainstream sounds, and—despite a few excellent tracks (“Open Your Eyes,” “Seems So Easy,” “Wing Tips”) struggles to recapture that special spark. However, opinions are divided, with many critics preferring it to the first album.
Line-Up:
Ian Kewley - Vocals, Keyboards
Gary Grainger - Lead Guitar
Lee Hunter - Bass
Jimmy Hawkins - Drums, Percussion
+ guests:
Backing Vocals – Jack Noton, Jennie Haan, Les Olbinson, Martin Saville
Production:
Recorded At – Marquee Studios
Published By – Tone Music Ltd.
Published By – Jobete-Carlin Music Ltd.
Published By – United Artists Music Ltd.
Design Concept – Dave Field, Michael Gill
Engineer – Phil Dunne
Photography By – Steve Campbell
Producer, Backing Vocals – Jimmy Horowitz
Tape Op – John Eaton
Tracklist:
01. Flying
02. Aint Got No Love
03. Woman Blue
04. Higher And Higher
05. Esther's Place
06. Straddle
07. Get Ready
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