Before a Word Is Said

Recorded in April and May 1981, this album contains some of Alan Gowen's last sessions (he died in 1982). Different in many ways than the core corpus of the Canterbury progressive rock movement (Soft Machine, Caravan, National Health), this quartet album moves deeper into jazz — jazz by rock musicians, yet not blatantly jazz-rock. Jazz has always been part of the Canterbury essence, in Richard Sinclair's melodic basslines and in Phil Miller's blues guitar background. Gowen continues to explore the dreamy mood exposed in Two Rainbows Daily, his collaboration with Hugh Hopper dominated by sad, subtle Moog melodies. Drummer Trevor Tomkin adds a light free jazz touch, his playing moving outside the beat in the quietest passages to provide textures rather than pulses. Writing credits are split between Miller, Gowen, and Sinclair. The guitarist's tunes are jazzy and more upbeat. "Nowadays a Silhouette" stands out; it began its life as part of National Health's repertoire. Sinclair's only contribution, "Umbrellas," features his evanescent wordless vocals. A soft number, it prefigures his solo material of the '80s. Gowen brought the darkest, most melancholy pieces. The title track is a lesson in understatement, its slow theme floating over sparse arrangements, yet it delivers the most memorable music of the set. This album takes fans of the Canterbury scene elsewhere, on a ride between parentheses, and will be of interest mostly to aficionados and collectors, but it is a fine session. Just not quite the thing you expect. ~ François Couture, Rovi