Live In Tokyo

Product Description One of England's more unusual rock outfits of the 1970s, Amazing Blondel were originally a trio whose members played instruments dating from medieval to Elizabethan times, and songs styled to those periods. John David Gladwin (lute, oboe, cittern, double bass), Terry Wincott (pipe organ, harmonium, cittern, recorders, flute, crumhorn, tabor pipe, ocarina, guitar), and Edward Baird (guitar, guitern, percussion). The band was named after Blondel de Nesle, the musician in the court of Richard I. According to legend, when Richard was held prisoner, Blondel travelled through central Europe, singing at every castle to locate the King and assist his escape. After John Gladwin left, the band carried on as a duo and released 5 more albums together, Live in Tokyo being their final release until the band reformed some 20 years later in 1997 for a one off album "Restoration". Live In Tokyo captures the magic of the time and will transport fans of new and old to a time when people had more time to relax and ponder the ways of the world. Despite the albums title and cover the joke at the time was that the album was really recorded in Europe and not Tokyo! Review Most Helpful Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars great songs, great sound quality 25 April 2012 By Jonnor Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase First saw Amazing Blondel back in the early 70's at the Hereford Rock Festival. Mott the Hoople were topping the bill. What hope you thought for this accoustic gang of three. On a perfect English summer's day their music soothed the soul and they won over the crowd. A performance that lives on in my memories. If you have fond memories of their music buy this - it will not disappoint. If you haven't heard them before just try it - you will either love them or hate them. --Amazon 2 of 4 people found the following review helpful 4.0 out of 5 stars ...seventies farewell for hippies turned Laurel Canyon... 10 Mar 2010 By Mr. H TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE Format:Audio CD I was never that taken with the original Amazing Blondel, in their original Island Records incarnation, when they were muddling around in a medieval folk rock idiom, messing around with lutes and recorders. That's not to slight all the polytechnic lecturers who swear by patchouli, elbow patches and their worn copies of "Evensong", "Fantasia Lindum" and "England". Well, it is, but it was their reincarnation as acoustic west coast soft rockers that more than tickled my fancy. And it was the stripped down duo of Eddie Baird and Terry Wincott that made my favourite Amazing Blondel album, "Bad Dreams". If they'd been fortunate enough to be based in Laurel Canyon rather than England, then a decidedly coked up future would have been there's for the taking. Naturally, it didn't go at all to plan, but there isn't a single dud amongst the ten tracks with 'Give Me A Chance' and 'Until I See You Again' as good as they were when I first heard them ten years after their release. It's an essential album. "Live in Tokyo" came out a year after "Bad Dreams" in 1977, and this is its CD debut. Of course the fact that Amazing Blondel never actually toured Japan means that the title is a wee bit of a misnomer (apparently it was actually recorded in Scandinavia), but it really doesn't matter. Augmented by a string section and orchestra the music is truly beautiful and deserves to be required listening for anyone with pretensions to taste. From the opening 'Help Us Get Along' (from "Mulgrave Street") through "Inspirations" 'The Lovers' to the closing 'Sad To See You Go', it's just a remarkable album and was their last prior to their nineties reformation. Quite why they've remained a cult act remains a mystery to me. LIsten to this once, and you'll be as perplexed as me. --Amazon About the Artist The line-up of The Amazing Blondel past 1974, when John Gladwin, was Eddie Baird and Terry Wincott. They release four albums, Mulgrave Street, Inspiration, Bad Dreams and Live in Tokyo, which was the final album released in 1977.