Atomic Rooster
In Hearing Of

Atomic Rooster was an interesting band from the early seventies, perfectly balanced between hard rock and progressive. The hard rock side is represented by a noisy, distorted guitarist (John Du Cann), the songwriting's orientation towards solid and repetitive riffs, typical of the prevailing rock blues of the time (Zeppelin, Purple, Sabbath), and the rough, bluesy singing of the frontman (named Peter French, but only for this album). On the progressive side, the unquestionable and evident leadership of the keyboardist, legally named Vincent Rodney Cheesman but known to everyone as Vincent Crane, gives vitality to the band. Crane, along with drummer Carl Palmer, founded the group and employed the typical creative and spectacular use of the drums, initially played by Palmer, who soon left to pursue more fortunate paths, and then taken over by the equally talented Paul Hammond.

The band was heavily influenced from the beginning and throughout its history by the problematic mental health of its leader, who suffered from cyclical depressive episodes that unfortunately led to his suicide in 1989. Crane, who had a rock-solid foundation in music theory and composition since 1964, was an exceptional rock keyboard player with his own distinctive and recognizable style both on the organ and especially on the piano (he wasn't fond of playing synthesizers, as he belonged to the old-school group of the '60s like Graham Bond and Brian Auger, which was too soon and unjustly neglected by the likes of Emerson and Wakeman, who were as spectacular as they were excessive and aestheticized).

This is the band's third album (year 1971) and sees the quartet getting by without a bassist: an unusual choice, shared by very few rock formations (Doors, Van Der Graaf Generator...). Crane preferred to demonstrate the confidence and energy of his excellent left hand and contribute to the rhythm with precise hits on the lower registers of the Hammond or piano, relying on drummers who were very... busy, if that word conveys the idea, to fill all the rhythmic gaps.

But the most peculiar feature of this album is that it boasts a lineup of Atomic Rooster that simply never took the stage: musical differences between Crane and Du Cann resulted in the sudden firing of the guitarist/singer just after he had finished recording his parts for this album. Crane then quickly hired the new vocalist, French, and dragged him directly to the studio to reinterpret the vocal lines traced by the guitarist. After the album was released, the Rooster went on to perform it with a new guitarist and a new drummer, since Hammond decided to leave along with Du Cann.

For all connoisseurs of Atomic Rooster, the group's masterpiece remains the previous "Death Walks Behind You": nothing is more true, and "In Hearing Of" is decidedly inferior. It's fair to say that the quartet only works halfway here: keyboards and drums are fantastic, while guitar and vocals are less so. It's evident that French is uncomfortable singing in Du Cann's usual key, and there's a step back in terms of incisiveness and precision in John's performance on his instrument compared to the recent past, clearly due to either haste or demotivation. Listen in particular to the guitar solos on the track "The Rock": they're quite out of tune, decidedly unprofessional.  

This doesn't take away from the fact that the album is very enjoyable to listen to: authentic seventies rock from the talented Albion, full of blues and progressive, decidedly inclined towards melodic creativity rather than power or "drive." Enlightening in this regard are the words spoken by the singer in a nice interview contained in the booklet of this CD:

"...So we went on tour in America to promote "In Hearing Of" and had the chance to open for people like Yes, Santana, Cactus... and when the latter asked about my availability to become their new singer, I seized the opportunity. What can I say, Crane was a fantastic musician, there are no such personal, immediately recognizable, brilliant, and creative players in America, but I am a pure rocker and, let me say, performing backed by an astronomically good rhythm section like that formed by Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert is the dream of any singer like me. Not to mention the guitar: Steve Bolton (the substitute for Du Cann in the Rooster) is a good musician and a great person, but he belongs to that type of guitarists who do their part with competence and taste, but will never make anyone jump in their seat. On the contrary, Jim McCarty (the guitarist of the Cactus, fantastic yet under-recognized) is exactly that type of guitarist, he drives you crazy every time he plays. Atomic Rooster had their style, their sound, their unique personality. The Cactus had none of that, no peculiarity, except that they drove like a train in motion and blew the minds of those who went to see and hear them...I had no doubts". Indeed, if you love rock to its core, head towards energy, even if it means sacrificing originality.

A mention for the shining gem of the album, the blues ballad "Decision/Indecision": a stunning melody, counterpointed by Crane's piano, which unfolds all his rhythmic/melodic wisdom with a minimal, energetic, warm, pastoral, dry, lyrical, dynamic, and touching accompaniment. A jewel that makes the album worth it.