Gravy Train
(A Ballad Of) A Peaceful Man

"(A Ballad of) A Peaceful Man," released in 1971, is the second album by Gravy Train, an English band formed in 1970. The group was composed of Norman Barratt (guitar and vocals), J. D. Hughes (keyboards, flute, sax), Lester Williams (bass), and Barry Davenport (drums).

The first track of the album is "Alone in Georgia" (4:35) and it's a small gem, with delicate atmospheres thanks to clever arrangements of strings, choirs, and flute. The singing is also very evocative, and despite Barratt's vigorous voice, it blends perfectly with the music. Undoubtedly, a song that makes its splendid chorus its strong point. The track joins into the title-track "(A Ballad Of) A Peaceful Man" (7:06), which after a cautious intro that echoes the beginning of the record with violins and flute is hardened by the distorted guitar that screams beneath Barratt's powerful voice, which in calmer parts knows how to stay perfectly in tune with the music. Excellent "goosebumps" choruses highlight the end, left to the orchestra. We remain on warm and gentle moods with "Jule's Delight" (6:58), where the singer once again finds a way to best express his voice with energetic vocalizations that bring about the central part, where we find a pleasant spring-like interlude of violins and flute, broken by Barratt's return. It follows with "Messenger" (5:58), which opens on livelier tempos with dialogues between drums and flute, to which guitar and subsequently vocals are added. Excellent J. D. Hughes on winds who lays the carpet for a powerful solo by Norman Barratt handling the six strings. "Can Anybody Hear Me" (2:59) follows the path traced by the last song and showcases a hard rock marked by a stubborn guitar riff perfectly mimicked by the flute. An ideal terrain for Barratt's voice and his outline of an electric solo. "Old Tin Box" (4:45) shifts to more progressive atmospheres, but the group adapts well to these too. The result is a good song, with saxophone and guitar pacing the rhythm. It follows with "Won't Talk about It" (3:00), with the guitar accompanied throughout the song by the flute and vocals. The result is a rather hard piece, filled with two moderate solos by the usual Norman Barratt. It closes with "Home Again" (3:25) featuring flute à la Ian Anderson and choruses that stretch throughout the song's duration on the rhythm repeatedly marked by Barry Davenport.

Overall, a very beautiful record for the first tracks, but it declines in quality towards the end. I recommend it to every lover of '70s music, who knows, maybe someone might fall in love with it, like I did…