Warhorse
Red Sea

Warhorse was a hard rock quintet from the early seventies with a brief and rather unsuccessful run (more or less three years, resulting in two albums with not very encouraging sales), put together by London bassist Nick Simper right after his ousting from Deep Purple in favor of Roger Glover, at the behest of the new singer Ian Gillan.

Simper was roughly equivalent to Glover in terms of instrumental ability, but if you broaden the scope to all aspects and possible contributions, musical and otherwise, of a member within a band, Glover's impact and importance are unquestionably superior, even crucial to the destiny and fortunes of the Purple: Roger has been from the start, and still is today, the band's organizing man. For example, he meticulously maintains the catalog of recordings and rehearsals, so as to pick out the best ideas and turn them into actual songs. Additionally, he is a sound engineer, capable of handling equipment and conducting a professional recording session; and he is also a producer, in the sense that he has media skills, rationality, and method, common sense, and practicality, all of which are crucial virtues within a group full of prima donnas and somewhat snobbish slackers like the young Deep Purple.

Obviously, Warhorse sounded like a lesser version of Purple, replicating many of the characteristics and components of their sound, arrangement, and style: there was thus a tight guitar/organ duel, with the two soloists Ged Peck and Mark Wilson treading, both timbrally and in phrasing, more or less in the realms of Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord respectively (obviously without even approaching their brilliance and inspiration, both at their peak at the time). Band leader Simper and his rhythm section partner Mac Poole did their part, neither impressively nor poorly... Ultimately, what most differentiated and characterized Warhorse was Ashley Holt's booming voice, powerful but often over the top (occasionally lacking intonation), certainly showy and spectacular but lacking the swing and fluidity of a Gillan, yet with a strong rhythm & blues component unknown to any Deep vocalist (except Glenn Hughes, of course!).

"Red Sea" is their second and last album, released in 1972 and responsible, due to worsened sales compared to their debut (which was indeed more successful), for the loss of their recording contract and their definitive dissolution. It's not bad, but I would advise against those who tout the rock of the early seventies as being genius and unmissable almost regardless. There's nothing transcendental here, even though it's always pleasant to re-listen to recordings from those times, with their innocent, straightforward, experimental, and passionate quality, with vintage sounds and the "noise" of tape, no more than eight tracks, in action.

The best tracks are the very long "Back in Time", featuring an extended instrumental section where Ged Peck is left all alone to unleash with the six-string in a truly old-fashioned free-form solo, as well as the even longer and more indulgent "Mouthpiece", which, with its rhythm changes, drum breaks, psychedelic digressions, and progressive aspirations, is emblematic of a certain "free" way of recording music that was once allowed and encouraged (although followed by the loss of the contract, as already mentioned...); Mac Poole goes all out in pounding drums and cymbals, typically being a thorn in the side as in every respectable drum solo, yet thus creating that irresistibly seventies vibe that brings so much pleasure, tenderness, and, for those who were there, nostalgia.

A fitting final note for the cover... of a cover! I'm referring to the very Italian "Uno dei Tanti", a track by Donida/Mogol performed in 1961 by the "shouter" Joe Sentieri, revisited a couple of years later in a rhythm & blues style by African American singer Ben E. King under the title "I Who Have Nothing". Warhorse's rendition is in pure Vanilla Fudge style (a seminal late sixties American group that thrived on instrumental virtuosity and especially covered and remade tracks), which means abundant falsetto choruses and organ blasts.