Extra material unavailable at time of printing for #166
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'Kossoff Kirke Tetst Rabbit' (ICL-25) Inner Sheet, page 2.
It's been a while since I heard a record as wonderful as this, and it fills me with a mixture of joy and excitement. How do I explain it? My impression as I listened to 'Kossoff Kirke Tetsu Rabbit' was that it sounds like an even more delicate, high quality, and beautiful version of Free's music.
The four members comprising the group - including the two ex-members of Free, Paul Kossoff and Simon Kirke, Japan's own Tetsu Yamauchi, and the American ex-session musician Rabbit (although his real name is the rather imposing John Bundrick, by looking at photos of him one can see how he came to be called Rabbit, as his two front teeth stick out like a Rabbit's) - were attracting a lot of buzz and attention even in the UK.
Unfortunately, after finishing this album and finally beginning rehearsals for stage performances, Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu and Rabbit temporarily disbanded. It is thought that this may have been because of booking issues or movements towards a Free comeback. As you may be aware, however, straight after an Australian gig following their Japan tour, Free suddenly announced they were splitting up once again. However, to satisfy fans' wishes, Paul Kossoff, Paul Rogers, Andy Fraser and Simon Kirke have once again come together to give a farewell performance. After their British tour dates, they are expected to come to Japan in June or July. The members of Free all love Japan, and we hope they'll once again bring the intense energy they brought to Japan last year.
Regardless, this formation of Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu and Rabbit is no temporary session group - Tetsu Yamauchi himself has said that the line up is the best, and he wouldn't consider forming a group with anyone else, and it's possible that they will reform as a permanent group.
Whatever happens, I am glad that Japanese musicians have begun playing overseas. The fact that Tetsu Yamauchi has become recognised despite Japan's reputation for having few bass guitarists is testament to his incredible talent. Tetsu Yamauchi was born on the 21st October 1946. Today, he is 26 years old, and one of the rock musicians that now represents Japan. He debuted in 1968, from when he joined Mike Maki's backing band, Maikusu. However, at this time, he was the guitarist. In 1969, he went to the UK with one of the biggest drummers of the time, Yuji Harada, and joined Micky Curtis' Samurai, at which point he moved to the bass. It's incredible that he managed to become a player of his calibre within just three years.
Mickey Curtis has said that Tetsu Yamauchi is a very egotistic man, and that may be what enabled him to become a top bassist in only three years. It is certainly true that he is egotistic in his music, and won't do anything he doesn't want to do. However, I also feel that somewhere in his bass playing there is a uniquely Japanese gentleness and delicacy to his grooves. Tetsu Yamauchi is, in reality, a nice man, and regardless of what goes on underneath the surface, he always looks happy and cheerful on the outside. I also feel that the element of delicacy, which 'Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu & Rabbi't adds to Free's heavy sound, comes from Tetsu Yamauchi's bass playing. However, in the event that more Japanese musicians end up travelling overseas, they should be careful not to be too precious about preserving a uniquely Japanese sound. If one is to be a truly great musician, one needs to have a global sensibility regardless of what country one is in. Testu Yamauchi is the perfect example of this, as, happily, he has naturally obtained this skill through his friendship with Paul Kossoff. So many Japanese are emerging on the world stage that it is easy to feel shocked at just how far the Japanese flag is being flown. I, too, was considerably moved by Kasaya's performance during the Sapporo Winter Olympics, but I feel it is time to discard this kind of feeling. I'm not John Lennon, but I want to go travelling in the spirit of his lyric "Imagine there's no countries".
This album was recorded last autumn (1971) in London's Island Studios, and was released in January 1972 to high acclaim. In Japan, it will be released in tandem with Free's Japan tour, and I believe it will be released around the same time in America. I can't wait to see what waves this record will make there.
SIDE 1
1) BLUE GRASS
When one thinks of bluegrass, what first comes to mind is country music using banjo and fiddle, but this is a heavy, groovy number that has nothing to do with the music genre.
As always, Simon Kirke's sparse drumming style shines here. Tetsu Yamauchi's bass gives each note room to breathe, avoiding flashy runs to create a heavy feeling. Altogether, the track sounds like a logical evolution of Free's sound, had they continued making music.
2) SAMMY'S ALRIGHT
From this track, which places Rabbit's piano work front and centre, one can begin to hear the new direction of Kossoff Kirke Tetsu Rabbit as something that surpasses Free's music. Kossoff's guitar, which delicately interweaves with the singing, is also excellent. Sound engineer Richard Digby Smith's superb recording skills excellently capture this delicate sound.
3) ANNA
This track also makes use of Rabbit's keyboards. This love ballad about yearning for a woman named Anna is brought to life by the contrast between the beautiful melody and the heavy backing. Although I love hard rock, in recent times I find it hard not to think I've heard about enough of it. However, when this group shows off their tasteful interpretation of the genre in a track like this, I begin to appreciate it once more.
4) JUST FOR THE BOX
This is an instrumental track featuring double lead guitar. I can't decide if I love or hate the way Rabbit's keyboards talkatively bounce off the rhythm of the rhythm section—I'd love to ask Tetsu Yamauchi what he thinks. There's a point in the song where everything suddenly stops all at once, and I love how it's timed. It almost makes me think the song was created just for that moment.
5) HOLD ON
If you asked me for my favourite track on the album, I would have to say this one. In my opinion, this defines Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu and Rabbit's music. I love the beautiful melodies, the rhythm backing them up, and the energy of Kossoff's guitar work towards the end of the track. I am also a big fan of Simon Kirke's singing. This song along would justify purchasing the album.
SIDE 2
1) FOOL'S LIFE
This is also an excellent track. The timbre of Paul Kossoff's guitar, alongside the complex rhythms and syncopations, are truly thrilling. Rabbit's piano, which I described as 'talkative' above, is also here in full force. Rarely for the group, this is a high-tempo track, and it is truly a tour-de-force.
2) YELLOW HOUSE
This song begins with a melody similar to The Beatles' Don't Let Me Down, to which the guest musician B. J. Cole contributes steel guitar. Tetsu Yamauchi has always loved Jesse Davis and has said he wanted to make that kind of music, and it is possible that this song came from that idea.
3) DYING FIRE
This is a great song with a wonderful melody. The instrument that sounds like strings is a Mellotron performed by Rabbit. The Mellotron is a fearsome creation that can produce the sounds of a variety of instruments from pre-recorded samples, from woodwinds to strings, and its production has apparently already been halted due to protest from the musician's union. Certainly, if one Mellotron can replace the need for an entire orchestra, this could no doubt pose a grave problem for musicians.
4) I'M ON THE RUN
Here too we can hear B. J. Cole's steel guitar. This album is comprised of 5 tracks by Rabbit, 2 by Simon Kirke, 2 from Paul Kossoff, and finally one collaboration between Kossoff and Simon. Simon's songs are so different in character to Rabbit's, however, that while the basic elements stay consistent between songs, their different characters provide a great deal of variety, preventing the listener from growing tired of one sound.
5) COLOURS
Here, we can hear Paul Kossoff's acoustic guitar. I love the wild feeling of the backing, as well as the exciting latter half. In my opinion, this song is best listened to loud.
So, that brings us to the end of the album, but I'd love to hear your thoughts too. Of course, I'm biased as I'm head over heels for Tetsu Yamauchi's bass playing, but even discounting that I think it would still be the best record I've heard in recent days.
(10th April 1972 - Isao Watanabe)
Translated for the FAS in 2022 by Melissa Jane Lewis & Frank Davey
