Genre: rock
Rating: 2 stars **
Title: Ace of Sunlight
Company: Island
Catalog: SMAS-9309
Year: 1971
Country/State: UK
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: gatefold sleeve
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5577
Price: $20.00
Yeah, these guys are totally unknown in the States; not that they were ever a name brand in their native UK. Singer Jess Roden was probably the most recognizable member having been a member of The Alan Bown Set, though the other members had played with an impressive collection of UK bands.
The group's sophomore album "Ace of Sunlight" and first effort to see a US release was recorded in the wake of personnel changes that saw original singer/keyboardist Jeff Bannister leave to join A Band Called O. Co-produced by Richard Digby Smith and the band, the realignment didn't result in a major change to the band's laidback, country-rock influenced sound. With Blunt, Gammond, and Roden all contributing material, songs like 'Time Slips Away', 'New Day Avenue' and the ballad 'Discernible' were professional and occasionally even likeable, but the album lacked much in the way of originality. Roden had a decent voice and the players were all technically proficient (guitarist Blunt turned in some nice leads throughout - check out his tasteful work on 'Sudden Street'), but the collection basically came off as an attempt to mimic various US bands - little bit of CSN&Y ('Amber Moon'), touch of Poco, and to spice it up a sprinkling of Led Zeppelin (the atypical hard rocker 'Woman' with Roden doing his best Robert Plant impression). To my ears it's always been one of those funny albums where individual songs were quite impressive, but as a whole the album just didn't make much of an impression. Take 'Time Slips Away' as an example. Great rocker with some really nice harmony vocals. It started slowly and built to a roaring conclusion - the volume actually seems to increase across the six minutes. Every time I hear it I think 'nice track'. Five minutes later I can't remember anything about it. As you've guessed, the album attracted little attention in the States and even fewer sales. (Needless trivia - Fairport Convention's Trevor Lucas and Mott the Hooples' Ian Hunter and Mick Ralphs provided support on a couple of songs.)
"Ace of
Sunlight" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Amber Moon (Jess Roden - Suzy Worth) - 4:02
2.) Time Slips Away (Robbie Blunt) - 6:05
3.) Some Uncertainty (Kevyn Gammond - Clifford T. Ward) - 3:39
4.) Woman (Kevyn Gammond - Clifford T. Ward) - 4:18
(side
2)
1.) New Day Avenue (Jess
Roden - Suzy Worth) - 6:39
2.) Discernible (Kevyn Hammond - Suzy Worth) - 3:49
3.) Sudden Street (Jess Roden) - 6:23
4.) Joy and Pears (Jess Roden - Suzy Worth) - 3:39
Shortly after the album was released Roden tendered his notice in order to join The Butts Band, followed by a solo career. Blunt also quit, briedfy joining Silverhead. Gammond, Pasternak, and Robinson elected to continue the nameplate with the addition of guitarists Dan Fone and former Band of Joy guitarist Paul Lockey. By the late 1970s they'd reformed Band of Joy which managed to release a pair of instantly obscure albums - 1978's "Band of Joy" and "24K" (which finally saw a posthumous release in 1984).
Gammond and Pasternak then formed Pictures in a Darkroom which released one 45 before disappearing. Gammond subsequently turned his attention to education and by the 190s was in the music education department at Kidderminister College where he continued to occasionally play with longtime friend Robert Plant in the cover band Priory Of Brion.
Pasternak suffered a fatal heart attack in 1987.
Bannister played with A Band Called O, did tons of sessions, and ended up playing in an oldies band Rockin' Horse.
Blunt played in a succession of bands including Silverhair, Broken Glass, Chicken Shack, The Steve Gibbons Band, and spent much of the 1980s working with Robert Plant and doing extensive sessions work. He has a MySpace site at:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction
=user.viewprofile&friendid=163202745