Cream of The Crate: Album Review # 150 – Ariel: Aloha (Live At Dallas Brooks Hall]

28 April 2020

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This review was originally posted on the first Toorak Times web site where publications ceased on that site in March 2017. The old site will be permanently closed in 2020 and these reviews are being re-published in order to preserve them on the current Toorak Times/Tagg site.

“The “Ariel Live“ album is a fitting testament to a unique Phenomenon in Australian Rock History.“ – (Rock On Vinyl) . . . “Ariel was a prog rock band with a big production show, and were one of the first bands to tour with a complete light show and PA rig.( – Spectrum: ABC) . . . “Ariel was a genuine ‘supergroup.“ – (Milesago)

This is album retro-review number 150 in the series of retro-reviews of both vinyl and Cd albums in my collection.

The series is called “Cream of The Crate” and each review represents an album that I believe is of significant musical value, either because of it’s rarity, because it represents the best of a style or styles of music or because there is something unique about the group or the music.

The first fifty reviews were vinyl only, and the second fifty reviews were CD’s only. Links to these reviews can be found at the bottom of this page. From review 101 onward I have mixed vinyl and CD albums and, try and present an Australian album every fifth review!

This retro-review is not just my 150th but it features an absolutely iconic Australian group that wowed them live, but despite some of their songs charting they never got the recorded recognition they so deserved.

The group is Ariel and this is their live album – Aloha (Live At Dallas Brooks Hall).

The album is in a vinyl format and was released by Island Records on the IMAGE label and it has the identifying code of ILP – 775 and was released in 1977.

cream of the crate: album review # 150 – ariel: aloha (live at dallas brooks hall] — Album label – [CLICK to enlarge]

The album has 12 tracks and there are some gems among them.

Ariel was one of the many “faces” of Mike Rudd, and it would not be incorrect to say, his partner Bill Putt.

Mike and Bill have been around the Australian music scene for so long it was difficult to imagine that they would not always be there, until Bill sadly passed away in 2013. The musical legacy that had at its heart the work of Rudd and Putt cannot be overstated and so it is that any, and every album they appear on, should be treasured.

The group Ariel is so often referred to as “progressive” due largely to Mike Rudd and his desire and ability to construct music that if not breaking the rules, seriously bending them.

He and Bill Putt were the formation members of the group Ariel in 1973, almost straight after the equally amazing Spectrum/Murcepts had folded.

Now there were SIX versions of Ariel over the almost five years of its existence.

The original line-up (Ariel Mk I) was Rudd on guitar, harmonica & vocals), Putt on bass, Tim Gaze on guitar), Nigel Macara on drums and John Mills on keyboards which lasted from its formation in 1973 through into 1974.

Then the following lineups eventuated.

Ariel Mk II (1974-75)
Mike Rudd (guitar & lead vocals)
Bill Putt (bass)
Harvey James (guitar)
John Lee (drums)

Ariel Mk III (1975)
Mike Rudd
Bill Putt
Harvey James
John Lee
Glyn Mason (guitar, vocals)

Ariel MK IV (April-October 1976)
Mike Rudd
Bill Putt
Glyn Mason
Nigel Macara
Tony Slavich (keyboards, vocals)

Ariel Mk V (1976-77)
Mike Rudd
Bill Putt
Glyn Mason
Iain McLennan (drums) Oct. 76 – Aug. ’77
Tony Slavich

The lineup on this album was Mike Rudd, Bill Putt, Tony Slavich, Glyn Mason and Iain Mclennan.

Regardless of which version of Ariel we can consider, we have to acknowledge the brilliance of the members.

If there is one thing Mike Rudd is, and he is many things, he is appropriately demanding of those he works with, and they must be “masters” of their instruments.

Now most readers will be familiar with the “old firm” of Rudd and Putt after all Rudd’s Australian connection commenced in 1969 when he had left New Zealand, arrived in Australia and joined Ross Wilson in another legendary group – Party Machine.

When it split up Rudd formed Spectrum which commenced one of Australia’s most enduring musical partnership, that between himself and bassist Bill Putt.

Bill began his career in 1964 as a guitarist with Melbourne band The Mystics.

Like many other young muso’s of the day, he moved from band to band until finally ending up playing bass in 1968 with a group called Gallery.

Incidentally, that group had another music prodigy, drummer Mark Kennedy.

So in 1969 Bill and his bass and his walrus moustache joined Rudd in Spectrum.

Given the number of musicians that have played in Ariel, I’ll jump through to the lineup on this album, the final album released by the band while still together.

There are four Ariel studio albums – A Strange Fantastic Dream (1974); The Jellabad Mutant – which although technically wasn’t released in 2002, well after the group’s demise, it was actually recorded during the period 1974 to 1976. Then there was Rock and Roll Scars (1975) and finally Goodnight Fiona (1976).

Their legacy also included seven singles and three live albums.

Only one, this album Aloha was released while the band remained intact.

The other two – Live! More From Before was released about a year after the group disbanded, and a live compilation album, Live In Concert was released in 1980.

So, back to the other musicians who contribute so much to this wonderful live album.

Tony Slavich contributes keyboards and vocals and the earliest group I could put him with was a group called Sun in 1971. A fantastic keyboard player he has also been a member of the Richard Clapton Band (just prior to Ariel) and Mondo Rock and Goldrush, was the last group I can identify him in.

Glyn Mason is another ex-pat Kiwi who came to Australia in the late 1960’s as the guitarist and singer with Larry’s Rebels (aka The Rebels), when he replaced Larry.

He has had a stellar career that involved him in an amazing array of groups including Chain, the Richard Clapton Band, Sherbert, Stockley See & Mason and many others and works today with his musical partner, the equally talented Sam See in their duo called The Pardoner’s.

A guitarist, singer and songwriter Mason contributed much to Ariel.

Finally there was drummer Iain McLennan.

Not “just” a drummer but also a songwriter, he has played in a range of great Aussie groups also including but not limited to Mondo Rock, Richard Clapton Band and Sports .

Iain still works today.

This is a strong album.

The quality of the music in a live performance situation is often the result of a combination of factors.

First and foremost are the musicians and as I have established, there is no doubt about the ability of these guys.

Then there is the compositions of the pieces, the person engineering the recording (Roger Savage no less) and finally, the acoustics of the venue where the recording took place.

When all these elements come together you end up with a mighty fine live recording – and that’s what we have here!

There is a wonderful thing about the choice of material on this album and that is that it has been produced by someone who knows what he is doing and, has a connection with the music and the group.

The producer was Mike Rudd and what he has done is to utilise the talents of the guys he is playing with.

We have 12 tracks.

Five are written by Rudd, two by Mason, three by Slavich and the remaining two by McLennan.

When you have a group full of songwriters, it would be crazy not to use that talent and Mike Rudd did just that.

Track Listing:

Side 1
1. Disco Dilemma *
2. The Party’s Just ª
3. Where Do You Go? ^
4. Amazon∞
5. Illicit Love *
6. Hollywood *

Side 2

1. It’s Only Love ∞
2. All I Need Is A Change ª
3. It’s Gonna Get Worse *
4. You Keep Me Moving ^
5. King’s Cross Crusader ª
6. I’ll Be Gone *

* = Mike Rudd
ª = Tony Slavich
^ = Iain McLennan
∞ – Glyn Mason

So what I have decided to do in terms of sharing some of the music is to take a track by each composer, and in fact two from Mike Rudd.

Two tracks are necessary so that I can represent a contribution by his friend, “our music friend”, Bill Putt.

Even this is not easy as this is a mighty strong album in terms of the compositions. However part of the reason for doing a retro-review is to remind ourselves of the quality of the music that has been recorded by a group of outstanding and quite brilliant artists.

It maybe will also relive some memories each of us has with the music and, to possibly encourage some readers who may have not been exposed to the music, to go and purchase and explore for themselves.

Oh, and of course for serious collectors to maybe bring to your attention albums you may not have in your collection.

So let’s kick off with a Mike Rudd track, and what better place to start than track 1 – Disco Dilemma.

Released as a single in 1977 it came out just as the group’s contract with CBS was about to expire and it is tempting to think it may have been released to meet a “contractual obligation”.

Yet it is far too good a track to have been released as a last minute ‘sop” to a contract. On the other hand given Mike’s well known disdain for parts of the music world, there is no doubt that this was a track written tongue in cheek, so to speak.

In many ways the terms tight, energetic, smooth and yet edgy, are terms that apply not to just this track but could be applied to all the tracks on this album, but this one certainly has the Rudd “element” to it!

What is the track about?

Well apart form a good piece of music it’s about the dilemma some poor schmuck has when he wants to get deep and meaningful with his girl, but she has been ‘entranced’ by the pulse and music on the disco floor.

What do you do when it’s left up to you?
And you’ve gotta give it one more chance
And she’s begging you please not to tease
her with reason
‘Cause all she want’s to do is dance

How do you cope? Well you haven’t a hope
When the music begins to play
The first funky beat and she’s up on her feet
And she’s dancin’ your chances away

You’re in a Disco Dilemma
And the disco goes forever

Disco Dilemma

Track two is a Tony Slavich composition.

It features him on lead vocals. It’s a really bright uptempo track and it really would have been impossible to have sat through this at the Dallas Brooks Hall and not wanted to leap into the aisles to dance.

Sadly this was a concert I missed as I was assisting in establishing a recording studio in Sydney at the time, yet being able to listen back via this vinyl LP does help relive what was obviously a most excellent concert.

Back to the track in question which has a really nice piece of bass playing by Bill and with Mike, with Glyn and Iain providing harmonies.

It rocks along until dropping pace into a pseudo Hawaiian middle eight instrumental break – but instead of breaking back into the uptempo pulse, the chorus line stays in the down-tempo, before it all picks up with some really tasteful guitar work from Mike.

What a great arrangement!

When Tony sings – “The party’s just begun“, it is easy to imagine the party at the Dallas Brooks Hall really had, just begun.

The Party’s Just Begun

Track 3 – Where Do You Go?

It was written and has lead vocals by Iain McLennan.

Now I don’t know for a fact, but the overall sound and feel of the track has a real Mike Rudd feel about it, so whether the lyrics were written by Iain and Mike contributed to the instrumentation development, I don’t know – but it sure sounds like it.

I really love this track. It also features a very basic but nice synth line from Tony Slavich.

Now we need to remember that synths were in their embryonic development at this time, and relatively very few groups were using them on stage – so it was another progressive feature of Ariel that they utilised this “new” technology.

Where Do You Go

At this point, despite some amazing music still on side one, I turned the LP over.

Track number 1 on side 2 is one of my all time favourite Glyn Mason compositions, and this guy has written some rippers of songs.

Lead vocals are also by Glyn, who incidentally still sings this piece as it is included in the repertoire of The Pardoners and, it still gets an amazing response.

Released as a single on their new label – Image, at the time it might just have been the very best Australian single not to make it really big.

It should have, as it has everything!

There is not one superfluous word in the lyrics and the melody is just a delight. It has brilliant harmonies and is a track that brings the hair on the nape of my neck stand up.

In my own totally biased way, I would declare it as possibly one of the two best tracks on the album.

Sun sets in the evenin’
Like a stone in a wishing well
I hear the birds callin’ on the wind softly
Like a chinese temple bell
Now it’s only love (it’s only love)
It’s only love (it’s only love) that makes it well

Man wakes in the mornin’
And tells a woman he’s got to go
In her eyes he sees some kinda demon
What it is, he don’t exactly know
It’s only love (it’s only love)
It’s only love (it’s only love) that makes it so

It’s funny how people rebel
And spend their lives just runnin’ away
We hide ourselves in our little shells
But you have to stop runnin’ someday……aye……aye
Now it’s only love (it’s only love)
It’s only love (it’s only love) that makes it so

There’s not much more to this story
Like a river flows on and on
It was here long before we started
It’ll be here long after we’re gone
Now it’s only love (it’s only love)
It’s only love (it’s only love)
Goes on and on, goes on and on
Now it’s only love (it’s only love)
It’s only love (it’s only love)
Goes on and on

It’s Only Love

So to the final track on the album, and it might have some people say, Oh no, not again!”. It is track number 12 – I’ll Be Gone.

This is a Mike Rudd, and dare I say it? a Bill Putt classic.

Written by Mike and sung by him, it was one of his greatest pieces of work in a collection of many brilliant tracks, and was a feature of Spectrum, Murtceps and Ariel.

Indeed it was included in almost all live performances that involved Mike and Bill right through to the passing of Bill.

Mike would often comment that it was a track that had been good to him, and you would think he would have tired of it.

But why would you tire of something that is some well constructed, so loved by audiences, made you a bit of money, and, encouraged audiences to sing-along.

If there was ever a brilliantly written “carefree” track, this is it!

There are many versions of this track, and it is appropriate to finish off the review, as indeed Ariel finished off the concert – “Aloha”.

I also believe that while many of us have said our farewells to the amazing Bill Putt, it is also appropriate to acknowledge Bill’s wonderful contribution to all of the music of Ariel and the other Mike Rudd/Bill Putt groups.

As Mike wrote as part of his written farewell to Bill, “Bill was the exemplar of the understated bass man“.

Amen to that!

So let us all share this version of this iconic Aussie track, and maybe some of us might just sing along.

I’ll Be Gone

There is much that has been written about Ariel but my small addition is to say, the group constantly parked their ego’s at the door, and in the end left a legacy of brilliant and progressive music that often pushed the limits while maintaining a quality of music.

Whether their recordings were live or in the studio, the quality, imagination and brilliance of the musicianship still remains to be admired.

It still remains as a standard to be measured against even today.

This album is an absolute MUST for any collector or lover of Australian music.

Original vinyl copies are available from around $25.00 to $70.00 dependent upon condition. If original vinyl is not necessarily your thing then it has been re-released on CD by Sandman Records.

VIDEOS:

There are only two live performances by Ariel playing tracks from Aloha, but I did find a video of the reformed “Ariel” playing I’ll be Gone in 2009, and I have added it because it will be one of the last video’d performances featuring Bill Putt.