The 1975 album ‘Rock’n’Roll Scars’ by Ariel has just been reissued in typically deluxe, expanded form nby Aztec Records.
‘Who are Ariel?’ you ask.
Featuring singer/writer/guitarist Mike Rudd, who is an Australian rock legend to this day, they were his second significant band. The previous one, Spectrum – an exquisitely brilliant, distinctive, langourous progressive band – I’ve posted about before at the old place. Bill Putt, he of the outrageous moustache, followed Mike from Spectrum into Ariel, who would be more ‘immediate’, though still inevitably quirky.
Ariel’s 1975 LP ‘Rock’n’Roll scars was, most unusually for an Aussie record of the period, recorded at Abbey Road, with Geoff Emerick engineering, and sounds magnificent – especially in this new remastering by Gil Matthews. It was also released in Britain, on Harvest.
Mike had a concept album idea which was rejected at late notice (it’s on disc 2 in demo and live forms on the reissue) so much of the content of ‘Rock’n’Roll Scars’ would be songs he had previously recorded on Australia-only releases by Spectrum and by Spectrum spin-off band Indelible Murtceps. Yet here, with Ariel’s tighter, funkier style and the fabulous Abbey Road production (and yes, some of it sounds Beatle-y, especially the backing vocal arrangements), those familiar-to-aussies songs get a whole new life. Not necessaarily better but different, and still great. It’s as if Mike – one of those guys who always seemed to find bad luck in his career, alas – grabbed this unexpected opportunity to record his ‘greatest hits’ in one place at one time.
The clip here is the LP title track, live on Australian TV the previous year. More info on the album remaster is here:
Vulpes Vulpes says
Nice find! Love finding things like this. They swing.
Sour Crout says
Ariel 1958
Buddy Holly had one of these (Cyclone 650cc)
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c20/arthurdog/1958%20ariel%20cyclone%20650cc_zpsczmutaec.jpg
Vulpes Vulpes says
*wets self*
Vulpes Vulpes says
*checks Google maps for Sour Crout’s whereabouts, plans stealthy raid, packs bolt croppers and balaclava*
Sour Crout says
Not mine I’m afraid. That oe belongs to a friend of a friend in South Wales.
Sour Crout says
Ariel 1958
Buddy Holly had one of these (Cyclone 650cc)
Colin H says
And yet between those two posts, it mysteriously disappeared. Just like Buddy…
Colin H says
They do indeed. And from this 1973 clip (with Tim Gaze on lead guitar, formerly of Kahvas Jute and Tamam Shud… and no, I’m not making these names up), I think we can all see where Angus Young got his constant-head-banging stage persona from…
Baron Harkonnen says
Nice stuff Colin, will investigate further, thanks.
Vulpes Vulpes says
How much is forty Oz worth in real money?
Colin H says
I think it’s about 70p.
(* runs and hides from horde of scowling Antipodean Afterworders…)
Junglejim says
Strangely enough, I saw an Ariel Leader 4 in my neighbourhood yesterday. Never seen one on the road before ( so one for the trainspotting book) & a very pleasing surprisingly meaty sound it made too. Which was nice.
Colin H says
I wonder is there a motorcycle called a Spectrum 1971?
Here’s their No.1 smash from that year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9LGIbXpeGE
Sour Crout says
Sorry ,Colin. I saw Ariel and got excited.
Sour Crout says
God I haven’t seen one of those since the 70s.
Sour Crout says
Ariel Leader 4 that is. Not that band