One of the Canterbury scene's most revered bands, Hatfield and the North made up for the brevity of their career with some fascinating music. Always adventurous, the quartet had the keen sense to realize that only the most hardened jazz fans respond to numerous key changes and exceedingly complex time signatures, and thus enlivened their live set with the odd gnome smashing, suggestive lyrics, and jokey song titles. It worked a charm, with the band quickly amassing a large, loyal following at home in Britain and across the continent. On their eponymous debut, Hatfield stunningly succeeded in translating both their sense of fun and their musical brilliance onto disc. After a bit of light humor, the band slide into "Going Up to People and Tinkling," which glides gloriously across the keys and rhythm shifts. Both "Calyx" and "Aigrette" experiment with vocals as an instrument, while the exuberant "Rifferama" is a master class on the use of riffs. However, it's the expansive "Son of 'There's No Place like Homerton'" that forms the album's centerpiece, a propulsive, keyboard driven piece that still awaits a modern dance troop's attention. Dave ThompsonTracklist :
1 The Stubbs Effect 0:22
Written-By – Pip Pyle
2 Big Jobs (Poo Poo Extract) 0:36
Written-By – Richard Sinclair
3 Going Up To People And Tinkling 2:25
Written-By – Dave Stewart
4 Calyx 2:45
Vocals – Robert Wyatt
Written-By – Phil Miller
5 Son Of 'There's No Place Like Homerton' 10:10
Written-By – Dave Stewart
6 Aigrette 1:38
Written-By – Phil Miller
7 Rifferama 2:56
Arranged By – The North
Saxophone [Uncredited Sax Solo] – Didier Malherbe
Written-By – Richard Sinclair
8 Fol De Rol 3:07
Written-By – Richard Sinclair
9 Shaving Is Boring 8:46
Written-By – Pip Pyle
10 Licks For The Ladies 2:37
Written-By – Richard Sinclair
11 Bossa Nochance 0:40
Written-By – Richard Sinclair
12 Big Jobs No. 2 (By Poo And The Wee Wees) 2:14
Written-By – Richard Sinclair
13 Lobster In Cleavage Probe 3:57
Flute [Uncredited] – Jeremy Baines
Written-By – Dave Stewart
14 Gigantic Land Crabs In Earth Takeover Bid 3:21
Written-By – Dave Stewart
15 The Other Stubbs Effect 0:38
Written-By – Pip Pyle
- Bonus Tracks -
16 Let's Eat Real Soon 3:16
Music By – Richard Sinclair
Words By – Pip Pyle
17 Fitter Stoke Has A Bath 4:35
Written-By – Pip Pyle
18 Your Majesty Is Like A Cream Donut Incorporating Oh What A Lonely Lifetime 6:08
Written-By [Uncredited] – Dave Stewart, Richard Sinclair
Credits
Bass, Vocals [Singing] – Richard Sinclair
Drums – Pip Pyle
Guitar – Phil Miller
Organ, Piano, Audio Generator [Tone Generator] – Dave Stewart
Pixiephone – Jeremy Baines
Remastered By [24-bit Remastering By] – Ben Wiseman
Saxophone, Flute – Geoff Leigh
Vocals [With Assistance From The Northettes - Singing] – Amanda Parsons, Ann Rosenthal, Barbara Gaskin
