Phantasmagoria (Curved Air album)
Encyclopedia
Phantasmagoria is a 1972 album by Curved Air
. It reached No. 20 in the UK Charts and is notable for its early use of the EMS Synthi 100
synthesizer
to process lead singer Sonja Kristina
's voice on the second side. Unavailable for many years, the album was reissued on CD in April 2007.
One other track was recorded and released as a single, with "Phantasmagoria" on the b-side:
Curved Air
Curved Air are a pioneering British progressive rock group formed in 1970 by musicians from mixed artistic backgrounds, including classic, folk, and electronic sound. The resulting sound of the band was a mixture of progressive rock, folk rock, and fusion with classical elements...
. It reached No. 20 in the UK Charts and is notable for its early use of the EMS Synthi 100
EMS Synthi 100
The EMS Synthi 100 was a large analogue synthesizer made by Electronic Music Studios Ltd. It was released in 1971 and cost £6,500. It is estimated that fewer than 40 units were built....
synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
to process lead singer Sonja Kristina
Sonja Kristina Linwood
Sonja Kristina , is an English musician most recognizable as the vocalist for Curved Air.- Biography :...
's voice on the second side. Unavailable for many years, the album was reissued on CD in April 2007.
Reception
Allmusic called Phantasmagoria "the culmination of all that Curved Air promised over the course of its predecessors" and "the band's grandest hour by far". Their review praised the vast majority of the individual tracks, especially complimenting the blending of musical styles and absence of pretentiousness.Side One
- "Marie Antoinette" (Darryl Way, Sonja Kristina Linwood) – 6:20
- "Melinda (More or Less)" (Linwood) – 3:25
- "Not Quite the Same" (Way, Linwood) – 3:44
- "Cheetah" (Way) – 3:33
- "Ultra-Vivaldi" (Way, Francis Monkman) – 1:22
Side Two
- "Phantasmagoria" (Monkman) – 3:15
- "Whose Shoulder Are You Looking Over Anyway?"(Monkman) – 3:24
- "Over and Above" (Monkman) – 8:36
- "Once a Ghost, Always a Ghost" (Monkman, Linwood) – 4:25
One other track was recorded and released as a single, with "Phantasmagoria" on the b-side:
- "Sarah's Concern" (Way, Linwood) - 3:20
Personnel
- Sonja KristinaSonja Kristina LinwoodSonja Kristina , is an English musician most recognizable as the vocalist for Curved Air.- Biography :...
– lead vocals, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
on "Melinda" - Francis MonkmanFrancis MonkmanFrancis Monkman is an English rock, classical and film score composer, and a founding member of the progressive rock band Curved Air.-Career:...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, electric guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
on "Over and Above" and "Once a Ghost, Always a Ghost" - Florian Pilkington-MiksaFlorian Pilkington-MiksaFlorian Pilkington-Miksa was the drummer in the original line-up of the British rock group Curved Air. He subsequently joined Kiki Dee's band. In 2008 he became a founding member of the most recent incarnation of Curved Air.-References:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion on "Once a Ghost, Always a Ghost" - Darryl WayDarryl WayDarryl Way is a British rock and classical musician who was a founding member of Curved Air and co-writer of their only hit single, "Back Street Luv". He is best known as a violinist although he also played keyboards.He began his musical training at Dartington College of Arts, and later studied at...
– violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, keyboards on "Marie Antionette" and "Not Quite the Same", tubular bells and melon on "Marie Antoinette" - Mike WedgwoodMike WedgwoodMike Wedgwood is an English bassist and singer. He is related to the Wedgwood family of pottery fame.Wedgwood joined The Overlanders in 1968 following their biggest hit, a cover of The Beatles song, "Michelle", and remained with them until 1971.Following a stint with Arthur's Mother from 1971–72,...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals, acoustic guitar on "Phantasmagoria", electric guitar and percussion on "Once a Ghost, Always a Ghost"
Guest musicians
- Annie Stewart – fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
on "Melinda (More or Less)" - Crispian Steele-Perkins – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Paul Cosh – trumpet
- Jim Watson – trumpet
- George Parnaby – trumpet
- Chris PyneChris PyneNorman Christopher "Chris" Pyne was an English jazz trombonist.Pyne was the brother of Mick Pyne, and played piano as a child before switching to trombone...
– tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate... - Alan Gout – trombone
- David Purser – trombone
- Steve Saunders – trombone
- Frank RicottiFrank RicottiFrank Ricotti is an English jazz vibraphonist and percussionist.Ricotti played in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra while a teenager, then attended Trinity College of Music...
– xylophoneXylophoneThe xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
, vibesVibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family.... - Mal Linwood-Ross – percussion
- Colin Caldwell – percussion
- Jean Akers – percussion
- Doris the Cheetah — vocal on "Cheetah"