09. Stray Stray 1970 (Transatlantic)
Hard Rock
Hard rock with harmony and diversity.
Overview
Coming from a hard rock, R&B, psychedelic and proggy background it was always likely that when Stray put out their first album it was going to be something special. The London based band would primarily focus on the hard rock and progressive rock angles for their debut album, which would turn out to be be a highly diverse affair of various styles that encompassed all the influences of the band. They were fronted by dual guitarists and vocalists Del Bromham principal writer and Steven Gadd who together immediately had that great musical understanding in the studio. This understanding included their harmonic singing, something not usually associated with the type of music that the band were putting out, which all helped to give the band its very distinctive sound. Stray from the word go, seemed destined to achieve success as one of the key bands of the heavy music movement of the early 1970s, but maybe the diversity and style of their sound came at a time when listeners would be less receptive to this type of diversity and the band would largely pass the decade failing to make that vital commercial breakthrough. Like any great band, they would prove to be influential on future metal bands such as Diamond Head and Iron Maiden, two bands that made no secret of their love for the Stray sound of the early 1970s.
Del Bromham- Guitar/Vocals
Steve Gadd- Guitar/Vocals
Gary Giles- Bass
Ritchie Cole- Drums
Production- Hugh Murphy
Album
All in Your Mind- The album kicks off with the 9 minute sprawling gusto of "All in Your Mind" which highlights the band's harmonic singing and their at times intense sounding wah-wah guitar solos. In hindsight this sounds like one of the quintessential hard rock tracks of the decade. Iron Maiden would go on to cover this song as a B-side for one of their singles.
Taking All the Good Things- One of the album's heavy rockers, highlighted by some great guitar mashing.
Around the World in Eighty Days- An introduction to some of the softer dynamics of the band, with its Beatlesque feel.
Time Machine- Time for the band to show some of their diversity with folky acoustic guitars and handclaps.
Only What You can Make It- Kicking off with the almost now trademark thumping sound of the band, this is one of the heavier and best songs on the album and dig that harmonica at the close!
Yesterday's Promises- Sultry sounding mid-album number.
Move On- An almost jazzy/funk affair that sounds like its in permanent motion, the middle section of the song has echoes of the Doors classic "Light My Fire".
In Reverse/Some Say- The 9 minute fuzzy rock jamming album closer, really highlighted by Ritchie Cole on drums before entering into its galloping final phase and sh
it this is what it's all about! (There is a remastered and greatly extended version of the album that I need to get hold of, with a lot of extra tracks, when I locate that I'll add them here)
Verdict
Due to its diversity, the album actually echoes the type of sound that Wishbone Ash-progressive rock, the Pink Fairies-psychedelic rock and Hawkwind-space rock were and would be putting out around this time, whilst still maintaining their hard rock credentials. Few bands at that time would've been so bold as to put out a debut album of contrasts like this and that is where the strength of this debut album lies. Despite its diversity, there is a cohesive feel to the whole thing as Stray were able to stamp their own sound across the album. At times the album is a rip-roaring harmonious affair, the next a softer moving affair, the next a jazzy infused affair and finally a high octane affair with that distinctive thumping sound typical of the band. Highly distinctive in its sound and feel, this album was well ahead of its time and in many ways it sounds like a quintessential album from its time. After this album, the band would go onto release another classic album the following year called
Suicide and makes my top 10 for 1971 as well, before gradually moving into an ill-advised foray of unfocused proggy style rock (the excellent
Saturday Morning Pictures being the exception here) which would characterize much of the rest of their work in the 1970s. This in turn would alienate much of their original and dedicated fanbase and the band would never capture the magic of their first two albums again.