I would like to suggest an album for next week.
Hatfield and the North - Hatfield and the North (1974)
Hatfield and the North's debut is, for me, the quintessential Canterbury album. It has Richard Sinclair singing on it (as Anteater has called him, the "voice of Canterbury") and a guest appearance by Robert Wyatt, whimsical song themes, avant-gardeness with a jazzy flavour sometimes coupled with a Caravanish pop sensibility and a very .. Canterbury-ish sound.
For me, at first it came across as a bit of a chaotic album. They have a lot of strange ideas pulling the songs in different directions. Still, the album is very comfortable on the ears. As the album becomes just a little more familiar and some order is structured from the initial chaos, it becomes a magnificent record, a true Canterbury classic.
.. Sorry for suggesting yet another Canterbury album though. I'd like to see some more suggestions from the prog rock greats as well! Close to the Edge is the most successful discussion thread by far, so if you'd like to celebrate or get more into a classic, suggest away.
