The Official Canterbury Scene Thread

Guybrush · 03-01-2011, 09:20 AM

Here's a story to begin the beginning. A few words that are arbitrary. I'll try my best to make them read nice and hope that my words will turn you onto the rest of the thread. Should be a laugh certainly!

The very short story is a quick introduction to the origin of the Canterbury Scene and if you already know it, feel free to skip this paragraph. One start of the Canterbury Scene was The Wilde Flowers who were active and played gigs in the area from 1964 to 1967. Although The Wilde Flowers never recorded, when the band broke up, the former members would go on to form the bands Soft Machine and Caravan, both very important and influential bands of the scene. Soft Machine was highly experimental and eventually quite jazzy while Caravan started out as a psychedelic rock band which took a turn to prog and pop and may be the Canterbury band which has enjoyed the most (a little bit of) commercial success, although that really doesn't mean much (In the words of the late Pip Pyle; "playing for the pleasure, not trying to be stars"). The members of these bands also played in or formed other bands which soon led to the kind of environment where everyone's played with or know someone who plays in every other band there is on the scene. F.ex Richard Sinclair played in Caravan, Hatfield and the North, Camel and The Wilde Flowers, the last of which also Robert Wyatt played who also played in The Soft Machine and Matching Mole where also Phil Miller played who by the way also played in National Health where Pip Pyle played and both those also played in Hatfield and the North with Richard Sinclair and also Hugh Hopper who by the way was a member of Soft Heap and Gilgamesh where also Alan Gowen played who .. you get the idea. It was sort of like a family of bands, blood related through the various people who played in and circulated between them.

If you like psychedelic rock, prog, fusion or even pop from the 70s, there's a fair chance you've listened to a Canterbury band. Because there might be some unaware Canterbury appreciators out there, I'll make a little list here and then people can see if any of the bands they like are on the list.

A Sort Of List Of Canterbury (Or Related) Bands (not all have recorded mind you)

Amazing Band
Arzachel
Banana Moon
Bruford
Camel
Caravan
Caravan Of Dreams
Centipede
Comus
Coxhill Sinclair Band
Delivery
Egg
Gilgamesh
Going Going
Gong
Gowen Miller Sinclair Tomkins
Hatfield and the North
Henry Cow
Hugh Hopper - Monster Band
Hugh Hopper & Friends
In Cahoots
Isotope
Khan
Mad Axe Quartet
Mashu
Matching Mole
Mirage
National Health
Nucleus
Odd Job
Ottawa Music Company
Paragong
People's Liberation Music
Quiet Sun
R.S.V.P.
Rapid Eye Movement
Short Wave
Sinclair & The South
Soft Heap
Soft Machine
Steel Blue
Sunship
Symbiosis
The Lodge
The Music Doctors
The Polite Force
The Wilde Flowers
T-Mit
Weightwatchers

Calyx, which is a brilliant if dated resource page on all things Canterbury, contains a list of musicians with direct connection to the scene. Because there is no proper definition of "Canterbury scene", one might be tempted to include bands that are influenced by these in sound or where Canterbury musicians have guested, such as the Norwegian band Panzerpappa or the Japanese band Mr. Sirius .. In other words, the extended Canterbury scene can become quite large when hearts and minds are willing.

There is a lot of interest in Canterbury bands on MusicBanter, so I thought perhaps there is some interest in the scene as a whole. I myself am interested and like to collect what I can find from it. I was hoping that by creating a thread, I could facilitate perhaps not just discussions, but perhaps even some exchange of .. services! So; do anyone else here like Canterbury? If so, use this thread to discuss and pay your respects and tributes to this marvellous place in space, time and sound

Anteater · 03-01-2011, 09:31 AM

Two groups who I think could fit in this thread are a recent bunch called Antique Seeking Nuns, who mix Canterbury-ness with emo-prog and other stuff, and The Tangent, who are a prog. supergroup that have done quite a few songs which nod to the Scene.

A song example from each-

Great work Tore!!

Guybrush · 03-01-2011, 10:24 AM

Thanks Ants, the Tangent's Canterbury Sequence is pretty darn brilliant!

My favourite Canterbury group at present is Hatfield and the North for their many beautiful songs. Date Stewart, Phil Miller, Pip Pyle and Richard Sinclair together is just such a Canterbury dream team. I'm quite fond of Pip Pyle's songwriting, for example What's Rattlin' which is a sort of Canterbury-meta-song from Richard Sinclair's R.S.V.P. album or his absolutely wonderful, brilliant and amazing Fitter Stoke Has a Bath. It's my favourite Canterbury song at present.

May Pyle's memory and his songs live on!

edit :

A vid from Pip Pyle's funeral with his ex-Hatfielders playing God Song from Matching Mole's Little Red Record

03-01-2011, 09:20 AM	#1 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	The Official Canterbury Scene Thread Here's a story to begin the beginning. A few words that are arbitrary. I'll try my best to make them read nice and hope that my words will turn you onto the rest of the thread. Should be a laugh certainly! The very short story is a quick introduction to the origin of the Canterbury Scene and if you already know it, feel free to skip this paragraph. One start of the Canterbury Scene was The Wilde Flowers who were active and played gigs in the area from 1964 to 1967. Although The Wilde Flowers never recorded, when the band broke up, the former members would go on to form the bands Soft Machine and Caravan, both very important and influential bands of the scene. Soft Machine was highly experimental and eventually quite jazzy while Caravan started out as a psychedelic rock band which took a turn to prog and pop and may be the Canterbury band which has enjoyed the most (a little bit of) commercial success, although that really doesn't mean much (In the words of the late Pip Pyle; "playing for the pleasure, not trying to be stars"). The members of these bands also played in or formed other bands which soon led to the kind of environment where everyone's played with or know someone who plays in every other band there is on the scene. F.ex Richard Sinclair played in Caravan, Hatfield and the North, Camel and The Wilde Flowers, the last of which also Robert Wyatt played who also played in The Soft Machine and Matching Mole where also Phil Miller played who by the way also played in National Health where Pip Pyle played and both those also played in Hatfield and the North with Richard Sinclair and also Hugh Hopper who by the way was a member of Soft Heap and Gilgamesh where also Alan Gowen played who .. you get the idea. It was sort of like a family of bands, blood related through the various people who played in and circulated between them. If you like psychedelic rock, prog, fusion or even pop from the 70s, there's a fair chance you've listened to a Canterbury band. Because there might be some unaware Canterbury appreciators out there, I'll make a little list here and then people can see if any of the bands they like are on the list. A Sort Of List Of Canterbury (Or Related) Bands (not all have recorded mind you) Amazing Band Arzachel Banana Moon Bruford Camel Caravan Caravan Of Dreams Centipede Comus Coxhill Sinclair Band Delivery Egg Gilgamesh Going Going Gong Gowen Miller Sinclair Tomkins Hatfield and the North Henry Cow Hugh Hopper - Monster Band Hugh Hopper & Friends In Cahoots Isotope Khan Mad Axe Quartet Mashu Matching Mole Mirage National Health Nucleus Odd Job Ottawa Music Company Paragong People's Liberation Music Quiet Sun R.S.V.P. Rapid Eye Movement Short Wave Sinclair & The South Soft Heap Soft Machine Steel Blue Sunship Symbiosis The Lodge The Music Doctors The Polite Force The Wilde Flowers T-Mit Weightwatchers Calyx, which is a brilliant if dated resource page on all things Canterbury, contains a list of musicians with direct connection to the scene. Because there is no proper definition of "Canterbury scene", one might be tempted to include bands that are influenced by these in sound or where Canterbury musicians have guested, such as the Norwegian band Panzerpappa or the Japanese band Mr. Sirius .. In other words, the extended Canterbury scene can become quite large when hearts and minds are willing. There is a lot of interest in Canterbury bands on MusicBanter, so I thought perhaps there is some interest in the scene as a whole. I myself am interested and like to collect what I can find from it. I was hoping that by creating a thread, I could facilitate perhaps not just discussions, but perhaps even some exchange of .. services! So; do anyone else here like Canterbury? If so, use this thread to discuss and pay your respects and tributes to this marvellous place in space, time and sound __________________ Something Completely Different Last edited by Guybrush; 03-28-2011 at 11:17 AM.

03-01-2011, 10:24 AM	#3 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	Thanks Ants, the Tangent's Canterbury Sequence is pretty darn brilliant! My favourite Canterbury group at present is Hatfield and the North for their many beautiful songs. Date Stewart, Phil Miller, Pip Pyle and Richard Sinclair together is just such a Canterbury dream team. I'm quite fond of Pip Pyle's songwriting, for example What's Rattlin' which is a sort of Canterbury-meta-song from Richard Sinclair's R.S.V.P. album or his absolutely wonderful, brilliant and amazing Fitter Stoke Has a Bath. It's my favourite Canterbury song at present. May Pyle's memory and his songs live on! edit : A vid from Pip Pyle's funeral with his ex-Hatfielders playing God Song from Matching Mole's Little Red Record __________________ Something Completely Different