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'Obsecration'
Lobby Loyde: “We recorded Obsecration towards the end of 1975, but
we only recorded on full moons over a period of three months”.
“See, originally we were gonna call that album Full Moon Fever,
but then we thought, ‘oh, it sounds a bit like mountain music,
y’know, Kentucky moonshine music’. So then I came up with the
title Obsecration.” sort of intense.”
After the
unpleasant and, indeed, ill-fated break-up of the Coloured Balls at the
end of 1974, Loyde cooled his heels, and by mid-year with a couple of
allies in drummer Jimmy Thompson and sax player Paul Dixon was ready to
hit the studio again. A solo single ‘Do You Believe in Magic / Love Lost
on Dream-Tides’ was released on the the Bootleg label. Loyde, suitably
revitalised and re-energised was ready to proceed. For his new band,
dubbed Southern Electric, the guitarist eventually added two of his old
Coloured Balls companions, rhythm guitarist Andrew Fordham and bass
player Janis Miglans before rounding out the line-up with keyboardist
John Dey and singer Mándu.
Obsecration features an incredibly eclectic and diverse assortment of
music, all up a magnificent album of guitar explorations and textures, a
thematic collection of riffs, runs, rhythms and timing shifts taking the
listener through a wide range of moods and styles. If anything, it
lacked a commercial focus but as we’ve seen Loyde was well and truly
beyond working within commercial considerations at the time. One thing
is certain: his beautiful, at times heavy yet always unique psych-rock
guitar work is the main feature throughout.
The
album was released in May 1976, on the Rainbird label. When Richard
Branson heard Obsecration he wanted to release it on Virgin. Branson
sent the company a few notes, saying he wanted the master tapes. What
Lobby (who had moved to the UK ) didn’t know at the time, was that
Rainbird had gone into liquidation. Despite that set-back, Loyde was
able to take Southern Electric into Surrey Sound Studios with producer
Nigel Gray in order to record tracks for a proposed EP release
(previously unreleased, they have been added as bonus tracks to this
reissue).
The reissue of Obsecration is packaged in a 6 panel digi-pak, with liner
notes by Ian McFarlane and Glenn Terry, digitally remastered, has 6
bonus tracks and many rare photos.
Track Listing:
1. Obsecration Parts A to D
a) Play My Guitar
b) Obligato
c) Continuation
d) Legato
2. A Rumble with Seven Parts and Lap Dissolve
3. Rock and Roll Sunset
4. Dreamtide
a) Statement
b) Refrain
5. Goin’ to Louisianna
6. Congratulateonies
Bonus Tracks:
Solo Single – Bootleg BL-261, December 1975
7. Do You Believe in Magic (A-side)
8. Love Lost on Dream-Tides (B-side)
Lobby Loyde & Southern Electric – Too Poor to Die EP (Previously
Unreleased)
LOBBY LOYDE - Guitar, keyboards (Gypsy in My Soul), vocals
(Too Poor to Die), bass (Desperate for a Quid) JAMES D. THOMPSON - Drums JANIS
MIGLANS - Bass JOHN DEY - Keyboards PAUL DIXON - Sax, clarinet ART REDBOURNE -
Guitar, vocals (Gypsy in My Soul) CYPRA HELMER - Manic voice of despair (Too
Poor to Die)
9. Gypsy in My Soul
10. Too Poor to Die
11. Desperate for a Quid
*12. Fist of Is
a) At the Colosseum
b) The Fist Falls
*'Fist of Is' is credited on the disc as a Lobby Loyde
composition but as Daisy states in his letter to Terry
Smith it is indeed his song and the highlight of the
'Too poor to die' EP!
Available NOW from Offbeat
A
benefit concert for Lobby, who is battling lung cancer was held on
Tuesday, the 29th. Of August at The Palace
With the Aztecs, The
Coloured Balls, Madder Lake, Tim Rogers, Axiom with Brian Cadd & Glenn
Shorrock, Chain, Rose Tattoo, Broderick Smith, Blackfeather and more!
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