An Incomplete Guide To Kayaking: Part 5
Posted on | June 3, 2008 at 5:58 am | Comments Off
I know you’ve all been waiting for this with breathless anticipation. This is a continuation of my series of blog entries on the albums of the Dutch progressive rock band Kayak. To see the previous entries, do a blog search (that little box on the top right) for the word “kayaking”. The last entry was here.
Phase 3: Pop Prog (1978-1981)
Phantom Of The Night
Kayak’s sixth album was also arguably their most popular. It contained the song “Ruthless Queen”, which was a hit all over the world except for the US. It was also the album where longtime Kayak fan Edward Reekers took over on lead vocals for Kayak frontman Max Werner. At the same time, Werner took up the vacant drum chair. Just think about that for a minute: Do you know of any other band where the lead vocalist, who was not also the drummer, got tired of the job and retreated to the drums? It just don’t happen, ladies and gentleman. For my part, I slightly prefer Werner’s vocals to Reekers’ – even though Werner’s voice is thinner and less accomplished, there’s something more immediate and winning about it. Reekers tended to sound a tad too smooth and he overdid the tremolo a bit, especially in the beginning. Nevertheless, he was a good choice to replace Werner, as the two do sound pretty similar.
There were other lineup changes as well. Ton Scherpenzeel’s brother Peter took over on bass, and the group added two female background vocalists: Katherine Lapthorn and Irene Linders. The two ladies were also decent eye candy – let’s face it: Kayak weren’t the best looking band around up to that point. I’m not sure if Ton and Irene were married yet at this point or if that came later, but she also became the band’s chief lyricist.
The songs on this album are, in general shorter and poppier than songs from the previous albums, which is why I have designated this the start of their “pop prog” phase. By this time, there’s not a lot of prog left (although that will be rectified a few albums down the line), aside from general instrumentation and arranging. Synthesizers are still somewhat dominant, and since they’re in more of a rock context than a dance context, I declare that a prog element. But there’s also that great Johan Slager guitar work that defines the other half of the Kayak sound to me.
I’m going by the song order on the American release, which is different than the European one, and also different from the CD I have. In fact, the only CD available is a double one with Starlight Dancer, and it doesn’t include the song “First Signs Of Spring”. This is a total shame, as the album deserves a proper CD release.
As I’ve mentioned before, Phantom of the Night was the first Kayak album I’d heard. The opening track, “Keep The Change”, was the first Kayak song I’d heard, and it made such a strong impression on me that hearing it brings me right back to that first time, listening to KFML in my family’s green Pontiac station wagon, sitting at the driver’s wheel outside the garage, waiting for my mom to come out to the car. The sound of the album and that song in particular is definitely of its era, but is also timeless to me. The opening brassy synth bit segueing into the guitar riff playing the chorus vocal melody followed by the melodious verse can still send me into spasms of ecstacy. But is that just because of my memories and associations with it? I don’t know. And then the chorus kicks in with those Abba-esque background vocals and it gets even better. This is Kayak at their poppy best.
Of all the dreams we built on jealousy
Just an empty shell remains
And though there’s still a lot you’re owing me
You can keep the change
“Winning Ways” is a great second track, reinforcing the “new” sound in an upbeat, catchy way with some crunchy guitar and an intro synth riff.
Then we return to the familiar Kayak mythological/historical themes in the form of “Daphne (Laurel Tree)”, which doesn’t do much for me. It starts off as a ballad. Then there’s a proggy instrumental section that leads into a faster tempo vocal section, all of which recalls older Kayak. The proggy, faster parts go a long way toward redeeming the song.
“Journey Through Time” has a minor key guitar riff/chorus melody that feels strange against the more jaunty verse melody and the synth-flute solo. It’s a strange song, not entirely successful. It ends rather abruptly.
The title track, “Phantom of the Night” is pretty bombastic and the most proggy thing on the album. Lots of strings. It shows off Reekers’ vocal range – I’m not sure Werner could’ve pulled this off.
Side two starts with rocker “Crime of Passion”. This one’s a little too rote for me:
What have I done
I recklessly killed someone
Oh judge, it really fills my mind with grief
The only thing I get is disbelief
It’s one of those songs where you’re not quite sure if it’s supposed to be lyrically serious or comical. But it does have some interesting musical touches, including a double-tracked guitar solo.
The seventh song is “The Poet And The One-Man Band”, a poppy rocker that’s heavy on the piano. Nice bass playing and background vocals in this one. But parts of it are too precious and circus-y.
Then there’s the big hit, the ballad “Ruthless Queen”. This has grown on me over the years, and the chorus and break are top notch, but something about it doesn’t totally move me. I think part of the problem is I can’t get over the awkward couplet in the chorus: Oh my ruthless queen/I just can’t accept our love has been. Not only does the forced queen/been (bean) rhyme bug me, but what does it mean: our love has been… what? In the past tense?
Then there’s another rocker, “No Man’s Land”, which is my second favorite song on the album. It opens with that double-tracked electric guitar. The vocals are very fast, not leaving much space for breathing.
The album ends with “First Signs Of Spring”, which I don’t have on the CD. I do have a live acoustic version of it on CD from another album (which I’ll get to later). It’s a ballad with a pretty medieval melody and it’s a good album-closer. I really wish it was on the CD. It fills an emotional void.
Favorite Songs: Keep The Change, No Man’s Land, Winning Ways, First Signs Of Spring
Next in the series: Kayak comes to America!
Latre.