Two sprawling, side-long suites that abandon baroque pop for gritty progressive rock and jazz fusion. A stark, experimental departure from the band's 60s sound.
It's the 60s Nirvana but they traded the orchestra for 20-minute prog jams and jazz-rock grit.
A restless and experimental search for a new identity amidst the fading echoes of the psychedelic era.
Released in 1971 on the legendary Vertigo label, Local Anaesthetic is essentially a solo project by Patrick Campbell-Lyons following the departure of Alex Spyropoulos. It marks a radical departure from the baroque pop and chamber psych of their earlier albums like 'The Story of Simon Simopath.' The album is famously comprised of only two tracks, one per side of the original vinyl, titled 'Modus Operandi' and 'Home.' Sonically, it aligns more with the burgeoning UK progressive rock and jazz-fusion scenes than the band's pop roots. Critics often view it as a transitional work that reflects the identity crisis of 60s survivors entering a new decade. While it alienated fans of their hit 'Rainbow Chaser,' it has earned a cult following for its bold experimentation and its raw, unpolished production that stands in stark contrast to their previous hi-fi orchestral works.
Put this on for
Headphones on and phone off for a forty minute deep diveMidnight streetlights blurring through a rain streaked windowThat specific quiet when the party ended hours agoTracing the grain on a wooden table while thinkingSolitary train ride through industrial outskirts at duskInk drying on a page after a long writing sessionDust motes dancing in a single beam of afternoon light
Moments worth waiting for
The sudden shift from bluesy rock into a freeform jazz saxophone breakdown ten minutes into the first side.
A fragile, piano led vocal melody that emerges from the chaos of the second track's midsection.
The final five minutes of the album where the instrumentation dissolves into a haunting, repetitive rhythmic pulse.
Sounds like
1971s production with a 1970s soul
Sits beside
Pawn Hearts - Van der Graaf Generator, Valentyne Suite - Colosseum, Third - Soft Machine, Space Shanty - Khan
Lyrical territory
existential, self_examination, storytelling
03Deviation
Local Anaesthetic · vs · Nirvana
Artist
This Album
Gentle
Vocals · ↓ −20% less than usual
On this album, gentle sits about 20% less prominent than across the rest of the artist's catalogue.
