ALBATROSS "Same" RARE AND GREAT U.S.PROG ORIGINAL

$

195

VOID RECORDS PRESENTS
 ALBATROSS "Same" (U.S.ANVIL 100-1) 1976 Super rare and excellent progressive out of Illinois. Lovely M-/M- copy..See the comprehensive look at the band from one of the engineer's below
This is a bit of personal insight to the Albatross LP. As written byTom Lehman, one of the credited engineers (and the voice of Mr. Natural :-) on the album. He  also ran the boards for Albatross' live gigs from 1974 to 1977.
This album is certainly a rarity, there were only 1000 albums pressed, and given that the bulk of the albums were never distributed or were trashed make it even more of a rarity! I am amazed and gratified that there is still talk (good or bad) of the album after all these years.
I have read the reviews here and on some of the other Prog websites and do not intend to challenge any of the reviewers or defend any part of the album. I would only like to offer a possibly different perspective on the music and the challenge of making an album of this type at that point in time.
Over the years I have lost contact with all of the band members except Joe Guarino (Bass)... Joe and I remain the best of friends.
A little background....
Albatross - The Band
Mark Dahlgren - Keys - Classically trained musician.
Mark was a classically, college trained, musician (MM Degree in Music) and a monster talent. He composed all of the bands tunes. That, of course, is not to say that all of the other band members didn't contribute - they did.
Mark's biggest fault (if it can be considered a fault) was a lack of consistency. When I first joined the band as the sound guy I was amazed at the technical prowess of Mark's playing. But, what I also discovered was that he had the nasty habit, at least to me, of rearranging on the fly! No two performances were the same! The rest of the band did an admirable job of adapting but things tended to occasionally go wrong. As soon as we had a PA that allowed talk-back through the monitors from the boards I would admonish Dahlgren with the words: "Consistency, Dahlgren. Consistency!" To Mark's credit he saw the value of a consistent group effort to the performance and reigned himself in (somewhat anyway :-).
Equipment included: two Mellotrons, Arp Odyssey Synthesizer (note: I could have sworn he used two of these as well!), two Mini-Moog Synthesizers, Hammond B-3 (I think), Modified Leslie (we tossed iron filings down the horns to give it that "Keith Emerson sound"!), Fender Rhodes Piano that was later replaced with a Yamaha CP-70 Portable Grand. Two Tapco Mixers dedicated to the keyboards and to sub-mix to his stage amp and monitors. Mark later picked up a guitar; I have no idea what the equipment was other than I believe the guitar was a Fender Stratocaster.
Joe Guarino - Self-taught Bassist and Guitarist
I saw Joe's bass playing described as "plodding" in another review. I always thought of it as "Solid". Joe was a technically proficient and very solid player. His bass lines drove the band and provided the stabilizing foundation the band needed. And, although not utilized as a lead vocalist he had a pleasant enough voice and harmonized well when called upon to do so. As a bassist myself I was in awe of Joe's technical precision.
Joe is a very detail driven sort of person with a great ear for what is right. This attribute would serve him well in the studio and later in his sound company business ventures. Without doubt Joe was the most sensible and practical member of Albatross.
Equipment: Fender Precision Bass, Ampeg SVT head, Ampeg 8x10 cabinet (mic'ed), direct box to PA
Mike Novak - Vocals - professional vocal coaching
Mike's singing was usually spot-on as far as pitch (after some voice lessons). He also wrote the lyrics for the tunes. The timbre of his voice was, however, unusual. He always sang in an open voice and I can't remember him ever singing in a falsetto or anything but his own natural voice. Equipment: Shure Mics, for live sound equipment see below. Mike had a great out-going personality and was great fun to be around.
Dana Williams - Percussion - High School Band - Self-Taught
Dana was a percussion gadget freak! If something came along that he thought he could insert tonally into the mix he bought it! As I recall he had a full time job just to support his percussion Jones. He and Joe went to Chicago and bought, literally, a van FULL of drum set , traps and cases. After a day of negotiating a decent price they stopped at restaurant in Chicago to celebrate. They parked in the restaurant parking lot (it was clearly marked) and went inside. After lunch they came out to discover the van was GONE! Panicking they went back into the restaurant and called the police. The police determined the van was towed. When Joe and Dana contacted the towing company they claimed Joe was parked illegally in the parking lot. Even though Joe had his receipt they would not release the truck without paying a $250 "fine".
I remember Dana as a quiet, humble sort of guy, always a pleasure to work with and talk to.
Equipment: Dana was a percussion whiz with a passion for unusual drum sounds. I THINK his main kit was made by Pearl but I can't be sure. What I do know is that his kit consisted of (at a minimum) double-Bass Drums, double toms up top, double Roto-Toms up top, two Timbales, three floor toms, snare, tubular bells, a bell tree, at least three cowbells, and triangle tree, blocks, and an extended range of cymbals.
[b]Paul Roe - Guitar - professionally trained[/b]
I didn't have much interaction with Paul but remember him as a quiet, serious sort. He was a guitarist in search of his sound. Age-wise he was the youngest of the bunch and I think he felt a little behind the rest. Technically he was a good, solid player but still somewhat immature; he just got better and better!
Equipment: As I recall, and seeing as that was a long time ago :-), Paul played a Gibson Les Paul and used Orange Amps and Cabinets (Mic'ed). I know he occasionally used a couple of pedals but I am not sure what.