Every musical genre, movement, or scene, throughout history has had more than its fair share of hidden gems or so called "cult classics" popping up to the eye of those who are interested. Context around why, when or how these projects come to acquire such status really varies. as to be expected, but if one was to pinpoint a characteristic that can be found among these is the fact that usually these come to be years, sometimes decades, after its official release; and in the reals of rock music these statuses are often given to bands that would only be around for one or two albums. Of course, some of these stand out more than others, and in the world of Progressive Rock there is no doubt that Quatermass is a band that perfectly encapsulates the definition of a group that has been given the reputation of "cult classic / hidden masterpiece" within the community.
A power trio, classic ensemble in rock, that was odd because of the fact that the lead instrument wasn't a guitar, and also there was a complete lack of guitars, but keyboards, with these serving as the cornerstone of all the compositions. The trio was made up of musicians that were not amateurs by any means (all of them in fact had a steady musical career building up before Quatermass and it would keep expanding and growing after the trio's separation), keyboard player Peter Robinson and bassist John Gustafson met drummer Mick Underwood while in the band Episode Six, where they also made connections with Deep Durple due to Ian Gillan and Roger Glover also being part of that group, alongside Underwood's previous connections to Richie Blackmore due to both being members of The Outlaws. The three of them seemed to have built a rather clear idea of the musical direction they would be heading towards to, and it all landed on a rather unusual proposition coming from the classic formula of the power trio, even considering the fact that keyboard lead groups were starting to become fairly popular back then. Their one and only album, their self titled, had a very considerable budget, and Robinson would take advantage of that by complementing their instrumentals with a very rich use of string arrangements, this showing up in some songs more than others, ending up on a very tight record that had a lot to offer.
So then, why didn't they succeed at first? Well, even considering the context of keyboard lead trios/ensembles becoming popular back then, Quatermass wasn't what one would call, very charming to the mainstream ear. They weren't overtly experimental or avant-garde by any means, but their sound was very heavy. Lack of guitar? Who gives a damn when Gustafson's sludgy bass takes over your ears while complementing the relentless keyboards. Even the string arrangements were heavy, songs like Laughin' Tackle have violin's dragging down notes and cellos being ominous in the background, complementing the very powerful dynamic of the trio, and that essence can be found throughout the entire record. All the tracks were not slow or simple in their execution either, the rich musical backgrounds of each musician lead to the entire thing being full of very unusual dynamics, layered compositions, and various musical sections to be found within one song, rightly gaining their title of having being a very unique progressive band for the context of the early 70s. Of course, that kind of sound becoming a popular thing wasn't an impossible sight to conceive or to behold, but maybe due to the wrong time or the wrong place their proposal sadly fell under deaf ears, with the public initially being cold towards their main single and then evolving into the album not performing well on the charts. The band would split in 1971, with each member moving towards different projects, but eventually the album would get a second chance when Blackmore would cover their single "Black Sheep of the Family" with Rainbow, giving a new afterlife to the trio and the album slowly gaining attention and love, growing and growing more and more until the self titled would end up reaching a very special status in music circles. But it was too late, by 1971 Quatermass was no more, and the hopes for another album would just have to be hardly swallowed by the hoards of new fans coming into the music in the mid 70s...
...I honestly could never fully get into the album...
It is a weird situation really. I do think that the debut is both unique and a very tight musical proposition full of personality with great attitude that floods every single track. But as a whole it definitely was a band that was still searching for an identity that was fully their own. Influences are there, and even if the band manages to give them their special touch to not feel as blatant copies, it is still fairly obvious to point towards where they were dragging inspiration from, specially with Gustafson's vocals and all the chorus parts of the shorter songs (which are the lighter parts of the record). It is not a bad thing by any means, but there are a bunch of songs on the album, specially "Post War", "Up On The Ground" and "Laughin' Tackle", that work on another level. THESE are the cornerstones, the authentic potential from the group that was promising and where the trio really let themselves loose in their creativity, where Robinson showed his real strength with both the arrangements and him serving as the foundation of their compositions, and where all three members were really able to truly showcase their best. It is not a bad album by any means, but there is a clear set of highlights that really show a glimpse at what this band could have become in the future if all things had gone their way.
And there may not have been a second album, but there are bootlegs. Listening to these live recordings makes me even more sad at the fact that they were not able to continue with the development of their sound and their ideas in a studio setting, because all that aspect of the highlights that I was mentioning a few lines ago is what floods their sets. Longwinded and overwhelming compositions and jams that are full of life and that showcase the incredible dynamic that the trio had onstage. Their chemistry? Off this world, specially in the longer pieces, with every single second being used to their advantage and even considering that all of these are very subpar audience recordings the band is loud, it is heavy, and it is relentless. This was the real potential of Quatermass, songs like Laughin' Tackle and the massive Monsters in Paradise showcase the trio in full splendor. I bring to you three bootlegs, three live recordings full of all that could have been if the band was able to keep going with this project. Even with the sound quality stumbling upon these after I listened to the able gave me a new perspective on their whole history, of why they were very popular in the underground at first but not due to their album, but due to their live shows.
One of these recordings is from 1970, the year the album released, and you can see their focus towards the musical style that they really wanted to keep going with, as well as starting to truly develop songs like Monsters In Paradise. But both 1971 boots really just put their entire potential on a real perspective, with them really developing their strong points, their long winded pieces, with all three members on top of their game. This whole situation really makes me feel very bittersweet. Because even if I don't consider their one and only official album to be this big masterpiece or classic that every prog fan should listen to, I do have a big appreciation towards this band. Because if they had been allowed to keep going with their ideas they would have most likely ended up with a follow up that was of much higher quality than the studio recordings we were left with, their true masterpiece, full of a sound that was 100% their own. Sadly, that never came to be. Underwood would try to bring back the concept of Quatermass with Quatermass II in the late 90s, but with the absence of Gustafson and Robinson (which, let's be honest, were the real meat and bone of the group) it just wasn't the same. All three would go on to be part of different projects, playing with Roxy Music, David Bowie or different members of Deep Purple, but the sound and the ideas that came with Quatermass died with the separation of the trio. One can only wonder what could have been.
But alas, and as I was mentioning earlier, by 1971 Quatermass was no more... but these subpar recordings showcasing a very promising trio help to keep the listener intrigued and the flame of thinking "what could have been" alive for a little longer... and that's always nice to see with these little pebbles in the endless road of music history.
Quatermass Were
John Gustafson - Bass, Vocals
Peter Robinson - Keyboards
Mick Underwood - Drums
Quatermass - Stadttheater, Bern, Switzerland, 09-11-1970
1. One Blind Mice (6:58)
2. Monster In Paradise (8:10)
3. Post War, Saturday Echo (12:25)
4. Laughing Tackle (12:27)
5. Unknown (7:51)
Quatermass - Rheingoldhalle, Neckarau, West Germany, 14-03-1971
1. Monsters In Paradise (22:09)
2. Make Up Your Mind (15:07)
3. Gemini (8:22)
Quatermass - Deutschlandhalle, Berlin 03-04-1971
1. Monsters In Paradise (28:33)
2. One Blind Mice (3:30)
3. Make Up Your Mind (14:25)
4. Laughing Tackle (6:40)
5. Laughing Tackle (Cont.) (8:06)
6. Lucille (3:52)
7. Gemini (BBC Session) (5:36)
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