Anyway (album)
| Anyway | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album and Live album by Family | ||||
| Released | November 1970 | |||
| Recorded |
July 26, 1970 live at Fairfield Halls, Croydon studio recordings: Olympic Sound Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock, hard rock, psychedelic rock | |||
| Length | 39:57 | |||
| Label | Reprise (UK), United Artists Records (U.S.) | |||
| Producer | Family for Bradgate Bush, Ltd. | |||
| Family chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | C+[2] |
Anyway is the fourth album from the British progressive rock band Family. Side one was recorded at a concert at Fairfield Halls in Croydon, south London; side two was a collection of studio recordings.[1]
The UK edition of the album came housed in a plastic see-through sleeve with a gatefold non-pocket inner card design by Hamish and Gustav. The outer illustration was licensed from Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan and was titled 'Mortars With Explosive Projectiles' by Leonardo da Vinci. No track listing was printed on the outside of the sleeve.
Once again the production credit for the album was attributed to Family (for their company Bradgate Bush Ltd) and Tony Gourvish (manager) was credited as 'Co-ordination'. Tony is credited between live tracks by singer Roger Chapman as 'shining in his new Kings Road suit'.
The album was released on the Reprise label (RSX 9005) as a stereo pressing. Editions are known to have been released in France (gatefold card sleeve, no bag SRV 6120 and later in a stouter card sleeve with a greyer coloured illustration) and Canada and the USA (singlepocket card sleeve with 'In My Own Time' - a later single, - added as first track on the studio side with the track 'Normans' severely edited to make room). The Canadian edition was released on the United Artists label after Family had delivered 'Bandstand' the following album, and had an explanatory sticker on the shrink-wrap.
'The track 'Normans' was named after a light-hearted band name for people who were deemed idiotic. Radio One disc jockey John Peel rated 'Lives And Ladies' as one of the most powerful anti-war songs he had ever heard, and he was known to play the track long after 1970.
It is also the band's longest studio album.
Track listing
All tracks written by John "Charlie" Whitney and Roger Chapman, except where noted.
- Side One: Fairfield Halls, Croydon [3]
- "Good News Bad News" - 8:06
- "Willow Tree" - 4:40
- Roger Chapman - lead vocals
- John "Charlie" Whitney - bass
- John "Poli" Palmer - piano
- John Weider - violin
- Rob Townsend - drums
- "Holding the Compass" - 4:28
- Roger Chapman - lead vocals
- John "Charlie" Whitney - amplified acoustic guitar
- John "Poli" Palmer - percussion
- John Weider - amplified acoustic guitar
- Rob Townsend - percussion
- "Strange Band" - (Whitney, Chapman, Williamson) - 3:35
- Roger Chapman - lead vocals, percussion
- John "Charlie" Whitney - guitar
- John "Poli" Palmer - electric piano, vibraphone
- John Weider - bass, violin
- Rob Townsend - drums
- Side Two: Olympic Studios
- "Part of the Load" - 4:41
- Roger Chapman - lead vocals
- John "Charlie" Whitney - guitar
- John "Poli" Palmer - piano, vibraphone, drums
- John Weider - bass
- Rob Townsend - drums
- "Anyway" - 3:28
- Roger Chapman - lead vocals
- John "Charlie" Whitney - guitar, bass
- John "Poli" Palmer - vibraphone, percussion
- John Weider - percussion
- Rob Townsend - drums, percussion
- "Normans" (instrumental) (Palmer, Whitney, Weider) - 4:22
- Roger Chapman - wordless vocals
- John "Charlie" Whitney - guitar
- John "Poli" Palmer - piano, flute
- John Weider - bass, violin
- Rob Townsend - drums
- "Lives and Ladies" - 6:37
- Roger Chapman - lead vocals
- John "Charlie" Whitney - guitar
- John "Poli" Palmer - piano
- John Weider - bass
- Rob Townsend - drums
Family's single "In My Own Time" was added to the American edition of Anyway when it was released by United Artists Records in 1971.
Personnel
- Roger Chapman - vocals (instrumental vocals on 7), percussion (5)
- Charlie Whitney - electric guitars (1, 4-8), amplified acoustic guitar (3) bass (2, 6)
- John Weider - bass (1, 4-5, 7-8), violin (2, 4, 7), amplified acoustic guitar (3) percussion (6)
- Poli Palmer - percussion (3, 6), vibes (1, 4-6), electric piano (4), piano (2, 5, 7-8), flute (7), drums (5)
- Rob Townsend - drums (1-2, 4-5, 7-8), percussion (3, 6)
Chart positions
- Highest chart position (UK) - #7
References
- 1 2 DeGagne, Mike (2011). "Anyway - Family | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: The Family". Retrieved October 4, 2013.
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Family-Anyway/release/1546283
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