Sympathy

Artist: Rare Bird
Label: Blue Plate Caroline
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 017046167420
EAN: 0017046167420
ASIN: B000000HU8

Release Date: 1992-09-23

Sympathy

Related Categories:

General

| Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock

| Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock

| Pop | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Sympathy
You Went Away
Nature's Fruit
Bird On A Wing
What You Want To Know
Beautiful Scarlet
Hammerhead
I'm Thinking
As Your Mind Flies By

Similar Items:

Epic Forest
Born Again
1st/Somebody's Watching
Egg
Definition

Customer Reviews:

Nice compilation album.......2004-03-29

But remember: if you already own their first two albums, that is their self-entitled debut and As Your Mind Flies By, you probably don't need this compilation. The Sympathy compilation was actually released in 1976, not 1990 (1990 was the year it got issued on CD), on the Charisma Perspective label. Charisma Perspective was simply the label's compilation division, who had a habit of only covering two albums. And Rare Bird was no exception. They only recorded two albums on Charisma, which this compilation obviously covers. So you get material from the original 1969-70 lineup of vocalist/bassist Steve Gould, drummer Mark Ashton, and keyboardists Graham Field and David Kaffinetti. For their debut, you mostly get their shorter, more "pop-oriented" pieces like "Sympathy", "You Went Away", and "Bird on a Wing". Exception being "Beautiful Scarlet", being more progressive. It would have been nice the compilation included "Iceberg" or "God of War" to show the more progressive moments of their debut. For As Your Mind Flies By, you get "What You Want To Know", "I'm Thinking" and the aggressive "Hammerhead". Plus you get an excerpt of "Flight". All this music showed how effective this band was with two keyboardists and no guitarists. Of course they would move on to Polydor, this time with a lineup change that included guitars, with a few more albums under the belt. But it's with this compilation that demonstrates what the original, guitar-less Rare Bird was all about.

re: Rare Bird's Sympathy.......2000-05-10

I wish to comment on the review for the Rare Bird album, Sympathy by your critic.

I have not listened to the CD so I cannot comment on the sound quality of the CD, but I do have the original vinyl album on the Charisma label.

The compilation album is a good example of the early Rare Bird music. The music is extremely imaginative and the talents of Gould, Field, Kaffinetti and Ashton are outstanding.

The combination of drums, bass and two keyboards made for a unique sound that to my knowledge has not been used since. If someone else has heard of this unique combination in music please let me know.

Compare the music of Rare Bird to what was being played by the mainstream musicians in the late 1960's and early 1970's and you can see why I say their music was unique, innovative and atmospheric.

I was first turned onto Rare Bird when I purchased Epic Forest in 1973 and I have been hooked on them ever since. The Epic Forest album is completely different from the first two albums.

I do disagree with the critic's review of Rare Bird and the album (Sympathy) but everyone is entitled to their opinion and also entitled to express it as I think most critic's reviews are based on their personal preferences.

Thank You

NICE BUT TOO BRIEF.......1999-12-29

This American compilation contains only 9 songs - 5 from their first album and 4 from their second. Total running time is a bit more than 40 min. The best example for this British keyboard dominated prog rock band was the early GENESIS. Note that RARE BIRD began on the same label and with the same producer as GENESIS did beginning from their TRESPASS release. Although this is a good compilation it is too brief and bear in mind it was released in 1990, so the sound quality leaves much to be desired. I would recommend their original 1998 releases with far better sound quality and presenting the original album covers. It might not be OK even for casual fans 'cause it does not contain tracks from their third EPIC FOREST album which is quite different from their first and second albums.

Exceptional.......1999-12-01

The critics from Emap are way off base here. This first Rare Bird album is simply exceptional. It is enchanting, inventive and melodic. It ranges from heavy to almost jazzy-blues soft at points. The vocals of Steve Gould are captivating, and the keyboards of Graham Field and David Kaffinetti are virtuoso. Mark Ashton turned in some unique percussion work on this one as well. This group was simply incredible in their musicianship and songwriting abilities, and it is unfortunate this lineup lasted but two albums. If you buy this one, you will want them all. As Your Mind Flies By and Epic Forest (with a new lineup) are fantastic. Epic Forest is an overlooked gem--simply incomparable. You will be hooked by the depth of the music.

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