Space Opera
Studio album by Space Opera
Released 1972
Recorded 1972
Genre Rock
Length 42:08
Label Epic
Producer Space Opera
One of the true cult classic albums of the '70s! After woodshedding in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area during the '60s (and recording with high school buddy T-Bone Burnett), Scott Fraser, David Bullock, Phil White and Brett Wilson landed as Space Opera in New York, where the already-legendary Clive Davis offered to sign them on Columbia. Much to the music biz's amazement, they turned him down, opting for more creative control by signing with Epic's Canadian arm, for whom they recorded this excellent but little-promoted album in 1972.
An inspired blend of Frank Zappa, the Band, Steely Dan and especially the Byrds, this record is still talked about in hushed tones by 12-string guitarists, as Scott Fraser's unique tuning technique (each string-pair is tuned to 5ths instead of octaves) resulted in a truly monumental sound. Add to that their ample harmonies, and you can hear why Space Opera is considered by some to be the Byrds' natural heirs, or at least their prog-rock cousins!
Professional Ratings:
allmusic 4.5/5 stars
Review by Lindsay Planer of allmusic:
While only the most academic of fans might remember Space Opera, the Texas-based quartet's self-titled debut certainly demands significantly more attention than it initially garnered upon its 1973 release. Because the album was both recorded and first issued in Canada, many assumed that Brett Wilson (drums, percussion), Philip White (bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals), Scott Fraser (guitar, keyboards,vocals), and David Bullock (guitar, flute, harmonica, vocals) hailed from the Great White North. However, Space Opera's synthesis of pop, rock, country, folk, jazz, and even classical builds on a uniquely American tradition. Although Space Opera was already headlining major music festivals by 1969, the combo took its time in crafting the ten selections for this long-player. Comparisons to the Byrds or the earliest sides by the Eagles are well founded. In fact, "Holy River" could easily be mistaken for a post-Notorious Byrd Brothers cut -- especially the warm and reedy timbre of Fraser's lead vocals. Conversely, they could let loose and unleash monster jams, such as the intricate and progressive "Guitar Suite" -- featuring no less than seven separate overdubs from Fraser and Bullock. Rather than coming off like an aimless Grateful Dead or Allman Brothers noodle, their interplay has the precision of Steve Howe, or Frank Zappa at times. The aggressive electric numbers are contrasted by the lilting and organic "Riddle," showcasing Fraser, Bullock, and White's expressive three-part harmonies. "Over and Over" is another standout, with a folk-infused vibe that glides beneath the flowing and rhythmic waltz. Bullock's electric 12-string guitar shimmers with exquisite yet penetrating beauty.
Review on The Rising Storm:
An obscurity from day one, Space Opera is an overlooked classic-rock wonder. Three of the four members of Space Opera (Philip White, Scott Fraser, David Bullock) had previously recorded a stellar country-folk gem in Whistler, Chaucer, Detroit, and Greenhill. As good as that record was, they were still green compared to the fully developed band (adding drummer Brett Wilson) they would become by 1972.
From Forth Worth, Texas, but recorded in Canada, Space Opera forged a familiar rock sound in an unheard context, combining blissful three part harmonies with searing guitar leads and righteous, intricate jams. The reissue is appropriately billed as Ò12 string prog rockÓ and while references to the Byrds and Zappa abound in other reviews, it behooves me to agree. Though it is a must; Space Opera combines these musical forces like nothing I have ever heard before. Still, if you have ever hankered for the sounds of local FM radio rock, this is an album you wonÕt believe didnÕt hit the airwaves.
Songs are well developed and near classical in form, developing into finely tuned suites. ÒCountry MaxÓ leads off as the clear ÒhitÓ record, remarkably recognizable, itÕs the kind of record you feel like youÕve heard a million times. Moodier numbers like ÒHoly RiverÓ and ÒRiddleÓ jangle their way into your head with good craftsmanship and memorable refrains. ÒGuitar SuiteÓ is the albumÕs instrumental centerpiece that successfully merges prog and country rock during every moment of sound; gnarly double-tracked harmonica and tape effects stealing the show. The recordings are so warm itÕs as if the master tapes were filtered through a rainbow of vintage tape machines, and the flutes on ÒOutlinesÓ even sound suspiciously mellotron-esque. Some of the beauty to this record must be owed to the warmth and grit that you just canÕt get with modern digital technology.
More than pleased to discover one like this. Beautiful songs that are truly unheard classics. These fellas clearly understood how to create rock music in a way more advanced than many better known contemporaries and are still awaiting their recognition.
Review on Bite It Deep:
Although it's not necessarily a full on pop record, I love Space Opera's debut so much that I couldn't not write a bit about it so here goes...
I first heard Space Opera a few years ago on a compilation called "Great White North", a series of albums focusing on Canadian bands from the 1960's to 1980's which is why I've always had it in my head that they were from Canada. The LP inner gatefold notes that the album was recorded at Manta Sound, Toronto, Ontario which is probably why the compilers made such assumptions. It turns out that the band were from Texas, nowhere near Canada!
The Space Opera story starts off in 1964 when The Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. 14 year old Scott Fraser was one of the 73 million people who watched the show and decided that he wanted to be in a band of his own. By the end of the 1964 Fraser was playing drums for high school band The Mods and in 1966 they released their lone single, the jangly Beatles/Byrds influenced, "Days Mind The Time". Rumour has it the the band were so influenced by the Byrds that they once performed the "Notorious Byrd Brothers" album as part of their set a week after the albums' release! The singles' b-side is a version of Lennon & McCartney's "It's For You", which was unreleased by the Beatles who instead gave it to Cilla Black. The Mods recorded the track without ever hearing it and Fraser arranged the song using the sheet music and teaching each member of the band their parts.
The band continued with several musicians coming and going and the last know line up of the Mods contained Fraser, Eddie Lively and future Space Opera members David Bullock (guitar) and Philip White (bass). By 1968 the Mods had morphed into Whister, Chaucer, Detroit & Greenhill who joined by Dave Carrick on vocals, Dave Feguson on violin and T-Bone Burnett on songwriting and production duties would release an album "The Unwritten Works of Geoffrey, etc" on the UNI record label. Before the album was released Lively had left and the band did little to promote it by means of live performances resulting in poor sales. Thanks to the internet and an article in Mojo magazine the album is finally getting some recognition and is favoured by fans of the folk rock genre. "Unwritten Works" is a well produced album with excellent musicianship which might please fans of the Byrds "Fifth Dimension", Buffalo Springfield and early Fairport Convention. Personally I struggle with Dave Carrick's vocals, which I find a bit dull and would probably not have returned for another listen had it not been for the Space Opera connection.
Brett Owen Wilson (drums) joined Fraser (now on guitar), White and Bullock in 1969 and they renamed themselves Space Opera (due the bands interest in science fiction). The band made some recordings which help them get many gigs around the Texas area including sets at the the Texas International Pop Festival and supports including Jefferson Airplane, Jethro Tull and the Byrds. In 1971 the band auditioned for CBS in New York and were turned down but were given a deal by the Columbia Records of Canada which granted the band full artistic control including production, which they took full advantage of.
"Space Opera" was recorded at Manta Sound, Toronto during 1972 with each band member sharing the role of producer and taking perfectionism to the next level during lengthy recording sessions which utilized the 16 track recording equipment. After many delays the album was eventually released in March 1973 in the US.
The album opens with "Country Max" which starts with some nice vocal acapella harmonies courtesy of Fraser, Bullock and White claiming "I'm in love, that's no lie. You don't need to ask me why cause I'm high, high, HIGH..." this is followed by layers of electric and acoustic guitars all chiming and twanging. Anyone expecting prog at this point will be disappointed. This track was issued as a single in the US on Epic but failed to achieve any chart action. I bet Roger McGuinn would be proud to have "Holy River" in his songbook as it's great tune with what sounds like about a hundred layers of the thinnest, fuzziest guitar ever complete with haunting lyrics "I stood by the water, lonely, I might jump in". Philip White's first composition on the album, "Outlines" sits perfectly between "Holy River" and the 7 minute, self explanatory "Guitar Suite". Harmonising flutes and piano contrasting perfectly against the guitar noodling tracks which sit beside it. As mellow as it gets and the parting lyrics "Take it easily, take it easily" might be a nod to The Eagles who were launched around the time of the recording. It's my favourite song on the album and is reminiscent of America at their best.
Side two starts with the Bread-esque "My Telephone Artist (Has Come and Gone)" followed by "The Riddle", an acoustic number with some orchestration and harpsichord. Next up is "Prelude No. 4" which although it's not a song that you can sing along with, it's guitar hooks grab you in. Scott Fraser's "Lookout" is similar to the style and sound of "Outlines" although not quite as good. The vocal harmonies on "Blue Ridge Mountains" are stunning and demonstrate what a creative band can achieve in the studio without record company influence getting in the way. With a running time of two minutes thirteen, this might have made a better choice for single than Country Max. The record ends with "Over and Over" a Fraser composition which begins as an acoustic song with the lyrics "over and over I go" repeated before bringing back the hundreds of layers of fuzzy guitar and phasing for its long fade out is way better than it sounds in writing. Trust me!
Columbia had lost interest in Space Opera by the time of the album's release mainly due to the band delaying to tour the album whilst waiting for $50,000 worth of equipment to recreate the album in a live environment. By the time the gear turned up the buzz had died. Apparently the few gigs that the band did to promote the album sounded great. Columbia didn't offer another album so a jaded Space Opera called it a day in November 1973. The band remained friends and continued playing together for the next three decades and follow up album "Space Opera II" was released in 2001. The following decade saw the passings of Fraser, Bullock and White. Surviving member Brett Owen Wilson hopes to put out unreleased Space Opera recordings that should see the light of day sometime soon.
Review on TC's Old & New Music Review:
The criminally underexposed Space Opera were anything but progressive rock, contrary to the Ò12-String Prog Rock!Ó sticker on the outside of this three-year-old reissue Good New Music is bending the rules to review.The Texas quartet did have a spacey edge to their country-rock-classical-jazz mix, though, and multitracked electric 12-string guitars were a major part of it. They were cosmic cowboys in a truer sense than, say, Michael Murphey or New Riders of the Purple Sage. How their eponymous release flew under most peopleÕs radar in 1973 is a mystery. The music is so good it doesnÕt just vibrate the tympanic membrane, it envelops the listener in an electro-acoustic bubble that renders its happy passenger weightless and drifts off into the ether. The band had an integrity possessed by few: Never compromising in pursuit of their muse, they turned down Clive Davis and signed with EpicÕs Canadian division to retain creative control. ItÕs as if the members were born to make this album, and everything in life up to that point was secondary. For an idea of what level they were operating at, imagine a parallel-universe Byrds that took ÒEight Miles HighÓ as a starting point and ran with it.
Here is some info about Space Opera:
http://www.itsaboutmusic.com/spaceopera.html
And here is "Lost in Space", an extensive article in 7 parts - here is Part 1:
http://www.rockandreprise.net/spaceopera1.html
LP track listing
Side One
1. "Country Max" (David Bullock) - 3:20
2. "Holy River" (Scott Fraser) - 5:26
3. "Outlines" (Philip White) - 4:10
4. "Guitar Suite" (Brett Wilson, Scott Fraser, Philip White, David Bullock) - 7:36
Side Two
5. "My Telephone Artist (Has Come and Gone)" (David Bullock) - 3:46
6. "Riddle" (Philip White) - 3:05
7. "Prelude No. 4" (Philip White) - 3:52
8. "Lookout" (Scott Fraser)- 2:46
9. "Blue Ridge Mountains" (David Bullock) - 2:11
10. "Over and Over" (Scott Fraser) - 5:56
Personnel:
* Scott Fraser - guitar, keyboards, vocals
* David Bullock - guitar, flute, harmonica, vocals
* Philip White - bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals
* Brett Wilson - drums, percussion