Pete Brown And His Battered Ornaments – A Meal You Can Shake Hands With In The Dark 1969 (UK, Psych)

Peter Ronald Brown was born on December 25, 1940, in Ashtead, Surrey. Pete Brown wrote lyrics for the band Cream, worked with Graham Bond, Jack Bruce, and many others—in short, he was a celebrated figure. One of his most famous acts was founding this group in 1969. That same year, the band released the album "A Meal You Can Shake Hands With In The Dark," which stylistically follows the same vein as Pete Brown's previous collaborations—that is, at the intersection of blues, psychedelia, and jazz-rock, and brimming with wonderful lyrics from the author. Brown's voice, of course, clearly enhanced the already powerful instrumental selection. The other musicians, too, were more than just extras to the great leader, even though the band was originally called "Pete Brown and His Battered Ornaments." Chris Spedding not only had a remarkable background in jazz, but also displayed a unique and surprising approach to blues. Rob Tait also later appeared in several significant bands (for example, he joined Pete Brown after his departure from Battered Ornaments), and the presence of saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith, who is not officially listed in the group, speaks volumes. Tracks: 01. Dark Lady - 00:00 02. The Old Man - 05:30 03. Station Song - 10:57 04. The Politician - 14:21 05. Rainy Taxi Girl -26:11 06. Morning Call - 30:57 07. Sandcastle - 33:47 08. Traveling Blues - 43:10 Personnel: Pete Brown - lead vocals, trumpet (01, 05), slide whistle (01, 04), talking drum (07) Nisar Ahmed Khan - tenor saxophone (01, 02, 04, 06), alto saxophone (01), flute (05, 07) Chris Spedding - lead guitar (01, 03, 08), slide guitar (02, 04, 07), prepared piano (05), Portuguese chittarra (03) Charlie Hart - organ (01-03, 05, 08), mouth organ (06) Pete Bailey - congas, African drum & assorted percussion Butch Potter - bass guitar, banjo (02) Rob Tait - drums + Dick Heckstall-Smith - tenor saxophone (01, 08), producer Andrew King - producer