{"product_id":"ian-carr-s-nucleus-roots-2026-repress","title":"Ian Carr’s Nucleus - Roots (2026 Repress)","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhat an unbelievable record. From the wild cover to the iconic breakbeats, \u003cem\u003eRoots\u003c\/em\u003e from \u003cstrong\u003eIan Carr’s Nucleus\u003c\/strong\u003e is one of the dopest albums we know. This is seriously thick, funky-prog jazz-rock heaven. Originally released on Vertigo in 1973, other than a couple of versions at the time for other territories, \u003cem\u003eRoots\u003c\/em\u003e was never re-pressed since so it’s gone on to become another one of those impossible to find records.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaybe it was a little too out there for the time, but it’s aged very, very well indeed and this Be With re-issue, re-mastered from the original analogue tapes, shows off just why this deserves to be back in press.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenius trumpeter and visionary composer \u003cstrong\u003eIan Carr\u003c\/strong\u003e was one of the most respected British musicians of his era. He was a true pioneer and saw the potential in fusing the worlds of jazz with rock, just as \u003cstrong\u003eMiles Davis\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eThe Tony Williams Lifetime\u003c\/strong\u003e did in the US. In late 1969, following the demise of the \u003cstrong\u003eRendell-Carr quintet\u003c\/strong\u003e, and tiring of British jazz, Carr assembled the legendary \u003cstrong\u003eNucleus\u003c\/strong\u003e. Regarding music as a continuous process, Nucleus refused to “recognise rigid boundaries” and worked on delivering what they saw as a “total musical experience”. We can get behind that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnder bandleader Carr, Nucleus existed as a fluid line-up of inventive, skilled musicians. This constant evolution and revolution was all part of the continuous musical exploration and discovery that took jazz to new levels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWorking together with producer \u003cstrong\u003eFritz Fryer\u003c\/strong\u003e and engineer \u003cstrong\u003eRoger Wake\u003c\/strong\u003e, the seven compositions by Carr, \u003cstrong\u003eBrian Smith\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eDave MacRae\u003c\/strong\u003e that make up \u003cem\u003eRoots\u003c\/em\u003e flirt with perfection, and Nucleus at that time made up of the cream of 1970s UK jazz with Brian Smith on tenor saxophones and flutes, Dave MacRae on piano and electric piano, \u003cstrong\u003eJocelyn Pitchen\u003c\/strong\u003e on guitar, \u003cstrong\u003eRoger Sutton\u003c\/strong\u003e on bass, both \u003cstrong\u003eClive Thacker\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eAureo De Souza\u003c\/strong\u003e on drums and percussion, \u003cstrong\u003eJoy Yates\u003c\/strong\u003e delivering the vocals and of course Carr on trumpet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe spellbinding title track immediately renders the album indispensable. Riding the illest of loping breakbeats, \u003cem\u003eRoots\u003c\/em\u003e is low-slung, doped-out heist-funk. An absolute monster. If it sounds familiar then that’s likely down to it being sampled by \u003cstrong\u003eMadlib\u003c\/strong\u003e for \u003cstrong\u003eLootpack\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eQuasimoto\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cem\u003eLoop Digga\u003c\/em\u003e, as well as by a whole host of beat manipulators. \u003cem\u003eRoots\u003c\/em\u003e conjures prime instrumental hip-hop \/ beat music, only 20 years ahead of its time. Truly, these are the roots. Through sinuous bass, twinkling keys and a hypnotic guitar riff, a smoky brass motif weaves its way into a gloriously deep haze around Carr’s solos. \u003cem\u003eRoots\u003c\/em\u003e is over 9 minutes long, but there’s not a single wasted second, not surprising given that this is a condensed version of an originally 40 minute long commissioned composition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe soothing vocal fusion delight of \u003cem\u003eImages\u003c\/em\u003e follows. Meticulously constructed, with gorgeous flute work from Brian Smith, with Joy Yates’ silky vocals and Dave MacRae’s Rhodes never sounding better. The cool, driving \u003cem\u003eCaliban\u003c\/em\u003e closes out the first side. Originally the third movement in a four part commission to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday it stands up on its own, all robust rhythms and blended brass. Keyboard colour and Carr’s trumpet are splashed across the funk drums and basslines (and there’s even some bamboo flute). This really is fusion: the elements of jazz and rock coming together in beautifully synthesis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSide two opens in riotous fashion with the short, thrilling samba of \u003cem\u003eWapatiti\u003c\/em\u003e. Next up, \u003cem\u003eCapricorn\u003c\/em\u003e forms a smoothed-out, jazzy constellation. Mellow and dreamy, its twinkling percussion and languid horns slowly build the vibe before head-nod drums and a killer bassline enter the fray. With a distinct heaviness that \u003cstrong\u003eBlack Sabbath\u003c\/strong\u003e would’ve envied, \u003cem\u003eOdokamona\u003c\/em\u003e is a venomous slice of riff-soaked jazz metal (yes, you read that right), elevated by Carr’s wah-wah horns.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album closes with MacRae’s exceptionally cosmic \u003cem\u003eSouthern Roots and Celebration\u003c\/em\u003e. Very much in conversation with \u003cstrong\u003eWeather Report\u003c\/strong\u003e, it opens as a languorous, spiritual jazz of chiming keys and serene guitar that turns slowly, gorgeously into a mid-paced, brass-laced banger. It’s another sure-fire party starter and the sound of the band having a righteous blast, building an ecstatic chaos that ends with Yates screaming.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd of course we need to talk about \u003cstrong\u003eKeith Davis\u003c\/strong\u003e’ cover for \u003cem\u003eRoots\u003c\/em\u003e. Perhaps the coolest record cover of all time? Certainly one of the most bonkers. Just your run-of-the-mill high-gloss, acid-tinged airbrush dystopian\/utopian living-room party scene. Consider this your chemical flashback trigger warning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFront-and-centre the hip-to-death green robot holds court with their giant ball of yellow barbwire wool, hooked up to... something(?) being teased out from under the stairs (probably best not to ask). A thoroughly zoned-out, long-legged Pop Art party-goer lounges half-plugged in to the painting behind her as a pair of legs flail into shot from the the top of the stairs opposite. We won’t even begin to guess what the chap’s up to in the middle, but the view out of the windows is rather nice, and someone’s already got the hoover out ready to tidy up. All of the Nucleus sleeves are something special, but this particular one? Crikey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Be With edition of \u003cem\u003eRoots\u003c\/em\u003e has been re-mastered from the original Vertigo master tapes, \u003cstrong\u003eSimon Francis\u003c\/strong\u003e’ mastering working together with \u003cstrong\u003ePete Norman\u003c\/strong\u003e’s cut to weave their usual magic with these wonderful recordings. The crazy cover has been restored at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long-overdue reissue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"49\" data-end=\"157\"\u003e5\/5 review in \u003cstrong\u003eMojo\u003c\/strong\u003e: ‘’Carr is just one of seven stars on a sensational proto hip-hop UK jazz-rock jamboree’’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"159\" data-end=\"263\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003e4\/5 review in \u003cstrong\u003eRecord Collector\u003c\/strong\u003e: ‘Nucleus were the UK counterpoint to Miles Davis’ jazz-rock experiments’\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Be With Records","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl LP (2026 Repress)","offer_id":58813026795865,"sku":"SDZ-50148","price":29.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0588\/3455\/0945\/files\/BEWITH102LP__outside_front.jpg?v=1786372461","url":"https:\/\/spindizzyrecords.com\/products\/ian-carr-s-nucleus-roots-2026-repress","provider":"Spindizzy Dublin","version":"1.0","type":"link"}