LP - 140g Black Vinyl. Remastered from the original analogue tapes.
Roots by Ian Carr’s Nucleus is an unbelievable record that transcends genres and eras, from its wild cover to the iconic breakbeats. This album is a prime example of thick, funky-prog jazz-rock heaven. Originally released on Vertigo in 1973, it was never re-pressed after its initial release, making it a rare and sought-after gem.
Genius trumpeter and visionary composer Ian Carr was one of the most respected British musicians of his era. He saw the potential in fusing jazz with rock, much like Miles Davis and The Tony Williams Lifetime did in the US. In late 1969, after the demise of the Rendell-Carr quintet, Carr formed the legendary Nucleus. This group, refusing to recognize rigid boundaries, aimed to deliver a "total musical experience."
Nucleus, under Carr's leadership, featured a fluid lineup of inventive, skilled musicians. This constant evolution was key to their continuous musical exploration and discovery. The result was a series of groundbreaking albums, with "Roots" being a standout.
"Roots" opens with the spellbinding title track, a low-slung, doped-out heist-funk piece riding on some of the illest breakbeats. This track has been sampled by Madlib for Lootpack and Quasimoto’s “Loop Digga” and many other beat manipulators, making it a precursor to prime instrumental hip-hop/beat music. Through sinuous bass, twinkling keys, and a hypnotic guitar riff, a smoky brass motif weaves its way into a deep haze around Carr’s solos.
The album continues with the soothing vocal fusion delight of "Images," meticulously constructed with gorgeous flute work from Brian Smith, Joy Yates’ silky vocals, and Dave MacRae’s Rhodes. The cool, driving "Caliban" closes out the first side, originally part of a commissioned piece to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday, standing robust on its own with blended brass and bamboo flute.
Side two opens with the short, thrilling samba of "Wapatiti." Next, "Capricorn" forms a smoothed-out, jazzy constellation with mellow and dreamy vibes, twinkling percussion, and languid horns. "Odokamona" follows with a distinct heaviness reminiscent of Black Sabbath, offering a venomous slice of riff-soaked jazz metal elevated by Carr’s wah-wah horns.
The album closes with MacRae’s exceptionally cosmic "Southern Roots and Celebration," which begins as a languorous, spiritual jazz piece that turns into a mid-paced, brass-laced banger, ending with Yates screaming in ecstasy.
Keith Davis’ cover for Roots is perhaps one of the coolest and most bonkers record covers of all time. It features a high-gloss, acid-tinged airbrush dystopian/utopian living-room party scene, complete with a hip-to-death green robot holding court with a giant ball of yellow barbwire wool.
This Be With edition of Roots has been re-mastered from the original Vertigo master tapes. Simon Francis’ mastering and Pete Norman’s cutting weave their usual magic, and the crazy cover has been restored at Be With HQ, making this long-overdue re-issue a must-have.
Tracklist:
A1 : Roots
A2 : Images
A3 : Caliban
B1 : Whapatiti
B2 : Capricorn
B3 : Odokamona
B4 : Southern Roots And Celebration