Full Moon/The Drowning Song/Escher's
Door/Drop Me A Line/Bouzouki Boogie/A Breath Of Fresh Air/The Games
Cards Play/Nimbin Stopover/Mermaid/A Message To You/Seashell
Secrets/Wings Of The Albatross/ The Angel And The Boy
Albatross formed in September 1972, after the split of legendary Sydney
band Tamam Shud. The initial lineup was a trio, comprising Bjerre and
Baron (both ex-Shud) and drummer Kim Bryant (ex-Country Radio).
While bands like The Aztecs and The La De Das and were mining the rich
veins of blues, boogie and heavy rock, Albatross took a different tack,
exploring a mellower, acoustically-based style that was a development
from the quieter side of Tamam Shud's Shud's progressive/psychedelic
sound. Albatross' music incorporated elements of folk and country music,
as were a number of other contemporary Australian groups like Country
Radio, The Flying Circus and The Dingoes. Lyrically, the band's material
continued Bjerre's concerns with sprituality, nature and environmental
issues.
The
band's home-base was on Sydney's northern beaches, and during the year
of its existence Albatross played regularly at the Memorial Hall in the
Sydney beachside suburb of Mona Vale. At New Year 1972-73 Albatross
played at the ill-fated Bungool Festival near Windor, NSW, which was
poorly attended due conflict with the local council, which led to the
first day of the event being cancelled.
In early 1973 the band was augmented by Lindsay's wife Simone on vocals
and in April they were joined by multi-instrumentalist Richard
Lockwood, formerly of Tully, who had also played with the last version
of Tamam Shud. This augmented lineup recorded the group's only LP, A
Breath Of Fresh Air (Warner Reprise), which also included session
contributions from Gary Frederick (slide guitar), Pirana organist Keith
Greig and Country Radio's Chris Blanchflower (harmonica). It's a fine
album, and long overdue for reissue. Bjerre's unusual voice is perhaps
an acquired taste but the album is full of excellent material,
beautifully played and very well recorded. The pacy opening track "Full
Moon" is a road song that opens with an innovative string arrangement,
moving into a heavier style that recall Tamam Shud, and it's decorated
with some very tasty "Layla"-style slide guitar from Gary Fredericks.
Other highlights include the rollicking "Bouzouki Boogie" and "Nimbin
Stopover", a commemmoration in song of the 1973 Aquarius Festival, which
features the inimitable harmonica stylings of Blanchflower.
Another sought-after Warner album from this period, Total Union by Band
Of Light, has been recently reissued by Gil Matthews' Aztec Music label,
so there is some hope that the Albatross album will eventually be
remastered and re-released on CD. Meanwhile, the original LP -- which
presumably sold few copies -- has become highly collectible, with copies
now changing hands for over $100.
Albatross gained important exposure with a prestigious support spot on
Frank Zappa's his first Australian tour in July 1973, but the band did
not last out the year, and had already broken up by the time the LP was
released in November.
Lindsay Bjerre spent the next few years pursuing spiritual interests and
travelling; he also wrote a (never-performed) rock opera and studied
mime in England with theatrical legend Lindsay Kemp. He re-emerged in
1977, with a new performance persona, simply called Bjerre, and with
support from Countdown he scored a surprise hit with the single "She
Taught Me How To Love Again".
