Nucleus (& Ian Carr): Torrid Zone - The Vertigo Recordings 1970-1975, 6CD Box Set

•    6CD CLAMSHELL BOXED SET FEATURING EVERY TRACK RELEASED BY NUCLEUS AND IAN CARR FOR THE LEGENDARY VERTIGO LABEL.

•    REMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL VERTIGO RECORDS MASTER TAPES.

•    WITH AN ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET FEATURING AN ESSAY BY SID SMITH.

The trumpeter and flugelhorn player Ian Carr was one of the most respected musicians of his era, a true pioneer who saw the potential in fusing the worlds of jazz with some of rock music’s sensibilities. Tiring of the current forms in British jazz, Carr formed Nucleus in 1969, around the same time as Tony Williams was pursuing new paths with his band Lifetime and Miles Davis was experimenting on the album ‘In a Silent Way’. The first line- up of Nucleus signed to Vertigo in late 1969 and recorded the ground-breaking album ‘Elastic Rock’ in January 1970. The original album liner note stated the aims of the band thus; “Nucleus is just what the word implies – a small, tightly knit group of musicians.

We’re all closely involved with each other musically, and some of us have played together in different contexts before, but this is the first time we’ve met to try and realise our common musical ideals. We see music as a continuous process and have tried to express this on the album. We mean continuous not simply in the physical sense of non-stop sets, but in the general sense that we don’t recognise rigid boundaries, but try to use our total musical experience, whatever it may be”.

‘Elastic Rock’ received praise from both jazz and rock critics and was followed early the following year by the equally innovative album ‘We’ll Talk About It Later’, then ‘Solar Plexus’ (also issued in 1971) was credited to Ian Carr & Nucleus. Following the solo album ‘Belladonna’ (1972), Ian Carr formed a new line up of Nucleus to record the impressive ‘Labyrinth’ in 1973. Over the next two years and on the albums ‘Roots’, ‘Under the Sun’, ‘Snakehips Etcetera’ and ‘Alleycat’ the line-up of Nucleus would fluctuate, but Carr would continue to guide a group of innovative and skilled musicians, creating albums that took jazz to new levels of creativity.

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE

TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM ELASTIC ROCK

1 1916

2  ELASTIC ROCK

3  STRIATION

4  TARANKI

5  TWISTED TRACK

6  CRUDE BLUES (PART ONE)

7  CRUDE BLUES (PART TWO)

8  1916 – THE BATTLE OF BOOGALOO

9  TORRID ZONE

10  STONESCAPE

11  EARTH MOTHER

12  SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, PERSONALLY, IN MY OWN OPINION, I THINK…

13  PERSEPHONE’S JIVE

TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM WE’LL TALK ABOUT IT LATER 14 SONG FOR THE BEARDED LADY

15  SUN CHILD

16  LULLABY FOR A LONELY CHILD

17  WE’LL TALK ABOUT IT LATER

DISC TWO

TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM WE’LL TALK ABOUT IT LATER

1  OASIS

2  BALLAD OF JOE PIMP

3  EASTER 1916

TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM SOLAR PLEXUS

4  ELEMENTS I & II

5  CHANGING TIMES

6  BEDROCK DEADLOCK

7  SPIRIT LEVEL

8  TORSO

9  SNAKEHIPS’ DREAM

DISC THREE

TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM BELLADONNA

1  BELLADONNA

2  SUMMER RAIN

3  REMADIONE

4 MAY DAY

5  SUSPENSION

6  HECTOR’S HOUSE

TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM LABYRINTH

7  ORIGINS

8  BULL DANCE

9 ARIADNE

10  ARENA

DISC FOUR

TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM LABYRINTH

1  EXULTATION

2  NAXOS

TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM ROOTS

3  ROOTS

4  IMAGES

5  CALIBAN

6  WHAPATITI

7  CAPRICORN

8  ODOKAMONA

9  SOUTHERN ROOTS AND CELEBRATION

TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM UNDER THE SUN

10  IN PROCESSION

11  THE ADDISON TRIP

12  PASTORAL GRAFFITI

13  NEW LIFE

14  A TASTE OF SASPARILLA

DISC FIVE

TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM UNDER THE SUN

1  THEME 1 – SASPARILLA

2  THEME 2 – FEAST ALFRESCO

3  THEME 3 – RITES OF MAN

TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM SNAKEHIPS ETCETERA

4  RAT’S BAG

5 ALIVE AND KICKING

6  RACHEL’S TUNE

7  SNAKEHIPS ETCETERA

8  PUSSYFOOT

9  HEYDAY

DISC SIX

TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM ALLEYCAT

1  PHAIDEAUX CORNER

2 ALLEYCAT

3  SPLAT

4  YOU CAN’T BE SURE

5  NOSEGAY