Quiet Sun - Mainstream (1975)

Mainstream was an album that almost never was. Quiet Sun was originally formed in 1970, while our protagonists were studying at London’s Dulwich College. The band had a repertoire of original music they wrote and rehearsed over their two-year existence, only to cease when the band split up in ’72 – seeing most notably Manzanera joining Roxy Music, and MacCormick Matching Mole. Fast-forward three years; after recording four successful albums with Roxy, Manzanera begins work on his first solo album, Diamond Head, which includes a number of songs originally written with Quiet Sun. As the original lineup were all participating in the Diamond Head sessions, the band decided to put the original Quiet Sun pieces to tape. Recorded at Island Studios during the early morning hours of January and February of 1975, Mainstream was feverishly put to tape during the remaining four hours of twelve booked for the Diamond Head recordings.

As one can imagine with the time constraints, the album was somewhat rushed, although not to the detriment of the music. With many pieces recorded in one take, the immediacy presented is a big part of the charm of the album. Soaring guitar leads rip over a landscape peppered with bursts of piano and powered by thunderous bass and propulsive percussion that is the opening of “Sol Caliente”. Jarrett’s minimalist and almost mathematical playing recalls John Cale’s piano work with the Velvet Underground. Manzanera unleashes ferocious leads with abandon, while the rest of the group deftly handles breakneck, calculated rhythms. And this is truly a group effort, belaying a wealth of influences and styles, congealing into a sublime bastardization of Canterbury and Krautrock where subtle jazzy complexities come face to face with ferocious rhythmic jamming that Can would be proud of. The psychedelic influences cover both the fuzzed out British end as well as the cosmic German one. “R.F.D.” encompasses both the otherworldly meditative qualities of Popol Vuh and the plaintive electric piano melodies of Hatfield ballad. And who could ignore the Dadaist humour of titles like: “Trumpets With Motherhood” and “Mummy Was an Asteroid, Daddy Was a Small Non-stick Kitchen Utensil” that are uniquely Canterbury.

What at first can seem like meandering jams slowly reveals itself to be a top-notch record, with subtle nuances and clever constructions evolving over time. While shying away from the pop song structures of Roxy Music, the influence is felt never the less, as the songs are far from devoid of catchy riffs and passages. The ubiquitous Eno also makes a guest appearance, contributing synth parts and oddball effects and treatments to the production. A pop song even rears its head, with Heywayrd’s quirky delivery obtusely intersecting the instrumental sections of “Rongwrong”. Jarrett’s piano phrasing also lends a unique charm to this wistful song, and a fitting end to the album. - Mike Prete [October 2002]

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