Steve Linnegar`s Shakeshed."Classic Epics" 1982 South Africa. Rock
I remember spotting this one at a yard sale about five years ago (along with a second Linnegar LP) and buying them because I'd seen them in one of Hans Pokora's Record Collector books. Well, these albums then sat in my 'to listen to' pile for five years before I finally got around to listening to them.One of the funny things about this album is that you simply can't find a great deal of information about namesake Steve Linnegar or the band on the internet. I don't know if that dearth of info is due to Linnegar's South African background, or what ... regardless there's scant detail out there.Co-produced by Linnegar and keyboardist Peter Hubner at Hubner's Johannesburg based Emcee Studios, I have to admit that I wasn't sure what to expect from 1982's "Classic Epics". Given the cover art and song titles such as 'Tao Ch'ang Wu Wei', 'Tao Riders' and 'Kamakura Dragons' I half expected to hear a collection of oriental-influenced atmospherics, or something suitable for your local lite jazz station. Frankly I wondered if I'd fallen victim to another slice of dealer hype (though I didn't pay a great deal for either LP). Well, the good news is that the album wasn't anything like those fears. Largely written by Linnegar (one song co-written with guitarist Martin Kopelowitz), tracks like 'I Will Cry' sported a nifty mid-1970s AOR feel. While Linnegar didn't have the most distinctive voice (his performances actually bore a resemblance to David Gilmour), tracks like the opener 'Tao Ch'ang Wu Wei' were surprisingly catchy and would have sounded good on mid-1970s FM radio. Also drawing a comparison to Gilmour, Kopelowitz's chunky chiming guitar certainly stood out (check out the roaring 'Kamakura Dragons'). The Gilmour/Pink Floyd comparison wasn't a perfect fit, but if you pictured the Floyd at their more commercial latter stages (imagine 'Comfortably Numb') and you were in the right aural neighborhood. (At least a couple of friends have mistaken 'Tao Riders' for a Floyd track.) Best of the lot was side two's extended 'Desert'. Starting out as a largely acoustic piece, over 13 minutes the song twisted and turned into a wonderful slice of music that incorporated pop, progressive and even native African elements. Fantastic ... The one exception to the package was the strange violin-propelled 'Lamplight Shines'. Every time I hear it I have to wonder if it's the same band. As if anyone cares, but as a big fan of South African rock this is in my top-10 list..
Martin Kopelowitz: guitars, vocals
Steve Linnegar: guitars, vocals
Peter Hubner: keyboards
Jethro Butow: guitar
Gerald Stockton
Cedric Samson: drums
Ashley Kelly: bass
Les Goode: bass
Sean Wright: drums
Alan James
Victor Sweeney: drums
Ray Birch: guitar
Roger Farbey: violin on 'Lamplight Shines'
