One of the founding fathers of the
British blues movement,
Graham Bond released two spectacular albums in 1965 as
the Graham Bond Organization.
The Sound of '65 and
There's a Bond Between Us (also re-released on
BGO Records) are essential
jazz/
blues albums for any music fan. When
Bond broke up
the Organization, he moved to the United States where he recorded two "solo" albums in 1965. In 1966, he returned to England where he became a member of
Ginger Baker's Air Force for a time then left and formed the band
Magick with his wife
Diane Stewart.
Holy Magick, the band's debut album, was originally released on the "progressive"
Vertigo label in 1970 . The album was based on
Bond's interest in white magic and Druid and Celtic mysticism.
Holy Magick consists of two parts containing 18 songs based around mantras, rituals, and improvisational pieces. The band, a flexible unit, featured some of the top musicians Britain had to offer in 1970 including
Rick Gretch (
Blind Faith),
Victor Bronx,
Alex Dmochowski,
Jon Moreshead from
the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, and a host of session performers. While barely accessible to a
rock audience, this album has been both dismissed and praised by critics and fans, depending on one's musical taste. The music was very much
jazz oriented. When it was originally released it did not sell well and became a collector's item. In 1971
Bond released the second
Magick album which was intended to be the second part of his
Magick trilogy. The theme behind this album was Eastern mysticism, in particular the Hindu and Aquarian philosophy. The lineup for this album had changed, but the sound was an extension of the debut only with different themes and more of a
blues direction. Again the album was released on
Vertigo but did not sell well so
Bond postponed the third part of the trilogy and took a break from the music business. Unfortunately, he died a tragic death in 1974, and the trilogy was never completed. This set by
BGO Records contains both albums on a single CD. It has been remastered from original master tapes, and the package contains an in-depth essay on the history of
Bond and both projects along with photos and reproductions of the original album graphics. ~ Keith Pettipas
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