Septober Energy is the only album of the jazz/progressive rock big band Centipede. Produced by Robert Fripp, it was originally released 1971 in the UK as a double LP, and 1974 in the USA with a different cover. A remastered CD release, using the USA cover, was released in 2000.
The album is a four part suite consisting of four tracks of about 20 minutes each.
Septober Energy - Part 4 is based on the instrumental track Green and Orange Night Park that was part of The Keith Tippett Group's 1970 album Dedicated To You, But You Weren't Listening. Another version, titled Septober Energy and including vocals, can be found on the album The Bristol Concert by Mujician and The Georgian Ensemble, recorded 1991. (by wikipedia)
The initial tendency is to dismiss this recording as one of those failed experiments from the progressive-rock era, and the opening band on Disc One definitely invites that treatment with what appears to be an almost deliberately provocative aimlessness. parts of Disc Two, which seem buried in noise and masses of sound that don't go anywhere over many minutes, have similar problems. In between, however, are sublimely beautiful virtuoso passages for various soloists and small units within the orchestra. Alan Skidmore, Elton Dean et. al. get some great moments on the core of the first disc, which evolves out of the annoying big-band noodling of the opening into a swinging, big-band progressive-rock sound with elements of bop as well. There are vocal passages on this record, mostly built around Julie Tippett's gloomy, doom-laden Crimson-like words, and they're pretty but they're not a major part of "Septober Energy." Unfortunately, there is also more meandering, and just as it looks like the finale has pulled it together, with a very pretty and understated acoustic piano section featuring Keith Tippett solo, the piece loses it in an extended and very repetitive part for the full orchestra that goes nowhere and takes forever to fade. In fairness, the sound on the CD is excellent, and the second half of Disc One in particular is worth hearing, but there's too much here that isn't -- and too much that also sounds like those crashing sax-based sound explosions that puntuate King Crimson albums like Islands -- for anyone except hardcore fans of Soft Machine et al. (Bruce Eder)
Personnel:
Violins
Wendy Treacher
John Trussler
Roddy Skeping
Wilf Gibson (lead)
Carol Slater
Louise Jopling
Garth Morton
Channa Salononson
Steve Rowlandson
Mica Gomberti
Colin Kitching
Philip Saudek
Esther Burgi
Cellos
Michael Hurwitz
Timothy Kramer
Suki Towb
John Rees-Jones
Katherine Thulborn
Catherine Finnis
Trumpets
Peter Parkes
Mick Collins
Ian Carr (doubling flugelhorn)
Mongezi Feza (pocket cornet)
Mark Charig (cornet)
Altos
Elton Dean (doubling saxello)
Jan Steel (doubling flute)
Ian McDonald
Dudu Pukwana
Tenors
Larry Stabbins
Gary Windo
Brian Smith
Alan Skidmore
Baritones
Dave White (doubling clarinet)
Karl Jenkins (doubling oboe)
John Williams (bass saxophone, doubling soprano)
Trombones
Nick Evans
Dave Amis
Dave Perrottet
Paul Rutherford
Drums
John Marshall (and all percussion)
Tony Fennell
Robert Wyatt
Vocalists
Maggie Nicols
Julie Tippetts
Mike Patto
Zoot Money
Boz Burrell
Basses
Roy Babbington (doubling bass guitar)
Jill Lyons
Harry Miller
Jeff Clyne
Dave Markee
Brian Belshaw
Guitars
Brian Godding
Piano
Keith Tippett (musical director)
Alternate frontcover
Tracklist:
01. Septober Energy, Part 1 (K.Tippett/J.Tippett) 21.43
02. Septober Energy, Part 2 (K.Tippett/J.Tippett) 23.34
03. Septober Energy, Part 3 (K.Tippett/J.Tippett) 21.21
04. Septober Energy, Part 4 (K.Tippett/J.Tippett) 18.45
ARMU 2364 (zippyshare)