Dia G 21.09.08 (6) - Mike Heron - Mike Heron's Reputation (1975 UK)

By Jose Ignacio

Creo que fue en Octubre del 74 y en un hotel de Nueva York donde Robin Williamson y Mike Heron llegaron al parecer a las manos….escenificando con ese torpe gesto el fin de la banda. Era conocida la deriva última de la Incredible hacia la música eléctrica y era conocida también la falta de interés de Robin en todo aquello.
Así que la ISB acabó entonces. De vuelta a Gran Bretaña Heron encontró una pequeña marca de discos que sacó una excelente colección de canciones que sin duda hubiesen formado parte del siguiente disco de la banda: Mike Heron´s Reputation. A ningún stringhead por muy exigente que sea se le ocurriría criticar joyas como One of the finest o Singing the Dolphin aunque los arreglos de esta última fueran un poquito pop. Algo que resultaría letal para el espíritu isb (al menos a mi juicio). El resto de las canciones son también muy buenas aunque los arreglos ya vayan perdiendo el encanto de la banda. De hecho, Robin hace coros en un par de cortes. Malcolm aporta una canción y el conjunto es un disco más que notable con el que Heron comenzaría su carrera en solitario. No tan prolífica como la de Robin, desgraciadamente.

Disclaimer: all this is personal opnion, unfettered by facts or research. It's just how I see things this morning.
When the Incredible String Band finally broke up in 1979, following a couple of rather sad & lacklustre albums, it soon became clear how much Robin and Mike needed each other in order to create top quality music.
Freed from Mike (Paul)'s mainstream sensibility, Robin (John) lurched off into celtic myths & legends while Mike rebounded back into MOR soft rock. Not that either lost their songwriting abilities, just that Mike became a bit dull & Robin went too far into wyrdness.
However, before we lost Mike altogether he made one final great - well, very good - album. Alongside Malcolm LeMaistre (who, it could be argued, heralded the downfall of ISB before Robin brought in Gerard Dott to seal the coffin), Graham Forbes and Stan Lee (not really), Mike Heron's Reputation made one more album (the rotten 'Diamond Of Dreams') before Mike went truly solo.
ISB reformed, of course, with Clive Palmer & then without Robin, but I haven't bothered listening to the recorded concerts because somehow middle-aged blokes singing songs from 5000 Spirits and Hangman's doesn't seem right to me. And the 1st album exists - for me - in a vacuum all of its own.
I saw the ISB a few times (anyone remember Friars Aylesbury?), also Reputation a couple of times at the Marquee - but LeMaistre was always going on about his braces and pissed me off.
I hadn't heard this album in 20 years when I ripped it, probably won't for another 20 but... it's not bad. Just not great.

Track List

01 - Down On My Knees (After Memphis)
02 - Easy Street
03 - Evie
04 - Residential Boy
05 - Without Love
06 - Born To Be Gone
07 - Angels In Disguise
08 - Wine Of His Song
09 - Meanwhile The Rain
10 - One Of The Finest
11 - Singing The Dolphin Through

Personnel on "Mike Heron's Reputation":

Duncan Browne - Guitar
Graham Forbes - Guitar
John Gilston - Drums
Barry Lee Harwood - Guitar
Mike Heron - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
Tim Hinkley - Keyboards
Eddie Jobson - Violin
Benny King - Percussion
Krysia Kocjan - Vocals
Malcolm Le Maistre - Vocals
Ronnie Leahy - Keyboards
Melanie - Vocals
Amin Mohammed - Bass
John Mulkey - Bass
Ulf Ronquist - Guitar
Melanie Safka - Vocals
Linda Thompson - Vocals
Richard Thompson - Guitar
Susie Watson-Taylor - Vocals
Robin Williamson - Vocals, Whistle
Roy Yeager - Percussion

LOOK FOR: REPUTACIÓN