01	Midnight Madness						07:04
	02	All Alone (Introducing)						01:52
	03	Three Piece Suite						13:14
	04	Paraffinalea						04:17
	05	Yellow						05:33
	06	Poisoned Youth						16:26
	07	Nanagram						04:17

England [UK]
Garden Shed (77), The Last of the Jubblies (??)

England released just one album, Garden Shed, on Arista UK in the 70s and if ever any band acheived a perfect fusion of Genesis, Yes, and Supertramp, this is it. Brimming with mellotron textures, keyboard and organ leads, and variant time signatures, this is classic progressive rock.

[The Last of the Jubblies is some sort of "leftover" material recently released?]


England - Garden Shed (1977)

The only problem with England's magnificent Garden Shed is that it was released about five years too late. Granted, England's style is not particularly original, being not much more than supremely enjoyable amalgamation of Yes and Genesis, except that Garden Shed truly lives up to some of the strongest works by those two bands. This is phenomenal English symphonic prog, truly inspired and immaculately performed.

"Midnight Madness" opens the album in fine form, with some bright rhythmic work and vocals that sound, fittingly, like a mix of Peter Gabriel and Jon Anderson. Occasionally, the rest of the band will jump in will complementary vocal harmonies that further remind one of Yes. "All Alone" is a fairly short ballad that actually sounds extremely reminiscent of Queen. "Three Piece Suite" is a prog mini-epic running at about thirteen minutes, an extremely enjoyable track with some phenomenal sections. "Paraffinalea" has a great vocal melody and has a whimsical English feel that would not have sounded particularly out of place on Selling England by the Pound. The real gem however is the phenomenal "Poisoned Youth", the album's centerpiece as well as the most unique track on the album. The song is much darker in tone than the rest and includes utterly amazing moments scattered throughout its sixteen minutes.

Basically, if you're familiar with Yes and Genesis you know what this sounds like. It's an extremely good album, not particularly original but also not overly derivative either. Make no mistake, this does not approach the more hard-edged cloning tendencies of the neo-progressive movement, and there is none of the cheesy AOR pomp that dominates many of the modern so-called "retro" bands. Rather Garden Shed is a firmly 70s symphonic with beautifully textured arrangements. Due to the relative obscurity of this album, it's not surprising that this gem has been dubbed a true "lost classic" by many. Personally, I wouldn't go so far as to call it a classic, but it's definitely a superb late 70s release that must have gotten lost in the shuffle as progressive rock as a commercially viable entity . - Greg Northrup [February 2001]


1. Midnight Madness
2. All Alone
3. Three Piece Suite
4. Paraffinalea
5. Yellow
6. Poisoned Youth

Martin Henderson - Bass, Vocals
Franc Holland - Guitar, Vocals
Robert Webb - Keyboards, Vocals
Jode Leigh - Percussion, Vocals, Bass (5)

Si-Wan Records - SRMC 1042 - 1996



England

'Garden Shed'

Tracks
England: Garden Shed (1977)
1. Midnight Madness
2. All Alone
3. Three Piece Suite
4. Paraffinalea
5. Yellow
6. Poisoned Youth

Total Time: 47.41

Martin Henderson (bass and vocals)
Franc Holland (guitar and vocals)
Robert Webb (keyboards and vocals)
Jode Leigh (percussion, vocals, and bass).

Being the (perhaps not so) closet Prog anorak that I am I belong to a few Internet discussion groups. They are sometimes time consuming and argumentative affairs but you do tend to get pointed in the right direction of new interesting things and 'lost classics'. An LP that keeps cropping up, as one of these classics is England's 'Garden Shed'.
Now I remember seeing England a few times in the mid 70's mainly supporting The Enid. I remember them as being quite good, a bit arrogant on stage (on at least one occasion The Enid had to switch off the power as England would not leave the stage to allow the headliners on) but as far as a "legendary" "classic" No - it just didn't ring true.
I had to admit that the album as with all of my vinyl collection was consigned to the attic (but I just can't part with them) and had laid to rest for more time than I can comfortably remember. However, the album had been re-mastered and re-released on CD in a very limited quantity a few years ago and snapped up like the proverbial hot cakes. Although completely unavailable now, someone very kindly put his CDR to good use (thanks Pete).
So here I am sitting down waiting to rediscover an album that I haven't heard for at least a decade or possibly two:::.

.1. Midnight Madness

"Plink plink" - synthesiser light strings -orchestral horns it's The Enid! - Now if you are talking about 'Lost Classics' their 'In The Region Of The Summer Stars' is the very top of my list. I digress, vocals and guitar enter - Kayak!! 'Royal Bed Bouncer'. Yet another lost one. Slow bit - electric piano - Supertramp 'Crime Of The Century' they keep rolling in. OK maybe derivative but its still good.

2. All Alone

Lone grand piano accompanying lone vocals. Again I am so reminded of Kayak

3. Three Piece Suite

Bird Song - Lush Mellatron (Think 'Fountain of Salmacis') - its Genesis meet Supertramp this time with added Gentle Giant. Nice melodic vocals with a guitar solo straight from Camels Andy Latimer's desk top. And here's Kayak again:.. I do rather like this keyboard riff at the end:

4. Paraffinalea

YES !! - But maybe 'Drama' era and that was released three years after this - No it isn't ITS SPOCKS BEARD!!!

5. Yellow

Wash of string synth. Strummed acoustic guitars. Harmony vocals - Hackettesque guitar lead line - Druid 'Towards The Sun'? Another lost :um well perhaps not.

6. Poisoned Youth

Oh well time for the 16 minute magnum opus.
Thudding Chris Squire Bass line. Cross-channelling vocals. Dramatic keyboard theme etc etc

All in all 'Garden Shed' is a good and rather enjoyable album. The musicianship is highly competent and the re-master is as crisp or even crisper than the day it was recorded. But it's so derivative of a lot of things - a real mixture of sounds from other English (and one Dutch) bands all of which were around just before them: -
Camel
Druid
The Enid
Genesis
Gentle Giant
Kayak (especially)
Supertramp
Yes

Good album it is, but a long way from being a 'lost classic'. Why it has wrongly gained this accolade is perhaps simply down to the Internet being still largely dominated by an American audience. An audience that will not have heard of, in particular, The Enid and Kayak, two of England's stronger influences. People have also given this album another accolade - ' The first' or 'the father' of the 'Neo Prog' movement. Again no.- If there is any band England closely resembles more than any other it is Holland's Kayak and their classic 'Royal Bed Bouncer' hails from 1975. England may have helped put the pop song into English prog but then again who actually heard this album in 1977? - I only did because they supported my favourite band:Anyway 'Neo' prog was born out of Genesis. There is far more Yes influence in 'Garden Shed' than Genesis. Now, if there is a direct future tense relationship between England and any wave of Progressive rock there are shared similarities in the current work of Spocks Beard and Echolyn - Both American bands. American bands - American Internet:Confusion reigns.

'Garden Shed' was a debut album. Debut albums will naturally always be, to a lesser or greater degree, influenced by the bands own mentors. After a couple of tours and a second album, if to survive, the band will go on to develop its own sound. England like Druid, Kayak and perhaps The Enid were robbed of this opportunity by the advent of 'Punk'. Without that radical change in UK pop and rock culture my own belief is The Enid could have been as big as Yes and Genesis - England - well who knows.


Ian Oakley February 2001
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Phish & Chips





England - Garden Shed
Release Date: 1977

Track Listing
1) Midnight Madness
2) All Alone
3) Three Piece Suite
4) Paraffinalea
5) Yellow
6) Poisoned Youth

Member: Poet_Liar 5/16/03
As the disco and the punk movements took over the late '70's , it became obvious that progressive rock was in it's twilight years. The big name bands were getting away from what had made them big and the smaller bands couldn't get record deals because their sound was deemed 'out'. As a result, many great bands who emerged in this era went absolutely unnoticed. If not for a few astute students of progressive rock who seeked out these rare records to remaster them to CD and subsequently plugged them on sites like this one; bands like England would have been completely overlooked by the general progressive audience. What a crime this would have been because this disc truly is a classic from the past .

Encompassing many of the styles of the great progressive bands hailing from land of tea and crumpets, England is aptly named. Their sound is a veritable microcosm of the classic symphonic sound of the 70's. This foursome utilizes vintage keys, Rickenbaker bass, and superb vocal harmonizing to create a disc that borrows freely from many bands yet never sounds entirely derivative.

The opening "Midnight Madness"" plunges us immediately into a realm left vacant by masters such as Genesis, with it's keyboard intro and build up reminiscent of classic tracks like "Watcher Of The Skies". This is a superb song filled with complex beats and great vocal harmonizing by all four members. It bobs and weaves, wrapping itself around a complex bass line. Keyboardist Robert Webb wears his Tony Banks' influences on his sleeve during his lead breaks.

Following this one is the short and sweet "All Alone." It's a duet featuring piano and vocals which clocks in at 1:51 before it segues into track 3- "Three Piece Suite"; with it's very Yes sounding opening (Close To The Edge anyone?). This 12:59 opus lets the band expand on many themes, thus serving up many influences. They themselves may have influenced certain Neo bands which followed. The lead guitar breaks from Franc Holland are very dramatic and deliberate, reminding this reviewer of guitarists like Steve Rothery (Marillion). Shades of Supertramp can also be heard with a very Rodger Hodgson-like vocal foray roughly 8 minutes in. The track closes with some odd-time signatures and complex percussions courtesy of Jode Leigh, accompanied by more Banks' like keys from Robert Webb as it fades to black.

"Paraffinalea" is more reminiscent of Gentle Giant with it's quirky keyboard intro and acrobatic vocal interplay . Superb bass playing by Martin Henderson as he nimbly struts his fingers across the frets of his Rickenbaker bass, dominating the song. Yellow is a much softer track, permeated by acoustic guitars and laid back vocals. It leads us into the show-stopping closer "Poisoned Youth". The track opens with a Chris Squire (Yes) bass line and lush keyboards which slowly augment and burst forth. Dramatic vocals throughout as the track goes through many moods and tempos. Clocking in at 16:17 seconds, the song allows the band to fully showcase their musical arsenal, as they jump around from ethereal to bombastic, to discordant, to dramatic in the space of a few minutes. As a final influence, we're treated to a David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) soulful solo around 12 minutes in. The song then builds up one last head of steam in a frenetic Yes-like foray before fading away with the sound of the wind.

Although this disc will not dazzle anyone with virtuosity it is a must own for any fan of the Golden Age of British progressive rock. It's a highly enjoyable excursion down a well traveled road. The band did release a second disc Land Of The Jubblies which did not live up to the buzz created by Garden Shed. I would chalk that one up to the sophomore jinx along with the band trying to please record company executives for a prolonged contract. It would be very interesting to hear what this band could have produced had they arrived on the scene a few years earlier or decided to reunite today. I wonder if the latter is still possible. Let us hope.

By Yves Dube- courtesy of http://www.SeaOfTranquility.org
(c) 2001 - 2003 Progressive Ears
All Rights Reserved






England - Garden Shed

Released: 1977 / 1997
Label: Arista / Si-Wan Records (Korea)
Cat. No.: Arista UK 153/ Si-Wan SRMC 1042
Total Time: 47:45


Reviewed by: Tom Karr, March 2004
Like many other progressive rock groups who showed up late to the party, England released one album on Arista and were not to be heard from again. Another collection of unreleased tracks and studio out takes, Last Of The Jubblies, is said to exist, but it defies my best efforts to find a copy, so I will not be able to comment on it.

Garden Shed was released in 1977. It contains six songs, ranging from the 1:50 "All Alone," a brief piano interlude really, to the 16:15 of "Poisoned Youth."

The music of England is full of references to Yes, Genesis and Supertramp. None of this is in any way surprising, as these bands were all very popular in Britain in the late 70s, and their shadows covered that landscape, and their influence would be hard to escape.

The shortest songs on this release, "Midnight Madness," "Pariffinalea" and "Yellow," all sound a great deal like Genesis in their most melodic and upbeat moments. I also hear a bit of 10cc in these tunes as well. They are all very bouncy and cheerful sounding numbers and they will not inspire a great deal of deep though or analysis from the listener.

The previously mentioned "All Alone," barely a song at all, would not sound out of place on an Elton John recording, and that is not meant to slight this tune, or to complement Elton John, either.

The two songs here that will be of most interest to the collector of progressive rock are "(Introducing) Three Piece Suite," at nearly thirteen minutes, and the final cut, "Poisoned Youth," a bit more than sixteen minutes of very nice symphonic style rock. The first of these two, "Three Piece Suite," begins with a repeated figure played on electric piano, soon accompanied by mellotron and beautifully swelling guitar notes. Followed by a nicely played single note line by guitar and bass in unison, the first theme begins. This part of the suite is reminiscent of Yes, with harmony vocals and powerful B-3, played in a Wakeman-esque fashion. All too short, this section gives way to the next, then another, and another, and another. The problem with this, and England's final lengthy number, "Poisoned Youth," is their failure to fully develop their many, many good ideas. "Three Piece Suite," and the title's meaning is not lost on this writer, contains many more than three themes. There are a half dozen good songs to be made out of the musical contents of this piece. A great idea is presented, then abandoned to move on to the next. The musical ideas on the two most lengthy songs on Garden Shed could have provided England with material for several albums.

This criticism aside, I do like this CD quite a bit. The shorter songs are examples of what could have been done with their longer ones, and in fairness, the two others are very enjoyable themselves.

"Poisoned Youth," especially, shows off the talents and high level of musicianship possessed by the band members. The drummer, Jode Leigh, in particular, is quite good, playing in a fashion similar to that of Bill Bruford, but with more power, and less restraint. All the members are good players indeed.

I cannot end without mentioning the vocals on this CD. All the members of England sing, and sing well. No one is listed as being a lead vocalist, so I cannot credit any one member with the use of playful, light hearted, falsetto vocals on more than one track. It is, overall, a good CD, one that could have been a great release if a bit more maturity and control had been excercised.

Finally, congratulations to Si-Wan Records of Korea, for reissuing this and other hard to find albums from the 1970s, as part of their European Rock 1000 series. I just wish I could read the liner notes.

Rating: 4/5

More about Garden Shed:

Track Listing: Midnight Madness (6:54) / All Alone (1:50) / (Introducing) Three Piece Suite (12:57) / Paraffinalea (4:11) / Yellow (5:23) / Poisoned Youth (16:15)

Musicians:
Martin Henderson - Bass, Vocals
Franc Holland - Guitar, Vocals
Robert Webb - Keyboards, Vocals
Jode Leigh - Percussion, Vocals, Bass

Contact:

Discography

Garden Shed (1977)
The Last Of The Jubblies (1978)