Titanic — Titanic 1970 (Norway, Heavy Progressive Rock)

Titanic — Titanic 1970 (Norway, Heavy Progressive Rock)

The debut album by the Oslo band (formed in 1969). Titanic is one of the few Norwegian bands to achieve international fame in the 1970s. Initially an all-Norwegian lineup, they later added English vocalist Roy Robinson, who became the primary lyricist. That's why they sing in English. They were the first Norwegian band to have hits in both England and Germany. For some reason, the band was particularly popular in France, where they performed at various festivals and decided to settle there (in the south of France).Among so many other great landmarks in the history of rock & roll, the late ‘60s witnessed numerous technological advances when it came to recording and performing equipment, and, thanks in no small part to the emergence of Marshall amplifiers, the decade also gave rise to the era of hard rock and heavy metal. Power trios such as Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and the deafening Blue Cheer provided the initial thrust, but once the subsequent holy trinity of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath burst onto the scene, the hard rock virus really spread like a plague across the globe -- even into distant, chilly, staid Norway, from whence came the aptly named Titanic.

Founded in Oslo in 1969, Titanic was initially comprised of guitarist Janne Løseth, organist and bassist Kenny Aas, drummer John Lorck, and percussionist Kjell Asperud. But then, in a trend soon to be followed by a number of German heavy rock combos such as Lucifer's Friend, Blackwater Park, and Epitaph, Titanic hired a British-born singer and lyricist -- one Roy Robinson -- in an effort to raise their international prospects.

The ploy worked well enough for Titanic to be offered a deal by the French office of Columbia Records, which duly released the band's eponymous debut later that same year, and later booked them to perform at the Cannes Film Festival's gala screening of the Woodstock motion picture. The members of Titanic then decided to switch their base of operations to the south of France, and perhaps it was the change of environment that helped broaden the band's musical horizons, leading to the incremental classical, jazz, and Latin music influences.
by Eduardo Rivadavia

Tracks:

01. Searchin' - 0:00

02. Love Is love - 7:00

03. Mary Jane - 11:19

04. Cry For A Beatle - 15:52

05. Something On My Mind - 18:03

06. Firewater - 23:51

07. Schizmatic Mind - 26:32

08. I See No Reason - 29:26

Bonuses:

09. Half Breed (Single A-Side, 1971) - 37:44

10. Santa Fe (Single B-Side, 1971) - 42:03


Personnel:

Roy Robinson - lead vocals
Janny Loseth (Jan Geir Løseth) – guitar, vocals
Kenny Aas (Kjell Olav Aas) – organ, bass
Kjell "Chappy" Asperud - percussion, vocals
John Lorck (Jon Truls Lorck) - drums
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William Sheller – strings & brass arrangements (03, 06)