All Artists:Patto Title:Patto Members Wishing: 4 Total Copies: 0 Label:Repertoire Original Release Date: 1/1/2005 Re-Release Date: 6/1/2004 Album Type: Extra tracks, Import Genres:Jazz, Pop, Rock Style: Number of Discs: 1 SwapaCD Credits: 1 UPC:4009910102527
Synopsis
Album Description
Reissue of the jazz-rock act's 1970 album. Vertigo. 2004.
CD Reviews
Classic.
Abey Grey | 12/26/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I dont know how I stumbled on this album, but I am glad that I did. It is absolutely amazing to an extent that I cant bare to describe, the singing and guitars are some of the best I have ever heard.Its is funky, jazzy, heavy rock with a hint of blues and folk."
Inventive British jazz-rock with killer guitar and lead voca
Elliot Knapp | Seattle, Washington United States | 04/10/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Don't be scared off by the frightening album art--an eyeless, open-mouth face, with hair made out of faces, and whose teeth spell "Patto," streaming in through an open window(!!!); this is hard-rocking jazzy 70's rock with a bluesy sensibility, and isn't nearly as weird as the killer cover art may lead you to believe. Mike Patto's vocals are thick, rough, and genuine, and Ollie Halsall's guitar might be the primary draw--it's fluid, scorching, and fast, morphing to fit whatever each song demands, never boring and rarely unlistenably over-technical.
The album opens on a deceptively moody note, with Halsall's guitar cleanly chording and the bass and drums laying down an odd-tempo groove. As "The Man" works toward its climax, though, you're going to realize how rocking of a ride you're in for--Patto's soulful wailing is perfect, plus there's a vibraphone solo--played by Halsall! The opener is a very good omen; the band is weird enough to lay out strange time signatures and unusual rock instruments like vibraphone, but doesn't forget how important it is to rock! "Hold Me Back" is a catchy but dubious ode to chasing underage girls. It seems like only a 70's rock band could get away with that kind of subject matter. "Time To Die" is a change of pace, with acoustic guitar and Patto's world weary vocals really living the blues. "San Antone" is one of the jazziest tunes; it's in swing time and features great doo-wop-style background vocals. "Government Man" is probably my favorite track outside of "The Man"--it's sort of a story song, and it finds Patto at the height of his renegade, "me vs. the man" attitude (which pops up a lot on the album), and sounds like something straight out of Dusty in Memphis. "Money Bag" is the band at its jazziest, with 6:30 of pounding drums and wicked guitar shredding that morphs into a pretty sweet, laid back blusier song with vocals--since the guitar is a main draw for this band, it's probably an asset, but I can imagine song-oriented listeners having a hard time following the loose structure.
If there's any real flaw to Patto's approach, it's probably that their inventive songwriting approach includes a lot of unusual chord progressions which, because they're more complicated, often aren't backed up by strong melodies or memorable hooks, which makes a few of the tunes ("Red Glow" and "Sittin' Back Easy," to my mind) enjoyable but tough to remember after hearing them. You have to pay pretty good attention to appreciate what they're doing, and I suppose eventually the hooks will sink in. Either way, I strongly recommend this album to fans of jazzier rock like John McLaughlin et al (this is a bit less intense) and as a more interesting alternative to bands like May Blitz. Repertoire, as usual, did a great job of remastering the album, and the jacket is really high-quality with a textured cover, and the album includes one 14 minute-long bonus track, "Hanging Rope," which is similar to "Money Bag" in structure, but the vocal portion is catchier."
Vertigo strikes again
William R. Nicholas | Mahwah, NJ USA | 06/12/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I won't start off boring you by saying that in the 60s and early 70s, there were many unusual experments in rock. Except that, in the 60s and early 70s there........na, i am just messing with ya. But, I am not kidding when I wholeheartedly turn you on to Patto.
This music features guitar, bass and drums--and Vibraphone. Most of the songs-I Saw The Man, -have very minimal insturmentation and are absolutely hard rock. But Patto adds unique chord changes to these, so they are fresh and have a very distinct touch. Then, they add little splashes on the vibes, in just the right places. Not a lot of rock bands mixed styles quite this way, so you really have to admire Pattos unusual sense of tone color and arranging.
Another track, Money Bag, isa long, free-form jam, that suddenly turns the tables, and breaks into buffered cadences you might hear on Jefferson Starship's Red Octopus album. Not only does this welding provide a very pleasent suprise, but the written section acutally sounds like very classy. mature AM pop, about five years before the genre really took hold.
A word to the wise: Patto has been called jazz-rock, and this is not a bad description, but when I think of that term I think Ides Of March or Blood Sweat and Tears. Good music, but absolutely nothing like this. Patto is far more esoteric.
Patto is talent typical of the first-generation Vertigo roster. Something you defiantely want in your private reserve."
A fantastic "lost" band of the 70's
The One and Only Josh | Rock Hill, SC USA | 04/27/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have to say if it wasn't for the movie Observe and Report I never would have stumbled upon this great album. I remember it quite clearly actually, I was watching the preview for said movie and heard this song towards the end and it was stuck in my head for quite sometime I looked up the band and the rest is history.
The song is "The Man" and it still remains my favorite off this album but that says more about the song than the album. "The Man" with its slow beginnings and blues wailings of vocalist Mike Patto leads you on a sonic journey and just when you are getting lost in the vibraphone solo, the music picks up and soon you're spiraling into a climatic finish with all members of the band going nuts on their instruments and Patto screaming his lungs out.
Wisely after The Man they shift gears into the fast song "Hold Me Back" which is clearly about trying to hook up with an underage girl with lyrics like "13 summers got left behind/the minute you found your blue eyes could hynotize/ drive a man insane." This song is the first to greet you with the amazing guitar playing of Ollie Halsall. He has to be one of the most underrated guitarist of all time. "Time to Die" shifts the pace again and into an accoustic number with Patto again making the song and Halsall showing he's a master on accoustic as well.
The next 2 songs are not as interesting but that doesn't mean the are terrible. "Red Glow" rocks but is hard to remember. "San Antone" is better as a piece of boogie-woogie, who would of thought Brits would make a song about the Texan city.
"Government Man" is similiar to "The Man". The lyrics in fact can relate too todays times when people are losing their jobs and homes. The song itself is first rate and probably my third favorite after the opening two songs.
Then theres "Moneybag" which will probably turn some people off as it is a 10 minute almost free form jazz jam. It works better when you're not focusing on it so as background music it can do wonders but it's not one of my favorites. The Patto sung parts are nice though. The final song is "Sittin Back Easy" which switches from soft to heavy so quick it'll make your head spin.
They also included a bonus track "Hanging Rope" which is similiar "Moneybag" but alot better in my opinion. It's longer but the Patto sung parts are much more memorable and I like Halsalls' guitar in it more.
So if you're not sold on this album yet I don't know how else to do it. It really blew me away with how good it is and yet how unknown it is. This band deserves to be heard so buy this album and spread the word."