Field Recordings From The Sun: Morly Grey

From Wikipedia.com

Morly Grey is a progressive rock band that formed the late 1960s. The group recorded a single album, The Only Truth, which was recorded and released in 1972. Some discographies and music catalogs continue to list the album’s release date as 1968 or 1969.The confusion over the release date may come from the album’s serial number of 69000 (originally released through the unpublished Starshine label) and the fact that the album had a very short release period. The first single from the album was "Who Can I Say You Are". Most pressings of this single incorrectly list the album’s original title—The First Supper. In the 1980s and 1990s, the original vinyl LP pressing of the album had become somewhat of a collector’s item due to its rarity and the fact that it came with a full-size color poster.

Morly Grey is an important historical musical example of the foundations of progressive rock and demonstrates how early 1970s psychedelic-style rock influenced later, more established progressive rock bands like Yes before the genre was know as "progressive".

Musicians: Tim Roller - Composer, All guitars, backing vocals, Mark Roller - Composer, Bass, Lead vocals, Paul Cassidy - Composer, Lead vocals, drums, Bob LaNave - drums (Side II of "The Only Truth").

Review and info from progressiveworld.net

Reviewed by: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck, December 2002

Morly Grey had only one album, titled The Only Truth. Originally released in 1969 on the Starshine label, it was a rare collector's item for years. Now it is available as a reissued and digitally remastered LP and CD by Comet Records. The first few original releases came packaged with a poster, which is reproduced beautifully from the original artwork as a bonus to this LP.

This great rock record is one of those amazing classics that you never heard, wish you did, and then wonder why you have not. The music sounds unexpectedly advanced considering the tracks were committed to tape in1969. You will hear rock, psychedelic sounds reminiscent of The Doors and Jimi Hendrix, and jazz-rock fusion, like on the track "Our Time." For a trio, their sound was an electrifying full exciting new sound that was just starting to make its way into the consciousness of young adventurous musicians. Bands like this jump-started the beginning of many major changes in music. The title track, which is a flat out progressive rock tour de force running over 17 minutes long, brings you full circle from a rocking entrance, to a spaced out eerie middle section, then to a meaningful powerful ending. I do not want to imply that it is something that you would hear today. It sounds more like a formative free form track that develops and comes to a head like a musical eruption exploding from the core of their base sound. The group works very hard to maintain and expand this format in many of their songs.

It comes as a shock that they did not continue to record after such a successful recording session as this. One never knows what the circumstances may have been at the time though. One thing I do know, they left their ineradicable mark on early progressive rock music.

Rating: 5/5

More about The Only Truth:

Track Listing: Side One: Peace Officer (5:30) / You Came To Me (4:12) / Who Can I Say You Are (3:40) / I'm Afraid (4:32) / Our Time (6:29)

Side Two: After Me Again (3:07) / A Feeling For You (2:33) / The Only Truth (17:02)

Musicians:
Tim Roller - all guitars, backing vocals
Mark Roller - bass, lead vocals
Paul Cassidy - guest vocals, drums (Side I)
Bob LaKnave - drums, percussion, lead vocals (Side II)