(Buying the albums sampled on “Picnic”).
Track 2 on Side 2 is “Area Three”, which is the one on which John Peel plays jaws harp. It is the third longest piece on the record, at 8.27. In many ways it resembles “Ghetto Raga”, but on a much smaller scale. The tabla is not present in the intro, and comes in first as a series of grumbling, rumbling, staccato phrases. There is then a mini version of the 5 semitone violin slide as the tabla comes in full time. However, this is not so much of a “door opening” as a cat-flap opening. The piece trundles along in a most pleasing fashion, not least due to the jaws harp twanging away throughout.
The penultimate track on the album, track 3 on Side 2, is “Dragon Lines”, which is 5.27 minutes long. Of all the pieces on the LP, this one succeeds best at fitting its title. A gong is used intermittently; this, combined with undulating melodies from the violin, make the tune strongly evocative of the dance of a traditional processional Chinese dragon.
The last track on the record, “Lark Rise”, is the shortest, being a mere 2.44 minutes long. It is also quite unlike anything else on the record. It is the only one not credited to the band, being written by Dave Tomlin, who also plays the main violin part on it. It has a very distinct melody, much more so than any of the other tunes, and has a positively Scottish feel to it. Towards the end, the violin switches from the left channel to the right and vice versa, creating a very odd stereo effect. A perfect way to end this splendid album.
Listentomusicanywhere's Blog 
Comments