Jan Akkerman and Kaz Lux tranquillizer

[MrDirtyrj]

niet slecht

[buckmanz]

@MrDirtyrj And still going strong as always even now that he passed

60. Amazing guitarist and person, he deserves so much more credit

than he is given.



[3984ja]

@buckmanz he sure is a legend and very underrated.

[winehousedrunk]

@buckmanz I've known his music for over 30 yrs and I've met him once, and you're right about him.

[mootech230]

Jan Akkerman & Kaz Lux ... of Kaz Lux & Jan Akkerman the best of the best

Made in the Netherlands, performed in the UK

We Dutch are so proud of them

Mo

[donottawaguitar]

cool deep cool

[hulldanfan]

Joachim Kuhn on Keys

P Vd Linden on Drums

Cees Van der Laarse on Bass

[tolkien2]

just found myself a new artist to explore, it sounds promising!!! I should´ve known, im dutch ffs...

[KlaasdeJong123]

Of course it is Pierrre on drums, you stupid women.

[cotorock123]

woww rare !!! this band is great i like so much for many year

[StormAlterEgo]

The best Television Program ever!!!!

[mitchpsychedelic]

I am going to see him live next year, and he should be proud to play there, Rory Gallagher played there too :O

[martinjp1958]

Saw this as it went out. Stuck a cassette near the TV. Spent 2 or 3 days working out my own arrangement from the tape. Learnt more from him and Steve Howe than nearly anyone. They made guitar music clear and understandable - to me anyway.

[FearRemainsBassist]

Beautifull bassline and the rest asswell ofcourse ;)

Realy Love the scream at 6:01 :D

[klankhaar]

"sound in the right speaker is not good"

[daviddemarezoyens]

Thanks a lot for posting this!

Who is the Bassplayer, is it Cees van der Laarse?

I love the way they start to fool around in 7/8 at the end of the keyboard solo. When Kaz comes in the drummer continues the 7 feel for one bar correcting with 9 in the second bar. This must be Pierre van der Linden.

Just great and groovy.

[zwwwz12]

its sounds like the connector of the right auio channel is not working properly. you see Jan struggeling with it in the beginning.

[progjazzfusion]

ha! no he's not fusing with the right output problem! it's just this recording transfer. it is 30 years old off someone's tape you know...sounds like old tape shedding it's particles and then plugging the right side heads...happened to me lots playing old tapes. Since this is really a mono source, the poster could just take the good left side and Y cable it to both L+R to get rid of the R garbage.

[musicminded64]

(Great Musicians.)

[musicminded64]

that... Guitar...

[Omnishere]

Great to see this. Big fan of Akkerman.

[winyl666]

Great vocal of Kaz Lux - Polish vocalist!! :)

[Gemjack]

Pure rock n rock roll

[Gemjack]

How good is Jan Akkerman,,, only Hendrix is better in my view,

[chrisart7]

I don't think that's Pierre van der Linden on drums. Pierre played with a mismatched grip (like one in a marching band, or a jazz cat), and the fills are not syncopated enough. Probably Bruno Castelucci or Richard Dubois who drummed on some Akkerman albums of the time.

[fretwired]

No, it's definitely Pierre van der Linden I saw the band in concert in London. Jan used a drum machine for this track on the Eli album which is what Pierre is emulating.

[hulldanfan]

I agree its not Van der Linden. He always played with a left 'underhand' style. I think its Richard Debois. He is co-credited with drums on the Eli album

[fretwired]

It's Van Der Linden - I went to a gig and saw him.

[mitchmitchell68]

the video is bit unclear but it is Pierre...drummers do not always play with same grip...here Pierre is using a more peter Erskine type of drumming.

[BimTor]

Great clip. Eli is a super album and Akkerman is a great guitarist. Saw Akkerman and Lux live on this tour.

[Jelledk]

he plays in april in a theater in vlissingen, im gonna play before him that night

[adindin]

Great song!

Thanx for posting this.

Kaz Lux is one of the greatest singers off Holland.

[gareththefireman]

"Sorely needed! my fuckin arse. Punk was shit from day one. I was there. It allowed talentless cunts to make a fortune via the media and they're still doing it today. The legacy of punk is Girls Allowed and Simon Cowbell. Fuckin shit.

[damalow2006]

Tell you something mate, The Damned didn't make a cent out of anything. Always skint they were. Talentless? No chance. Proof- "Damned Damned Damned"- living breathing evidence of what the essence of rock is all about.

[misterb12]

@gareththefireman

I think all those pints in Ye Olde Red Lion has put the zap on your head. Should have stayed on the boat.

[crimsonrush]

Punk was a London-based scam where public school boys pretented to be working-class. I was not fooled. New Wave? Nothing more than journalists lowering the musical bar so some of them could get record deals.

Young people today are seeking out music like prog because they like it. Unfashionable music has never been SAFE. Punk? The musical equivalent of Top Shop.

ELI is sublime...

;)

[damalow2006]

Absolute cobblers- Punk was sorely needed at a time when a lot of prog was indulgent and excessive.

For the record, I own nigh on everything by Focus/Akkerman/Van Leer as well as everything by The Damned (try their latest album "So Who's Paranoid?" it might just surprise you).

The link between the artists mentioned? Melodies and the ability to move me the way that good music should.

Top Shop? The worst prog would be M&S- Pompousness personified.

[crimsonrush]

No - the worst prog would be Ikea! :D

[damalow2006]

Lol! Very true.

By the way, I own 2 copies of "Eli" one UK and one German copy (both vinyl).

Have you got the CD? How does it sound compared to looked after vinyl copies on a good turntable?

[crimsonrush]

I have the UK vinyl of Eli and it's in very good condition. I have the cd. It's not outstanding but it's better than not having it at all. Seems to lack 'punch'.

By the way, yesterday afternoon a good buddy and I were extolling the virtues of The Damned. Indeed I was in a sort of punk band 2 years ago and we did New Rose! Coincidence eh? :)

[damalow2006]

Just ordered a copy of "Eli" on Dutch import CD for six quid, not bad eh?

As for "New Rose" well I think it still riles a lot of Pistols fans that it was the first commercial 7" released- Fantastic piece of raw R'n R really spontaneous brilliance!

The Damned never got the credit they deserved because the were seen as a bunch of cartoon characters compared to the "seriousness" of the rest (mainly down to the good Captain's arseing about).

[crimsonrush]

That's about what I paid for it back along. For 6 quid you can't really complain. I think the main drawback for The Damned was having a lead singer called 'Dave'. You just can't take a 'Dave' seriously. Sorry.

Best wishes,

Dave

[DannyDesperate]

This, folks, is the alternative view of '77 as proposed by the BBC and Whispering Barclay James-Harris. They desperatly hung onto the notion that punk would blow over and their safe, proggy jazz-rock scene would prevail despite pop music being in flames around them. It's called denial.

PS: Not unlike the way politicians in '08 think bailing out their good friends in the banks with our money and tapping them on the wrist is going to work... WAKEY WAKEY..

File under extinct.

[Eachran]

DannyDesperate, dont be so miserable. You could change your name to DannyOptimist.

Akkerman is just terrific and the band really swings.

For any interested I arrived here tonight via Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Lauritz Melchior, Kirsten Flagstad Maria Callas and Joni Mitchell.

Come on DannyDesperate lighten up, have a beer and listen to some Mozart String Quintets. You'll feel much better.

[DannyDesperate]

I applaud the musicality of your trail, for the most part, and also your suggestion, which leaves me somewhat perplexed that you fail to understand my comment. The BBC's musical necrophilia corrupted its already limited televised musical output. Euro-Prog was already dead from the feet up, as this clip neatly demonstrates. Elsewhere in NY music was about to DANCE properly...

[Eachran]

OK, the problem seems to be that I dont do fashion, my taste in music is catholic : the only rule is - is it good?

I would say that Akkerman in the 70s was as good as they come.

By the time the clip was taken I was already off Whispering Bob.

Normally when I recommend Mozart String Quintets I advise people to open a bottle of champagne too, but given you referred to the so-called crisis I thought that a bit of austerity was appropriate.

Good luck.

[DannyDesperate]

Pop music (or rather good pop music) IS about fashion, and has always been about fashion. It is an expression of a moment in time, whether Missy Elliot, Fred Astaire, Slim and Slam, Hendrix, Elvis, Otis, Liberace, Sex Pistols, Judy Garland, Prince, Sinatra, Chic, Stones etc. Once past the sell by date it becomes merely 'popular music' - a shell, a memory of something that once had meaning.

I'll stick to the Bach 'cello suites, with single malt whisky, if timelessness is required!

Cheers!!

[mmorgenster]

You are funny.

[DirkjeA]

You are so right, has nothing to do with the quality of the music shown, only with the intention of the programmers back than. Shame most punkbands had to give in to commerce (read most, so not all)

[Eachran]

thanks fretwired : great stuff and top flight.

[orangefunk]

haha.. I live in Lancaster... to think this band came here in 1977 is mind blowing... Joachim Kuhn in Lancaster!!!

[brainlove2]

Ik zoek beelden van Brainbox (het liefst alles van ze)Wie o wie kan me hiermee verder helpen?

De beste nederpop.groetjes

Brainlove

[howthewestwaswon2]

Incredible! Could have been a Brainbox reunion with 3 former bandmembers: singer Kaz Lux, drummer Pierre v.d. Linden and Jan Akkerman.

[simontonx]

Does any one know if I can get this album on CD (Eli)

A major influence in my life.

AWESOME STUFF!

[fretwired]

Yep, it's been available for sometime on CD and is also available in a Jap mini sleeve (smaller version of the original album artwork). You can buy it on evilbay as well.

[simontonx]

lol lol

Yes it can be a bit evil!!!

Thanks so much

All the best to you from Australia!

[deepindercheema]

Has someone been naughty and sneaked their camera into the BFi viewing room???

[crimsonrush]

OK, my 2 cent's worth. 'Eli' is one of my all-time favourite albums.I bought tickets for the Liverpool Empire show, but it was cancelled. I was so disappointed.

I saw this performance at the time (OGWT). In later years, after becoming intimate with 'Eli' I believe that they did not choose the best material to promote their concerts. They should have played 'Naked Actress' and 'Eli'. Kaz's vocals were certainly an acquired taste, but I loved them.Just my opinion guys. So what do YOU think? :)

[guyperry]

eli...a lost classic. agre entirely.

[chrisart7]

The studio LP "Eli" won the Edison award (the Dutch equivalent of the Grammy) for best album in 1976. I only wish Atlantic Records had properly promoted the LP in the U.S. It ended up in the cut-out bin very quickly, as did Akkerman's other albums from '76 - '80 until, as a 1980 song title said, "The Party's Over". This band had a remarkably talented line-up, and should have scored some hits, one would think. Like a hybrid of Focus and Brainbox with Joachim Kuhn thrown in for good measure.

[hammerandbear]

Thanks so much for this absolute gem..

Eli was a masterpiece!

"Eli cuts wood.." Kaz Lux is supreme..

I only wish I could find the other long deleted album they made,called I think..Transparental..

[timefurtherout]

Never thought I would ever see this again!!

Thank you.

[Rattenhoofd]

Does anyone know what the second song is called?

[chrisart7]

"There He Still Goes" - recorded on the "Eli" LP, 1976.

[Rattenhoofd]

Thanks :) I like it very much.

[guitarigg]

do you happen to know the singers name?

[chrisart7]

The singer is Kaz Lux (ex-frontman of Brainbox). The guitarist is Jan Akkerman (ex-guitarist of The Hunters, Brainbox, and Focus) who is still enjoying a solo career with his own band these days.

[guitarigg]

thanks, i wasn't sure of the singer cause i've never been familiar with his name. Man i love that tranquilizer song though, it has a sick groove to it.

[guitarigg]

also do you know the name of the song he plays with Kaz Lux?

[hulldanfan]

Its called 'There he Still Goes' from the Eli album - still available

[gtarjo]

Album Eli. There he goes. grt.

[chrisart7]

It was called the Akkerman-Lux band, I recall. For some strange reason Kaz Lux was booed offstage in 1977 when they toured in the UK. Don't know why---his vocals sound like early, bluesy Rod Stewart in some ways. But then punk was on the rise at this time, and 30-year-old hippies and their were highly "suspect" in the eyes of the younger crowd. "Tranquilizer" is timeless, and excellent. The second track dates a bit. Joachim Kuhn is a monster talent on keyboards. Good choice, Jan!

[chrisart7]

...and their MUSIC (sorry, I omitted the word in my first comment) were highly "suspect"...

[fretwired]

Jan was asked by Kaz Lux to help him with an album - it ended up as a joint effort. Kaz wasn't booed - someone in the audience at a gig shouted out "get a new singer Jan". People wanted Jan to play some Focus tunes. Kaz suffered because he was on stage one minute and off the next whilst Jan and the band went off on a jazz rock jam. Jan played most of what would become the Jan Akkerman album (cover has Jan in bed with a guitar) - I wish I'd got footage of that as it was awesome.

[chrisart7]

Glad to hear it. I quite liked Kaz' vocals in Brainbox and on the "Eli" album. I'm sure that Focus' catalog was the last thing Jan wanted to play live at the time, having just left the band. In the past I'd also read that the producer of "Eli" and the subsequent LP wasn't happy with Pierre van der Linden's jazzy drum sound. I thought "Floatin'" was the best drum track on the subsequent LP! Jan and Pierre worked marvellously together in several groups.

[fenderstringbender]

thank you so much for this, this is excellent!

[Sonofcheepniz]

Incidentally, Fretwired, any more where this came from?

For Akkerman fans (and who isn't) there are two vids on YouTube of a very recent performance demonstrating that the Master has lost none of his brilliance.

[dacheungchan]

As I recall seeing the show, it was a Japanese guitar-which he did not like. In fact he began playing and the guitar or amp broke, so what your are seeing and hearing is the second attempt of Tranqulliser

[Sonofcheepniz]

Brilliant vid! Thanks very much for posting. This is on a par with the vid of Focus playing Hocus Pocus at a US tv show.

cheers, SOC

[hulldanfan]

Jan used to play a Gibson ESD 1275 twin neck, but although this looks like a Gibson its not one I recognise

[john8658]

I think Jan's playing an Ibanez Artist doubleneck 2640

[hulldanfan]

Thats some shout. Ive checked a couple of pictures and I think you're right

[john8658]

To be exact: it's an Ibanez 2670RE Artwood Twin double neck

[crimsonrush]

Yep, what these guys said. The design has a lot of the traits of an Ibanez Bob Weir.

[deepindercheema]

I actually OWN that very J.Akkeraxe Gibson ESD 1275 which I purchased from Jan a few years ago. I would like to know where he used the guitar. Jan is playing an old Ibanez twin neck that was inspired by the Rex Bogue custom guitar made for John McLaughlin. Jan was not happy with this guitar, and the nights are cold in North Holland....

[g9jim]

Cool vid. Anyone know what guitar Jan's playing?