Sandy Owen's Iliad with Sapphire House, USA 1978 [upgraded]

Iliad was the creation of a brilliant pianist-composer called Sandy Owen, the man on the left on the back of the record.  His first record called "Distances" displayed already the thoughtful, intelligent and melancholy style that he took through all his creations.

In the case of these two records a poor rip was circulating in mono which I felt didn't do the music justice at all.  The better album is this one, it's full of interesting ideas and gorgeous playing.

His interest in Greek mythology must strike present-day listeners as so very oddly anachronistic, who mostly would know these stories from hilariously done Hollywood remakes and cartoon-like renditions.  It's hard to believe those bronze age myths survived so many thousands of years but not our very own plastic age.

In the eighties he made several records which are in the same basic mold as the Iliads.

On this record Sandy on keyboards is assisted by his brother Ted Owen on acoustic guitar as well as percussion, Larry Andrews on basses (acoustic and fender), some wordless vocals by Nancy Eastman appear on the Waterfall track (B2), Bruce Teal plays oboe and french horn and Barbara Poulson on flute.  These woodwinds appear on the beautifully melancholy Beyond the North Wind (B2) as well as the masterpiece Aegean track (B4).

Here is that oboe-toned B2 for you: