MCDONALD AND GILES - MCDONALD AND GILES – 1970 (UK) progressive rock

Following the meltdown of the original King Crimson lineup, Ian McDonald and Michael Giles brought brother Peter Giles back, which helps to account, in some ways, for the resemblance of this album to the 1968 Giles, Giles & Fripp recordings — though the songs here tend to go on at some length, combining prog rock's traits of length and multiple sections with some of the lighter feel of the GG&F days. The 20 minute "Birdman" tends towards self-indulgence, while "People of Tomorrow (The Children of Today)" loses focus halfway and spends the next four minutes being a blithering — if pretty — musical idiot. The main attraction is really the performances turned in by McDonald and the Giles brothers — they all sound fabulous, even when waffling musically, while Michael Giles has a unique drum tone that never has been duplicated (Giles himself abandoned the sound for his later career in Jackson Heights and as a session drummer). Peter Giles returned to the accounting trade, alas, while Ian McDonald eventually wound up as part of Foreigner, which is another tale entirely.

- Ian McDonald / guitar, piano, organ, saxes, flute, clarinet, zither, vocals and sundries
- Michael Giles / drums, percussion (including milk bottle, handsaw, lip whistle and nutbox), vocals
- Peter Giles / bass guitar
- Steve Winwood / organ, and piano solo on Turnham Green
- Michael Blakesley / trombone on Tomorrow's People
- Peter Sinfield / lyricist
1. Suite in C including Turnham Green, Here I Am and others (11:15)
2. Flight Of The Ibis (3:11)
3. Is She Waiting? (2:36)
4. Tomorrow's People - The Children of Today (7:02)
5-10. Birdman (21:11) involving:
5. The Inventor's Dream (O.U.A.T.) (3:53)
6. The Workshop (2:51)
7. Wishbone Ascension (1:30)
8. Birdman Flies! (6:18)
9. Wings In The Sunset (0:40)
10. Birdman - The Reflection (5:59)

McDonald and Giles is early King Crimson with all of the edges rounded and smoothed, a bright, optimistic vibe, and a safe, comfortable approach to experimentation. In other words it is early King Crimson minus Robert Fripp.
Rip from CD 256@ (artwork included)
Download link
http://lix.in/ca76c6