National Health-Of Queues And Cures (1978)

With this album by National Health, the golden age of the Canterbury sound practically came to an end, a movement that had emerged a decade earlier thanks to such emblematic bands as Soft Machine, Caravan, Egg, and Hatfield and the North, among others. National Health was a latecomer to this movement, formed in the mid-seventies, and after several releases, they ceased to exist shortly after the start of the eighties. With a musical style where their influences from jazz-rock and classical music are more than evident, their three releases are considered masterpieces of the genre. In 1978, they released their second full-length album, "Of Queues and Cures", curiously released in the same year as their debut album, but nine months later. Formed by four excellent musicians with extensive experience Dave Stewart (organ and keyboards), Phil Miller (guitar), John Greaves (bass), and Pip Pyle (drums) all former members of some of the greatest British bands of all time, such as Khan, Egg, Matching Mole, Hatfield and the North, and Gong, this splendid album ranges from tracks bordering on free jazz rock, like the frenetic "The Bryden Two-Step (For Amphibians)", to experimental pieces such as the dark "Squarer for Maud", and including exciting and dynamic musical exercises like "Dreams Wide Awake" and "Binoculars". Undoubtedly one of the most important works of the Canterbury scene, this album transcends the boundaries of avant-garde and jazz rock, taking us on a musical journey as exceptional as it is unique.