Day Of Phoenix - Wide Open N-Way (1970) [2012, Esoteric, ECLEC2331] Re-up

As you can expect from an album the title song should be a highlight. Not true in every case - but this time by all means. When listening to Wide Open N-Way you're first immediately forced to believe that this is an american westcoast psych band. Accent-free vocals and a very cool straightforward sound with acoustic guitar. But then they are showing another second sight right away with a weird piano and guitar echoes dominated krautrocked interlude. And that's nowhere near enough - we also have high speed guitar jamming (with some slight technical problems) - and then surprisingly coming back to the main theme in between. Very complex what can be stated for nearly the whole album by the way.

The two Cellophane parts are noticeably headed by Karsten Lyng and Ole Prehn delivering an excellent accentuated virtuoso twin guitar work. And then Mind Funeral has to be mentioned - they didn't take the song title literally by the way - as for the compositional aspect at least. The song consists of two different moods - first the solid westcoast psych touch. And then the band takes a deep breath in the second half and offers a wonderful jamming jazzy part which you may not have expected when listening for the first time.

'Wide Open N-Way' is not plain psych/space music - you should brace yourself for sophisticated psychedelic based rock with some jazz elements by contrast - sometimes even eclectic and ahead of the times in 1970. Highly recommended because absolutely enjoyable even nearly 40 years later!

by Rivertree, progarchives

FIRST EVER UK OFFICIAL RELEASE OF THE CLASSIC 1970 PROG-ROCK ALBUM DANISH BAND - DAY OF PHOENIX
NEWLY REMASTERED WITH TWO RARE BONUS TRACKS

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce a newly remastered edition of the classic 1970 album by Danish Progressive Rock outfit DAY OF PHOENIX.

The band comprised a line-up of HANS LAURIDSEN (Vocals), KARSETN LYNG (Guitar), OLE PREHN (Guitar & Vocals), ERIK STREDT (Bass & Piano) and HENRIK FRIIS (Drums) and their musical blend of Progressive and Psychedelic music attracted the attention of producer and former COLOSSEUM bass player TONY REEVES, who produced this album. "Wide Open N-Way” secured a British release in early 1971 on the short lived Greenwich Gramophone imprint and earned the band a place in the list of cult European Prog rock heroes.
This Esoteric Recordings reissue has been newly remastered from the original master tapes and includes two bonus tracks taken from the band’s first single. The reissue features a booklet that fully restores all original album artwork with a new essay.

~ cherryred

Day Of Phoenix Biography

DAY OF PHOENIX hails from Denmark and was formed in 1968. The first line-up consisted of native english singer/guitarist Cy Nicklin, drummer Henrik Friis plus Ole Prehn, Karsten Lyng and Jess St?hr - all three ex-members of a band called 'The Maniacs'. During the early days they released the single 'Tell me / I think it's gonna rain today' and wrote one soundtrack before Nicklin suddenly left to join the band 'Culpeper's Orchard'.

Tony Reeves - bassist of the early Colosseum band - was the producer of their first long player 'Wide Open N-Way'. It was recorded in Copenhagen and is pointed out as the jewel of the band's musical history. With new vocalist Hans Lauridsen and bassist Erik Stedt substituting St?hr they worked out an ambitious psychedelic based album with references to the US West Coast style. Additionally provided with folk and jazz elements it has a reputation nowadays in the progressive rock scene and is receiving excellent reviews. 1971 the next single 'Deep Within The Storm / Chicken Skin' followed.

And then DAY OF PHOENIX fall apart because Erik Stedt died unexpectedly. The band had to be reorganized with the remaining Prehn and Lyng. After the split of Burnin' Red Ivanhoe Ole Fick, Jess St?hr and Bo Thrige Andersen joined to record the new album 'The Neighbour's Son'. Compared to the foreunner it contains shorter and more plain rock songs and is frequently evaluated as a disappointment. St?hr, Fick and Anderson went on to rebuild Burnin' Red Ivanhoe afterwards.

1979 the danish sublabel of swedish Sonet Grammofon reissued both DAY OF PHOENIX albums as a 2LP release followed by a Universal Music digitally remastered version in 2000.

~ progarchives