#Spooky Tooth #Gary Wright #Mike Harrison #hard rock #blues rock #psychedelic rock #progressive rock #classic rock #British R&B #proto-prog #proto-metal #1960s #1970s
Spooky Two is this British blues-rock band's pièce de résistance. All eight of the tracks compound free-styled rock and loose-fitting guitar playing, resulting in some fantastic raw music. With Gary Wright on keyboards and vocals and lead singer Mike Harrison behind the microphone, their smooth, relaxed tempos and riffs mirrored bands like Savoy Brown and, at times, even the Yardbirds. With some emphasis on keyboards, songs like "Lost in My Dream" and the nine-minute masterpiece "Evil Woman" present a cool, nonchalant air that grooves and slides along perfectly. "I've Got Enough Heartache" whines and grieves with some sharp bass playing from Greg Ridley, while "Better by You, Better Than Me" is the catchiest of the songs, with its clinging hooks and desperate-sounding chorus. The last song, "Hangman Hang My Shell on a Tree," is a splendid example of the bandmembers' ability to play off of one another, mixing soulful lyrics with downtrodden instrumentation to conjure up the perfect melancholia. Although Spooky Tooth lasted about seven years, their other albums never really contained the same passion or talented collaborating by each individual musician as Spooky Two. From: https://www.allmusic.com/album/spooky-two-mw0000191912
Part of the early 70s British hard rock scene, Spooky Tooth had a towering sound, highlighted by swelling keyboards and, in founding members Gary Wright and Mike Harrison, two full-throated blue-eyed soul singers. Crucial to their sound was their instrumentation; they were one of the few acts within the rock forum of the time to adopt the twin keyboard approach (both an organ and a piano player). From: http://www.spookytooth.sk/bio.html
