Oh yeah! Are you ready to get qualified??? Fans of John Martyn, Roy Harper, and Bert Jansch get ready for a little trip back to England in 1970 when the Harvest label was was playing mother hen to the psych-folk-rock scene. First time ever on CD and the first vinyl reissue in decades, this reissue of Michael Chapman’s classic 1970 album Fully Qualified Survivor sports re-mastered audio, old school tip-on gatefold jacket, 180-gram vinyl, rare archival photos, and notes by Mick Houghton (Uncut). And for you CD lovers, better put on your shades when picking this one up, as the silver foil deluxe Digipak is a real shiner!
Although not as well known as his peers, the name Michael Chapman is an important one in the linage of English folk rock guitarists and singer/songwriters of the late 60’s/early 70’s. For those unfamiliar with Chapman’s work, Roy Harper might be his closest musical cousin (and both artists were signed to EMI’s seminal stoner record label Harvest – also home to Kevin Ayers and Syd Barrett).
Like other Harvest artists, Chapman’s music contains a slightly drugged out feel, sublime guitar playing and intense lyrics. What makes Fully Qualified Survivor such a special album (besides being a vehicle for a young Mick Ronson’s mind-blowing guitar heroics) are the layers of beautiful acoustic guitars, deranged vocals, floating conga drums, and the cello of one Paul Buckmaster – the same man who provided the intense strings on Elton John’s dark masterpiece Mad Man Across The Water.
File this record between Roy Harper’s Flat Baroque and Berserk, John Martyn’s Inside Out, and Bert Jansch’s Jack Orion and you’ll be doing fine. The perfect album for a winter day and a joint.
Michael Chapman Fully Qualified Survivor hits the streets Tuesday, February 16th but you may PRE-ORDER it now HERE!
