Collected Works Of Jason Crest

Tuesday, August 9, 2022

I’m usually in some form of a depressive state of mind, which is generally the best time for me to go shopping for books or music. I came upon a compilation album by an English band called Jason Crest. That sounds like a horrible name for a group, but they were initially The Good Thing Brigade. So, of course, they were hopeless from the very beginning. They were active from 1967 to 1969 and disappeared like Orson Welles in The Third Man in the shadows of time or decay. I have always been attracted to failure in bands or artists, especially when they are outstanding.

Jason Crest was signed to Philips and released six 45 rpm singles but never made an album. This is ironic because those six singles add up to twelve songs, which is good enough for an American release. This group only had hit singles and their b-sides on their mind. Except at the end of the day, no hit songs, and b-songs are like a virus; they never disappear. Still, The Collected Works of Jason Crest is a remarkable presence from the British Psych-Pop world that still gives thrills.

Jason Crest is the teenage pop of its time. It’s all style, with fuzz guitars, tape manipulation, but especially the organ. It’s the organ that gives Jason Crest that special twee touch that is gold to my ears. The music sounds like it’s placed in a box that gives it an echo chamber, which is the opposite of Phil Spector, which is a huge sound. This sound is contained, with its phrasing bumps around the listening area. The other consistency is that the music is so catchy that it builds; again, the keyboard leads the pack. Almost minimal in its approach, but there is always the refrain or chorus that sticks.

The songs are written by their vocalist Terry Clark and Terry Dobson. Dobson plays the keyboards, and like Procol Harum, the songs are driven by the organ/piano. They cover The Move’s (Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree, which is appropriate because there are Roy Wood's touches throughout the album, and also they do the great Motown tune You Really Got A Hold On Me, which to their credit is more psych-pop than soul-pop. Their epic song is Black Mass, with backward guitars, darkened choir, vocals that sound like they were produced in Joe Meek’s studio, and that organ that keeps all the elements together.

Fritz Fryer is their producer, and he was the guitarist in a British Beat band, The Four Pennies. After working with Jason Crest, Fryer worked with another notable band, The Open Mind. I believe that Fryer gave Jason Crest their psych and slightly experimental sound because I heard live recordings of the band, and they are rocking and straightforward. Although their covers were pretty good doing songs like Paint it Black and Hazy Shade of Winter. I know I bring the band The Move into my writings currently, but I suspect that they were a significant influence on various bands of that era, especially Jason Crest. Their BBC live recordings remind me of Roy Wood’s (The Move) live show, where they covered various other songs, all in good taste, of course. So now, I’m interested in tracking all of Fritz Fryer’s recordings to see if he’s a stylist in the Psych-pop-rock mode.

Nevertheless, Jason Crest is a discovery that opens a portal hole in the British music world that will be an entrance to not only a hidden talent like Fritz Fryer but other artists/bands.

Black Mass

Turquoise Tandam Cycle

Teagarden Lane