Windy Corner - 1973 - The House At Windy Corner

Windy Corner

1973

The House At Windy Corner

01. Song From The Very North 7:05
02. Blinkered Man's Staring Face 3:08
03. Waiting To Fall Back Asleep 6:24
04. The Palace Of Twelfe Phases 3:24
05. Sitting On A Throne 16:22
06. Wind Is Blowing 5:22

Bass Guitar, Vocals – Wim Steevels
Drums – Kees Van Weegberg
Guitar, Vocals – Rob Braam
Organ, Guitar, Vocals – Wim Vree

Recorded on January 22nd & 24th 1973 live at the Windy Corner rehearsal room.

Formed in Amsterdam in the late '60s, Windy Corner were a psychedelic folk-rock band who rarely played live. Using self-made instruments and amplifiers, they recorded long sessions at their rehearsal space in a cottage. In 1973, they released their first album, The House at Windy Corner, a 100 copies custom pressing on the collectable Deroy label. Underground progressive/psychedelic folk-rock with a charming home-made sound and fragile atmosphere. Dreamy vocals, organ, acoustic/electric guitars, bass and drums, similar at times to other obscure lo-fi psych bands like A-Austr or Ithaca. First-ever reissue. Remastered sound, original artwork, insert with liner notes and rare photos. Rated with the maximum rarity on the 2001 Record Collector Dreams book by Hans Pokora.

The album is filled with soft acoustic folk songs and I find the quality of the material to be very balanced from the start to the finish. No clear standout moments but nothing weak either. All of the songs are more or less decent and enjoyable and that's why this is exactly a three stars album in my opinion. If you're a hardcore acoustic folk fan this album is an essential listen but in case you're looking for some trippy acid folk you should look elsewhere.

This hitherto rarity was originally pressed up by Deroy Sound Services, a bespoke tape-to-disc business in Carnforth, Lancashire, ideally suited to manufacturing 100 copies of an album from a Dutch quartet with such idiosyncratic demands that they hand-built much of their equipment, designed their own sleeve and played vintage guitars of notorious unreliability but boundless atmospheric quality. No matter: this is high-class DIY rather than a botch job, and the music has immense charm, mixing acoustic drive with some fabulous Gibson and Hofner picking.

Composed in 1973, but not released for a year because of strikes and the oil crisis, songs such as Staring Face and the progressively inclined Palace Of Twelve Phases are powered by Wim Vre and Rob Braam with plangent fervor and instrumental élan; the somewhat tentative nature of the lyrics can be overlooked. Considering they seem to have recorded the album for a few Guilders and a packet of fuse wire, the results are spectacular, partially reminiscent of Ditchling’s Ithaca combo in terms of adventure, but otherwise unique and self-contained.

When the albums were posted back to Holland at a cost of £1.95, Windy Corner were offered five extra copies at a pound each. They declined. The original is worth a bit more than that now.

Formed in Amsterdam in the late '60s, Windy Corner were a psychedelic folk-rock band who rarely played live. Using self-made instruments and amplifiers, they recorded long sessions at their rehearsal space in a cottage. In 1973, they released their first album, The House at Windy Corner, a 100 copies custom pressing on the collectable Deroy label.