Let's start with Akkerman and Lux. Jan Akkerman, to me at least, is the best guitar player ever to come from the Netherlands. In the 60ties he played bluesrock-deluxe with Brainbox, after that went on to form legendary progrock avant la lettre band Focus. After one clash too many with fellow composer and band member Thijs van Leer, Akkerman continued as a solo artist, playing with numerous great musicians (e.g. Paco Pena, BB King, Claus Ogerman) and many concert halls around the world. Kaz Lux was discovered as a singer at a contest, after which he immediately was asked to join Brainbox. In the earlier work of Brainbox you can already hear the talent in his voice: a bit hoarse, great emotion, and, when he goes up, a beautyful sort of vibrato.
Eli is sometimes considered a solo album of Jan Akkerman. That is just nonsense. The moment you press play on your CD-player (or whatever machine you're using), you hear the voice of Lux; solo. The first one and a half minute of the album is a capella with Lux telling dreams about Eli chopping wood and meeting fairy creatures. Mixed with a fair dose of echo, I have never heard an album start of like that. Later on, Akkerman joins in with some great chords, adding to the saga Lux puts on display.
After Eli, Akkerman enters the next track with a funky guitar lick. Funny to hear how he makes his guitar sound almost like a keyboard. Great bass lines were played by Warwick Reading, a name I haven't seen or heard of ever again. Or, is it Akkerman himself who plays bass? Anyway, maybe the bass and the keyboard-sound alike by Akkerman could have made it into something done by Weather Report, but Lux' singing transforms the track more towards a pop song.
The third track of the album is a quintessential Akkerman piece. It is called Tranquillizer, and yes, it has got a double L in it. The track starts, and ends with a very simple drum loop, just two bass beats, one snare. It almost sounds as if it is programmed on a drum computer. Something Akkerman got more familiar with on albums like 'Can't stand Noise' (1986). A modest bass accompanies Akkerman, creating an open setting for Akkerman's great licks and sound to prosper.
The fourth song, and the last one on side A, is by Kaz Lux. Again, a strong drum beat continues throughout the song, but much more lively than in Tranquillizer. Apart from Lux' singing, this song has got keyboards, piano, guitar, and they all got their piece of the pie. Interesting to see that a song by the singer, gives plenty of room to the other musicians. To me, this says something about Lux, who I always considered a likable fellow. After about five and a half minute, the song is faded out. In my mind, they might have gone on for another hour...
The first track of side B (you can see I took the original vinyl album ;-)) is called 'There he still goes'. I cannot distinguish all that Lux is singing, but I kept on thinking about the title... isn't there some grammatical error in there? Who cares, Caspar! Anyway, this one I like a lot. It starts with hi-hat drumming and a great bass line, after which follows a funky song with Lux in great shape. What's more: this is good moment to introduce the girls in the background. It's Maggie MacNeal, Margriet Eshuis, and Patricia Paay. All ladies with a respectable career of their own. Especially La Paay is still a fashionable socialite. During the seventies (Caspar's favorite decade) they made various appearences with Dutch rockers, for example on Street by Herman Brood, or Cuby and the Blizzards. But, especially Eshuis and MacNeal, they made various records of their own.
A funny track comes up next. It's called Strindberg, and I never understood why, or who this Strindberg might be. Now I find out that this is a Scandinavian playwrite, honoured this way by Lux. The song itself is a nice piano tune, for which the keyboard player Rick van der Linden is credited. It showcases Lux and his great dramatic voice, once again.
Wings of Strings, the next song, is Akkerman all over. In the intro he goes fast, when a piano and keyboard accompany him, slows down, but Akkerman is in the lead, nice and controlled, almost classical by his technique.
The eighth, and penultimate song of the record is called Naked Actress. Now, it is somehow a continuation of the first track Eli. We can check this on the inlay my own copy has got with the whole text on it. This track though, starts with a cool percussion, done by bongo master Neppie Noya, who also played on more classical 70's stuff. I just love Lux' text when he sings "I do have my moods from time to time. Perfection! That's what I hope to find. Perfection..."
With that statement, just about reaching perfection, the album could have ended for me. Curiously, it is not. There is one more track called Fairytale, the only song on the album that is not credited for either Lux or Akkerman, but Jasper van 't Hof. Maybe the song doesn't contribute too much musically, but I feel that both the title of the song, and the emotion it contains are perfect to end the album.
So, there we have it. This great album sold well in the Netherlands, and won an Edison Award. To me it is the perfect blend of two spectacular musicians, accompanied by the finest musicians around in those days. Unfortunately, only now I find out that Eli is not available on Spotify, but maybe you can find it on Itunes. Just to make sure that all of you who are anxious to have a go at it, here it is on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTTGFeAyUhc
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