TOUCH [AKA: 20-20 SOUND]
Touch
•Proto-Prog
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4.02
| 113 ratings | 17 reviews | 30% 5 stars
Excellent addition to any |
Studio Album, released in 1969 Songs / Tracks Listing 1. We Feel Fine (4:41) - Jeff Hawks / vocals
Artwork: The Glass Eye and to Quinino for the last updates Edit this entry |
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TOUCH Touch [Aka: 20-20 Sound] ratings distribution
(113 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of rock music(30%)Excellent addition to any rock music collection(42%)Good, but non-essential (20%)Collectors/fans only (6%)Poor. Only for completionists (2%)
TOUCH Touch [Aka: 20-20 Sound] reviews
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Collaborators/Experts Reviews
PROG REVIEWER
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Jazz-Rock Specialist
However, an American recording slipped in the UK and really got me - it still holds on 37 years later. This was Touch's first and only album. And this was 1969. Friends whocould afford to regularly weekend in the London underground clubs, quickly picked up on Touch, buying the import. These clubs were where Hendrix and many of the rock celebs went after hours, where the DJs had to be on the ball with new music. I willing to gamble that members of Yes, Genesis and many other bands, then still to make the break into the big time, were listening to this stuff and were influenced. Some months after the USA release "Touch" was finally released in the UK by Decca on their Deram speciality label. At the time this release was rumouredto be in exchange for a Pentangle album being released in the USA!! (In passing, the difference between the US and UK releases: both were gatefolded, the US version folding out to a full 18 by 12, while the UK less clever but folding out to 24 by 12 and also included a poster -I still have it).
Touch's record readily meets my criteria for progressive rock: music that progressed rock music to new boundaries - and in 1967 to 68 when this was recorded, there was little risk of overlap with other bands' music. I don't deny that with the sun in west, the wind behind you and on a downhill run, you may hear their garage and psychedelic antecedents but.... But I point you to the ideas expressed in the lyrics on several of their tunes, that predate similar ideas touted better known prog bands, (e.g. the anti-school thing of Waters/Floyd in "The Wall", shown in "Miss Teach"). Compared to many prog recordings of the 70's, instrumentation here may sound primitive but the major developments in musical technology exploited by prog bands, occurred from 1970 onwards. Even so the playing is good, and the arrangement by Gallucci outstanding: it is evident innovative studio techniques were being used to produce new sonic effects. With the particular examples of the two tracks (particular long term favourites, played over and over again) "Alesha & Others" and "75" - particularly when run in sequence for a 13 minute plus prog gem - these have many forms of arrangement heard later in British prog releases, e.g. the rondoing used by Tony Banks.
Shift forward 20 years and the 90's. I couldn't understand why virtually every American acquaintance, who professes a long term love of prog rock, has never heard of Touch - remember I'm a Brit. Surely somebody recalls this classic album across the Atlantic? Edward Macan makes no reference to Touch in his book "Rocking the Classics" - although mention of Touch would throw one of Macan's central theses about the origins of prog, off kilter. Checking US web sites of prog artists you won't found reference to Touch until recently. Jerry Lucky's entry on Touch (Progressive Rock Files) is very brief. In deed a forgotten gem but a record which is seminal in the development of UK and USA progressive rock.
A fuller Touch discography: Touch (Colisseum/London Records,USA LP, 1969)� Touch (Deram DML 1033 [mono] SML1033[stereo] UK LP, 1969) � Touch (Remastered/remixed, inc. outtakes) (Renaissance CD cat no RCD1001, 1992) � Buried Treasures (outtakes plus tracks by Stray Dog and Gracious, Renaissance CD, cat no. RCD 1006, 1992) � Touch (for North American market: remastered/remixed, inc. all outtakes, Wild Places Records CD, 2003 - currentlyavailable directly from the label) Touch (for European market: remastered/remixed, inc. all outtakes on CD issued 2003, Eclectic Records , ECLCD 1005)
PROG REVIEWER
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk
The original album was impressive enough, especially the 75 track and Spiritual Death developping lenghty athmospheres very reminiscent of Vanilla Fudge's best moments , most notably in the torured Hammond organ sound , heavy drumming and even at times the vocals. The shorter tracks while still reminding you of VF, are more in acid-psych rock one might find on Kaleidoscope (US psych not UK folk group).
As for the bonus tracks , two are oustanding Blue Feeling and We Finally Met Today , both recorded at the time but not included for space reasons. Two other are live studio demos and less interesting , but the last one if not really in scope with the rest of the album is an excellent full-blown prog pieces written for 73 soundtrack (although never released). Eerie and grandiose...... Makes you cry that there was not another bunch of tracks like that one.
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
In 1968 a group of musicians from the West Coast of the United States came together to record this shinning example of what we now call symphonic prog rock. Yes, it immersed in the psychedelic sound and yes, has some extremely popish moments but in the end you can't deny that you have heard prog rock. This album is NOT proto-prog it is prog.
The keyboards played by Don Gallucci are certainly on par with what Keith Emerson was doing with the Nice at the same time some great organ sounds and piano. He uses a variety of organs to achieve different moods since that would be his only choice at the time. The arraignments are very symphonic especially when you consider the time.
I contend that when you listen to Friendly Birds you will hear the origins of Yes and Genesis. There are parts of Alisha and Others and Seventy Five where I swear it is Jon Anderson signing. (Part of this is born out in the liner notes where it states members of Yes consider this an early influence). I hear Pink Floyd and Kansas in other parts. (Again Kerry Livgren states Touch and the song seventy five were a major influence on his writing). I can hear where Uriah Heep were influenced in the music.
If anyone out there cares about the origins of this great music we embrace you cannot ignore this CD. Having undergone a re-master process an re-released a in 2003 by UK Eclectic records you now can experience this again. Find it Amazon among other stores.
It has been unburied and the legend of this CD has to come to light. This album was written and recorded in 1968 and released in early 1969 before In the Court of The Crimson King. Unlike Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Freak Out this music is very structured using classical and jazz influences as well as having some of trappings of the psychedelic bands of the time. In other words it sounds more like the music from the period of 1970-5 than the music that became before it. It was also written and recorded in Los Angeles, Ca not England.
The only reason this CD is not well known is because the group refused to tour and it faded quickly after a successful start in 1969 because the record company would no longer support it. It is too bad because there are a couple of live in the studio tracks in the bonus section which showed these fine musicians could have pulled it off on stage. If they had then this album would be the album everyone would point to.
Ignore it at your own peril when speaking of the beginnings of the genre. It is essential to everyone who listens to prog. 5 Stars
PROG REVIEWER
Kerry Livegren from KANSAS had this to say about TOUCH. "I first heard their music while driving back from a gig in western Kansas sometime in 1969 or 70. It was about 2am and I was listening to a powerful AM station out of Arkansas. I got about halfway through the song "Seventy Five" before I had to pull off the road and listen (it's been a long time since i've done that).The next day I bought two copies of their album, one to absorb and one for posterity.Their song writing, musicianship and arrangements were quite an inspriration to me.They were way ahead of their time, and one of the best American progressive bands". The music is good but I wouldn't consider this a 4 stars album by any means.
"The Spiritual Death Of Howard Greer" is my favourite although there is a poppy section around 5 minutes."Seventy Five" ends in an experimental manner which would have been unique for that time i'm sure. A good album that deserves to be heard just because of it's status as one of the first Prog albums.
PROG REVIEWER
STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012
Latest members reviews
365 Days of Prog - Day 39/365 This album is a solid 5 STARS for me, I have heard it a few times now and each time it has grown more and more dear to me. At first, I was put off by this album because it was hard to find, the sound-quality was pretty bad and the cover looked really odd in my op ... (read more)
Report this review (#2691343) | Posted by 365 Days of Prog | Friday, February 11, 2022 | Review Permanlink
"An interesting case of Proto-Prog" Many years ago I got this reissue (from 2003) as a promo for a Dutch progrock magazine, I had never heard of this USA band, but on the Internet I read many positive reviews, close to euphoric. ... (read more)
Report this review (#2220560) | Posted by TenYearsAfter | Thursday, June 13, 2019 | Review Permanlink
I was in my first year at university when we spotted the unusual cover which the Touch album had at the time. Once hearing it for the first time, it immediately became one of our unique pieces of music that we shared many hours turning new listeners on to it. I would love to buy a new C.D. re ... (read more)
Report this review (#455805) | Posted by groucho | Wednesday, June 1, 2011 | Review Permanlink
this is one of the greatest albums of all time... SO perfect. When I first heard it I didn't see what was so special about it but when I listened to it more something snapped and I was blown away, SO good. I highly recommend getting this album for all fans of any old school progressive rock or ... (read more)
Report this review (#101616) | Posted by | Monday, December 4, 2006 | Review Permanlink
Great album. I saw the group Touch in 1968 at a nightclub in Hollywood, Ca. I was impressed by their performance. I bought the album when it came out. I still have it. I enjoy all the songs. "We Feel Fine" reminds us of when everyone thought L.A. was going to slide into the ocean. "Miss Teach" ... (read more)
Report this review (#84104) | Posted by RikyLopez | Tuesday, July 18, 2006 | Review Permanlink
Oh how in love I was with this album from the late 60s! I was somewhere around 13 or 14 and listened to this, Zappa's "We're Only In It For The Money" & "Lumpy Gravy" and whatever Beatles album was out at the time. I was seriously smitten. Touch is the story of a record label saying, "You won't ... (read more)
Report this review (#79991) | Posted by x_bruce | Thursday, June 1, 2006 | Review Permanlink
This record is not perfect, but close enough. Released a full year before King Cimson's 1st,this seems to be the original blueprint for many symphonic prog records to come. This must have sounded striking in 1968 . Sure, there were the Mothers, Velvets, Pink Floyd and other amazing bands precedin ... (read more)
Report this review (#71593) | Posted by | Friday, March 10, 2006 | Review Permanlink
There is a great recent cd reissue of this album readily available so there is no excuse for not owning it and yet only a handfull of people can be bothered to check it out. This is a real shame because this album blows away much of the best output of the major bands and let's not forget the h ... (read more)
Report this review (#62298) | Posted by | Friday, December 30, 2005 | Review Permanlink
To call this album anything less than a masterpiece would be a sin to prog rock. I first heard this record in (1969) and I have been hooked ever since. I have my original copy of their album and an 8 track I found in a bargen bin in Ohio in (1970). As a touring musicain I've never met anyone who ... (read more)
Report this review (#34494) | Posted by | Tuesday, May 3, 2005 | Review Permanlink
A wonderfull, lost album that has just been released on CD with bonus tracks. We feel fine the opener is a powerful opener which rocks hard with some great guitar. The best track is "Down at Circe's Place" which sounds like nothing else on earth. Production is stunning for the time (1969). Thi ... (read more)
Report this review (#34490) | Posted by Steve Boyce | Tuesday, March 22, 2005 | Review Permanlink
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