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Locomotive - We Are Everything You See 1970 Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock “I am everything you see and what is more/You will never see me in around at anybody’s door/I am positioned to the wind and what is more/I am father of a thousand children mother/Of a thousand million more.” The opening line from Locomotive’s Mr. Armageddon from their only debut album, We Are Everything You See released in 1970, illustrates the views of the political violent protests and the civil rights movement in the late ‘60s with the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, it was a difficult time and for a band that could have been huge and adding structures of Jazz, Classical Music, and an homage to Mussorgsky’s epic Pictures at an Exhibition, it goes to show how Locomotive and Norman Haines were one of the most unsung bands of the late ‘60s. 41 years later since it was released in February 1970, it is considered one of the most hidden gems of the progressive music scene and Haines should be very proud of the work he has done creating this unbelievable mind-blowing album that deserves the attention and the recognition it finally deserves. Since it was out of print as the reissue label Eclectic Discs had filed for bankruptcy in 2007, Mark Powell decided it was time to give the album another chance with Esoteric Recordings and marking the 40th anniversary of Locomotive’s We Are Everything You See. This is an album that you need to take notice and take a few listens to hear and why this band was ahead of their time. Originally released in the Parlaphone label which was home to the Beatles in 1970, We Are Everything You See is a again a mix of Psych/Prog mixed in the Orchestral Jazz Fusion format and you got yourself an album that renders of the Beatles Sgt. Pepper-era as if it was the early beginnings of symphonic prog. Beginning with the beautiful Beethoven-sque Overture as it segues into the single Mr. Armageddon. The mixture of Jazz and Soul is perfect combinations for Norman Haines as he creates a psych-soul sound on the organ while the band members including the saxophonists, bring a dramatic structure to the piece. Mick Hincks doesn’t get enough credit for his amazing bass lines including the introduction on Now is the End / The End is When as he is doing an early reminiscent of Greg Lake and Paul Jackson of Herbie Hancock fame while the booming sax section comes in with the insanity of the disorder on the tritone with Lay Me Down Gently. The driven composition of Nobody Asked You to Come is a powder keg that features Haines and Hincks creating a moody and dark atmosphere with some cryptic passages which are hypnotic and could keep on going for only 5-minutes more. You Must Be Joking, which was released as a B-side to Mr. Armageddon features some of the dark elements to the A-side. It deals with taking your own life not to mention the lyric “What a peculiar twist/when she cut her wrist.” You have to admit Haines had balls and pushed the envelope to deal with this topic on the suicide watch, but this is a powerful and emotional number that is a wake-up call to people who are thinking of taking their own lives. It wasn’t until Norman left the band to start The Norman Haines Band releasing Den of Iniquity while the others formed The Dog That Bit People. Should you have a quick understanding on how Locomotive were one of the most underrated bands to come out before fading away. An underground independent record yet unsung and superb reissue done by Esoteric Recordings and let’s hope they get a chance to reissue Aphrodite’s Child’s 666. Tracklist 1 Overture 0:00 2 Mr. Armageddon 2:03 3 Now Is The End - The End Is When 6:27 4 Lay Me Down Gently 9:42 5 Nobody Asked You To Come 13:41 6 You Must Be Joking 16:56 7 A Day In Shining Armour 20:56 8 The Loves OF Augustus Abbey - Part One 24:25 9 Rain 25:32 10 The Loves Of Augustus Abbey - Part Two 28:57 11 Coming Down 30:26 12 The Loves Of Augustus Abbey 34:57 13 Times Of Light And Darkness 36:19 Credits Backing Vocals – Mick Hincks Bass – Mick Hincks Design [Sleeve Design] – Rainbow Studios Drums – Bob Lamb* Engineer [Sound] – Jeff Jarratt Executive-Producer – Tony Hall (4) Harpsichord – Norman Haines Lead Vocals – Mick Hincks (tracks: B3), Norman Haines Mellotron – Norman Haines Organ – Norman Haines Percussion – Bob Lamb* Piano – Norman Haines Producer – Gus Dudgeon Tenor Saxophone – Bill Madge, Chris Mercer, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Lyn Dobson Trumpet – Henry Lowther, Mick Taylor (5)
