Egg

If I ever find
What I’m looking for
I will be absorbed
And never write again

Egg, “I Will Be Absorbed”

Band Personnel:
Dave Stewart: organ, piano, tone generator
Hugo Martin Montgomery (Mont) Campbell: bass, vocals
Clive Brooks: drums

Solidly ensconced in progressive rock’s beloved “Canterbury Scene” (due to later associations), Egg was actually hatched in London as a four-piece known as Uriel, above lineup plus flash guitarist Steve Hillage. The latter quit to attend University of Kent, other three changing band name and signing with Decca’s prog-rock label, Deram. Issued quirky, punningly titled single “Seven is a Jolly Good Time” b/w “You Are All Princes” in August 1969, but not before ex-Urielite Hillage briefly returned, group making one-off psychedelic LP as “Arzachel” for a tiny fly-by-night label (members using creative assumed names and bios for contractual reasons, and all only 17 to 19 years old). The original vinyl of Arzachel has attained legendary status and today exchanges hands for a king’s ransom.

Self-titled debut Egg album recorded October 1969, blues producer/historian Neil Slaven overseeing. A power trio with singer Campbell’s Stravinsky-inspired compositions providing bulk of material, Hammond organ chops by Dave Stewart (no relation to the Eurythmics musician), and Brooks’s dextrous drumming, comparisons to Nice and Emerson, Lake & Palmer were hardly surprising. Egg, however, were much less flamboyant as performers, seemingly more interested in challenging audiences – and themselves – with complex arrangements and meters.

Second album, The Polite Force, continued the dark, dense vibe of the debut, with mix of short melodic pieces featuring Campbell’s erudite singing and long, faux-classical instrumentals. The multi-segmented opening cut “A Visit to Newport Hospital” dealt lyrically with an early residency on Isle of Wight and became a favorite amongst fans. Though major commercial success would remain elusive (Egg seemingly priding themselves on being enigmatic), critics held band in fairly high regard.

L to R: Brooks, Campbell, Stewart

But lack of label support mixed with restlessness of members effectively cracked Egg after only two albums. Drummer Brooks joined The Groundhogs. Campbell became a plumber and graphic designer and studied mysticism. Stewart joined Canterbury all-star group Hatfield and the North (which later transitioned into National Health, Campbell also briefly contributing to this band in beginning). A reunion LP, The Civil Surface, appeared in 1974, comprised of tracks Campbell had composed prior to breakup. A confident effort, it nonetheless indicated band moving away from earlier intriguing prog arrangements and closer to complex electronic fusion typical of late-period Canterbury Scene.

Stewart has since achieved major success with wife Barbara Gaskin (ex-Spirogyra), their 1981 cover of Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party” hitting #1 in U.K., and has authored music books and articles. Brooks became drum technician for Pink Floyd percussionist Nick Mason, before passing away in 2017. Campbell received music degree, became expert on ethnic wind instruments, and has done film soundtracks and two solo albums as “Dirk” Campbell, supplementing music activities with political and environmental activism and work. (He was in national news in 2018 after daughter, Anna, was killed by Turkish air strike in Rojava, Syria while fighting for the Kurds.)

***

My favorite prog is the Canterbury Scene: Soft Machine, Caravan, Gong, and their multiple offshoots. I find this music mature, clever, and melodically rewarding, with occasional dollops of sly humor and without the pseudo-profundity of many other prog bands. Mont/Dirk Campbell, along with Kevin Ayers, Richard Sinclair, and Robert Wyatt, is in my view one of the Scene’s (and prog’s) most talented composers/writers. For some reason, though, Egg seemed to fall through the cracks and are deprived of the accord they richly deserve. If you aren’t put off by rock music that leans toward sophistication, or you appreciate classical-influenced groups like ELP or Renaissance, or the organ tones of early Soft Machine, I highly recommend you sample some Egg. It’s highly addictive (in a good way), and sonically nutritious.

Single:
Seven is a Jolly Good Time / You Are All Princes (1969)

Original Albums:
Arzachel (as “Arzachel,” with Steve Hillage) (1969)
Egg (1970)
The Polite Force (1971)
The Civil Surface (1974)

Compilation Albums:
Seven is a Jolly Good Time (first album plus single) (1985)
The Metronomical Society (archival live) (2007)
Arzachel Collectors Edition by Uriel (remastered Arzachel LP plus demos) (2007)