Kites is the sixth studio album by British progressive/experimental rock band Jade Warrior released in 1976 by Island Records. Kites, more layered and complex than Waves, the duo's previous outing, took nine months to record.[1]

Kites
Studio album by
Released1976
GenreExperimental rock, progressive rock
Length36:27
LabelIsland
ProducerJon Field, Tony Duhig
Jade Warrior chronology
Waves
(1975)
Kites
(1976)
Way of the Sun
(1978)

Style edit

Kites presented the band "at their most musically abstract and progressive",[2] featuring a larger number of guest musicians than any previous album. Each side here is a long concept piece: side A – Jon Field's side (partly inspired by abstract artist Paul Klee's painting "The Kingdom of the Air", otherwise meaning to convey the sounds of a kite drifting through skies),[1] on side B, driven by Tony Duhig, the wandering Zen boat monk Teh Ch'eng in 9th century China provided a conceptual focus.[3]

Reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [1]

Casey Elston of AllMusic described the result as "dense and dramatic" and a "rare example of intense ambient sound".[1]

Track listing edit

All tracks are written by Tony Duhig and Jon Field

No.TitleLength
1."Songs of the Forest"3:12
2."Wind Song"4:05
3."The Emperor"1:58
4."Wind Borne"6:52
5."Kite Song"3:04
6."Land of the Warrior"3:29
7."Quietly by the River Bank"3:20
8."Arrival of the Emperor: What Does the Venerable Sir Do?"1:06
9."Teh Ch'eng: Do You Understand This?"2:32
10."Arrival of Chia Shan: Disclosure and Liberation"4:10
11."Towards the Mountains"2:03
12."The Last Question"0:36

Personnel edit

Studio guests edit

  • Roger Bryson – piano
  • Fred Frithviolin
  • Pete Gibson – brass, horn
  • Coleridge Goode – bass guitar
  • Debbie Hall – violin
  • Jeff Westley – electric piano
  • Graham Morgan – drums
  • Joe O'Donnell – violin
  • Clodagh Simonds – vocals
  • Gowan Turnbull – saxophone
  • Geoff Westley – piano
  • Willie – drums, percussion
  • Elmo – Mexican foot drums

Production edit

  • Tom Newman – audio engineer, engineer
  • David Platt – liner notes
  • Mark Powell – reissue producer
  • Paschal Byrne – digital remastering, remastering
  • George Chkiantz – audio engineer, engineer
  • Hugh Gilmour – package design[4]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Casey Elston. "Kites album review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
  2. ^ Thelen, Peter (2001-04-09). "Reviews: Jade Warrior". Gnosis2000.net. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
  3. ^ "A History of Jade Warrior (version of 28 June 2010)". www.radagast.org. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
  4. ^ "Kites Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-01-01.