Neil Ardley

[Roger Farbey]

Neil Ardley's Harmony Of The Spheres (with Ian Carr, Barbara Thompson, Tony Coe et al) is receiving a limited vinyl reissue in November. Details here: https://www.analogueoctober.com/product/neil-ardley-harmony-of-the-spheres/

[mjazzg]

Interesting, my impression is there's always been plenty of copies around, hardly a rarity

[T.D.]

Per discogs, there seem to be quite a few copies (mostly LP) in the UK, but rare (in any medium) Stateside.

Looks like an "audiophile" vinyl special at this point. Will wait and see if anything else surfaces.

[mjazzg]

Yes, apologies, I was being parochial

[sidewinder]

Being a major label release in the original, it's a common LP to find in the racks over here. My Derek Jewell Ardley archive file includes contents of the 'Spheres' press pack which were included (or at least some of it) in the Viv Ardley biography of Neil.

[Roger Farbey]

There are indeed quite a few vinyl copies on eBay in the UK. I just bought one in pristine condition despite already having the CD. The perils of "completeism". In fairness, I don't think it's Ardley's best album but anything that he was involved in was imo significant. He was, like Ian Carr, a true innovator.

[sidewinder]

Agree that it is not his best - his music took a (sadly, not well documented) interesting turn with the electronic stuff/Zyklus with John L. Walters around 1980 which is documented in the two CDs with the book. I'll bet that the Gearbox LP will improve on the original so it is going to be tempting.

An intriguing 'what if' might have been an Ardley collaboration with Walters and 'Landscape'. Maybe it would have made TOTP?

Only sad though that I didn't get to see one of those 'Kakeidoscope..' UK tour dates. I seem to recall they did a reunion in the 90s/2000s.

Edited August 10 by sidewinder