Empty Stock Workings - Gurning on Empty (1975)

 

Everybody loves prog rock, right? I mean, even those who don't loves prog rock loves prog rock. Right?

That was certainly the view in 1977 and indeed in most of the Western World became the law for a short period of time.

Although their debut album sank without a trace - in many cases quite literally as 90% of the known copies were on board the ill-fated Girth Hound ocean liner when it tragically capsized in 1973 - Empty Stock Workings had been building momentum throughout the decade with their unique blend of vocals, instrumentation and songs.

Arse Tea and its follow-up Poo Wine were both moderately successful records, before the arrival of Canadian guitarist David Carvery and keyboard player Jan Hospice allowed them to take their sound to new and experimental places. 'G on E', as it's affectionately known, opens with the 13 minute epic 'Temple of Messenger', composed largely by bassist Matthew Scrotum, while side two includes the band's biggest hit 'Changing Legs'.

It was a level of success they were never able to re-achieve. The follow-up album Sebastian did poorly, despite being elaborately packaged in a triple-gatefold sleeve made of bran, while the electronica-inspired Megawatt Stocks - effectively one of Scrotum's solo projects repurposed to fulfil an obligation to a record label threatening a fatwar - was so ill-recieved that it caused the break-up of the band.

A reformation in the late 1980s and a change of name for their final album did very little to help the cause and apart from Carvery who enjoyed a glittering solo career, all the surviving band members fell on hard times. But, as Jan Hospice touchingly puts it, 'I could be living in squalor, dead on my feet, maybe even shitting my pants, but I'll know in my heart that someone somewhere is listening to our music, and if they're not, they should be. And I will hunt them down'.


Lyricz

"These are the best times;the Best Western guest times.

These are the blest times for changing, changing your leg!" - Changing Legs


Discographicalz

  • The brazen and the few (1971)
  • Arse Tea (1973)
  • Poo Wine (1974)
  • Gurning on Empty (1975)
  • Sebastian! (1976)
  • Megawatt Stocks (1980)
  • Ampersand (1986)
  • Props to Gaudino (1989, as Rolling Boil)

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