Ramshackled

Ramshackled is the only solo album by Alan White, drummer for British progressive rock band Yes. It was released in 1976 on Atlantic Records, during a period when all five Yes band members (Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Patrick Moraz and White) released solo albums. White only performed drums on the album and neither wrote nor sang any of the songs.

Ramshackled
Studio album by
Alan White
ReleasedMarch 1976[1]
Recorded23–25 May 1975
StudioIBC Studios, London
GenreJazz fusion, art rock, pop rock, soul
Length38:56
LabelAtlantic, Wounded Bird
ProducerAlan White, Bob Potter

Background and recording

White had worked with Pete Kirtley and Kenny Craddock in the Alan Price Set and Happy Magazine. White, Kirtley, Craddock and Colin Gibson then worked together in the short-lived Griffin in 1969.[2] In the early 1970s, White, Kirtley, Craddock, Gibson and Bud Beadle played together in unsigned band Simpson's Pure Oxygen. Craddock was also in the second line up of Lindisfarne who released two albums between 1973 and 1975. For his debut solo album, White brought Kirtley, Craddock, Gibson and Beadle back together.

Fellow Yes members, Jon Anderson and Steve Howe, guested on "Spring: Song of Innocence". Gibson and wind player Bud Beadle also appeared on Steve Howe's own solo album from the same period, Beginnings. Although he does not appear on the album, Patrick Moraz has a cameo in the promotional video.

Yes subsequently toured in 1976, with initial dates of the tour including material from the members' solo albums, including "One Way Rag" and "Song of Innocence", but these were soon dropped.

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]

AllMusic's Alex Anderson found the album highly uneven and noted that the album's hodgepodge of popular styles failed to appeal to the progressive rock fanbase White had gained with Yes. He concluded "Although Ramshackled isn't terrible, most of the Yes fans who bought it agreed that their money hadn't been well spent."[3]

Track listing
  1. "Ooh Baby (Goin' to Pieces)" (Pete Kirtley) 5:33
  2. "One Way Rag" (Colin Gibson, Kenny Craddock) 4:07
  3. "Avakak" (Craddock, Gibson, Kirtley) 6:54
  4. "Spring-Song of Innocence" (lyrics: William Blake, music: Kirtley) 5:02
  5. "Giddy" (Craddock, Gibson) 3:13
  6. "Silly Woman" (Kirtley) 3:15
  7. "Marching Into a Bottle" (Craddock) 2:00
  8. "Everybody" (Craddock, Gibson, Kirtley) 3:14
  9. "Darkness, Pts. 1–3" (Craddock, Gibson) 5:32

Personnel

Production
  • Produced by Alan White & Bob Potter
  • Recorded & engineered by Alan White, Bob Potter & Paul Hardiman
  • Assistant & second engineer: Paul Hardiman
  • Tape cutting engineer: David Tucker

Charts
Chart (1976) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[4] 41

References
  1. Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 924. ISBN 9780862415419.
  2. The Story of Skip Bifferty (2003, Castle Music) liner notes
  3. AllMusic review
  4. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
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