Kayak
With their instrumental prowess and keyboardist Ton Scherpenzeel's facility at writing lyrics in English, you might be forgiven for mistaking Kayak for a bunch of clever proggers from London. But this Dutch band began in the city of Hilversum, where Scherpenzeel and drummer Pim Koopman attended a music conservatory. After the addition of guitarist Johan Slager, bassist Cees van Leeuwen, and vocalist Max Werner, the group solidified by 1972 and commenced recording. Stylistically, they featured the instrumentation and chops of progressive acts like Yes and Genesis, but the pop song structures of Supertramp and the Alan Parsons Project; as time passed, they increasingly favored the pop side of the equation. Royal Bed Bouncer was their most evenly balanced set of pop and prog, and became a commercial and artistic high point for the band. Kayak continued to meet with minor success throughout the '70s on a variety of record labels, and in 1974 toured in support of Queen -- a move that influenced the flavor of their later work.
Like most progressive bands, Kayak never had a terribly stable lineup; at one point they went through three bassists in as many years. With Scherpenzeel as the sole constant, Kayak's first lineup also proved to be their finest, but Koopman's asthma forced him to retire in 1976, and Werner was so tortured by stage fright and unfounded doubts over his singing ability that he demanded the vacated drum chair for himself, leaving the vocal duties to new member Edward Reekers. Scherpenzeel's central role in the band eventually wore on the others, and Kayak fell apart in 1982.
Scherpenzeel continued on to work with the English band Camel and then composed primarily for the theater. Koopman and Reekers worked in music production and performance; Werner left the stage to become a postal worker; and van Leeuwen became -- of all things -- a prominent lawyer. The band reunited in 1999, and released the comeback album Close to the Fire in 2000. Concert and studio recordings have appeared on a frequent basis, including Live 2019 and 2021's Out of This World.
© Paul Collins /TiVo
Artistas semelhantes
-
Kayak
Pop - Lançado por Universal Music, a division of Universal International Music BV em 18/05/1974
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
See See The Sun
Pop - Lançado por Universal Music, a division of Universal International Music BV em 01/01/1973
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Starlight Dancer
Pop - Lançado por Universal Music, a division of Universal International Music BV em 01/01/1977
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Merlin
Pop - Lançado por Write On Productions em 01/01/1981
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Royal Bed Bouncer
Progressive Rock - Lançado por Janus Records em 04/01/1975
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Close To The Fire
Pop - Lançado por Write On Productions em 24/05/2000
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Royal Bed Bouncer (Remastered)
Pop - Lançado por Universal Music, a division of Universal International Music BV em 11/10/1975
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Merlin: Bard Of The Unseen
Pop - Lançado por Write On Productions em 22/02/2003
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Last Encore (Re-Issue)
Pop - Lançado por Universal Music, a division of Universal International Music BV em 01/01/1976
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Golden Years Of Dutch Pop Music
Pop - Lançado por Universal Music, a division of Universal International Music BV em 27/03/2015
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Phantom Of The Night (Remastered)
Pop - Lançado por Universal Music, a division of Universal International Music BV em 01/01/1978
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Periscope Life (Re-Issue)
Pop - Lançado por Universal Music, a division of Universal International Music BV em 01/03/1980
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Out Of This World
Rock - Lançado por InsideOutMusic em 07/05/2021
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Eyewitness
Pop - Lançado por Write On Productions em 01/06/1981
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Last Encore
Pop - Lançado por Universal Music, a division of Universal International Music BV em 01/01/1976
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Coming Up For Air
Pop - Lançado por Write On Productions em 18/01/2008
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nostradamus: The Fate Of Man
Pop - Lançado por Write On Productions em 01/01/2005
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
KAYAKoustic (Live at Theater 'T Kielzog, Hoogezand-Sappemeer, 23/11/2006) (Live)
Pop - Lançado por Write On Productions em 01/01/2007
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Anniversary Concert (Live at Paradiso, Amsterdam, 07/10/2008) (Live)
Pop - Lançado por Write On Productions em 10/05/2008
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cleopatra The Crown Of Isis
Pop - Lançado por Write On Productions em 31/10/2014
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo