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Dragon: Universal Radio | |
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Dragon's 1974 debut album finally receives official cd release
2009! Universal Radio is packaged in a 6 panel digi-pak, with extensive liner notes from music journalist and author David Nichols (writer of ‘The Go-Betweens’). The 24 page booklet has many previously unpublished photographs and the CD has been digitally remastered by Gil Matthews. There are 3 bonus tracks: a rare live version of the Peter Green classic ‘Black Magic Woman’ and the ever rarer pre-Dragon Marc Hunter solo single ‘X-Ray Creature’ / ‘Dinghy Days’. Like Australia’s Buffalo , Dragon had been one of the first signings to the legendary progressive rock label Vertigo. Also like Buffalo, interest – especially in Europe , has always been high – as evidenced by the proliferation of Bootlegs over the years. With only the Hunter brothers – Todd on bass and Marc on vocals – lasting past 1975, the line-up and direction of the ‘classic’ early line up (Todd, Marc, Ray Goodwin on guitar, Ivan Thompson on keyboards and Neil Storey on drums ) was markedly different to the one who would later dominate the Aussie charts. Universal Radio is archetypal progressive rock – right down to the cover art - Todd’s remarkable bass playing dominates, ably assisted by Goodwin's fluid guitar and Thompson's swathes of keyboards. And, vocally, with contributions from Marc, Todd and Goodwin, there is little to suggest the latter pop style. The album was well received and by the end of 1974 Dragon had become the top live attraction in New Zealand . After one further Vertigo album (Scented Gardens For The
Blind – hopefully to be reissued 2009), Dragon made the move to Australia and –
with more line-up changes, settled on the second stage of their
careers. Bonus Tracks: |
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