Tea Break Over–Back on Your 'Eads!
Tea Break Over–Back on Your 'Eads!, released in 1974, was the eighth and final studio album by British jazz-rock band If. It was followed in 1995 by a compilation CD covering tracks from the first three LPs featuring the band's previous line-up.
| Tea Break Over–Back on Your 'Eads! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1974 | |||
| Recorded | July & August 1974 at Pyramid Sounds. Mixed at The Hit Factory. | |||
| Genre | Jazz rock Progressive rock  | |||
| Length | 38:58 | |||
| Label | Capitol Records (US) Gull (UK) Brain (Germany)  | |||
| Producer | Jon Child, Cliff Davies, Lew Futterman | |||
| If chronology | ||||
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The album reflects the band's more rock-influenced style, perfectly balanced with Dick Morrissey's harsher hard bop/bebop sax playing. The title track "Tea Break", referring to the hardships of being "on the road", is the punch line to an old musicians' joke and contains a tribute to Charlie Parker in the lyrics ("The Bird was the man to be heard" and "The music was the word") as well as in a swirling bebop tenor solo. The "Ballad of the Yessirom Kid", a tribute by the band to Dick Morrissey, finishes with a roaring bebop tenor solo. "Song for Alison" features the flute more than holding its own with a rock accompaniment. The song "Don Quixote" opens with an extensive acoustic Spanish guitar solo by Whitehorn.
Track listing
    
(LP version[1] - the CD re-release varies the order slightly)
Side one
    
- "Merlin the Magic Man" (Davies) – 5:05
 - "I Had a Friend" (Davies) – 4:30
 - "Tea Break Over, Back on Your 'Eads" (Whitehorn, Davies, Monaghan) – 6:05
 
Side two
    
- "Ballad of the Yessirrom Kid" (Davies) – 5:20
 - "Raw Sewage" (Davies) – 6:13
 - "Song for Alison" (Morrissey) – 3:55
 - "Don Quixote's Masquerade" (Davies) – 7:50
 
Personnel
    
- Dick Morrissey - electric & acoustic tenor, alto & soprano saxes; flute
 - Geoff Whitehorn - electric and acoustic guitars, vocals
 - Gabriel Magno – organ, piano, electric piano
 - Walt Monaghan – bass, vocals
 - Cliff Davies – drums, vocals, synthesiser, vibes
 
Guest:
- Carlos Martinez – percussion
 
References
    
- "IF (6) - Tea-Break Over-Back On Your 'Eads! (LP) at Discogs". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
 
