Album: Ode to Echo
Artist: Glass Hammer
2014 Arion Records/Sound Resources
CD: SR3324


Fred Schendel: keys, guitars, backing vocals
Steve Babb: bass, keys, backing vocals
Kamran Alan Shikoh: electric, acoustic & classical guitars, electric sitar
Aaron Raulston: drums
Carl Groves: lead vocals
Jon Davison: lead & backing vocals
Susie Bogdanowicz: lead & backing vocals

with
Walter Moore: vocals
Michelle Young: vocals
David Ragsdale: violin (3)
Rob Reed: piano, first Mini-Moog solo on (2)
Randy Jackson: lead guitar (3), backing vocals (3)


Produced by Schendel/Babb
Mastering by Bob Katz
All artworks, Glass Hammer logo and layout: Michał Xaay Loranc
Administration & band photography: Julie Babb
Additional photos: Brian Tirpak, Bill Reed


Tracks:
1. "Garden of Hedon" [mus: Shikoh/Schendel/Babb/Groves; lyr: Groves] (6:57)
2. "Misantrog" [mus: Schendel/Groves; lyr: Groves] (10:00)
3. "Crowbone" [mus: Schendel; lyr: author Robert Low] (7:22)
4. "I Am I" [mus: Babb/Schendel; lyr: Babb] (8:15)
5. "The Grey Hills" [mus: Babb/Groves; lyr: Babb] (4:47)
6. "Porpoise Song" [Gerry Goffin/Carole King] (3:37)
7. "Panegyric" [Schendel] (4:11)
8. "Ozymandias" [mus: Babb/Groves; lyr: Babb] (8:12)


Notes: (6) is a cover of The Monkees, the main theme to their 1968 film "Head".

After joining Yes in early 2012, Davison continued working with US progressive rock band Glass Hammer, but his commitments to Yes gave him less time with the band. The band here consists of long-time members Babb and Schendel with Shikoh. Raulston joined on drums in Jan 2013. Two former vocalists, Carl Groves and Susie Bogdanowicz have now returned, with Groves described as the band's main vocalist. Groves generally performed live with the band in 2013/4, sometimes with the addition of Bogdanowicz.

On this album, two more of the band's former vocalists also guest, Walter Moore also sharing lead vocals and Michelle Young (who has worked with Peter Banks, Oliver Wakeman) on backing vocals. Babb, who also produced the album, explained in this Dec 2013 interview:
With Jon [Davison] tied up with his other band he cannot perform live with us at present.  It seemed odd to move forward having him front the band on this album only to have Carl Groves fill in for him on stage.  So Carl will be the primary male vocalist on this album.  Jon will sing on this album, but his role is limited.  Susie Bogdanowicz will also return [...] It’s our twentieth year of recording as Glass Hammer – so we thought it would be fun to combine singers from different eras of the band.  Still, Carl Groves is handling most of the lead vocals.
In a late Mar 2014 interview, Davison said, "It was unfortunate that I wasn't more available [to sing on the album], but at the same time it led [...] to this great door opening where Susie [and Groves] could come back".

Glass Hammer began work on the new album with Babb, Schendel and Shikoh in the studio in early May 2013. Bass and drums were being recorded in Aug 2013. Schendel explained in a 9 May 2013 Facebook post that Davison "[wi]ll be less involved with the writing this time out (much like Perilous) but we still plan to have him sing along with Carl." Davison recorded parts for the album around Nov 2013. All recording work finished in Dec 2013 and the album was mastered in Jan 2014. In a Jul 2013 interview, Babb explained:
I think we will definitely continue on working with both guys [Groves & Davison]. We talked about that while we were on the cruise [to the Edge]. I got to introduce Carl to Jon. We're tossing around a lot of ideas right now. We certainly want to keep Carl in the group. Susie [Bogdanowicz] might make a reappearance someday. And Jon, of course, is going to work with us, too.

[...]

Yes is a time-consuming job. [...] I'm not sure how that's going to effect things. [Davison]'s welcome to contribute, and if he has song ideas, we're always ready to work with him. Bringing Carl back in, there may be a chance for him to contribute. We're right now beginning to compose music for a new album. It remains to be seen how much each person will play a part.

Babb explained in a joint Jul 2014 interview that the cover and lytics for (2, 4, 8) are about narcissistic personality disorder. Schendel identified that (2, 7) were his favourite pieces on the album. Babb was the main writer on (5). (HP, 22 May 14; updated 28 Mar 24)
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