Ramshackled

Ramshackled is the first and, as of 2021, 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 of the Yes band members (Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Patrick Moraz and White) released solo albums. White only performed drums on the album and wrote none of the songs.

Ramshackled
Studio album by
Alan White
ReleasedJune 15, 1976
RecordedMay 23–25, 1975 at IBC 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.[1] In the early 1970s, White, Kirtley, Craddock, Gibson and Bud Beadle played together in unsigned band Simpson's Pure Oxygen. 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[2]

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."[2]

Track listing
  1. "Ooh Baby (Goin' to Pieces)" (Peter 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
Year Chart Position
1976 Billboard Pop Albums 209
1976 UK Albums Chart 41

References
  1. The Story of Skip Bifferty (2003, Castle Music) liner notes
  2. AllMusic review
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