Capitol 1973 / Think Like A Key 2026
Pomp, circumstance, romance and satire: one sonic wizard’s double-barreled attempt at turning into an artist in his own right.
The 70s Albums:
Balloon & Hothouse Smiles
Quite a few of British producers who rose to fame in the ’60s could play – George Martin’s contributions to a certain band’s albums were essential – but those who transitioned from being musicians to manning the board – Paul Samwell-Smith, Tony Meehan, Chris White – didn’t really perform anymore, preferring instead to occupy the space behind the studio glass. Mark Wirtz went a different way, however – possibly because his ambitious project “A Teenage Opera” remained unfinished in 1996, with only the famous “Excerpt” issued to enjoy chart success in 1967 – and in the early ’70s he, having moved to the States, inked a deal with Capitol for a couple of solo platters. Recorded on either side of Atlantis and released within six months of each other, 1973’s “Balloon” and “Hothouse Smiles” became perfect examples of orch-pop yet drowned in obscurity soon after they saw the light of day, all the while remaining cherished by connoisseurs – and finally brought into a digital era in replica packaging housed in a foldout wallet for a further retro feel.
Only these pieces don’t really sound retro – finely stylized slightly histrionic, yes, but never outdated, so there’s a lot of timeless, historic appeal in the likes of “The Song I Sing” that floats into focus with a fanfare before fuzzy guitar riffs bring a whiff of raga to spice up Wirtz’s unsophisticated vocals, which weave a wonderful tune, and contrast the arch stings of symphonic strings. Irresistible melodies and impeccable arrangements, especially on the London-bound “Balloon” – its titular instrumental even offers a Tex-Mex filigree – where Albert Lee and Chris Spedding‘s licks ensure the right amount of proper rocking and vaudevillian allure to support the psychedelic lyrics of “Trambouline” and the jubilant romp of “Spring” without completely sliding into the middle-of-the-road campness. As “Satan Took A Tram-Ride” morphs into a percussive fest, thanks to the presence of Ray Cooper and Clem Cattini who fuel Mark’s flight of fantasy, “Am I Me” unfurls into a gorgeous ballad George Harrison would have been proud of, and “What Now, Poor World?” betrays his European origins, the wonder and the beauty of the artist’s penchant for glory are revealed, with “The Way You Play At Living” serving up a widescreen finale to endear the album to the listener’s heart.
Partially laid down in Hollywood, although also with Geoff Emerick in tow, “Hothouse Smiles” may seem similar to its predecessor, yet the resemblance is superficial, as there’s a clear New World slant to this loosely conceptual record, bolstered by the presence of Larry Carlton and Jim Gordon. With the playful “Hasn’t It Been A Heavy Day (Pie In The Sky Lullaby)” setting the tone and adding Larry Knechtel’s synthesizers and piano to the platter’s palette, the audience will embark on the Wirtz-guided jaunt through the West, through the Dixieland jive of “Silverlake Ripple” and saloon boogie of “Kings & Queens & Fairytales” to the genre-melding rumble of “America Sundae” that all get high on the wide-eyed triumph. Still, the lushly festooned, uplifting “Honest Man” elegantly jumps from decade to decade in stylistic terms, and the dramatic mini-epic “Swan (Ballerina)” wraps an arresting story in an equally riveting swirl of sonic nuances and a waltz to mark Mark’s imaginative drive as something criminally underrated. And when the likewise sprawling “Ecstasy Don’t Come Free” carries the album’s point home on the swelling wave of delicate delights and gives the finale an air of spirituality, one can’t help but admire the unwilling heroism of Mark Wirtz’s sudden burst of creativity.
The wordless B-side “Nothing To Do” nicely sums up this pairing of works by the man who reportedly wanted to be the Walt Disney of music. Indeed, when all is said and done, as it was on the “Teenage Opera” writer’s mature opuses, people can only sit back and enjoy the succulent fruits of his fancy.
*****
