Description
The self-titled and sole album – sometimes referred to as Aslan Is Not A Tame Lion – by the British folk-rock band Narnia was released on Myrrh Records in 1974, a division of Word. The album was recorded by Nick Sykes at R.G. Jones Studios in London, England; with Tony Hooper of the Strawbs fame producing. Mixed by Robin Thompson at Wessex Sound Studios in London.
The band was fronted by singer-songwriter Pauline Filby and also featured John Russell and Peter Banks, both of After The Fire fame, as well as a rhythm section consisting of bassist Tim Hatwell and drummer Kenneth ‘Ginger’ Dixon. (Hatwell actually became a part of the After The Fire line-up for a short time, and later was a member of Barratt Band and is featured on their debut album Playing In The City.) Pauline Filby later released five solo albums (as Paulina Filby).
Trivia: Aslan is the main character of C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia series. Throughout the series, it is stated that Aslan is “not a tame lion”, since, despite his gentle and loving nature, he is powerful and can be dangerous. The author, C. S. Lewis, described Aslan as an alternative version of Christ; that is, as the form in which Christ might have appeared in a fantasy world.
Here’s further proof that the best albums put out by Myrrh were the ones that didn’t even make it over to the States. This one fine hunk of British rock with a female lead and progressive flourishes, not unlike the band Curved Air (minus the violin). Also notable in that the band features two players that would later go on to form After The Fire: John Russell and Peter Banks (and they got some shaggy do’s here!). The main influence , however, is Pauline Filby, lead vocalist and composer of all the material (excluding the opening tune, a vibrant cover of Tom Paxton’s «You Better Believe It»). «Agape» and «Living Water» are exceptional tracks, both exploring progressive art rock with mood and time changes, faint shadows of ATF’s upcoming Signs of Change subtly creeping in. Some fine moody passages as well, Bank’s stately organ and textured mellotron juxtaposed with acoustic guitar to create an atmospheric quality some have termed “folk/psych” (check out «To A Fountain» in particular). «Muddy Ground» and «Miracle Of Birth» have slow gentle moods that build to heavy climatic peaks, while «The Juggler» expresses the melodic folkrock side of the group. The electric guitars take center stage for hard-rocking «In The Forest», then shift into playful mid-tempo «Boogie For Narnia». Lyrically avoids clichés and in the tradition of progressive rock opts for the more metaphorical. Obviously us Americans were not deemed to be ready for such a work back in 1974. A rare and costly item now, as is Pauline’s earlier solo folk LP Show Me A Rainbow. Beautiful cover of the face of Aslan the lion. Produced by Tony Hooper of the Strawbs. The ribbon weaving through the logo says “Aslan is not a tame lion”, which is sometimes referred to as the album title. CD and vinyl re-issues exist. [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th edition]
Narnia were really a vehicle for singer Pauline Filby, who following the band’s demise maintained a career as a UK folkie. This 1974 album is a bit of a classic for mixing folk and pop together with a strong production and the album has generally survived the intervening years pretty well and still sounds fresh. These days the band are best remembered as being a project featuring future After The Fire band mates John Russell on guitar and Pete Banks on keyboards and certainly they add a solid musical backing to Filby’s well crafted songs. Bassist Tim Hatwell and drummer Ginger Dixon completed the line up and provided a very effective rhythm section. The combination of folk and pop excel on songs like «Muddy Ground» and «The Juggler» but on songs like «Agape» and «Living Water» the band really stretch out towards rock, occasionally perhaps even in a prog rock direction. Thematically, for the times, the band are exploring spiritual themes but doing it in a creative fashion. The band sadly only survived for a year but they did play at the very first Greenbelt festival in 1974. Ultimately this was one of the better UK Christian albums of the period and overdue a CD re-release. [Mike Rimmer, Cross Rhythms, November 2008]
Narnia’s acid folk masterpiece from 1974 remains one of progressive rock’s most inspired and enchanting rarities. Narnia emerged from the Christian rock scene with bands such as Parchment, merging their faith with a modern rock format. Pauline Filby and an early incarnation of After The Fire were both established names in their own right, but joined forces in 1974 to record this classic album. Playing alongside acts such as Blodwyn Pig, Budgie and Savoy Brown, Narnia were about to take evangelist Britain through a major shift and ‘Aslan Is Not A Tame Lion’ is an incredible testament to this chapter in both Christian music and British acid folk rock. Featuring rare bonus material, restorative audio remastering, background liners and rare archival memorabilia.
Tracks: 1. You’d Better Believe 2. Muddy Ground 3. The Juggler 4. Agape 5. To A Fountain 6. Miracle Of Birth 7. In The Forest 8. Boogie For Narnia 9. Living Water. Bonus Tracks: 10. I’m Hungry 11. Jigsaw 12. Show Me A Rainbow 13. Believe 14. Satisfied Mind [Note on the back of Hiatus’ CD re-issue, 2017]
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “You’d Better Believe It” – 3:12
A2. “Muddy Ground” – 3:52
A3. “The Juggler” – 3:51
A4. “Agape” – 5:49
Side Two
B1. “To A Fountain” – 3:19
B2. “Miracle Of Birth” – 4:08
B3. “In The Forest” – 3:03
B4. “Boogie For Narnia” – 2:37
B5. “Living Water” – 5:41
Note: Released with Myrrh labels that depicts a wood in the mist. The lyrics are printed on the backcover. A remastered version was re-issued by 111 Records in 2015 on 12-inch vinyl LP as well as CD. Re-issued once again on CD by Hiatus in 2017, including five bonus tracks from Pauline Filby’s 1969 solo album Show Me A Rainbow, including the rare single cut “I’m Hungry”. Professionally remastered; includes background liners and rare archival memorabilia.
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CREDITS. Produced by Tony Hooper. Engineered by Nick Sykes and Robin Thompson. Sleeve Design by Bernard A. Cope. All tracks written and arranged by Pauline Filby and Narnia, except track A1 written by Welch and Tom Paxton.
Musicians: Pauline Filby (Vocals), Peter Banks (Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar), John Russell (Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Recorder, Vocals), Tim Hatwell (Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar), Kenneth ‘Ginger’ Dixon (Drums, Percussion, Vocals).
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