Released:
2002, 24clicks.com

Website:
Simon van Gend

This independently produced and released album originated when Cape Town performer Simon van Gend was approached to make some of his songs available to his circle of family, friends and fringe fans both in SA and overseas. Some of this album was recorded simply in ‘Nebraska’ style while Van Gend was travelling in Italy, and the balance was recorded at various locations in Cape Town, eventually being finished off at the Front Ear Studios with Ben Amato. When it was completed, 350 copies of ‘Unhinged’ were made available and were quickly snapped up by those who had requested it, as well as a swelling group of fans.

Along with requests for copies of ‘Unhinged’ were pleas for another album. So Van Gend offered these fans the opportunity to participate in the production of the next album by ordering copies in advance, thereby helping to finance it. But until that happens, you’ll have to search out a copy of this very laid back SA folk album. All these songs were written by Van Gend, and ‘Unhinged’ includes many of his live favourites like ‘Ingabangaba’, ‘Drie Rand’ and the languid first single, ‘Dreamboats’. The album features Simon Van Gend on rhythm guitar and vocals with his regular live line-up of Ben Amato on flute, lead guitar, and pennywhistle, and Eric Michot on bass.

-- Stephen Segerman, June 2002