Portrait of a Shrinking Man
National Health was a progressive rock band associated with the Canterbury … Read Full Bio ↴National Health was a progressive rock band associated with the Canterbury Scene. Founded in 1975 by keyboardists Dave Stewart and Alan Gowen, the band also included guitarists Phil Miller and Phil Lee, bassist Mont Campbell, vocalist Amanda Parsons (one of "the Northettes" from Hatfield and the North) and "temporary" drummer Bill Bruford. Before their first tour Lee departed; after the tour Campbell was the next to exit, replaced by bassist Neil Murray. By 1977 Bruford was off to form U.K.), and former Hatfield drummer Pip Pyle took the drum spot. Before the first LP National Health, Gowen and Parsons also quit, though both returned long enough to record the self-titled 1977 debut album.

After the sessions, Murray was next to leave the band, succeeded by former Henry Cow bassist John Greaves. The second album, Of Queues and Cures (1978) included a number of guest musicians in addition to the core quartet. Stewart was the next to depart in early 1979, replaced by Gowen; the band finally folded in early 1980.

After Gowen's untimely death in May 1981 (due to leukemia), Stewart, Miller, Pyle and Greaves reconvened to perform a benefit concert, much of it unrecorded material by Gowen; this evolved into the 1982 tribute album D.S. Al Coda; all compositions were Gowen's, most previously unreleased.

Their 1978 record Of Queues and Cures is currently held as the third best record ever (of 53,000 candidate records) on the Gnosis web site. The original albums and additional archival tracks have been released on CD.

Portrait of a Shrinking Man
National Health Lyrics


We have lyrics for these tracks by National Health:


Binoculars Blam, zing, mule kicks Real life John Wayne Nerves twitch,…
Clocks and Clouds Past the Northern Lights And flying on through polar nights…
Elephants If you've settled down on this world It's a good place…
Phlakaton Phlak Phlakka phlakka phlakaton cash Ker-chaffa, ker-chaff…



Squarer for Maud spoken: Is it "numinousness", "numinescence" or "num…
Starlight On Seaweed Shooting star Burns while falling Here on Earth we watch a…
Tenemos Roads From the cradle to the grave There are roads for us…


The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Comments from YouTube:

@rembeadgc

I think it a great thing that the world was not deprived of the hearing of this assortment of Alan Gowen's music, courtesy of National Health. It would have been a deep shame for them to go unheard and unshared.

@elgringo8411

Thanks Rodrigo ! Great piece of music that shows the transitioning of the Canterbury sound. And the unmistakable Elton Dean...

@Doviderus

First steps into the 80's Canterbury scene, keeping a similarity to Phil Miller's further projects.

@glipabazza9994

Thanks man. This is some seriously good music. Why so underrated ?

@NN-ul4oy

If you like this kind of music then: Welcome to lonliness island! Perhaps, if lucky, you find some nice people there who love this kind of music also and share it and you have fun together... this is apparently our destiny...

@glipabazza9994

We are not alone. More like an underground army enjoying hidden gems. Take care.

@rembeadgc

The answer to that is manifold, but that's what makes gems valuable... they are rare, often unfound and even overlooked by those who don't know their value. However, mediocrity is plentiful.

@VitalMusique

Ce thème est incroyablement jouissif !

@mikeziemba2269

Years ago, the NFL used to use this song from time to time. Sounds like a football song to me...

@OrchestrationOnline

Elton Dean totally kills here on saxello (soprano sax)!

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