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Review:
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This is another one that I missed out on when it originally
came out in 1977, though I can only be partly reassured
that it went unnoticed by many more fans, being that 1977
was the universally agreed death year for prog. Punks with
bad teeth and worse manners entered the mainstream and kicked
serious musicians in the behind and right off the main stage!
In retrospect that may have been a good thing as the dinosaur
mentality had crept in by then (Hello Tony Emerson and Keith
Banks). England released this puppy to little fanfare, even
though it is regarded in hindsight as a quirky little masterpiece,
featuring a gifted talent in keyboardist Robert Webb. The
cover is perhaps one of the most fascinating in prog, very
English style like Robertson and Sons' Marmalade or Twining's
Tea. The music is quite reminiscent of The Enid in that
classic symphonics are blended with orchestral arrangements,
sugared by some blatant rock multi-tracked vocalizations
that can run the span between Gentle Giant, Yes, Supertramp,
Genesis, Druid, Greenslade etc?***
"Midnight Madness" provides exactly that kind of premise,
the high pitched vocals meandering down a symphonic river,
with clever little e-piano motifs that wink at Supertramp,
vibraphones wrestling with slippery synths, slamming organ
ushering the crew along. Of course, harmony vocals add a
great amount of choral depth to the arrangements, which
is easily admirable to any prog fan. High-pitched vocals
almost have a Russell Mael feel (he of Sparks fame) or even
Freddie of Queen. In fact, I would not be surprised if Webb
and company had been influenced by the Champions. England,
Queen, yeah! All in all, a thrilling introduction.***
A mini-piano etude "All Alone" simply sets the table
for the first section of the main opus here the "Three Pieces"
suite, as such I cannot help but feel a reminder of an artist
such as Anthony Phillips , meaning it's all very British,
wot? "Introducing Three Pieces" is definitely symphonic
in style that at times sounds a lot like Yes, what with
the grandiose orchestrations and the ruthlessly trebled
bass guitar, veering close to the edge in more ways than
one. Drummer Jode Leigh has his Bruford tapes working nicely
for him, Martin Henderson must have heard of Chris Squire,
while only the guitarist Franc Holland differs a tad, being
more Hacketty than Howey. Robert Webb can compete with the
Wakemans, Emersons and the Greenslades of the world, a clever
utilizer of all forms of ivories. The result is a brisk-paced,
densely choired as all four musicians sing, reverential
homage to "Close to the Edge" in a multi-hued, uncanny reworking
that is ultimately enjoyable. The electric guitar has a
muffled 'in a tube' sound that actually fits the mood quite
well, followed by a thunderously harmonious bass solo from
Mr. Henderson, Webb shuffling in his cozy mellotron to great
effect, even discreet winks at snippets of la Marseillaise.
The Queen/the Korgis/Sparks high pitched voice is actually
cool and well performed.***
"Paraffinalea" is a jaunty little affair, heavily vocalized,
and doused in waves of glorious mellotron splashes as well
as some coily synth loops. I actually liked the next piece
a great deal, "Yellow" wallows in pastoral noodling, handled
by some quality orchestrations and a Beatles-like vocal
presence, a reminder of a psychedelic past that once ruled
over the first prog wave. The Anthony Phillips hints are
again quite clear and determined. There is even room for
some brief soloing to make matters more interesting.***
The tectonic plate on which this album revolves is
the epic 18 minute + monster "Poisoned Youth", a scintillating
composition that wastes little breath in getting the troops
moving forward. The bass is up-front and brash as it leads
the crew into some multifaceted territories where all is
molded into a whole musical experience, tight drum attack,
spooky vocalisms and the obvious colossal keyboard colorations.
Paced in such a manner as to provide a slew of unpredictable
peaks and valleys, wrapped in various layers of mood and
contrast, this is a perfect example of a typical progressive
rock epic.***
Nice music !
Great cover , really!***
4 Lawn barns***
(Thomas
Szirmay)
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