SYMPATHY

My fellow reviewer Proghead's question can be answered easily. The label and line-up changes that occurred after the second album is mainly responsible for the division of their career most likely for contractual reasons and due to the fact that in 90, the original studio albums were not about to be released on Cd (I don't think that this has yet to be the case almost 15 years after the release of this compilation, to my knowledge anyway >>> 2008 in fact). And I, for one, think that maybe this division is for the better.

Never a great Rare Bird fan, I enjoyed somewhat the first line-up much better than the funkier second one. As Ashton and Field left they took some more than half of the whatever few spirit of that band had, but looking at what they did after leaving, they might have well stayed, because the group's Fields'sole and self-titled album is really no better than the first two Rare Bird albums. Contrary to my review of the second line-up's compilation (Polydor years), I think it is worth the hunt for the two original Charisma albums as they are the more worthy part of their discography. As for the newcomers to this band, this is a good start for investigation (on CD anyway), but this group was never first league stuff. Their music always reminded me of Barclay James Harvest (the poor man's Moody Blues as they were sadly called) or even some second league Procol Harum, due to the double KB (piano/organ) attack and Gould's tone/manner of singing