SONG OF INNOCENCE

A brief tour of psychedelia-tinged jazz-rock, David Axelrod's Song of Innocence is aptly named, because it exudes a naive charm that contrasts with the intriguing experimental agenda of the album. Axelrod's work here parallels Frank Zappa's own proto-fusion work of the era, in the sense that both artists were unafraid to inject a little unpretentious pop into proceedings; the distinction is that whilst Zappa's pop sensibilities tended to focus on the doo-wop of his youth, Axelrod was much more in tune with the lush baroque pop of this era. The end result is a fine pop-progressive release whose short running time can be forgiven for the sheer level of consistency on display.