PRE-FLIGHT

A very worthy ensemble from Dorset, England, Room slipped under the radar in 1970 but made full use of the new possibilities in rock on their only album, utilizing the brass and strings of an orchestra to enhance their already big and booming psycho-symphonic sound. Jane Kevern's unique voice is supported by lead guitarist Steve Edge, Roy Putt's bass, percussionist Bob Jenkins and guitarist Chris Williams. The two-part title cut is unusually sophisticated for a lesser art band in 1970 and is entirely progressive with rock, jazz, symphonic and folk fully integrated and quite compelling, a sound echoing Julie Driscoll and perhaps Affinity . Decent if monotonous slow blues is 'Where Did I Go Wrong?' and at over 5 minutes could've been bumped back a few, but 'No Warmth in My Life' is humid and seductive, highlighting Jane Kevern's airy mezzo-soprano and the well-crafted arrangements of horns, acoustic & electric guitars and voices. 'Big John Blues' is practically an R'nB festival tune and is more a dancer than listener but it passes quickly and we get 'Andromeda', an astral journey of blues, orchestra, acid trance and Kevern's soulful lead. 'War' continues in this vein but gets heavy with notable dual guitar work from Williams & Edge and transitions into 'Cemetery Junction pt. 1&2', a melting pot of epic strings and hot rock-fusion rhythms, and a highpoint of the album.

Perhaps not everyone's cuppa, but a rare antique find lovingly dug-up and reissued by the prog treasure seekers at Cherry Red. Worth looking into.

This is a moderately decent album from the short-lived Room (aka The Room aka The Way), released during those pivotal days after the Summer of Love and Woodstock but before rock music had become completely dominated by slick, commercially-minded types. The band was from some rural area of Britain (Blandford Forum) and the music was mostly blues-based with the occasional foray just inside the lines of heavy progressive rock and even a little modern jazz.

The band Affinity comes to mind immediately when listening to these guys, and maybe Babe Ruth a little as well. All three groups had female lead singers, although Room’s Jane Kevern’s rather sharp alto is much closer to Babe Ruth’s Juanita Hahn than Affinity’s Linda Hoyle. The song arrangements fit her singing style quite well, but I can’t imagine she had the range or depth to have been very successful outside this group like Hoyle was, not does she dominate the music in quite the way Hahn did with Babe Ruth.

Several tracks here (“Pre-Flight”, “No Warmth in my Life”) have that same sort of slightly jazzy groove that made Affinity so appealing, but without the keyboards and with a very heavy reliance on twin guitars (one bluesy lead and the other a sort of tame rock rhythm). Throw in some catchy but mostly unimpressive bass and drums and you’ve got the whole package. The rest are mostly straightforward blues rock, including “Where Did I Go Wrong”, “Big John Blues” and the funky, hard-driving “War”.

I suspect the only thing that earned these guys a ‘prog rock’ label are the slightly psych and shifting “Andromeda”, and the ambitious two-part mini-epic “Cemetery Junction” with its violin-inspired guitar work and various sound effects including brass, strings and some sort of heavy bells. In the end though this one also falls back on traditional blues rock patterns, albeit pretty heavy ones at times.

I’m not overly impressed with this album. I read several reviews that seemed to suggest this was a lost classic ‘finally reissued’ on CD for all to rediscover and enjoy. We progressive rock fans live for albums like that. this isn’t one of them, but it is decent and holds up over time a little better than many of the other one-shot and forgot bands of the same era. Three stars mostly for “Andromeda” and the opening track, and only mildly recommended.

peace

Room - Pre-Flight (1970)

* This record needs more reviews *

The Akarma reprint of this very obscure English record (the rarest of Deram) had been lying in my favorite vinyl- shop in Nijmegen for a year until another collector turned in on in the shop. We were both amazed by how advanced and original it sounded, moreover it contained some melodies that were unforgettable. He had first pick so eventually I had to wait for months before I could get my hand on the new stock of Room's Pre-Flight.

It was worth the wait. Room is a female-led early progressive rock group with minor orchestrations, simple jazzy vocals, heavy guitars and extended tracks. Like most early progressive rock-groups there's also some blues-rock and jazz-rock. The mix of genres works great for variety and is a good example of its time. The use of a small orchestra (violins, violas, cellos, bass, trumpets, horn, trombone) is always risky business for progressive rock-groups, but Room excels in its limited and effective use. Way better integrated then, for example, the silly orchestrations on Salisbury. Another key-element of the listening experience is the recording quality, which is remarkably good for such an unknown record - especially when it comes to the spacious feeling. The instruments are well spread in the musical landscape.

The vocals of Jane Kevern, that showcase and interest in the great female jazz-vocalists of the fifties, sound a bit frail, but repeated listening somehow did a lot of good for me. Some of her lines are just so adorable and she really sounds like a person in the moment. Because of the vocals some will be reminded of the Affinity record. The electric guitars sound fine throughout the record, heavy rock (almost proto-metal at times) with original melodies and an almost jazz-rock like control. The real star of Room is the drummer; Bob Jenkins. Always finding a way to interpret the riffs as being jazzy, he's rolls and cymbals are a delight to listen to.

Whilst the first side has a fifty/fifty approach when it comes to blues-rock and progressive rock, the second side is full-blown progressive rock with three epic tracks. In its approach to experimental rock composition the band is utterly original. Both Andromada and War have melodies that are elegant and catchy has hell, whilst having unpredictable instrumental sections with great (but timid) use of the classical instruments.

Conclusion. This has quickly become one of my favorite records of 1970. It captures the experimental mood in its finest moment without exposing us to over-indulgence and avant-garde noodling. I can recommend it to listeners of eclectic prog, symphonic prog, jazz-rock, proto-prog and collectors of English rarities in general. Rating? Five stars.