9 PARTS TO THE WIND

Sometimes they appear, like ghosts from a foggy past, the forgotten albums by even more forgotten groups. Often enough these faint echoes of yesteryear would be better off buried but then again there are gasps of life, beauty and brilliance in the music created. The lone album of Strange Days is one such example of that brilliance.

While 1975 and the following years of that decade treated progressive rock in a less amiable way than the previous, excellent music was created. England's "Garden shed" from 1977 is one and "9 parts to the wind" is equally a splendid showcase for prog from the latter half of the decade.

The music on "9 parts..." is as elaborate as anything from the classic days and bolster a musical landscape that does not sound dated. It sounds fresh and exciting, just like classic Yes (for instance).

The music is a mixture of Yes, England, Supertramp and other bands in that vein. That means that the music is intricate, melodious, challenging and blessed with an occasional pop feeling. Instrumentally it is flawless. The vocals may be different from what you are accustomed to but they are actually a perfect fit for the music.

The title track is absolutely brilliant in a Supertramp styled kind of way. It is a pop flavored piece of progressive music of the highest calibre and could well have been a hit back in the day. The longer tracks tend to be the best. Epic and built from multiple musical bits and pieces, blended together in the most delicious fashion.

Conclusion: This is a piece of prog history. Though buried for the overwhelming part of it's existence, the album sounds as fresh and exciting as ever. You really ought to pick it up.