CRESSIDA

If Peter Jennings' organ is the trump card of the Cressida sound, and it is, then John Hayworth's lead guitar is its deuce. For every impressive run and atmosphere on the Hammond, we have an aimless, or overlong and grating guitar solo. Take "Depression", which starts off as a lovely Moody Blues tribute and degrades quickly. Even when the organ comes back the magic is gone and all you have is an average passage. Angus Cullen's voice fits well with the music in general, but it disappears after a third of this song never to return. "Depression" is only one example of an all too common trend on this album.

The best cuts are those that showcase Jennings and downplay Hayworth, and where Cullen seems to be emulating the best of what the Moody Blues had been doing, such as "To Play your Little Game", "Home and Where I Long to be", and "Down Down". But it's all rather obtuse while not revealing any redeeming complexity.

When compared to other proto prog bands of their era, such as Beggars Opera, Gracious, and certainly Procol Harum, Cressida does not quite measure up. They do seem a bit of a darling among prog rock fans, and so I would classify them as overrated in spite of their minimal commercial success.