CHARGE!

"Charge!" is the second full-length studio album by UK music artist Paladin. The album was released through Bronze Records in 1972. Paladin formed in 1970 and disbanded in 1973 after releasing two full-length studio albums, this one being their last.

The eponymously titled debut album from 1971 was an eclectic rock album featuring elements from jazz/rock, blues rock, progressive rock, and psychedelic rock driven by the high energy drumming by Keith Webb and the organ/piano playing by Peter Solley (the two founders of the band). The vocals from Lou Stonebridge were decent enough, but nothing out of the ordinary for the time, and all those elements and trends are continued on "Charge!".

The Roger Dean cover artwork is a bit misleading although Paladin certainly whips up a few progressive rock ideas, but this is generally a more blues rock and jazz/rock oriented release. No one would for example ever mistake a track like "Well We Might" for a progressive rock song. In fact most of the original Side 1 of the album falls in this catagory. It´s not until "Mix Your Mind With The Moonbeams" and "Watching The World Pass By" that Paladin begin to show a few more progressive tendencies. It´s nothing too complex or challenging, and still within a blues rock context, but Paladin had some nice adventurous ideas.

The album features brilliant musicianship, a powerful, organic, and detailed production job, and some solid songwriting. The latter is seldom above being solid though and it´s arguably the high level musicianship and the great energy of the performances which carry this album more than it is the songwriting. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.