COUNTERPOINTS

Counterpoints really deserves another visit as a fine addition to Argent's '70s canon. It was the band's final album, although it wasn't quite the powerful last chord that, say Abbey Road was to the Fabs. Still, it's a good one to go out on as Argent sounds more like a genuine band here with the other members stepping up so much more than on the previous album Circus.

Singer John Verity actually gets to sing here - he didn't get the same courtesy on the last album for some reason. Both he and Rod Argent split the lead vocals equally. Fleet-fingered guitarist John Grimaldi gets to contribute two tunes - one an especially nice ballad, the other a frenetic fusion number with a very playful guest drummer Phil Collins powering it along. Bassist Jim Rodford adds only his second composition to the band's song list with the musically mischievous and fusion-esque Time. The Rod Argent-penned tracks (and no co-authorship with longtime writing partner Chris White anymore, by the way) are so much more subtle and less over-the-top than they were on either Circus or Nexus.

And it is jazz fusion that's the main power source on Counterpoints, though it's seamlessly incorporated within heavily arranged song structures. Though there are some nice Hammond and mellotron moments to bask in, the Fender Rhodes is the dominant keyboard at play here, for those who need to know such info.

I find the songwriting on Counterpoints to be consistently excellent. Even the lone stinker, Rock 'n' Roll Show, doesn't get in the way (much). Nothing here comes off quite like the proggy supernova that Nexus' Coming of Kohoutek displayed, for instance. Instead, Counterpoints presents a unique Argent that is more subtle in its presentation than any of its other releases. Finding a copy may be difficult - it's been out of print for ages, but it's got a really good payoff for those who make the effort.