WIDE OPEN N-WAY

A Copenhagen group, whose first singer left after a single and a soundtrack to form Culpepper's Orchard, DOTP hired Hans Lauridsen as a new vocalist. Formed around the double guitar attack of Lyng (lead) and Prehn (2nd and vocals), their debut album, produced by Colosseum's bassists Tony Reeves saw the light of day on the Sonet label (Alrune Rod, Burnin'Red Ivanhoe etc.) in fall 70 and was relatively surprising for these days. With most of the music written by the two guitarists, you can guess that there are plenty of guitar fireworks all the way through.

The album starts with two lengthy numbers that are more improvs than epic, with their West Coast double guitar attack, with the enigmatic title track being a collage of a few clumsily assembled parts, the middle one sounding like a garage band days Byrds or Dead. Quite messy really, but the group sounds fresh enough that they can be forgiven easily. However I'm wondering how Tony reeves could let that by, knowing how Colosseum was way more self-demanding. The following Cellephane is split into two parts, but it doesn't seem to make them anymore tidier or tighter, but it's clearly the band's best moment on this album

The flipside is a bit more uneven (and much shorter despite having one more song) with the rockier If You Ask Me (fairly straight forward), the ultra short Tick Tack and yet another 12-minutes track promisingly titled Mind Funeral. Obviously the album's other highlight, Mind Funeral sees the appearance of future Secret Oyster's Knudsen on piano and Ulrik Jensen on oboe, both giving a demented jazzy

Days Of Phoenix will find itself invaded by ex-BRI members, following that group's first line-up break up, with another future Secret Oyster Jess Staehr playing on bass. But for now, their debut album had enough interesting moments to make this album definitely worth the hearing while not being essential.