DEMONS AND WIZARDS

I've read other reviewers here who had experiences with "Demons and Wizards" that are similar to mine: This was the LP that opened my eyes to "progressive rock." While I had heard and fondled "Sgt. Pepper's," "Magical Mystery Tour," "Days of Future Passed," and "Abbey Road" before my brother came home with D&W (and BLUE OYSTER CULT's "Secret Treaties"), I had never been so engaged, so enriched, so inspired as I was by the overall D&W experience-opening guitar chords to ending piano cadence. One thing I've also remembered upon repeated recent listenings is how Mick Box uses layers of his lead guitars to produce either a dueling or harmonic effect. To me, a fairly innovative ploy.

"The Wizard" - Wow! What an opening. That first declarative sentence with that supernatural echo just sucks you in! The vocals, guitars, keys, bass(!), and effects on this LP are so confident and diverse, so tight yet flowing. 10/10

"Traveller in Time" - As noted by predecessors, a very progressive song with all kinds of time, volume and mood changes highlighted by the drum and wah-guitar work. A very ZEP-feeling section at the end. 9/10

"Easy Livin'" - This one got heavy FM play in my native Detroit so I got kind of sick of it (story of my life: find a new group/sound/song and suddenly it gets overkilled in a pop-kind of way), but it's a very solid classic rock song. The driving pace is IMHO a bit monotonous but the organ and vocal work are admittedly superb. 6/10

"Poet's Justice" - Another progressive classic with many time and mood changes and some incredible bass playing. The weakest lead vocal performance on the LP is still awesome! 8/10

"Circle of Hands" - Swirling organs and sensitive/powerful vocals tie together more straightforward rock beats/chords until the amazing outflow with Hensley repeating "tomorrow" over the amazing one, two, three, four, and even five guitar leads. 9/10

"Rainbow Demon" - Slow heavy beat with raging organ coupled with slightly edgy lyrics and vocal effects gives this song a SABBATH-like, "Iron Man" feel-guitar solo, too. 8/10

"All My Life" - More classic rock with a great vocal and slide guitar exit. I was always a big fan of this song because of the vocal play in the end section. 8/10

"Paradise/The Spell" - How great are the acoustic guitars of this group?! I love the alternating vocal arrangement Hensley and Byron use in "Paradise." Though I'm not always a drums percussion listener, I really hear and appreciate the work in this one. The whole song has a very GRAND FUNK RAILROAD feel to it. The wizard theme that seems so pervasive on this LP is really brought to a head in "The Spell" with Box's GILMOUR-like slide solo over choral voices really promotes that mystical tension. An amazingly strong, emotional vocal performance. Great piano-bass-drums ride till the end reprise. 10/10

The best album cover artwork ever. Definitely a prog masterpiece-the first one I had the good fortune of being exposed to and my epiphany of the style of music I would pursue for the next ten years or more. Five Stars