EGG

While often compared to the Nice for their tendency to quote the classics, Egg actually has more in common with Soft Machine or rock-in-opposition bands such as Henry Cow. Their 1970 debut is very challenging and complex while being quite listenable. The liner notes state "the music on the L.P. is not dancing music, but basically music for listening to" which is quite evident from the opening of "While Growing My Hair," that these guys have a definite affinity for odd time signatures. One could not dance to this album if they tried (although if they did, mind you, they would look pretty funny doing it). Much like Keith Emerson, Dave Stewart has a fondness for quoting the classics, although Stewart's approach is far more refined and mature than Emerson's flashy organ pyrotechnics. "Fugue In D Minor" is a tasteful cover of Bach, while "Symphony No.2, First Movement" slickly quotes Grieg's "Hall of the Mountain King." All of the playing this album is superb and drummer Clive Brooks and bassist, vocalist Mont Campbell are a perfect match to Stewarts ablilities. This is definitely symphonic progressive rock at it's finest.

The CD reissue of this album reinserts "Symphony No.2, Third Movement" back into the album since it had been omitted by Decca before it's release due to a Stravinsky quote that would have caused unwanted copyright conflicts that could have led to problems with Decca's classical division. With this piece reinserted, one can now hear "Symphony No.2" in it's complete and intended form. This reissue also includes the single "Seven Is A Jolly Good Time" b/w "You Are All Princes" both of which display Egg's unusual time signatures used in a shorter, more concise format.

This is definitely a must have album and your prog rock collection is incomplete without it.