INFINITE CHANGE

3.5 stars. With a name like PROTEUS and the title being "Infinite Change" I was expecting a very plastic sounding album since it was released in 1981. Not so. This band was out of Chicago and featured one of the many drummers(Sergio Nespola) Italian band PANNA FREDDA went through before releasing their one album "Uno" back in 1971 which I like a lot. Filippo Carnevale was the drummer on that studio album and the liner notes which I'm looking at right now doesn't even mention Sergio but talks about the many drummers they used naming four of them but not Sergio. Apparently Sergio moved to New York from Italy eventually making it to Chicago where he would be based. Interesting stuff.

They were a four piece releasing this one studio album. We do get guest horns(sax, trombone and trumpet) along with rhythm guitar on "Steppin Out" along with guest sax on the closer. The first half of the album is killer, I mean that opener "Mandala" along with "Afternoon Affirmation" are fantastic! The guitar or synths are the soloing instruments much of the time and the bass and drums really add a lot. Memorable melodies, just a treat to hear the first half. Even "Dance Of The Moonchildren" while not quite as good as the other two songs on the first half it's interesting as the wind blows to open and we get bells and experimental sounds early on. Nasty bass too. Great sounding side one but then we get to side two and I have to exclaim "What happened?". The guitar style changes to that Disco one along with the synths. So disappointing. Hard to believe actually. The horns sure don't help either on "Steppin Out" or the sax on the closer. Just a very disappointing ending to a very promising beginning with this album.

It still bugs me that they had to deteriorate to that commercial sound on side two but it may not bother some of you fans as much as me, worth checking out for side one alone.