IN THE CAN

Going on as a quartet after Kaye's departure, Flash had the chance to develop their rocky side a bit further, which they did in their sophomore album "In the Can". It sure allowed them to grasp a major amount of energy in their performances, which is basically the most prominent asset of this album - not only do Banks' solos and riffs sound more potent, but there also a more fiery bass playing by Bennett and a tighter drumming by Hough. Carter continues to deliver his lines with confidence and enthusiasm. On the other hand, though, it seems very clear that the band's sonic pallet feels incomplete without the input of a permanent keyboard player. That's a relevant inconvenient indeed, since the long compositions could have benefited from the addition of keyboard layers and solos: instead, the lack of organ, piano, mellotron and a more recurrent synth (Banks himself plays some occasional ARP) stops the repertoire from developing the potential orchestral feel and aborts any chance of enhancing the splendour alluded by the complex compositions and mood shifts. The high and low points that I've just mentioned are perfectly incarnated in 'Black and White' and in the closure 'There No More' (my two personal faves from the album), which are quite impressive but could have been raised up to an epic level had the instrumentation been augmented. Just by listening to any Yes or Genesis recording you can tell that keyboards are a crucial element in the framework of symphonic prog: that's why it is such a pity that the sonic potential remains underused. Thank God that Banks and co. are accomplished musicians, and as I stated before, find themselves at the top of their energetic capacity. The other long track is 'Lifetime', which kicks off the album with an uplifting vibe, and then 'Monday Morning Eyes' keeps things that way, only adding a slight touch of R'n'B and an enhanced jazz undertone. Track 4 is just a brief drum-and- percussion jam stuck between the magnificent log tracks I commented on earlier. All in all, my overall balance is positive: I enjoy "In the Can" more than the debut album considering the level of musical energy displayed in it, while I enjoy it less regarding the instrumental ensemble, so it all comes down to this - I enjoy this album as much as the previous one but for different reasons.