TOMORROW'S PANTOMIME

Decameron is a rather obscure Folk Rock band from the 70's. Though hailing from the UK, Decameron had a more American sound than many of their British colleagues. Tomorrow's Pantomime was the band's fourth and last ever album and also the most mature and well- produced one. If this is in any sense progressive, their "progressiveness" lies in a certain eclecticism mixing influences from primarily British and American Folk Rock, Beatles-esque Pop and straightforward Rock & Roll with slight touches of Jazz and Funk. If I must name some similar bands I would say Barclay James Harvest in their least symphonic and most Folk rocking moments (remember Mill Boys?) and perhaps Strawbs (but not their most progressive material). One of the members of Decameron was Dik Cadbury who would later join Steve Hackett's band.

I own this album as part of a three-on-one-release called Parabola Road that holds three out of the band's four albums over two CDs. The other two albums featured are Third Light and Mammoth Special. Tomorrow's Pantomime is the one I have listened to the most. Though more mature than their earlier albums, the present album is somewhat uneven. Indeed, almost every second track is significantly less interesting compared to the rest; tracks one, three and five (The Deal, Ask Me Tomorrow and the title track) are, together with the album's last three tracks, the better songs, while tracks two, four and six (Fallen Over, Dancing and Single Handed) are rather out of place. The latter is a Rock 'N' Roll number that would have fitted perfectly on an Elton John album while Dancing is a rather dispensable Funk rocker.

The most progressive songs, and also among the best ones, are the last two: The Shadows On The Stairs and the two part So This Is God's Country/Peace With Honour. Here we get a little bit more substance and something more than conventional song structures.

Tomorrow's Pantomime is a rather good and partly enjoyable, but somewhat uneven, album. Not bad at all, but by no means essential. Recommended particularly to those with tastes in the Folk Rock direction without too strong criteria of "progressiveness".

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