SPACE CABARET

This second album is an enormous sideways leap from their debut which was still soaked in psych and blues. Where does this one sit? You know, I would struggle to say exactly. Oh it is definitely in the prog oeuvre, just a tricky blighter to pin down to one place within it.

2 vocalists are well and good but the female of the pair is much preferred ....so of course she is given a 'supporting role'. The rest of the band are competent if unspectacular but it is the big picture rather than individual flash on offer here.

So, you ask, give us a clue then? The front man Richard Joseph certainly has a touch of the Peter Hammills (Distant Thoughts...) about him and his compositions and he seems to have dipped them in a bowl of Curved Air and even Renaissance, especially when they employ Larraine Odels under used talents. She has a bit of Alice Coltrane about her (Lightshine) and can bring the chanteuse to the 'cabaret' when asked. She may well have listened to a fair bit of Julie Driscoll/Tippetts too. Although they came after, she sounds a lot like the Wilson sisters from Heart. The band flirt with a bit of jazz/rock fusion and an occasional groove, though the guitar player isn't quite able to carry off his time/s in the spot light. Depending on your range of knowledge you would say they could have slotted well onto a bill with Beggars Opera and also later period Principal Edwards....but I sometimes hear a typical late 60's/early 70's musical soundtrack...say Hair or JC Superstar and that is 'not a good thing'. To balance Songs From The 4th Era could come from Tommy. In Archway 222 the keys man pinches some No Quarter, Riders On The Storm and Canterbury bits. You have to make up your own mind if it works or is too derivative. Dream is ambitious but reminds me of post Tommy Bolin Zephyr trying to go a bit prog and funky (yup whakka whakka guitar n all!).

So to give kudos you have to say it's a bit 'different' though was never going to sell but full marks to Transatlantic (one of my favourite 70's labels) for giving it a go anyhow!

I have to give it 3 stars but it is a little better even with the flaws mentioned and tack a couple of decimal points on to that rating.

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