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Pavlov's Dog - Pampered Menial CD (album) cover

PAMPERED MENIAL

Pavlov's Dog

 

Crossover Prog

4.08 | 399 ratings

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Gatot
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars What a memorable album this one is. When I first knew the band sometime in mid 70s I just thought that it's another rock band. I still remember clearly that the album opener "Julia" was once becoming a radio hit where one radio regularly aired this song. The voice quality of David Surkamp is really unique; it reminds me to the lead singer of Babe Ruth. The band's music is actually pretty straight forward with reltively simple structure with classical music and blues influence. The use of mellotron, violin and flute has sounded the music like a prog vein. Some tunes are prog in nature like for example "Song Dance" that has a combination of high register singing style and excellent orchestration and interlude that contains intertwining work of keyboard, guitar and violin. It's a great musical composition.

Under "Fast Gun" the band explores the use of orchestration even at the beginning of the track and let it follows the high octave singing. I think the approach taken by the band is excellent as merging the orchestra into the song has accentuated the song. Under "The Natchez Trace" the composition features the role of piano combined with organ and nice guitar followed with an inclusion of violin and mellotron in rocking style. WOW!

"Theme from Subway Sue" is a track of my favorite with a blues influence, great piano and guitar fills accompanying the powerful voice line. It sounds like a straight forward classic rock tune - structure wise. I really enjoy this track especially on high register notes of the lead singer. There is some light orchestra / mellotrons involved that make this song attractive. "Episode" starts off with a very nice violin, piano and vocal line in a mellow style. The music turns gradually loud with a mellotron sounds at background. The violin solo is really nice. "Preludin" is a short track (1:39) that demonstrates the classical music influence - great orchestration combined with mellotron sounds. "Of Once and Future Kings" concludes the album with a nice opening: guitar fills and voice line. The music flows continuously into full music with orchestration, piano touch (nice!) and as usual: mellotrons! It turns to a faster tempo with a jazzy piano style - good composition, performed in operatic style with accentuation of violin work and stunning guitar solo.

Overall, this is an excellent addition to any prog collection. If you were there during the time this album was released - the glory years of rock music, the seventies, it's very likely you love this album. Or, probably you missed it as this album does not really "rock" musically. But it's an excellent composition. Keep on progging!!!

Progressively yours,

GW - Indonesia.

Gatot | 4/5 |

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