ONE LIVE BADGER

This is a great album. Readers not familiar with the band may see Tony Kaye's name and think this might sound a bit like early Yes, but it's far from the mark. The band is more powerfully driven by the guitar work of Brian Parrish, a sorely under-recognised player, whose fluid solos permeate the whole recording. Vocal duties are shared between Parrish and bassist Dave Foster, but it's not clear who the lead singer is. What I can say is that they have a very strong, impassioned vocal style, with some hard rock / soul references. The songs themselves are all wonderful and highly memorable, with big choruses and thickly layered chord structures. The intricate moments are punctuated with nice guitar, organ and synthesiser motifs (check out the synthesiser solo on Fountain). The band storms home with a rousing version of On The Way Home, a heavy, Christian-oriented song that does not repulse with its religious sentiments, but rather provides a stirring climax of emotions. The sound is a bit rough around the edges at times, but then again, so is Yessongs, recorded at the same venue and on the same night as the Badger cd. All in all, a superb live cd. Whatever became of Brian Parrish?