Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography
Family - Bandstand CD (album) cover

BANDSTAND

Family

 

Eclectic Prog

3.48 | 88 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Sean Trane
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk
3 stars 3,5 stars really!!!!

Yet with another expensive gimmick cover portraying an old type of TV with a plastic window and special cut-outs, this album holds a special place in collector's hearts, but it should also hold a good place in the proghead's collection. Although not as excellent as the previous Fearless, Bandstand has many things going for itself, not least of all some good songwriting.

The opening Stones-esque Burlesque (the main riff seems to be coming out of Keith Richards's Telecaster) became yet another hit for them, but this is maybe one of the least interesting (progressive-wise) songs on the album. For us progheads, songs such as Bolero Babe (with its string arrangements and synths), Dark Eyes, the delicate My Friend The Sun (in which Chapman actually sounds more like Peter Gabriel-but it stops there), the punchy Broken Nose and its winked-at slow-developing Glove are much more up our sleeves (get it? glove > sleeve ;-) and make this album yet another worthy listen. The last two songs on the original album are less interesting even if the finale Top Of The Hill with its string arrangements (strings were missing since Weider had left after Anyway) should be mentioned.

The bonus tracks include the country B-side of the Burlesque single, and three live tracks including a deceiving version of the superb Weaver's Answer and a short and non-definitive Good News.

I will stop my run of Family reviews at this album - as the last one (Movie) is a rather sad end - and the posthumous Live album, but I feel I covered the main aspects of one of UK's most uncompromising group on stage, but also outlined their "progressiveness".

Sean Trane | 3/5 |

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password

Share this FAMILY review

Social review comments () BETA







Review related links

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.