RECREATION (DON'T OPEN)

Recreation's debut album is to say the least a timid one, but one can clearly sense that these guys have all it takes (except self-confidence maybe) to be a future great. This KB-lead trio is the antithesis of other KB trios such as ELP or Egg (well maybe a bit Egg crossed with French group Travelling) giving a rather hard to define sound between Canterbury (Soft Machine at times), jazz-rock and classical reprises and Vanilla Fudge. The nightmarish and Dali-esque artwork is great evocation of what you are about to hear in this album, but also the next one.

If the opener Burning Chapel is an underachiever (we vainly wait for the track to explode, expand and explore), Running For Life is clearly a step in the right direction, while Sexual Lover is clearly explorative even in a psychedelic musical sex orgy - a very Fudgey affair if you ask me. The second vinyl side is made of three fully rearranged covers, the first of which, you really have to pay attention to find the original slowed down (again the Fudge thing) Lovin' Spoonful classic - a masterstroke. Up next is a daring (but doomed) rendition of the hit California Dreamin - but who could have replaced those gorgeous vocal harmonies. As daring, bold audacious as it may be, this is partly successful- therefore implying also a failure - the Fudge would've not missed this one!!! Reach out is another strongly psyched and progged-out cover.

Although not perfect, this debut album holds much promise for the future and it will be bright (but short since they only made one more album), as the following is very Zappa- esque. Both albums have been recently re-issued (first time on Cd) by the Australian label Progressive line and it is an excellent 2 on 1 deal.