AMBROSIA

Stop! Before the strains of "That's How Much I Feel" or "You're the Only Women" go rushing through your head, listen without predjudice and you will hear a terrific set of songs with a strong melodic base, great vocals, superb musicianship and production. In reading about this band in the liner notes, the formidable skills of Alan Parsons were brought in and got the record nominated for a Grammy in the engineering category.

Fans of symphonic progressive music should really take to this one. "Nice, Nice, Very Nice" is a collaboration, with writer Kurt Vonnegut Jr. penning some of the lyrics. A Yes-like quality permeates through this track musically and vocally, with a catchy hook-laden chorus while Hammond organ swirls fill the air. There are a number of musical interludes, snippets of acoustic guitar, keyboard fills, and wonderful vocal interplay. "Time Waits For No One" with its tricky acoustic guitar intro, adds a number of sound effects, and the multi-tracked musical overdubs make this one a suitable ear candy delight. Though the band is vocally oriented, each track displays their musical talents as well. "Holding On To Yesterday" is a mid-tempo groove, and with my amazing power of recall I quickly remembered hearing this one back in my younger days. I love the use of the Hammond to create little accents in various sections of the song. Much of this is firmly rooted in FM rock as much as progressive, but it is all done so well.

"Mama Frog" has an interesting section that includes a narration that I find pretty cool but others may find it a bit cheesy and dated these days. The music features a lot of keyboard playing, really upbeat, and the wacky Hammond section that follows the narration is excellent before returning to the main theme. "Make Us All Aware" has an enjoyable classically influenced piano intro; a harpsichord mid-section, with licks galore running through the track by synths, violins, horns etc. The massive pipe organ that runs through "Drink of Water is really majestic sounding.

Ultimately, you get a package full of great vocals and melodies, with an interesting mix of music. I was honestly surprised at how much I enjoyed this, and if you drive by someone singing at the top of their lungs in the car to Ambrosia, that would be me.