PILGRIMAGE

Pilgrimage is an excellent album. I still can't get over how underrated this band are generally! This was their second album. It feels a little more focused on folk and acoustic music as a whole as opposed to the blues-rock sound that dominated the first album. But again there is a great variety of styles. It hits off with the jazzy instrumental workout "Vas Dis", very interesting track. And the title piece is great progressive rock and one of the most adventurous compositions ever by the band. "Jail Bait" follows and is in the blues-rock vein of The Allman Brothers, but not without Wishbone Ash's distinctive guitar interplay. The short instrumentals "Alone" and "Lullaby" are mystical pieces and break up the first and second halves perfectly. For me the highlight is "Valediction". I can't think of any reason not to love this one! It is one of the most masterful by the band, signalling the greatness of "Argus" which followed a year later. It's divine. The folky harmonies and melody is pretty much in the spirit of Crosby Stills, Nash and Young, but with the band's own unque twists! It has a reggae styled riff towards the end which I'd say was quite an unusual genre to be brought up within progressive rock in 1971. Great stuff. "Where Were You Tomorrow" is a live song and a pretty cool way to rock the album out with lots of smokin' hot guitar work. Four solid stars!