PIRANA

Pirana's first album mixes some cheesey turn-of-the-decade pop with some more credible extended numbers on the lighter side of prog. They are now remembered primarily as antipodean Santana copyists, but this album shows a more diverse influence. The Santana influence is most audible in the appropriately titled opening track "Elation", in the short middle section of "Sermonette", and in the long lively jam during "Stand Back". These are generally the most prog-friendly tracks, particularly "Sermonette" which packs several changes of mood and style into it's relatively short running time. I don't mind all the pop stuff - I like sunny major seventh chords as much as anyone - and "The Time Is Now" does the sunny seventh chords pretty well, with a nice modulation in the chorus - and then a Wurm-like change of pace at the end to appease the prog fans. "The River" is very reminiscent of the Beatles "Don't Let Me Down" - maybe a little too much. "Find Yourself A New Girl" is probably a bit too sunny, OTOH; and then "Easy Ride" with it's soldier lyrics takes the cheese quotient a bit too far.