EARLY PLAGUE YEARS

THINKING PLAGUE is one of the most progressive bands I know about. They are always balancing on the edge between extremely technical musicianship and total madness, blending Art Rock, Avant Garde, Jazz, experimental Progressive Rock and RIO. There aren't many bands that can equal them when it comes to originality. Their music is a blend between 5UU'S, ART BEARS, GENTLE GIANT, HENRY COW, KING CRIMSON, SLAPP HAPPY, U TOTEM and FRANK ZAPPA. THINKING PLAGUE's first two LPs on their own Endemic label: "-A Thinking Plague" (1984) and "Moonsongs" (1986) have been out of print for quite a time, but now they're finally re-mastered and released on one CD. The sound quality and the musicianship are as good as on the following releases "In This Life" (1989) and "In Extremis" (1998). This is a great opportunity to finally get these albums and only pay for one CD. The music is highly recommended if you're into intricate progressive rock.

Not exactly a review . I've wrote detailed reviews about each album of the two albums that included in this reissue CD. Tracks 1 - 5 holds the second TP album 'Moonsongs', while tracks 6 -12 holds the first album '.a Thinking Plague'. 'Moonsongs' was a great surprise for me; I didn't expect such a good album. IMO it is a great album that deserve a place of honor between the RIO albums of the 80's, to say the least. The first album '.a Thinking Plague' is mellower, experimental sometimes, but still got its great moments: 'Possessed' and 'Thorns of Blue and Red' are not less in quality than Moonsongs peaks. The CD contains a nice booklet, with some anecdotes and members photographs from that time. Recommended for TP fans as well as for other progheads, who would like to get into the complicate, intriguing and yet very enjoyable music of this band. Although this CD is less complicate than the latest efforts, don't expect an easy listening here: dissonances, syncopation, odd time signatures, and unusual developments are all here, right from the start. And let me say it again, although its high complexity, the music is very moving and has a unique sense of beauty. Naturally four stars rating.

As THINKING PLAGUE became more and more an established force to be reckoned with in the world of avant-prog, the band continued to attract more adventurous music lovers which naturally resulted in fans wanting to hear the earlier albums that preceded the powerhouse masterpieces like "In Extremis." Mike Johnson, the band's only continuous member throughout its existence mistakenly thought the master tapes for the first two albums "A Thinking Plague" and "Moonsongs" had gone missing but somewhere along the line emerged and offered a chance for long awaited re-releases.

The two early albums underwent a complete remastering which included original member Bob Drake in the process. Instead of re-releasing each album individually, both albums have been included in their entirety on the compilation EARLY PLAGUE YEARS which was released in the year 2000 on Cuneiform Records. While i have never had the pleasure of listening to the original vinyl editions, the tracks on EARLY PLAGUE YEARS have an amazingly powerful production that sounds as if they were recorded in the modern era. At long last the early albums were available and by all means should not be missed by THINKING PLAGUE fans. Reviews for each album are on their respective pages.

If you're at all curious as to how Mike Johnson and Bob Drake took a handful of crazy basement recording experiments and developed them into the avant-garde grandioseness of THINKING PLAGUE, this combo pack not only gives a historical context as to how this came to be but also hosts some equally captivating art rock / avant-prog in the midst of the pop rich 80s straight out of the deepest recesses of the underground. The only head scratcher i have with this one is that it presents the two albums out of order. "Moonsongs" comes first followed by "A Thinking Plague." A minor quip but a curiosity nonetheless. Personally i find these early recordings to be ever bit as exciting as their latest ones.