BBC RADIO VOLUME 1: 1968 - 69

In the late Sixties Family shared bills with The Nice and Pink Floyd in the famous London Underground scene and their album Music In A Doll's House is still considered as a pivotal progressive rock LP. And legendary bass player John Wetton joined Family for a while before he left for King Crimson. Family played very original and wayward progressive rock featuring the distinctive vocals from Roger Chapman. The line-up on this CD (recordings from 68-69) is Roger Chapman (vocals, saxophone, harmonica and percussion), Rick Grech (bass, violin, cello and vocals), Jim King (saxophones, harmonica, vocals, tin-whistle and piano), Rob Townsend (drums and percussion) en John Çharlie' Whitney (guitar, keyboards, Mellotron and sitar). Later Rick Grech would be replaced by John Weider (bass, violin and guitars) when he decided to join supergroup Blind Faith (featuring Clapton, Stevie Winwood and Ginger Baker). This line- up plays four songs on this CD that contains all previously unreleased compositions (Volume 2 has already been released).

In general Family sounds melodic and very alternating with lots of musical styles: from folky with violin, acoustic guitars or banjo and moving bluesrock with saxophone and harmonica to progrock with organ and some Mellotron and propulsive rock with fiery electric guitar. That 'hot rocking side' delights me most like the tracks Second Generation Woman, Love Is A Sleeper and the Cream-inspired I Sing 'Um The Way I Feel (in which John Whitney almost levels 'Guitar- God' Eric Clapton!). The rhythm-section plays fluent, John Whitney is great and the vocals from Roger Chapman top this unique progrock but you have to be up to his many vibrations and cynical undertone. Another good song is The Cat And The Rat featuring catchy folk-rock with swirling violin work from John Weider. A certain John Lennon said about Family in the late Sixties "this is the best I have heard in years!". A band to discover!