ELYSIAN ENCOUNTER

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A semi-progressive British power-trio, Baker Gurvitz Army produced a trio of noteworthy LP's during the mid-seventies, with this 1975 release the highly-recommended pick-of-the- bunch. Sandwiched between their spiky self-titled debut and the underwhelming commercial rock of 1976's 'Hearts On Fire', the eclesiastically-monikered 'Elysian Encounter' finds this sadly short-lived outfit at their most instrumentally ambitious, toning down the brash rock excess of the group-members previous outfits in favour of a slower, more measured brand of still commercially-viable FM rock that also had half-an-eye on the progressive rock market. All three members had come from much more blues-and-R'n'B-based outfits, with the line- up consisting of Cream drummer Ginger Baker and the brothers Gurvitz, Adrian(vocals, guitar), and Paul(bass), from the hard-rockin' Three Man Army. Adrian Gurvitz seems to be the main man here, his tastefully-displayed lead guitar ranging from cool and detached to hot and smoky, sometimes within the paradigms of the same song, and whilst Baker's forceful drumming sometimes strays into slightly indulgent speed metal mode, his calmer, more thoughtful moments add real atmosphere. The opening salvo of tracks run a smoother course than the later, harder stuff, though opener 'People' runs up quite a head of Humble Pie-style steam. 'The Key' and 'Time' also shower the musicians softer side, with psychedelic-tinged keyboards-and-synths colouring the epic blues-flecked rhythms with just enough artfulness, yet not too much, to keep the material on the accessible side of 1970s rock. Of the later material the slick and carefully-constructed pop-tinged rock 'Remember' is perhaps the most distinguished; the tracks later, faster stages approach the edges of say, early-eighties Boston or Journey, but the syncopated style, soulful vocals and almost- melancholy guitars add a real sheen of originality that separates Baker Gurvitz's intruiging sound from the less-assured rock groups of the era. The group's progressive rock credentials as a whole aren't exactly the strongest, and looser, more bluesy material on 'Elysian Encounter' does tend to ape the likes of Ten Years After or Savoy Brown without replicating those groups rootsy charm. However, the epic rock sound the threesome achieve is something else; it's not quite rock, and it's not quite prog, but it straddles the sonic void in-between without favouring either genre, which is a rare treat indeed. The result is a delightfully-original 1970s sound; slick, groovy, powerful and thoughtful. A very nice surprise indeed. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2011

More rockin' and proggier ...!

I found this second album much more rockin' and proggier than the debut even though I only knew this album many years after its release date in 1975. Never mind, even though the name BGA was equal to their debut album with songs that were so familiar with me as at that time I got the tape of the debut. You will be amazed with how skillful the musicians are when you spin the opening track "People" especially with how dynamic the music flows and how guitar and drumming play their parts excellently with complex arrangements. Yes, structure-wise you might consider it like a straight forward rock music. But, please observe the subtleties of the way instruments are played: stunning guitar work, dynamic drumming wits fast beats as well as tight bassline. It's a wonderful opening track, really.

The second track "The Key" is a slower tempo one with sort of Santana's style and some flavor of reggae music. Well, you might say that this can be an excuse to enjoy reggae music. But look at the way guitar is played - its nice! "Time" brings the music back to faster tempo in southern rock style similar to bands like the Doobie Brothers. But of course this is a different outfit. "The Gambler" brings back into slower tempo, a bit poppy stuff, but it's still interesting to enjoy. "The Dreamer" has a nice guitar work and dynamic drumming. "The Remember" demonstrates excellent guitar work while "The Artist" indicates unique drumming style of Ginger Baker. "The Hustler" concludes the album excellently as this is at the same tempo as the opening track with great guitar solo.

Overall, it's an excellent addition to any prog music collection even though the music of BGA tends to be a combination of Southern rock, blues as well as progressive. Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW