EVER BE THE PRIZE

This Scottish band contributed in its own way to the revival of British Prog in the 80's, even if they had to wait for over 25 years for their official debut.Named after William Shakespeare's eponympous play, Comedy of Errors were formed in 1984 in Glascow, centered around keyboardist Jim Johnston, also with John MacPhee on drums, Steve Stewart on bass, Mike Barnard on guitar and Joe Cairney on vocals.Stewart was replaced by Mark Spalding in 1985 and the same year the band recorded a 3-track demo at a studio in Blanefield, Scotland, entitled ''Ever be the prize''.

They did not have a very original sound and the two short tracks recall early MARILLION in a very ''He knows you know'' style.A fast rhythm section is surrounded by brilliant keyboard flashes with playful notes and angular solos, while the guitars appear mostly as a supporting instrument.Cairney's voice really shines in the opening ''Dreams that count'', while the following ''Beat the lights'' is totally instrumental Neo Prog with a semi-dramatic atmosphere and a tapping groove all the way.The 7-min. title track shows Comedy of Errors' true potential.Atmospheric Neo Prog with a balanced style, featuring some spacey keys among the most edgy executions and a nice middle break with strong GENESIS influences in a kind of theatrical style.Guitar becomes more prominent with a great solo by Barnard and the energy of this piece is along the lines of underground British Prog of the 80's, a piece with an intricate mood and sufficient instrumental work.

As none of these pieces ended up in any of Comedy of Errors' future, official releases, ''Ever be the prize'' belongs among the highly collectable cassettes of the period.Grab it if you can, this is decent Neo Prog to say the least with good arrangements and memorable tracks.