SEVENTH WAVE

Seventh Wave started out as the band 'Second Hand' who made psychedelic/prog albums with Ken Elliott on keyboards, Kieran O'Connor on drums and percussion, and an ever changing, unstable line-up of guitarists, bass guitarists and a complete lack of any commercial success. I guess 'Seventh Wave' and 'Second Hand (aka Chillum)' are one of the greatest 'rare' finds of progressive rock. They are highly original and their keyboardist/synthesiser player, Ken Elliott (wait, I told you that above) is extremely good, like Keith Emerson/Anthony Banks good (no one calls him Anthony do they?). Like GREAT man. His playing is so innovative and vivid and descriptive. You hear! Now you all go and cheer him on! That's it., big smile on your face, clapping, That's it! (by the way the little drummer boy, complete with sympathy inducing 'nerd-glasses' is also good)

Well anyway Ken and Kieran (who couldn't stand eachother) had alienated everyone else in the world and were left alone to work together. But maybe that's good because these two guys are ultra talented, or so their music seems to indicate. Can we base everything on the quality of music? I hope so because that's what I'm doing.

So this album, made up of fourteen tracks, has four vocal tracks and ten short instrumental tracks. It should be easy to understand the average track length, given fourteen songs run for only about 35 minutes.

Elliot's keyboard work is quaint and classical, but often delves into very original territory. Often his work tries to reflect the title of the song, for example, 'Intercity Water Rat' really sounds like a dirty little rat running through the sewers and the joyous 'festival' really has that festival atmosphere.

All the songs seague into one another, except maybe 'Fail to see' leading into 'premonition', because you have to flip over the vinyl (well you did 'til downloads came along!)

So side one begins with the keyboard-organ piece 'Sky scraper' and this leads into 'Metropolis' , a catchy song with an environmental meaning. Oh by the way Ken Elliott is the vocalist here. He's not a great vocalist, but he sings well on this album. This is followed by 'Intercity water rat' which is very imaginative indeed! This is followed by 'Escalator' which is a brief synth-organ piece and that leads into 'Old Dog Song'. This is a very catchy pop-rock song with some brilliant hooks and plenty of passionate singing. There's an eerie instrumental 'Smog, fog and sunset' that creates a tense atmosphere before leading into the Motownish 'Fail to see' which also has good vocals from Ken Elliott, and a great chorus.

Flip over and things get even better. 'Premonition' is a ghostly track with some eerie sounds, very hard to describe, a real tension builder. This leads into the joyous burst of 'Festival' with it's cheery atmosphere. It is actually a re-worked version of 'Celebration' from the 'Chillum' album. There is one more vocal tracks, 'Ever so lightly' which is extremely catchy and has a 'synth-medieval' feeling to it. I like the synth-bass on this one.

The remaining four tracks are the best part of the album, real fantasy epics with all sorts of original keyboard textures. My favourite track by this band is 'Communication Skyways' that begins this quartet of songs, and unbelievably, being an instrumental, it is one of their most catchy songs. also these last four actually have a dance beat to them, duh! that's why it's 'dance of the Eloi' not 'prog of the Eloi!'

Anyways a long, exhaustive review, this is a fine album. If there was anything else that sounded like it? I picked this up at a 2nd hand record store because it had a proggy cover. It's not really prog, more imaginative synth pieces and a few catchy pop-rock songs. But innovative nonetheless. 4.5 out of 5.0

The music is actually rather original because of this approach. The sound is keyboard/ synth dominated and there are only a few out of the fourteen songs that have vocals. The music isn´t overtly progressive though and I find some of the songs pretty cheesy if I have to be honest. I think it´s obvious that Ken Elliott had worked writing jingles in the previous couple of years because some of these songs sound like something that could have been used in a commercial. The mood is generally strangely jolly and I can´t really get a hold of what Seventh Wave are trying to convey. The songs just aren´t that good, but maybe vintage keyboard and synth freaks can enjoy this?

The musicianship is excellent. It´s obvious that Ken Elliott knows a lot about playing keyboards/ synths and his inventive playing is what saves this album from total failure.

The production is strange to my ears. The keyboards/ synths are way up in the mix while the drums and especially the vocals almost drown at times. Not a very successful sound IMO.

I´m very fond of Death May Be Your Santa Claus (1971) by Second Hand which I consider an unappreciated gem so I expected a lot from Seventh Wave. But this new incarnation of the band doesn´t start life in a good way if you ask me. Things To Come is a one of a kind album but it´s definitely not a gem. A 2 - 2.5 star rating is all I can give.

And while I was re-arranging my discography in accordance of the new genre distribution within the ex Art Rock, I saw that a band called "Seventh Wave" was integrated into Cross-Over genre. Since I couldn't really believe that it was the "Seventh Wave" I knew I did read their bio and I was confirmed in my surprise. Yes, it was the "Seventh Wave" from my (late) teenage days.

Since this album belongs to the ones that have influenced me a looooong time ago, I decided that this would be the one. Of course, I guess that no-one has ever heard of the band (except Micky who adds the band to PA and whom I thank very much for this). But I can't really tell how I came to buy this album somewhere in 76. Maybe a laudatory review in the fanzine "More" (which was the only one available in Belgium by then).

What I was going to discover was a totally new type of music. Of course, at times some "Floyd" or "ELP" influence can be noticed but most of the time this album sounds as a truely "Seventh Wave" one and nothing else. Be ready for a very special journey when you embark "Psy-FI" which could also be titled "Sci-Fi" for its intriguing cover featuring a kind a friendly extra-terrestrial creature. It has always attracted me. Can't really tell why !

This second album has no much things to do with their debut one. From a two-man band, the line-up will be joined by several musicians who will help to give more heart and sould to the work even if like for "Things To Come" Ken Elliott is doing all of the songwritting. Both Bob and Tony Elliott (probably his brothers but I am not sure of this).

The opening track shows the way "Seventh Wave" (or Ken Elliot who IS the band) has chosen to investigate. "Return to Foreverland" is an incredible mix of pop, and electronic music. Extremely catchy chorus. Strong beat and so unique vocals from Ken. Difficult to describe. I guess that the same applies than with David Surkamp ("Pavlov's Dog") : either you can stand and like them or you will just hate them. My choice (for both of them) is the former.

"Roads To Rome" has a very special mood. Almost decadent (like the ancient Rome maybe). Pompous as well (an aspect that the band already had shown in their debut album and which can relate them with ELP. But these elements will be too scarce to really say that it is a major influence). This decadent feeling is also probably due to Ken's vocals. He sounds as if he was coming out a Berlin cabaret before WWII which adds some apocalyptical or end of the world sound to this song. Bombastic keys are featured as well.

Hugh Banton (from Van Der Graaf Generator) holds the keys during "Manifestations". This song is similar in spirit to " Return to Foreverland" : crazy beat, gorgeous keys, great vocals (good backings as well). A very good pop and catchy song. A bit futuristic and harrowing. It sounds as a new-wave song and a band like "Magazine" must have listened to this song.

"Loved By You" is so funny, so parodic that I can not believe that the band was too serious about it. It is sung by Ken's brother (Rob) and is a mix of soul, soap opera as well as retro style (the fifties) music. Irresistable.

One of the best song from this album (but it is already the third one so far) is the long "Only the Beginning". Spacey intro, hypnotic and electronic beat, close to the funky moods. Again the high-pitched vocals work very efficiently. I guess that the band invented the electro-funk. Rich keyboards, lots of synth (there will two guests backing Ken with organ and piano). Backing vocals provides additional strenght as well. A great way to close the first side of the vinyl album.

After the short and pompous "Aether Anthem", we'll get back to the decadent mood again with "Astral Animal". Another efficient electronic funk tune. Weird vocals combined with ambient music provide such a great feeling!

One of my fave since the very first time I have been listening to this very good album is the intrumental "El Tooto". Spacey and dramatic atmosphere. Beautiful melody, fully keyboard oriented with nice but very much in the background percussion work. Another highlight.

"Camera Obscura" is also one of my fave. It is a piece of opera on its own. Orgy of synths of course, complex, mostly instrumental, psychedelic and spacey for the closing section. It leaves the casual listener probably lost or at least perplex. It needs several spins to be accepted.

After nine minutes, the song merges nicely into "Star Palace of the Sombre Warrior". This passage is the closest one to "Floyd". Fully space rock oriented. It is the most emotional one of all. Dark, bombastic and again this fabulous (to my ears) vocals from Ken. Another highlight (one more). I really like this song and the whole album is like an enchantment. Thanks to PA to have revived this band in my memory.

This is an highly creative album. Totally original and so different from anything you could think of. I had never heard such music before. And actually, I know of no other band that has produced anything close to this work later on. It is not easily approachable. But if ever you get hold of the CD version which holds both of their LP's do have a listen. Maybe you will be charmed as I have been over thirty years ago.

Thousand words for a thousandth review. Sorry about this. Four stars.

Seventh wave is an obscure band form the mid-seventies Britisch scene. At times psychedelic / experimental ("Intercity Water Rat", "Premonition"), at times oldie ("Old Dog song") which is fully "Beatles" oriented, at times classical ("Smog, Fog and Sunset").

Some songs won't be any good like the Motown-ish "Fail To See" and "Festival" which could have been an excerpts of of West End musical.

This band is maybe too original to be categorized. Probably, and also therefore, they won't have the success they should have deserved. Not with this album which is not a great one, but with their excellent follow-up : "Psy-Fi".

At times, this album is too minimalist and hard to approach. There won't be any standout tracks. Too many very short songs : seven out of forteen will "peak" at much less or just above two minutes. Difficult to express your ideas within this run lenght IMO.

My fave is "Eversolightly". Somewhat melodic and featuring these typical and so special vocals from Ken Eliott who also wrote all the songs from this album. It will be mostly dominated with keys like in "Communication Skyways". This song forms sort of a quadrilogy with "Things to Come", "1991 1/2" and "Dance of the Eloi". The whole sounding as pompous as some ELP work.

Two stars and definitively waiting for better things to come.