THE WEB

Our album begins with the 10-minute mini-epic, wonderfully entitled "Concerto for Bedsprings". There is a dark, even unsettling eeriness to me that feels perhaps like VdGG. This is substantiated further by the swirling, uneven rhythm and crying saxophone starting around minute 2. And a second major shift occurs before minute 3; absolutely wondrous. This feels so out of time, yet I find I could often enough say the same thing about their contemporaries in Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago; all that to say, compliments all 'round: beautiful and dreamy Jazz. Dave Lawson, it should be noted, next to his absolutely lovely keyboard performance, has a voice that will likely polarize, but is very of the time; gruff and dramatic [Not dissimilar to vocal performances found in early, early Heavy Metal music]. Not quite to that effect, but musically they do have roots the same as Arthur Brown and Atomic Rooster. This track is strong. Great opener; perhaps 'Essential'.

Up next on our 5-song album is the title track, "I Spider", moody and dramatic in its soft-spoken, yet simultaneously booming arrangements, with quieted horns, sizeable rhythm section and Dave's phenomenal vibrato. It has a dirge-like quality. In the middle section, over blasted tom-toms, the guitar slices roughly through the air, pitted against the dynamic breaths of sax. Melancholy continues on "Love You". Much less of an immediate statement as the two that came before, "Love You" halts then picks back up with haste. Now I must know how Lawson and Co. felt about Hammill and the rest of Van der Graaf, and vice versa... It's not uncanny, or anything, but the similarities are impossible for me not to make. Second thoughts showed how similar this is to my ears to the well-known Greenslade track-turned-theme-song "Gangsters" 5 years later (though it's actually an essential in my opinion).

Then we have the very cool "Ymphasomniac". Awesome stuff going on rhythmically, as it slips and slides around in a sort of circle. Also, consider the tones used for keyboard. This track allows percussion to really shine, with a break around minute 2. Even when the mood brightens, the band is just so cool and collected. Sick, groovy jam. We even get a bright, airy vibes solo! Up next, "Always I Wait" had me just stop what I was doing and softly proclaim, 'Damn.' This is just unbelievably cool for 1970. A mindblower, if you ask me. What Dave is doing on the organ especially is just melting me; thankfully I'm sober enough to stay upright (I mean, I have to finish this review haha). Everyone is keeping the f*ck up! This band was phenomenal at their best, truly phenomenal. Once again, Tony Edwards on guitar trades off, but this time with vibraphonist Lennie Wright, apparently one of two drummers (I don't know how I had missed that detail until now). Anyhow, this is the best track on the album (my partner hates Dave Lawson's voice haha; I'm a definite fan of all of it). [Perhaps, though, your hipster girlfriend can agree with the rest as well.]

A not-so-excited round-down from an exact True Rate of 4.5/5.0.

[I definitely wanted to say how excited I was with this, my 238th review; I am officially in the "100 MOST PROLIFIC REVIEWERS". Just stoked on it.] [Oops...]

It all begins with "City of Darkness", a song with a backbone that is the 1960s distilled (if I may be permitted to say something so bold). It is (unsurprisingly) soulful, informed like many other Brits by mid-century R'n'B, and lightly if not playfully psychedelic. Ironically, this is a song of sunny disposition. Lovely baroque to fade. We very much remain in this decade still on "Harold Dubbleyew". It's a bit silly, and altogether not my thing, nor all that progressive (even for this era in popular music). This is the song where I first felt what I rediscovered with my last review: you may be hard-pressed to actually enjoy vocalist John L. Watson. There are moments that are in his strongest suit, yet that warble is very distinctive.

Watson turns to croon to us on the very lovely, simple and folksy tune "Hatton Mill Morning". The way this song closes out is with a highly ominous drone, almost like the sound of planes overhead, ready for battle. Suddenly we enter "Green Side Up", our first outing with Jazz full-blown. With the buzzing tone of Tom Harris' sax and the eclectic rhythms, this track reminded me of early Mothers of Invention. Delicious early Jazz Rock to my ears. "Wallpaper" is up next, and this is a very memorable number. It's got hooks; something like Sunshine Pop combined with Jazz and Folk Rock and... like around minute 1, a quirky Edwardian(?) march. This isn't going to be for everyone, especially if you're here specifically for Jazz Rock or Fusion, but for me this is a surefire highlight. The simple theme, so to speak, from "Waaaall - paper in my rooooom" continues under the happy guise of a lovely string ensemble.

We're back to Edward's England on "Did You Die Four Years Ago Tonight?", another great Proto-Prog track! Very old-timey, ya know? Underwater vocals? Anyways, regardless, a whole lotta fun on this'n. Is "Watcha Kelele"... offensive? haha. I'm kidding, but still, quite the intro. Foreshadowing some of the more exotic sonics of Theraposa, what I've assumed then too as African folk music. Harris whips out the flute on this one to a nice match. This does seem to look ahead, to a decade and more after, ultimately to what I believe is Worldbeat. It all comes to a screeching halt as elephants blow and huff and snort. In a rarer side of Popular Psychedelia, like if Blood Sweat & Tears and The Left Banke had a child, "Reverend J. McKinnon" has booming rhythm section, piercing horns and keyboards most bright. All that and this absolutely awe-inspiring orchestration.

Up next, "Sunday Joint" is a quick 2 minutes. First I've thought this listening, but this is pretty similar to maybe The Graham Bond Organisation or The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Very nice Rock'n'B? This is followed by "War of Peace", sitting at a then-gargantuan 10 minutes. Wondrous introduction, and a Graeme Edge level whisper-monologue [a most sincere R.I.P]. Chilling moments of quiet interspersed with raucous, regal pomp and far-off sounds of what is most likely targeting the Middle East (thanks, Obama /s). We get confirmation of this in one way with the opening line: 'East meets West in a never-ending fight.' Again, chilling, I feel actually especially now, in part given a much keener eye on Imperialism at large. I'm glad I went back to get the line right (additionally since the lyrics were weirdly difficult to find online), [but really] because this build up starting around minute 3, again not unlike Moody Blues on Days of Future Passed (1967), is excellent. Sound the alarms; the bombs have already begun to drop. Met with those are crashes and bangs from the drums. A truly wonderful effect that I'm surprised I've not heard more (therein, truly unique to this time; awesome!). We get a whole bunch of emotion, though mostly seen through melancholic and thoughtful orchestration and composition. Additionally, this is very much its own thing for this album, the original closer. Quite the mini-epic.

The first of our three bonus tracks, "I'm a Man" is a badass tune... Good god. Super cool. This shares the same roots as BS&T and Bond and Co., as mentioned before, but also Jimi Hendrix and Cream and the Yardbirds. Beefy, ballsy Rock. The horn section and warm production are just cherries on top. "God Bless the Child", as made popular by its writer, Billie Holiday, is up next. Very nice, well performed rendition. I'm still blown away by this killer production. I think I sincerely took that for granted through the album. Spicy and daring enough to give it an individual-track rating of 4/5. Finally, we get a surprise indeed, I remember quite well now, their sweet, dear cover of the Bee Gees' early hit "To Love Somebody". Good feelin's all around.

Grateful for this revisit! I'm feeling good, in fact, if you know what I'm sayin', so I'm seriously grateful haha.

True Rate: 3.5/5.0

From the moment our opener, "Like The Man Said", begins, it is clear we're in for a real treat of early Progressive Rock. Watson's vocals are full and soulful, but also sport a unique, wavering warble. I can definitely see this alone being a turn-off to certain listeners. What will definitely set this band apart from your average early Prog band, and puts it more in line with, say, Blood, Sweat & Tears, is their unfettered, balls-to-the-wall utility of their entire 6-person ensemble. Most obvious, in terms of being set apart from the vast majority, are Lennie Wright's vibes. In the halftime middle section, we get a lovely sax solo from reedsman Tom Harris. All comes back for the final few minutes with another verse and killer dramatic end. It seemed as though they were referencing something here, modulating it slightly, and it seems it must be what comes next: a full-blown cover of Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love". Again, we have a larger-than-standard ensemble, and they do not hold back. From Watson's soulful boom to the pounding complexity of Kenny Beveridge's drums to the sax and warm bass, we get radiating intensity. For the majority of the solo here we get flute, later married to adlib'd guitar and vibes. Big'n.

Big tonal shift occurs on "'Til I Come Home Again Once More". This is straight-up Soul! Not entirely unsurprising for Jazz-inflected Prog from this era. Another tectonic shift pushes us into an entirely different continent (once more) on "Bewala", with wild, claustrophobic African tribal drums fit nicely with Wright's marimbas. Fun, unique track! I was certainly intrigued to see how this track would be used in the grander scheme of the album, and in a surprising sort of way it's definitely appreciated, juxtaposed by the soft, personal "One Thousand Miles Away". We're back into Soul country. Band sounds great, but nothing really shining here for me until the drums change to a swing (this doesn't last though). Up next is "Blues For Two T's". Fairly self-explanatory, though it's clearly the Swinging '60s. And actually, this is quite its strong suit (it's defined by the rhythm section and the flute, I'm sure you'll find). We are swingin', even delving into a Jazz Blues thing approaching the end.

We weren't quite done with that previously mentioned southern continent as we specifically return to "Kilimanjaro". This is actually quite nice, and a surprising thing to hear from what I've just assumed were a team of whites. Minimalism is explored by the simplicity of the rhythm and the returning marimba, nicely complimented by Watson's softest vocals yet (basically a croon). Coming to the close of the original album cut, we have "Tobacco Road / America". This is another swinger. Nothing you haven't heard before, far as "Tobacco Road" is concerned. "America" has a totally other vibe, featuring a bombastic feel. What's most interesting is that this is actually the Leonard Berstein composition from West Side Story! Another surprise, for a totally different reason! To me, this honestly sounds a bit like Zappa to my ears, substantiated by the shift back to the Blues for a guitar solo. Absolutely wild flute solo was then to follow; he put his whole soul into that haha.

The final two songs were 2008 Bonus tracks, starting off with the cool "Afrodisiac". Sweet jam with a great sax solo and these loose, rolling drums. Finally we have the Latin-inspired "Newspecs". Prety cool. I actually especially love the group vocals, with fun hootin' and hollerin'. Interesting choices, but I can understand ultimately why they were left off originally.

True Rate: 3.25/5.00

Lets just call this humble beginnings shall we? And if you don't have their third album called "I Spider" what are you waiting for?

Concerto For Bedsprings is song where at times I find Dave Lawsons voice unpleasant but at other times find myself loving the song. I think this one is a mixed bag but it's presence ultimately enhances the album.

I Spider is a bit shorter and better. A very even excellent song, fantastic dramatic vocals.

Love You maintains the wonder of the previous track and features a really neat intro I shan't spoil.

Track four has a pompous name? it's an instrumental that goes through different areas excellently and colours the album with variety.

Always I wait is my least favourite song, bearing resemblance to track 2/3 but being of lower quality.

Overall this a superb album for me that I recommend to fans of Soft Machine or Colosseum, brought down by a spotty opener and unnecessary closer.

Overall this albums best moments are mediocre, it's worse moments atrocious and just not something I recommend.

The amusingly-titled, five-piece suite "Concerto for Bedsprings" opens the album, consisting of:- 1. "I Can't Sleep"; 2. "Sack Song"; 3. "Peaceful Sleep"; 4. "You Can Keep The Good Life"; and 5. "Loner". Judging by some of the sub-titles in this 10- minute-long epic, it's dedicated to insomniacs everywhere, although you're unlikely to sleep through this lively Jazz-Rock number. Part 1 "I Can't Sleep" has obvious similarities with the electrically-charged music of Van der Graaf Generator. There's a powerhouse performance from the keyboard player and the vocals are just as erratic and over-the-top as those of Peter Hammill in VDGG. The singer announces at the end of Part 1 "I've got to get some sleep", but there's absolutely no chance of sleeping through the powerful sound of "I Can't Sleep". Part 2 "Sack Song" is a Jazzy cocktail lounge instrumental, sounding somewhat reminiscent of Hatfield & the North in some of their mellower moments, and Part 3 "Peaceful Sleep" is a slightly off-key slice of Canterbury Scene-style Jazz. Part 4 "You Can Keep the Good Life" is a return to an energetic, pounding percussive wave of Van der Graaf Generator-type Jazz-Rock, featuring a scintillating sax solo, and Part 5 "Loner" is a brief return for another bright sunburst of Jazzy cocktail lounge music with a spring in its step to conclude "Concerto for Bedsprings". The whole ten-minute piece is a constantly shifting dynamic, weaving a complex web of stirring Jazz-Rock in dazzling combination with floating mellow waves of the Canterbury Scene sound. All in all, it's a shaken and stirred aperitif of Jazz and Rock combined together into a heady cocktail of great music. Watch out, there's a spider about in the title track coming up next: "I Spider". Let's hope it's just an incy-wincy spider and not a frightening goliath bird-eating spider, or ""Theraposa Blondi" to use the Latin name. No worries, "I Spider" is a slow processional march dominated by the sound of dynamic keyboards and sonorous saxophone. The stately music is soothing and sophisticated, but be prepared because this understated tune has fangs and it creeps up on you unexpectedly (like a spider) and delivers a mighty bite with a crashing crescendo of sound emerging for the grand finale.

Opening Side Two now is "Love You", although this is no gentle sentimental ballad. No, this is a sonic explosion of high-energy Jazz-Rock, so fasten your seat belts and brace for impact. Make no mistake, this is an out-and-out raucous rocker! The bizarrely-titled "Ymphasomniac" is up next. So, what on earth is an "Ymphasomniac" you may well ask. Well, no one knows because it appears to be a uniquely made-up word for the purposes of this album. Don't let the strange song title put you off though, because this is a great song. It's a simply sensational Jazz-Rock jam session, featuring an extended dazzling display of virtuosity, with all of the musicians given the chance to display their magnificent plumage in bright musical colours. It's a real album highlight. You could *almost* believe The Web are a Canterbury Scene band because the final song "Always I Wait" is an 8-minute-long weird but wonderful excursion into the realms of experimental Jazz-Rock. The music sounds slightly discordant at times, but it's ultimately rewarding, like all of the best Canterbury Scene music.

Imagine, if you will, a delicious shaken and stirred cocktail of Van der Graaf Generator in glorious combination with Hatfield & the North and that's the kind of unique album that The Web have woven here. "I Spider" is an album full of constant surprises. Hear it for yourself on the World Wide Web.

Up first is the over 10 minute suite called "Concerto For Bedsprings" dealing with lack of sleep and more. A dramatic intro but it settles with vocals and organ. A change at 1 1/2 minutes as it turns more sparse but also more urgent. Another change after 2 1/2 minutes with piano, sax and jazzy bass lines. So good! Percussion too. Reserved vocals after 4 1/2 minutes then it kicks back in with bass, vocals and more 6 minutes in. It settles back after 9 1/2 minutes. Great start.

"I Spider" is one of my favourites. Mellow organ and bass to start as a beat arrives then soft vocals. It kicks in some before 1 1/2 minutes with drums and guitar but then settles back as contrasts continue. Some nice sax after 5 minutes then the vocals return before 7 minutes. Some sinister sounding sections on this one which isn't surprising considering the lyrics.

"Love You" opens with mellotron and picked guitar I believe. Relaxed vocals too then it calms right down at 1 1/2 minutes. It then kicks in with some power with sax over top as passionate vocals join in. Nice. Love the sound of that guitar soling after 3 1/2 minutes as the vocals step aside. They return a minute later. Great sound.

"Ymphasomniac" along with the title track are my favs and this is the only instrumental on the album. I like how it builds and we get mellotron after a minute. A calm with bongos 2 minutes in then heavy drums only a minute later before piano joins in. I like this a lot. Sax follows and more then organ comes to the fore after 4 1/2 minutes. So good!

"Always I Wait" has these lyrics about girls are wearing skirts that get shorter and shorter(haha) reminds me of my French teacher in elementary school who wore mini-skirts back in the early seventies. Surprised they haven't made a comeback. Heavy fuzzed out sounds and organ early as the vocals join in. A calm after 2 1/2 minutes with organ, bass and a beat as the vocals stop. Jazzy bass before 3 1/2 minutes then the vocals return briefly. They are back though before 5 1/2 minutes then some heaviness. It settles with vocals after 6 minutes.

I spent a lot of time with this one and SAMURAI's debut which is really the followup to this one. That review is next.

"'Til I come home again once more" which is a wonderful little song, reminds me of Cat Stevens' early recordings. "Blues for Two T's" is similar to some early Jethro Tull pieces but better with a driving flute and a bluesy feeling. "Like the man said" is irresistible with its beautiful song and saxophone, a very vital soundscape. It continues with "Sunshine of your love" which also is great. The lyrics in "One thousand miles away" is nice about longing for your home. The song gives you feeling of the Caribbean and the melancholy. "Tobacco Road/America" is a great song which also uses Leonard Bernsteins "America" like The Nice did. This record is very close to perfection. Actually I want to give it five stars but me rating on every song concludes in 4,4. Thus, this is a great record. You will like it if you listen and I hope people will discover "The Web". But listen to "Fully Interlocking" primarily which is my favourite.