LEGEND OF THE KINGFISHER

First to dispense with the theme of the record: the kingfisher (really a guy) is a creature named Al Syan the Third who wakes up one morning fed up with society and the bustle of traffic and organized religion, and embarks on a journey of discovery. Not sure why that combination of things are what set the little guy off, but that’s the storyline. So off he goes and encounters some colorful folks and has some immutable truths revealed to him and finds the answer to his question and then embarks on another journey, this one whose purpose is to find fame, fortune and immortality. At this point is becomes sort of apparent the lyrics are referring to the band itself, and also apparent they were either really poor at putting thematic continuity into their writings, or they were stoned. Maybe both.

All that aside, this is a fun CD to listen to today. It was original recorded in 1973, and released to very limited distribution (only a hundred copies or so from what I’ve read). It was reissued as a rather plain- wrappered CD in 1992 as a Background Series recording, but even that is out-of-print today.

Musically these guys have a little of sixties psych left in them, especially on the first few tracks of the album. The trilogy “Waiting for the Rain” followed by “And a Time to Think” demonstrate this best. But at the same time they are clearly experimenting with some progressive arrangements, both on guitar and in some of the song constructions. The second half of the record is the more interesting in my opinion, especially the title track where keyboardist Eddie Stringer works his way through a number of organ transitions that evoke a feeling of traveling on a long journey filled with both adventure and tranquility (which I think is pretty much what they were going for).

This is a very minor recording from a forgotten band that didn’t seem to have a whole lot of talent or career ambition; in fact, I can’t find any information on anything the band or any of its members did following this release. As a curiosity the record may appeal to some avid prog music collectors, but overall it is an average production at best. One has a tendency to overrate these obscure recordings when they surface, but I’ll fight that temptation and mark this down for what it is, a collector piece only. Two stars, but recommended as a CD to add to your collection if you come across if you want to impress your friends with just how eclectic your musical tastes are.

peace