GALLEONS OF PASSION

Another great album by Finch, who luckily didn't hang around long enough (ie. into the '80s) to record a bad album. 'Galleons Of Passion' is often considered the weaker of their 3 albums, and while it's definitely got its softer, less spastic moments, it's still a wonderful listen in its own right. And still totally 100% Finch.

Every now and then this album works its way into the dippy grocery-store Muzak that Camel and Focus would also occasionally get caught up in, but not often. More of the intent seems to be on creating comfortable spaces, which is in direct contrast to their previous albums. This helps make the intense moments that much more powerful. This is heard on the cosmic "Remembering The Future", and all over Side 2, which is comprised of two long tracks: "With Love As the Motive" and "Reconciling". Guitarist Joop Van Nimwegen sounds even more McLaughlin-ish when blazing over serene layers like the final moments of "Unspoken Is The Word", and it's this sort of dynamic dichotomy that makes 'Galleons Of Passion' work so well. You just have to be a lot more patient in the listening to get the rewards that their first two albums slammed at you with a more direct intensity. A warm, welcoming excursion, this offers the widest array of dynamics of any Finch album (much credit for the vastness goes to keyboardist Ad Wammes). It's not their best album (I still can't decide between the first two), but it remains killer stuff, recommended to fans of Camel and Focus, as well as the more fusion-oriented Colosseum II and National Health.