ARS LONGA VITA BREVIS

Unlike the previous progressive box-sets I reviewed (not the Nuggets compilations that were Garage rock though), this little "baby" is not based on a record label and this might just be its strength, but somehow it fails to capitalize on this strength (the multi-label freedom) to the fullest. Compared to the Vertigo, the island, the Decca-Deram and the Harvest box-set, this one starts in 67 to end relatively later. If you already own the other four, you will be likely to not need this one so much because there will be some overlapping, but this was probably already the case already with those sets and your albums collection. The box-set is named after The Nice's second album.

As I said above, the multi-label possibilities are not fully exploited, but for understandable royalty/author's rights reasons, some managers and record companies not always being philanthropic (to say the least ;-), anyway who needs Zep, Beatles and Purple tracks on such a box-set if it is going to raise the price by over 50%. Among the interest of this compilation are a few tracks that are borderline progressive inclusions, including B Auger & The Trinity, Humble Pie and Kinks and a few more. The object I believe followed by this to give us a good explanation on how mid-60's rock evolved into full-blown prog by the early 70's and that goal is fully achieved in these track selection, even if no-one will ever fully agree with the actual choices that were operated.

Among the notable tracks worthy of note to the collectors is a Sam Gopal track (Lemmy's very first group), Heavy Jelly,Fuschia, Skin Alley, Marsipulami just to name a few. But the pure progressive content of this compilation is certainly a more diluted one than all of the single label ones, but the enjoyment is the same: You can put those on when you have a party and no-one will be annoyed by the bombardment of a full album from say a rather touchy guests not liking your "weird" RIO tastes.

What one must realize is that all of these box-sets are only for the progheads being able to afford these rather non-essential (this is debatable, though) compilations or make the investment (this was the cheapest I paid for those box-sets) just for a few rare and not-easy-to-find tracks, however beautiful may they be. Over-all , I would tend to think this box-set is not as essential as the other single label ones.