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Family - Music in a Doll's House CD (album) cover

MUSIC IN A DOLL'S HOUSE

Family

 

Eclectic Prog

3.97 | 191 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

ZowieZiggy
Prog Reviewer
3 stars I came in contact with Family in the early seventies when they appeared on Pop Shop, which was a Belgian TV rock programme, featuring live performances in the studio (with audience).

The most impressive feature of the band was the quavering and so special voice of their front man: Roger Chapman. Not truly progressive, their music was still much more intricate than the usual production of those early days of the music we all like.

Each song is on the short side (the shortest one clocking at 22 seconds!) and would have gained in being a little more investigated. There are several songs which are definitely influenced by the Fab Four (Sgt. of course): Mellowing Grey and its wonderful vocal harmonies and some fine mellotron. Never Like This, Winter and The Breeze have this psychedelic and early Floydian touch.

The longest track Old Songs for New Songs is a heavy bluesy rock'n'roll with an upbeat format which quite contrasts with the overall psychedelic atmosphere of this debut which is fully represented by the jazzy / psychedelic Hey Mr. Policeman. I quite like this song actually.

One of the songs I prefer here is Voyage: it has a more complex structure and the mellotron is again highlighting this great number. A bit loose, maybe; somewhat crazy as well (the closing). But extremely original.

It is quite difficult nowadays to imagine the impact that such a band could have had on the rock scene in the late mid sixties. This album hasn't passed the proof of time very well to be honest (See Through Windows). The band threw an enourmous amount of original ideas in here. This album received lots of good critics and reasonably charted in the UK.

Three stars.

ZowieZiggy | 3/5 |

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