QUATERMASS

Destined to remain a cult classic Quatermass's debut has much to offer. A trio based around organ, bass, drums, this behemoth of an LP from 1970 is a quintessential English prog LP, and a varied one at that. Starting with the otherwordly effects of "Entropy" - all moogs and hammond nuances, it crashes into a stomping "Black Sheep of the Family" kind of Deep Purple driving a VDGG riff around Birmingham!! There is some mainstream moments on this Lp but they are delivered with a quality musicianship - Johhny Gustafson was a well journeyed sessionier, emanating first from the Big three I think - a Liverpool Beat Group.Side One continues with "Post War Saturday Echo" - a great ELP-out of the finest order - a game of musical chairs that merges into a bluesy Uriah Heep wailer - its epic n length with some nice proggy interludes. Its on Side Two were Quatermass really get the "PROG" out - "Gemini," "Laughin Tackle" - prog brilliance all the way - lovely hammond work - Pete Robinson is an unsung maestro of the instrument and he tease soem very subtle nuances out of it. But its the 10 minute "Laughin Tackle" that is the centerpiece - great bounding bass, hammond stabs and jams and deep penetrating cellos that grow and grow until exploding all over the mix before regrouping again before "Entropy" reprise lead us out. the British prog scene is littered with these minor classics: Titus Groan, Spring, Gracious, Fantasy but Quatermass has always been heading up the B-Teams!!!!