RAINDANCE

Great album by a great band, sadly underrated. This is mostly a classic English progressive album with a few touches of classic rock, featuring incredible playing, exceptional writing, and a peculiar sence of humor as well. Just listen to the tongue-in-cheek "Le Cambrioleur Est Dans Le Mouchoir" - sounds like some of the later Steve Hackett stuff. The strangely named "Wallbanger" is an amazing symphonic progressive piece with some medieval stylings, again reminding me of the later Steve Hackett sound (Maybe Steve owned this album!). "Ormolu" is a charming little wobbly, ticking piece about a wind-up toy. But the true masterpiece is the symphonic 16+ minute epic "(Ein Klein) Heldenleben", where the band's true instrumental powers are fully unleashed. The album has some weaker moments, but it's so easy to overlook them and it's worth getting it on the strength of these songs alone. Even the classic rock tunes are tasteful and refreshing - there is not a bad song on the album. A forgotten masterpiece.