A SALTY DOG

Given that they released the quite progressive classic album Shine On Brightly, it's rather surprising to hear so many bluesy, rough-ish songs reminiscent of their debut, on this third album. Like some reviewers before me, I think the songs are very clearly divided in two camps: 1) totally uninteresting and 2) very good ones. I have nothing special to say about songs such as 'The Devil Came from Kansas', 'Crucifiction Lane 'or 'Juicy John Pink' - except that I don't like them a bit.

But the good ones justify this being a true classic album of 1969. 'A Salty Dog' is a slow and majestic (and very story-like) song with classical flavour, on the same level (if not even more elegant) as 'Whiter Shade of Pale'. I'm also fond of 'Too Much Between Us', an intimate little song with very dreamy chorus. 'Boredom' is sung by Matthew Fisher, another very symphatizing song, with peculiar shaker-loaded arrangement. Fisher's beautiful, organ-led closer 'Pilgrim's Progress' is great too. And some songs are OK if not any highlights. A must album for the fans of the group, at least. Despite all its faults and unevenness it has a nicely aged aura.