SOUND OF SUNFOREST

Highly intrigued after having read articles and books mentionning the band, I started huntinhg it down, finally finding it in ali Baba's Cavern in Namur. Great thing I could get an ear on it, I was the only customer in the cave at the time, so I had time to listen to it at great lenghts. One of those highly praised album (especially by collectors trying to get their old vinyls sold) , along with Vashti Bunyan and a few other rarities, that does not live to its reputation as a folk masterpiece or even the slightest bit progressive.

Some 15 short songs, all acoustic (or mostly, I remember a tiny bit of electric guitar), some with rather sympathetic subjects and a seriously hyppie athmosphere. The amateur of medieval or pre-renaiissance will find an interest in the list of instruments played, and the proghead that really enjoys Gryphon might want to pay attention too!

It can be endearing to some folk enthusiasts, I mean the record is not devoid of qualities, but you have to be quite a folk nuthead to appreciate rather amateur and naive songwriting, rather approximative music playing, shoddy production and poor recording. But this is worth a listen, though. Maybe not the investment but certainly the investigation. I was happy to have heard, and now hope to have the album's reputation deflate a bit after this review. Just the fact that this album finally got a Cd release should do the rest about having the prices coming down a bit.