CELLAR REPLAYED

Surely, Haze are one of the best-loved British prog bands, although I have studiously managed to miss all of their gigs since they reformed. In the Eighties, they appeared to live on the road, bringing prog to the masses. Their first album release was a cassette called 'The Cellar Tapes' which came out in 1983. Having sold all of the copies, and having gained a new drummer in Paul Chisnell they decided to go back into the studio in 1985 and re-record many of the songs for a new cassette, 'Cellar Replay'. Therefore, what I have in my player is a CD remastered reissue (with some extra tracks) of the 1985 re-recording of the 1983 album!! Confused?

This is very much like going back in time. The band have moved on a great deal since 1985, and even classics such as "Dig Them Mushrooms" (which was originally recorded for a single in 1981) sound quite different today. It is not an album that I would suggest that someone new to Haze should go for (get the superb, wonderful live album instead), but is one that anyone who has ever heard them should get immediately.

Originally appeared in Feedback #60