NEW LEAF

2.5 stars really wioth the bonus tracks

After the catastrophically unprog eponymous album on Harvest (of all labels), EOE needed to reconvene discuss their musical directions. Not sure they went ahead, though because after the Jig-A-Jig monstrous, but totally unrepresentative hit, after their semi-country rock third album, the probably were a little lost. With a very enticing sexy artwork, with a butterfly tattoo, but a relatively stable line-up (finally), this was their second album in 71, plus a bunch of singles throughout, so the least we can say was that the group was not about to profit from dole money. Amazingly enough singer David Jack is the only songwriter (even credited so on the JaJ monster instrumental hit) bar the opening track, which is rather strange since he gets sole credits on the two instrumental pieces in the bonus tracks..

Hearing the lead-off track Bradshaw the Bison Hunter, you'd swear that that EoE is back on saddle, because this track is easily much better than anything they'd done on the previous album. Alas, this wouldn't last as Bradshaw is rather unrepresentative (and the only track receiving credits other David Jack as songwriter as it boasts as a group effort) of the rest of the album. No Harm, Get Happy, Don't Be Afraid, Joe, Song For No-one, etc. are all way to close for comfort to country rock or a folky/country singer/songwriter or basic blues-rock. The rare tracks (other than Bradshaw) being worth another mention are the Man Said (strictly on private tastes), and the finale Home Blues (also on personal tastes), sounding like Free doing a good blues track, David Jack doing a credible Paul Rodgers. The least we can say is that an album such as this one have a few tracks that fit the "filler" category.

I am not aware of this album getting an EMI reissue, but there floats around a version of the semi-legit Progressive Line label, which boasts a whopping five bonus tracks, all from 71 and 72 singles. If the unmistakeable Jig-A-Jig is present (a good point, because in some ways it is prog), the remaining four tracks are A and B-sides of two singles. The first of which is Boogie Flu (a non-interesting boogie) and the much more Bach-like Last Dance Of The Clown, an excellent track that should've answered JaJ's success. The later Sin City Girls single is lesser interest (about dancing shoes, puhhhleaeaeaease) and best forgotten and its flipside not deserving such a poor spectacle. All Our Yesterday is pure rip-off to the fab four, but pleasant enough to .

Little wonder after such another mediocre album (although it was better than its predecessor), violinist Dave Arbus would leave the band. And while this album is a tad better, the group is still trying to find itself, but even with the three good bonus track, this album cannot be considered as essential.

"New Leaf" is the fourth full-length studio album by UK, Bristol based jazz/rock/progressive rock act East of Eden. The album was released through Harvest Records in November 1971. It´s the successor to the band´s eponymously titled third full-length studio album from June 1971. One lineup change has taken place since the last album but this time around no one has left but instead Dave Weller (saxophone) has been added to the lineup, making East of Eden a quintet on "New Leaf". "New Leaf" would be the last East of Eden album to feature Dave Arbus (violin, winds), who at this point was the last original member of the band. East of Eden weren´t completely done though and they continued to tour without any original members in the lineup and even recorded three more albums in the years 1975-1978 after which they disbanded.

The June 1971 "East of Eden" album was quite the departure from the jazz/rock and avant-garde leanings of the February 1970 "Snafu" album, with its folky rock sound and only the occasional nod towards the jazz/rock and psychedelic rock of the first two albums by the band, and although "New Leaf´s" opening track "Bradshaw the Bison Hunter" may initally promise a return to the jazz/rock of "Snafu", that promise soon fizzles out when the folk rock of "Ain't Gonna Do You No Harm" kicks in. "New Leaf" soon turns out to be an even more stripped down, laid back, and folk/blues oriented vers/chorus structured rock album than the predecessor. It´s all well performed and enjoyable enough while it plays, but it´s hard not to miss the experimental songwriting of the early releases and not find this just a tad generic.

"New Leaf" is a well produced release, featuring a powerful, organic, and detailed sound production, which suits the material well, so on most parameters it´s a good quality release. So it´s probably comes down to the expectations you have before listening to the album. It´s not a surprise that this is the musical direction if you have listened to the album which came before this one, but if you come to this having only listened to the first two albums, you´ll probably come away disappointed. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.