THE REASON OF SUCCESS

Yet another record from this then-highly productive group , this one dating from 1990 (as did the other four previous albums) but released some two years later. One has to wonder at the actual integrity of such an output after some almost 20 years silence.

Not that this album is bad, far from that thought, it is certainly so much an improvement on the horrid Fierce Nature album. But the sound quality is still leaving lots to be desired , I have yet to hear one High Tide album with good sound and production. But again we are faced with the same usual High Tide material with lots of solid soloing from Tony Hill countered sometimes by the two ex-Third Ear Band violinists Simon House and Dave Tomlin. As for novelites this time (after the Indian influences of ancient Gates) a few KB layers are to be heard here and there (I cannot be sure whether those were real Mellotrons, though) , but all in all we still have the good old extended jams that High Tide has gotten us used to.

The opening track garage God is a scorcher as well as the 14 min Raga Misra. Plenty of searing guitars , assisted with alyternatively KBs or violin, we are never far away from extended jams from Allman Bros Band or Phish. But the real monster track is the almost 24 min closer , Turn Yourself Down. Clearly the best work High Tide as done in their second recording carreer outside of Ancient Gates. Never ending orgiastic solos leaving you breathless and a little dazed after a spin. Not all tracvks are good as Elephant Trails remind you of the sloppy Fierce nature album and The Whid being totally unremarkable.

Not their best album but one of the better of the second phase.