MAINHORSE

Although the compositions have nothing too original it is interesting to see the band had real potential to grow, since that sometimes their arrangements are clever and outstanding, showing how far they could go if they stayed together e improved their sound. But, alas, this was not meant to be. So what was left is a good heavy prog album with a few hints of symphonic rock. All the musicians are good and the production is adequate for the time. Moraz does a fine job sounding a lot like Vincent Crane. There are no fillers to be found. The best track is the 10 minute Pale Sky, a real gem.

If you like those aforementioned bands, you can go no wrong with this one. Mainhorse was a fine band that never had the chance to live up to their promising start. But the album is well worth to have it.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

This very early sound of the band contains strong 60's psychedelic vibes along with organ- smashed passages with some Classical references and THE NICE are really the greatest comparison here.The overall style is very raw,rather dated and typical of the late-60's Psych/Proto-Progressive style.Here soft psychedelic passages with some doomy drumming and bass are blended with Moraz'es dominant organ parts,with guitarust De Antoni having a distinctive jazzy edge on his playing.A few compositions have an evident rehearsal atmosphere,being more free-structured and improvised in nature. However there are plenty of virtuosic passages in a typical progressive style along the way with Moraz even performing on electric piano on some tracks, which soung a bit jazzy.The majority though of the album still is grounded in a Classical enviroment with the last composition ''God Can Fix Anything'' being an absolute compositional highlight and a nice example of what this band was capable of.

This early formation of the band did not last long.Kubinec found himself with a heart attack in hospital due to the heavy schedule of the band,soon to move back in the UK, and De Antoni also quit dissapointed by this rough situation.Kubinec relocated in former Yugoslavia in late-70's joining the band Stijene.The rest of the band continued as Mainhorse,while some of the tracks presented here made it to the official debut of the band in 1971.

''The Geneva Tapes'' is a good documentary not only of Mainhorse's first months as an act but also a nice example of the farewell psychedelic scene and the upcoming progressive heydays,being quite similar to bands in the vein of THE NICE, ELP, or BEGGARS OPERA.These particular recordings sound a bit dated but the overall performance of the band hides some decent music secrets to make this album recommended.

"Introduction" opens with Moraz establishing his presence right away. Man he simply lights it up on the organ here. We do get some ripping guitar at times as well. An uptempo rocker to start. They slow it down for "Passing Years" with floating organ and reserved vocals. A laid back tune with light drums and bass. It does get a little fuller with guitar and piano.

"Such A Beautiful Day" opens with a drum solo then this fuzzed out guitar before vocals and the 60's sounding backing vocals arrive.The guitar and organ come to the fore when the vocals stop.When the vocals return the tempo picks up. Contrasts continue between the vocal and non-vocal sections. "Pale Sky" kicks in with drums, organ and guitar just before a minute. Reserved vocals follow as it settles.The drums and guitar lead before 3 minutes and we get some violin too before 6 minutes. It kicks back in as contrasts continue. "Basia" is my favourite track. It's uptempo with strummed guitar, bass, organ and drums.Vocal melodies then vocals join in. Piano 2 minutes. Guitar after 3 1/2 minutes then that earlier uptempo soundscape returns.

"More Tea Vicar" opens with organ then it settles into a loungy mood. It's building and guitar comes in before 1 1/2 minutes with organ, bass and drums. "God" like "Pale Sky" is over 10 minutes long. It's experimental to start before it kicks in with the guitar outfront before 2 minutes.Vocals before 4 minutes. Is that fuzzed out keys before 6 minutes? Vocals are back. It speeds up during the final minute then ends with an explosion.

A definite heavy organ / guitar album with a strong Proto-Prog flavour.The sound quality is typical from this period I suppose, kind of muddy. 3.5 stars.

The comparisons are futile though, as this material shows more affection for the kind of let-it-all-out heavyblues of Jeff Beck Group, Faces or Zeppelin, tempered and enhanced by Moraz's commanding organs and Ristori's cello. Spitfire staccato organ riffs for the 'Introduction' with Patrick insisting we "get it together" as the boys tear it up, drawn down by a demifugue before the crashing finish. The songwriting skills of David Kubinec show up in Integral Aim bit 'Passing Years', moody and blue with a heroin John Lennon vocal. Bracing 'Such a Beautiful Day' is more prog than its meager pop arrangement suggests, sewn together with some English Beat, Ristori's overdriven low E, and Bryson Graham's extraordinary big jazz drums filling the place with thunder. Sprawler 'Pale Sky' is a solid centerpiece at ten minutes; bold shifts in time, interesting breaks that verge on space but never quite leave the atmosphere, and pleasant echoes of Steve Miller and a young Greg Lake. Very good up-tempo 'Basia', odd bossa nova 'More Tea Vicar', and 60s hard-psych in 'God' with some nice moments for guitarist Peter Lockett.

One of those records wherein the seasoned rock listener immediately recognizes why it was so good and unsuccessful, and why music that failed to capture a rock market splitting between grain whiskey and good wine can be savored decades later like an aged single-cast bourbon. Recommended.

His hammond organ play comes clean through here and it is obvious that he was a great talent. He was far too big for Mainhorse. It is like David Beckham playing in the US Soccer League. Mainhorse's music is a blend of The Nice (which Moraz later joined under the name Refugee, remember) and Deep Purple, Mark I. The dynamics in Mainhorse's music is very much Deep Purple. The hammond organ and the vocals is The Nice.

The music has a lot of guitars (think Mr. Blackmore) in addition to Patrick Moraz's excellent use of a hammond organ. The album has the feel of Proto-Prog/Symphonic Prog from the late 1960s and early 1970s. A positive in my book. The songs are not that good though. But despite of the ghastly artwork (which has banished this album from my living room for good) this is a good album. Regard it as a must-have if you are more than average interested in The Nice/Refugee. This album deserve the recognition it was denied when it was released.

3.25 stars

Bursting with fresh ideas and technical virtuosity rarely seen in its time, 'The Geneva Tapes' is a revelation, finally giving these guys their due and answering the question of what this band sounded like in its earliest incarnation. Mandatory for anyone with a taste for prog in its youth, a great record and a great piece of history.

This is a pretty good one, with only 2 songs being not-so-good ( the second and the sixth ) and the rest average-good. I like this is good, but non-essential, yet I feel it is a good addition to any music collection. This is a 3.5 stars for me. The album starts brilliantly with a furious keyboard run, really sets the bar high for the rest of the album. The 2 long songs really shine on this album; the choruses stick in your mind and the long instrumental passages are perfect.

This albums deserves more attention, it's a really good album and the sound of the instruments is pretty good, though slightly dated...

There is a similarity in the sound with Deep Purple, mainly because of the keyboards, of which this album is full of. The singer's voice is not bad at all either, which is another strong point for this album. Definitely worth a listen to everyone who enjoys good proto-prog / rock.

Most of the shorter tracks like Introduction, Such A Beautiful Day and the jazz-tinted Basia are essentially heavy blues rock numbers, with Lockett's guitar freak outs involved in exchanges with some classical organ touches from Moraz (a nifty electric piano solo in Basia as well). Elsewhere the moodier Passing Years is an excellent dreamy acoustic track, while the instrumental More Tea Vicar starts off with some nice glockenspiel before another guitar freak out takes over and some appropriately "churchy" organs brings the piece home.

The real highlights of this album however are the two 10 minute epics Pale Sky and God. The former begins life as a mellow piece featuring Jean Ristori's cello and Lockett's violin that is held together by Moraz on organ. A burst of aggression ushers in lengthy, worthy acoustic guitar and electric piano solos ... it's all top stuff. God which is slightly less focussed a composition, moves from an atmospheric Gothic intro to an anthemic electric guitar jam and then another churchy vocal part ... "God is high above me" sings Lockett before a series of thrilling yet cleverly low-key solos dominate the song. Once again it's not just Moraz's keyboard that shines.

At first I used to categorise this album alongside Quatermass' only effort, thinking it only truly essential if you're into the keyboard playing of Lord and wanted to hear someone else doing a passable imitation. I've now come to appreciate it on its own terms ... it is a lost masterpiece of psychedelic rock with more than its share of progressive moments. Take the trouble to track this one down and then to let it grow on you ... you won't regret it! ... 71% on the MPV scale