9 PARTS TO THE WIND

If Fruupp melded with Nursery Cryme-era Genesis, and were then tasked with writing a pop-prog album to compete with the likes of Supertramp, the end result might be something like this sole album release by Strange Days. From the opening title track onwards, the band present progressive stuck with a highly theatrical style, a comparatively simple musical backing that keeps proceedings accessible, and whimsical and eccentric vocals. I suspect that, much like England after them, whether or not you dig Strange Days will hinge a lot on whether you find these vocals charmingly entertaining or irritatingly grating.

Another common feature that Strange Days have with England is emerging slightly too late for their sound to make an impact; just as England were throwbacks to where the prog scene stood in 1972-1973, Strange Days have a sound which might have been more groundbreaking back in the early prog days of 1970 but by 1975 had been rather left behind by the scene. This, and the fact that by 1975 it was already becoming difficult for new prog acts comprised of fresh, unproven talent to break their way into commercial success, undoubtedly accounts for the album being overlooked for so long - a fate it doesn't really deserve.