LIGHT AND HEAVY: THE BEST OF IRON BUTTERFLY

This record gives an excellent overview of what kind of music Iron Butterfly makes: it arguably collects the best tracks of their albums of the 60's and 70's. The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the term "Iron Butterfly" is Iron Maiden: however, they have about nothing in common. Iron Butterfly is a spacy/psychedelic rock/hard rock band. Their music is often visceral but remains pretty clean. There are many surprisingly complex progressive passages. There is a permanent & omnipresent psychedelic electric organ that really participates to create the melodies and rhythm involved. The male lead vocals are very good. What is surprising is that Iron Butterfly are very disciplined & structured, despite that the first track "Iron Butterfly Theme" announces the opposite. The strongest point of the album is the galloping bass, like on "Unconscious Power": the melodic bass patterns are often very complex and catchy at the same time, providing a very pleasant smooth sound. The disciplined drums are well played. Many songs are catchy and easy to listen. The electric guitar is neither very razor nor aggressive but its arrangements are excellent. I must admit the music deserves a serious attention due to the early years involved. The tracks do not sound all the same. We feel the band takes maturity as albums go by, filling the music with interesting guitar echoed sound effects.