BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS

I'm really fond of this artistic and emotional record, which manages to uplift me in a really special way. The album is surrounded by dreamy excerpts of the romantic piano tunes of Eric Satie, which make a contrast for the mostly bluesy & jazzy brass rock grooves of the vinyl. The most pleasant of these kickers are in my opinion "Smiling Phases", which has some nice instrumental passages for free playing on it, and "You've Made Me So Very Happy", which has very pleasant harmonies and melodies typical to 1960's music. From the mellow numbers "Sometimes in Winter" is my biggest favorite here, satisfying my year for moodier soft tunes, a song which I have to listen in wintertime when the snow has fallen. There's also a Billie Holiday number "God Bless The Child" included, a nice homage for the iconic singer. Some subtle experimental blues pickings in the end occasionally seem to refer Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love"'s theme. I haven't heard the CD bonus tracks as I managed to get this album as an LP, which inner gatefold cover photo collages I really also admire. As an anecdote, the singer David Clayton-Thomas has fellow singer with nearly a 100% similar voice, him being British born Frank Robson, who sang in Finnish Tasavallan Presidentti. If you don't believe, check out their "I" and "II" records, there's even a quite similar ballad on their 1st album "I Love You Teddy Bear" resembling the winter song of this adorable album.