GRACIOUS !

I heard someone say once that they considered "Gracious!" one of the best albums released in 1970. Well, after listening to this album they might have a point. GRACIOUS! were quite influenced by KING CRIMSON and the BEATLES, but they took their influences to the next level. The band was seemed interested in mixing prog, hard rock, blues, jazz, baroque, classical, and even ZAPPA into a futuristic sound (well, futuristic for 1970). Both epics, which are worth the price of the CD, are made-up of shorter sections, and we find the band quickly weaving in and out of various genres and moods. The album, however, has some flaws that might bother some collectors. The fourth track, for example, features a classical duet between guitar and harpsichord. Although the music is beautiful, it doesn't really fit the style of the other tracks. Also, some sections on "Hell" (on side A) are silly in a style similar to ZAPPA's "America Drinks and Goes Home", and don't fit into the epic. Overall, these complaints are minor since rock musicians make compositional mistakes all the time, but I just want to point this out if you're looking to get this CD. In all, "Gracious!" is quite an advanced prog album for a 1970 release, but expect some flaws