METAMORPHOSIS

When you discover the opening number "Free Flight", you are probably going to think of a huge joke. Some fifty seconds full of emptiness.I really wonder how it was possible in the early seventies to have such a stupid short number open an album.

You know, in these ancient times, one went to the disc shop and usually listened to the first song and made his judgement to buy an album or not. Needless to say that with such a poor track, the temptation to drop it and find some more interesting stuff was easily recommendable.

What's available on this album, is just another heavy-soul work. Pretty much in line with their previous Motown oriented Ball. When I have to bear such a poor "Best Years Of Our Lives", I am just voiceless. These are definitely not the best musical moments of mine.

It is quite difficult to determine which is the poorest song from this offering, but let's take for granted that "Slower Than Guns" is going to be on the podium. Even if this album has been rated with the masterpiece status by one fellow reviewer, I won't be as generous.

This album doesn't hold a second of prog feeling. It is all funk and soul stuff ("Stone Believer"). OK, on the heavy side, but still.If I am willing to listen to some "Temptations" recordings (which is a very, very rare temptation of mine), I would just have an ear to "Papa. " and that's it. If you want to play some extra time, you can always borrow this album and listen to it endlessly on your CD player. But I'm not buying this.

Nothing prog, nothing interesting, nothing actually. Except the long and fine closing number!

"Butterfly Bleu" is a good song; still in the heavy blues department but with a great feeling and a superb guitar work. An obvious psychedelic obedience, a strong rhythmic section, a certain improvisation atmosphere are such a fine combination! Why the hell didn't "Iron Butterfly" built on more of these type of songs?

It is the one track which prevents me to rate this album with one star. Be prepared though to some really weird passages which are close to native Indian incantations and pretty boring. Experimental and improvised are the words.

In all, this is a very average album. Two stars.