THE BIG HUGE

The Williamson's composition "Maya" starting this album is probably the best song of the band for me. Beautiful lyrics are sung over freely and charmingly evolving and shimmering song for guitar and enigmatic sitar licks, crystallizing glimpses of eternal spiritual truth and pureness. Song ends to singing of birds, from where "Greatest Friend" continues, being more simpler song for acoustic guitar, singer and accordion. It has slightly Irish sounding melody, and is a very good song too. Next "Lordly Nightshade" is a decent piano, pipe, guitar and voice song, followed by a short "avant-joke". "The Mountain of God" is then a short organ and voice Christian-oriented hymn. Next happy playful guitar & vocal song strengthened by tablas is "Cousin Caterpillar", quite nice. "The Iron Stone" is another gem here, a sad, dramatic and mystical song. Sitar and tablas are supporting this beautiful guitar & voice composition, which has a strong oriental load and interesting lyrics, a raga sequence in the middle part which leads to a hopeful and happy conclusion. Next "Douglas Traherne Harding" is euphoric, happy song full of joy and faith of spiritual religious salvation. The last song "The Circle Is Unbroken" starts slowly with Incan sounding flute and voice singing over quiet organs, closing the album wonderfully.

So, a deeply spiritual record full of healing elements for a troubled mind for those open for the stylistic elements of the group. The double album formed with "Wee Tam" is the most successful of the classic experimental records of this group, though I like yet little more the two first records.