PHANTASMAGORIA

This album has most of the elements that made the debut release so great but that doesn't stop me from still finding it lacking. It all starts with Marie Antoinette which doesn't work that well as an album opener. There isn't any comparison with It Happened Today to even talk about. At the same time it can be assumed that the band was going in a new direction so they wanted to try something different for a change. This hypothesis fell flat once I saw Ultra-Vivaldi featured among this album's track-listing.

It's interesting that this time neither the progressive nor the rock elements actually work in the band's favor and instead it's the ballads that have taken over the lead in the feature department. Melinda (More Or Less) is one of those compositions I immediately think about when recalling this album. It's subtle, gentle and a highly enjoyable trip from beginning to the very end. A bit further ahead we are treated to another nice composition entitled Phantasmagoria. The melody here seems unusual for a straight forward pop tune and Sonja Kristina shows once again her great vocal talent.

Unfortunately nothing could forewarn of the pointless filler track ahead called Whose Shoulder Are You Looking Over Anyway?. This is something that would have worked a whole lot better on a Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention record than it does here. Over And Above is of course there to pick up the blame for the previous track but it can't do much to make me forget that misstep.

Phantasmagoria might be considered the pinnacle of the band's career but I personally prefer the much more well balanced Air Conditioning.

***** star songs: Melinda (More Or Less) (3:25) Phantasmagoria (3:14)

**** star songs: Marie Antoinette (6:18) Not Quite The Same (3:44) Cheetah (3:31) Ultra-Vivaldi (1:24) Over And Above (8:34)

*** star songs: One A Ghost, Alway A Ghost (4:21)

** star songs: Whose Shoulder Are You Looking Over Anyway? (3:23)

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