ACQUIRING THE TASTE

Mainly noted for its success in developing the band's sound - as well as including a wonderful little prog manifesto in the liner notes - I think Acquiring the Taste also deserves plaudits for the band's achievement of producing technically complex and challenging music whilst also showing an adept command of emotional mood and atmosphere. From the eerie air of tracks like Edge of Twilight and The Moon is Down to the triumphant declaration of Plain Truth, the band show a command of tone and songwriting that many others would kill to possess. All the band members play at their best on this album, but I want to give particular praise to Ray Shulman's violin work, which is particularly effective on the likes of Plain Truth, and Kerry Minnear's keyboard work, which hooks you right at the start of the opening track and doesn't let you go throughout the album.

Acquiring the Taste is a true classic, and a major step up from the debut; whereas the band's first album retained some link to other current rock trends, with this effort the band created their own sonic universe, one occupied by nobody else.