FRIENDSHIP TIME

Here's another example of an originally jazz and blues-based band inspired by the early progressive masters who adopted a somewhat complex though derivative sound, labored long enough to secure a recording deal, then disintegrated when the release of that album fell through. The members all went on to other ventures and their music was largely forgotten until the original tapes were rediscovered and released years later. Their story is similar to that of other groups like Proto Kaw, Midwinter and Carol of Harvest, and like all of those except Proto Kaw their resurrection was also short-lived and limited only to serious prog-rock aficionados.

The band's sound shows clear evidence of their knowledge and appreciation for early Yes music, including lengthy guitar and keyboards progressions, irregular and sometimes complex tempo shifts, and bass licks that extend far beyond the range of simple rhythm enhancement. On the other hand the drum work is not up to the level of the better prog bands, and at times the keyboard and guitar arrangements tend toward rather perfunctory and unimaginative scale progressions with little to distinguish them.

Most of the album is instrumental, something that was not particularly unusual in the heyday of prog rock but a slightly dated sound by the time these tracks were recorded in 1975. The timing was a part of the band's problem of course, as the traditional progressive sound had largely fallen out of favor by then, replaced by a strong R&B scene and the early rumblings of disco. Surely record executives and promoters would have considered the band to be something of a dinosaur and they had little chance of much promotion or airplay.

The other odd thing about these songs is their brevity compared to typical prog-rock songs. Half of them exceed seven minutes but only "Engine" really fills its time with variety and depth. The lumbering "Ombadidilio" gets jazzy at times but mostly suffers from the same sort of dragged-out vocal passages that characterized early Journey albums while "Clouds" spends too much time chugging along to an unoriginal bass line, and the promising "Watersong" ends up descending into a jam session before reviving itself somewhat with a decent guitar soloing section before giving way again to the weak bass parts.

It's always fun to 'rediscover' lost and obscure prog music from years past, and for anyone who truly appreciates the creativity and ambition of traditional prog I wouldn't discourage them from seeking this one out. But just because something is uncovered and issued on CD doesn't mean it is a lost classic. This is a decent album but not exactly a gem. A three star effort perhaps, but only because this sort of music isn't made much anymore and serious fans need to do whatever we can to promote this sort of musical archeology if we hope to continue uncovering the occasional treasure.

peace