SACRED BABOON

YEZDA URFA were another great symphonic-prog band from the late-70s American prog scene. Their two main sources of inspiration seemed to be YES and GENTLE GIANT, but they pushed those two influences to the extreme (If you think the Jon ANDERSON's lyrics were esoteric, you got to hear the lyrics on this album). Not to mention that the music here bursts with energy and invention. Marc Miller, the bassist, plays some of the most exciting bass lines ever recorded. In fact, after listening to prog rock for about 10 years, I've never heard another album with bass playing quite like this. The other musicians also offer some pretty tasty chops. Their guitarist plays using a clean Steve HOWE-influence style. The guitar-riffs are played at a frantic pace, and somehow mix HOWE's American-guitar chops with European classical influences.

If you're eager to hear a prog album that emphasizes complexity, tempo-changes, all-you-can-eat time-signatures, instrument changes in mid-song, and lyrics stranger than the writings of Tristan "Dada" Tzara, be sure to pick "Sacred Baboon".