CANTERBURY SCENE

Track 1 - Golf Girl

We begin with a trombone solo (I know right!?!) The band is playing a bouncy rhythm underneath as the vocals join in. Richard Sinclair's vocals are very British indeed. I like the whimsical instrumental but that follows. The trombone joins back in. As far as I can recall, this is the first song to feature trombone out of 65 albums I have listened to thus far. The beat is fun and remains bouncy as now we have a flute solo. The trombone is by John Beecham, and the flute is by Jimmy Hastings, who will apparently provide more woodwinds as we proceed. Fun track, I like it.

Track 2 - Winter Wine

We begin with clean strummed electric guitar and Richard Sinclair again on vocals. It begins with a ballady feel, but the rhythm section kicks in and the tempo increases. There is a nice dynamic shift at around the 3-minute mark. There is what I believe to be a keyboard solo at around the 4-minute mark, but it has a tone that could be a fuzz guitar to it. Cool panned wah-wah effect just before the 5-minute point. The rhythm section is very tight behind this extended solo. The vocals return around 5:55 and there are great harmonies at around 6:20. Great track.

Track 3 - Love to Love You (And Tonight Pigs Will Fly)

This one begins with a Hang on Sloopy type of riff and "more cowbell," but in a 7-4 time. Love the guitar tones at around 55 seconds in provided by Pye Hastings who is also the lead vocalist on this one. This is a very cool track, it sounds happy and poppy, but that 7-4 puts a twist on it. Excellent!

Track 4 - In the Land of Grey & Pink

As mentioned, I know this one quite well. Back to Richard Sinclair's vocals here. The beat is similar to Golf Girl. The lyrics are very trippy. We have a piano solo just before the 2-minute mark. The keyboard tone used in Winter wine is back here. (David Sinclair is the keyboardist but would leave for about a decade following this album.) There are some funny vocal parts that sound like they have puckered lips and are wiggling their fingers in a way that moves the lips while holding a note. Don't know how else to describe it, but I think we all played with that sound as kids. Fun song.

Track 5 - Nine Feet Underground (Medley)

And we have a sidelong closing epic of nearly 23 minutes to close out the album. There are several sections as listed below (cut & pasted from Wikipedia):

"Nine Feet Underground"

a. "Nigel Blows a Tune"

b. "Love's a Friend"

c. "Make It 76"

d. "Dance of the Seven Paper Hankies"

e. "Hold Grandad by the Nose"

f. "Honest I Did!"

g. "Disassociation"

h. "100% Proof"

Part b is sung by Pye Hastings, while part g is sung by Richard Sinclair. The rest are instrumental segments. According to my minor research, this track came about because David Sinclair had several instrumental ideas that he wanted to pull them together into a medley. The band liked the idea, and all contributed in bringing it together.

The track begins with "fuzz organ" with the rhythm section underneath. This is the tone I've been hearing on previous tracks. The organ is joined by guitar briefly, before the sax takes over, played by the previously mentioned Jimmy Hastings (Pye's Brother). David Sinclair has a truly unique sound as he uses wah-wah and fuzz effects on his organ. I believe we are transitioning to part b at around 5:55. Yep, vocals join in around 6:15. Richard Coughlan has some nice drum fills on this one. More organ soloing as we reach the 8-minute mark. I like the backing vocals at around 8:45, they add a nice touch. We transition to part c I believe at around 9 minutes in. David Sinclair is a good soloist, but I'd like to hear more from Pye Hastings. The next transition to part d seems to happen at around 10:45. This section is more mellow. Next change occurs at around 11:55 as the rhythm changes to presumably part e. Richard Sinclair is playing a wonderful bassline here. The next transition happens at 14:10 to what I believe is part f, if I'm keeping count correctly. A slower, but steady, tempo happens here. Things change again at 16:10 to part g and the vocals begin, so I must be on track. This part gives Moody Blues vibes. Things get rocking at around 19:30 for section h. This one reminds me of Rare Earth's version of "Get Ready." Richard Sinclair is quite a bassist, he seems a bit unsung as prog is known for having some of the greatest bassists of all time, and Richard Coughlin holds down the groove nicely. The track ends with a bit of a crash of cacophony.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

This is a very enjoyable album. It's very fun and whimsical for much of it. The songs on side one are each quite good. The epic on side two is also good but feels more like an extended jam session for much of it. I believe that is due to how it was pieced together. As mentioned above, there doesn't seem to be much of an opportunity for Pye Hastings to be featured on guitar, as most, if not all, of the solos are played by David Sinclair on the organ. I like it quite a bit, but I don't think it reaches the heights of some of the other albums on the list. I'll give this a 4 out of 5 stars.

Track 1 - Sea Song

A moderately slow tempo with wind instruments and piano ushers in Wyatt's vocals. There are polyrhythms in the piano part following the first verse. A bit of dissonance in the backing synth part. While an interesting listen, the song never seems to "take off."

Track 2 - A Last Straw

This one seems to have a bit more rhythm to it. There is a subtle drum part. I like the "scat singing" section. Wyatt has a pretty impressive vocal range. Apparently, Wyatt is playing the slide guitar parts on this song. I like how the piano and guitar seem to be chasing each other on the fade out.

Track 3 - Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road

We begin with a horn section and percussion & piano providing rhythm underneath. The piano and bass provide the chord changes over the cacophony of horns. Wyatt's vocals start with "aahhhhs" then he begins singing lyrics. The vocals are then a reverse recording. This seems to be a very "experimental" album. The vocal part seems to be alternating between reverse and normal. Then there seems to be a conversation, but I can't quite make it out. I like the bass line that takes shape near the end. The cacophony of horns seems to continue throughout.

Track 4 - Alfib

A gentle rhythm is played on the bass with sustained keyboards over top. A melody is played over everything on what sounds like a jazzy guitar. Vocals join a bit over halfway along. He is singing about "Alfib my lover".

Track 5 - Alife

(AKA Alifie, which is what the song is copyrighted as. The title was misprinted as the other spelling. Different editions of the album have it one way, while others have it the second way).

It begins as a continuation of track 4, however, then drums join in and chords change. More backward recorded vocals. This album keeps getting more and more "out there". Random saxophone squawks along with the bizarre vocals. This is chaotic. Some dialog samples include "What's a Bologna?" and other random *phrases".

Track 6 - Little Red Robin Hood Hit the Road

We have an actual melody, and a marching snare beat with a sustained mellotron behind it. This one actually gives me slight Moody Blues meets King Crimson vibes. Mike Oldfield provides guitar lines here. At around 2:50 the sounds that were playing fade out and a viola, played by Fred Frith, takes over. Lower register vocals enter. Not sure what they are on about though. Something about eating lunch and a hedgehog. A crazy laugh closes things out.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

WTF did i just listen to? I am very disappointed. The backstory of the album is indeed inspiring, but the "music" did NOTHING for me. How is this album even on this countdown, let alone ranked above some over the absolutely brilliant albums we have already had? I really was optimistic going into this that I'd really enjoy it, but I really didn't. 1 out of 5 stars.

At that time, Caravan still had the strong lineup of their previous two albums. Who wouldn't want to listen to Richard Sinclair's clear voice, and his driving bass playing is a must as well. Alongside Sinclair, guitarist Pye Hastings also provides vocals. Not on a grand scale, but certainly beautiful. His musical input as a guitarist mainly consists of tight and subtle chords. In my opinion, the standout of the album is keyboardist David Sinclair. He frequently engages with his fuzzy organ, which leaves a brilliant mark on the album. Drummer Richard Coughlan completes the regular lineup with rousing grooves and tasteful rolls. Besides these four creatives, guest musician Jimmy Hastings adds the finishing touches to the music in many places with his flute and saxophone. What you hear is truly remarkable.

That "In The Land Of Grey And Pink" contains only five tracks is indicative of the band's members' independence, who primarily want to define their own playing field. The album has four tracks on side A, while side B is entirely devoted to the epic Nine Feet Underground. Like the Genesis album "Foxtrot" (1972) and the Yes classic "Close To The Edge" (1972), "In The Land Of Grey And Pink" has helped set the standard within progressive rock. It's amusing that people today consider a five-minute track to be 'long'; for me, we only start talking when a track exceeds fifteen minutes.

The album starts convincingly with the infectious Golf Girl. Richard Sinclair's singing immediately gives that pleasant feeling that makes the record so special. Notable here is also the theme that slide trombonist John Beecham lets resound throughout the track. For me, this is a very familiar sound, as my father played the instrument as well. Golf Girl is an unadulterated Caravan pop song, and that's the impressive part: the band manages to keep every track within their own framework, whether it's a short song or a progressive epic, Caravan always remains themselves. There's a passage with wonderful organ play, and Jimmy Hastings' flute adds that typical layer of frivolity. The subsequent Winter Wine, also sung by Sinclair, aligns most with the fairy-tale nature of the cover. The captivating track develops from grey-pink to pink-grey. In other words: from calm folk to lush keyboard passages and then even more beauty, you are entranced by the music. Winter Wine was initially an instrumental track with wordless vocals, which somewhat explains the strong solo section. Next comes Love To Love You (and Tonight Pigs Will Fly) written and sung by Pye Hastings. This mid-tempo song may be slightly less lush than the other tracks on "In The Land Of Grey And Pink," but it fits seamlessly. Side A concludes with the lyrically amusing title track. This mid-tempo track perfectly aligns with the band's motto: life is too short to be sad. A few times, Richard Sinclair has to bend deep to pick up his low vocal notes. The track can handle this André van Duin-like fun well.

After these fine four tracks, you get the same kind of music on side B, but with more depth. The over 22-minute Nine Feet Underground is more intense, thrilling, and musically captivating. The album side-filling track has a certain restraint that bursts open in the spicy, riff-oriented final part 100% Proof. From the first part Nigel Blows A Tune, you are placed in a comfortable position from which you are never torn away. Let yourself drift on the unique keyboard work of David Sinclair, who is also the composer of this masterful piece. Jimmy Hastings' tenor sax solo also adds distinction to the piece, leading into the second part Love's A Friend. This is one of the two vocal parts of Nine Feet Underground. It's particularly refreshing to hear Pye Hastings as a singer here, and Richard Sinclair's vocal contribution later in the track also deserves praise. As mentioned, there's a lot of focus on instrumental sections. The middle part of the epic consists of four relatively short instrumental pieces that together provide swinging, restrained, humorous, and psychedelic atmospheres. If the epic comes across as a noble patchwork, I can assure you that musically there's no sign of that. Thanks to the good arrangement work and the clever production, it's enjoyable until the last chord fades away.

I always like to keep my final conclusion short and to the point: it's good to dwell in the land of grey and pink.

Orginally posted on www.progenrock.com

Everything on the album is dominated by the rigorous changes in the line-up of the band. Singer/bassist Richard Sinclair and keyboardist Steve Miller had left Caravan after the more jazzy "Waterloo Lily". First of all, the young Geoffrey Richardson was attracted with his viola and also keyboardist Derek Austin and bassist Stuart Evans joined in. However, the latter two did not stay with the band very long and in the end Caravan formed the line-up which is present on this album. In addition to veteran singer/guitarist Pye Hastings and drummer Richard Coughlan, there are keyboardist David Sinclair, the aforementioned Richardson and the excellent bassist John G. Perry. In fact, there are no less than three new members to be heard, although original member David Sinclair (the king of the fuzzy organ) is back on the nest, to the joy of many. So he is not really a new member. Furthermore, there is a very long list of collaborating artists. For example, at certain times a large horn section and a real orchestra are used.

It is logical that this entire line up change has had an impact on the musical aspect of the album. Not only as a musician, especially as a composer Pye Hastings had a large contribution. The main part of the songs is written by him, which means the music is more rocky but also more romantic. Fortunately, the typical Canterbury sound with its driving rhythms and voluptuous keyboard playing is never far away. Caravan always has something artistic in it but there also is the necessary humor and light-footedness in the music. Don't be fooled. Richardson's playing on the viola gives the music a nice folky nodge, but there is no explicit folk to be heard.

So what do we hear? Opener Memory Lain, Hugh / Headloss is immediately an attractive composition of more than nine minutes. Tasty riffs from the guitar are joined together with the windings of the viola and there is a delicious organ solo in unadulterated Caravan style. There also is excellent support from eight horns arranged by Jimmy Hastings. There is a nice moment when the drums and the flute together provide a few breaks. With the Headloss part the tempo goes up and at the end of it is a duel between guitar and violin. The subsequent Hoedown is a somewhat bouncy sneeze and Surprise, Surprise can be labelled as a sultry ballad in which the slide guitar certainly increases the atmosphere. Speaking of atmosphere: the text of C'thlu Thlu is downright creepy, although it has nothing to do with the title. C'thlu Thlu is a monster from the underworld, a lurid octopus, created by H.P. Lovecraft. Musically, the song sounds rather menacing and psychedelic.

The Dog, The Dog, He's At It Again is supposedly a pop song, I think it's a great pop song. Not only because the ambiguous text actually is bout a sexual act, but mainly because of that cool keyboard playing in the interlude. The singing of Pye Hastings and John G. Perry together also has a positive effect. Throughout the album, Perry shows that he is a perfect vocal opponent for Hastings. In the solid Be All Right he sings the lead vocals. He does an excellent job. His voice fits very well with the powerful atmosphere that the song exudes. It blends seamlessly into the intoxicating, congas-driven Chance Of A Lifetime. You would almost call this song the highlight of the album because it is so beautiful, but then the epic closing track L'Auberge Du Sanglier presents itself. Two highlights: A Hunting We Shall Go with its frenzied guitar solo and Backwards where the synthesizer and the beautiful orchestra almost make you forget that you are actually listening to a cover of Soft Machine. It fits like a glove.

"For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night" has a fantastic blend of epics, ballads, pop songs, psychedelics, hard rock and classical music. Caravan knows how to bring all that to the fore on an album of more than 44 minutes. I got to know the band and the LP somewhere in the mid-70s. Their unique music still manages to hold me in its grip and I am convinced that it will never let me go.

Orginally posted on www.progenrock.com

4. Uppmärksamhet with a lugubrious atmosphere, latency searching for its voice; an interlude that passes too quickly and which explores a modern contemplative psychedelic sound 5. Reality Tunnels leaves on a convoluted atmosphere, sharing electric, eclectic and fuzzy; dynamic and dynamiting the air, on one side with the metronomic bass, on the other with these keyboards from another age that make us regress to the chases of the Anglican bandits of the last century; here's a harpsichord, here's a bit of that of MEER who rush into modern synth-pop-prog with angelic voices; 6. Wetiko Approaching and the PARTRIDGE interlude, yes the sound of XTC explodes in my head; between jazzy and the music of an asylum vault; here's a bell, it vibrates, we wait to see how it will behave 7. Toxicity and its 1/4 hour of musical bewitchment; harmonies, complex time signatures, tricks with this twirling vintage sound, a tune that doesn't stop, Andrea's drums playing for LEVIATHAN printing the energy, the organ that vibrates and gives consistency, everything is there well done, well organized to set fire to this resolutely danceable title; yes danceable, reverberating, nostalgic. This Ryan is capable of divinely playing the Mellotron, Hammond and other keyboard organs to regress to ancient territories. But the best thing is that it sounds fresh, cheerful and innovative like this high-tone finale, almost heavy before the return of the wise flute, in short like GENESIS did so well in its time.(4.5) Originally on Planète Prog.

As for the track listing, it opens with The Bryden Two-Step (For Amphibians) Pt. 1, which in the beginning sounds peaceful with it's nature sounds and soft keyboard, but eventually goes into this chaotic yet happy jazz explosion. The song never really calms down and for the most part it manages to maintain that exciting feeling. The song is entirely instrumental and really shows its similarities with another Canterbury Scene band, Hatfield And the North. It also just so happens that three of the guys who played on this album had been a part of Hatfield And the North before joining National Health (two of them were also founders). The next song, The Collapso, is another Jazz instrumental that the feeling the opening song had. It isn't nearly as good or as fast paced as the opening track, but it still does a good job at satisfying the listener. Next is Squarer for Maud and it opens with a much more gloomy and dark sound with a deep piano and bass with a less complex song structure but still being progressive. Over time though it goes into that experimental energetic jazz I was talking about in the other songs. Squarer For Maud is also technically the first song with lyrics, but those are just spoken word talking about how to pronounce a word.

Side Two opens with Dreams Wide Awake which (from what I hear) opens with a sort of heavy opening. Not that it's heavy metal or anything, it just has a bit more of an edge to it than the other songs. Eventually the song calms down for a couple of minutes before gradually going back into that same sound I've been talking about. The next song, and my personal favorite off the album, is Binoculars. It has this soft opening similar to the opening of The Bryden Two-Step. It then goes into this pretty rhythm before we get the first actual lyrics from the song. They seem to be making fun of some individual along with the two American actors John Wayne and Rip Torn by repeatedly calling them boring. A Little over halfway through the song and this almost beautiful keyboard part comes in and the lyrics start again. The song is really pretty and despite what the lyrics are it still sounds really happy. Anyway, the next song is Phlâkatön, which is just 9 seconds of gibberish. The last song is Pt. 2 tif the Bryden Two-Step (For Amphibians) and it's very similar to Pt. 1, but still kind of its own song. But all good things must come to an end and eventually fades out to nothing.

For me it's a 5/5, and it's probably one of the most important records in the history of Canterbury Scene. It pushes the boundaries of Progressive Rock, Jazz Fusion, and as mentioned, Canterbury Scene in a way bands in the late 70s and early 80s just weren't doing. It also blows my mind how because despite the album having fantastic musicianship, it was recorded in only one month. In the end I would highly recommend to fans of Hatfield And the North, energetic jazz, and overall just Progressive Rock fans. It has everything a fan of that stuff would want, and would probably open a door to anyone who isn't.

It begins masterfully with A Visit to Newport Hospital that is the highlight of the album with brilliant keyboards and rhythms that jar the senses.

Contrasong follows with more strange time changes and delightful keyboards. After this it launches into hyper surreal musique concrete on Boilk. It is a virtual pastiche of odd complexities and patches of effects that sound like a music shop exploded. Difficult to endure after a first listen, but it is innovative and experimental in the early years of prog. Lastly a magnum opus of instrumental finesse on Long Piece No. 3. It's a 20:40 epic in 4 parts that are split to give the listener some semblance of clarity. Honestly it's sheer experimentation with jazz fusion and symphonic keyboards.

There you have it. Egg's The Polite Force captures the birth pangs of Canterbury Prog and it delivers a soundscape of proggy excellence.

This is album suffers from the same shortcomings that plague much of modern prog.

One thing is the production. The cleanliness of the whole things makes this sound like Coldplay with odd meters (though Coldplay can occasionally write more evocative songs). The composer seems to get lost in his own work. Leaning too heavily into the "prog" elements to remember that the songs also have to be good if you want to justify those kinds of excursions. Ryan Stevenson manages to drag us through these fortytwo minutes without offering a single memorable melody. The drummer just seems clueless, but this might be due to poor direction from Stevenson.

I do not understand the people who claim there is anything jazzy about this.

Sweet OK Sister was a progressive rock band founded in 1967 in The Hague, Netherlands. They changed their name to Supersister later, but they're the same band. They became known as one of the best Canterbury bands, which is ironic because they weren't from Canterbury or even British. Though, they were considered part of the Canterbury Scene. They had a sound similar to The Soft Machine and Caravan. Supersister melted strongly influences of the Canterbury style with jazz and some typical Dutch progressive rock trademarks. Supersister originally released five full length studio albums between 1970 and 1974 with "Present From Nancy" and "To The Highest Bidder" being the first two.

"Present From Nancy/To The Highest Bidder" is a special compilation album of Supersister. This is an economic package including their debut studio album "Present From Nancy", released in 1970 and their second studio album "To The Highest Bidder", released in 1971, on a double disc. It includes two indispensable works from the band that would be a worth purchase. These are considered the two best studio works from the band. Both are two great works from Supersister in only one package. But, for those who have already both albums, this compilation album only can be interesting as an addition for those who are collectors and fans. Anyway, this is a cheaper way to can get both albums.

The line up on both albums is the same. So, we have here Robert Jan Stips (lead vocals, keyboards and vibes), Sacha Van Geest (vocals and flutes), Ron Van Eck (bass guitar and fuzz bass guitar) and Marco Vrolijk (vocals, drums and percussion). "Present From Nancy" has also the participation of Gehard Smid (vocals and guitars).

As I've already reviewed these two albums previously on Progarchives, in a more extensive way, I'm not going to do it again. So, if you are interested to know, in more detail, what I wrote about them before, I invite you to read those my both reviews. However, in here I'm going to write something about them in a more short way. So, of course, I'm not going to analyze them track by track, as I made before, but I'm only going to make a global appreciation of both albums.

"Present From Nancy": "Present From Nancy" is an amazingly accomplished album for such a young new band. There are few bands who have managed to record such a strong, fully developed first album after only two years of existence. Supersister's debut effort remains one of Holland's best progressive rock albums and a classic of the genre worldwide, even though the group garnered only fringe interest outside of Europe. All elements of the band's sound are there. The excellent debut album of these young lads brings to us partly a very energetic and frenetic Canterbury sound but also with touches from the classical music. The closest connection to my mind would be The Soft Machine around 1969 but Supersister had a slightly less jazzy feeling being more accessible, less academic and had classical elements. But, unfortunately, "Present From Nancy" was a successful debut album by a band that has rightly been almost forgotten today, despite the high quality of their works in the 70's. However, anyone who appreciates Soft Machine and Caravan or the Canterbury sound in general shouldn't have any problems with it. This is an album that must be recommended.

"To The Highest Bidder": "To The Highest Bidder" is a great work that can be recommended to any Canterbury lover. Supersister's unique sound truly flourished on their second work. Keyboardist Stips had taken control of all the song writing and managed to work out the obvious influences of the band. At this point, Supersister isn't borrowing ideas from others. It's developing their own ideas alongside the biggest progressive rock acts at the time. Overall, this is an album with great complexity. It's very unique and great what Supersister has developed here. This is an album that just oozes the joy of playing and delivers a work that is fun from the beginning to the end. It's an album with many fine moments that are fun and clever too. But what it mostly accomplishes is to exorcise the band's interest in the studio experimentation, paving the way for more focused song writing on their next third work. If you're looking for an album that delivers a beautiful melodic and instrumental sound without being kitschy, you shouldn't go wrong with this album. So, this is a great album, an excellent starting point to further discover the music catalog of the group from The Hague.

Conclusion: "Present From Nancy" and "To The Highest Bidder" are two excellent progressive rock albums nothing inferior to many of the albums released by their contemporary progressive acts at the time. Both albums make part of some of the best works released in The Netherlands by their compatriots Focus, Finch, Kayak, Trace, Earth And Fire and Golden Earring. However, if you have already the two studio albums of the two individual works, you don't need to buy this compilation album because it has nothing new to offer, like bonus tracks, unless, you have a collector's spirit. In this case, it will be a nice addition to your collection. But, if you don't have these two albums and you own this compilation, it substitutes perfectly well those original albums. If this is the case you had save in money and space.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

While the majority of newbie collaborative efforts adopted proper band monikers, every so often a group of similarly minded musician maestros released an album or two with each member receiving equal billing with no need for pesky band names to cloud the musical vision. Such is the case of ALAN GOWEN, PHIL MILLER, RICHARD SINCLAIR & TREVOR TOMKINS who for a brief moment in time had pooled their talents into a gathering of kindred spirits and relived some of the past glories that they had each contributed to in the previous decade. The quartet convened in the spring of 1981 and set forth to close some loose ends that weren't quite resolved in the members' past endeavors. The results were this album BEFORE A WORD IS SAID which was released in 1982.

These sessions would prove to be the very last for keyboardist ALAN GOWEN, the mastermind behind Gilgamesh as well as a key member of National Health, Soft Head and Soft Heap, who had succumbed to leukemia shortly after these recordings at the age of 33. Guitarist PHIL MILLER who reunited with bassist RICHARD SINCLAIR after the legendary Hatfield & The North project also had his share of expertise in Matching Mole, his own In Cahoots as well as a major player in the Canterbury pinnacle of National Health. Drummer TREVOR TOMKINS was somewhat of the odd man out having primary carved out a career in Ian Carr's Nucleus but honed his Canterbury creds along with GOWEN in Gilgamesh.

A decidedly jazzy affair, this quartet of seasoned veterans crafted eight tracks that captured the spirit of the multitude of Canterbury projects they had all contributed to throughout the 1970s. An overall relaxed dreamy mode of operandi with each member adding the proper Canterbury ingredients for the ultimate celebration of the unique style they had collectively forged the decade prior. Much of the material had been written by various members in the past and simply brought back to life in these sessions. While the tracks do showcase an adequate display of variety throughout with strange darkened processions like the rather gloomy title track, the majority of the material is more out of the Hatfield & The North playbook with GOWEN paying respect to the keyboard style of Dave Stewart's classic playing techniques while the closing "A Fleeting Glace" displays all the classic Hatfield traits only set to a more robust rock format with TOMKINS delivering one of the more energetic percussive moments.

While primarily an all-instrumental affair, "Umbrellas' also harkens back to the Hatfield & The North glory days with Sinclair contributing those classic wordless vocalizations that punctuated that band's two albums throughout. The album is almost like a greatest hits of the Canterbury 70s starting with the unique keyboard runs and time signature familiarities as delivered on the opening "Above And Below" and then followed by the more jazzy upbeat swing of "Reflexes In The Margin." The GOWAN contributions such as "Silver Star" and the title track exhibit a sense of melancholy which in retrospect reflected his worsening health issues. The MILLER contributions such as "Above And Below," "Fourfold" and "A Fleeting Glance" on the other hand deliver some of the most upbeat energetically delivered moments with a stronger emphasis on the guitar and groovy pulsating tempos.

When all is said and done the overall impression of BEFORE A WORD IS SAID is that of resolution as if the team was in collaborative observance of their past accomplishments and gathered lost moments and wayward concepts that hadn't successfully been incorporated into the Canterbury glory days. It's a beautifully competent album but rather than feeling like an innovative evolutionary leap that would bring the Canterbury Scene into the 1980s, rather feels more like a band reliving past glories with a sad reverence of a passing era and the melancholy of entering a new musical landscape of which the members felt like fish out of water. However despite not redesigning the Canterbury classics in 80s regalia, BEFORE A WORD SAID is still a compelling tribute to all those idiosyncrasies that created an entirely new genre of progressive rock. The album offers moments of comfort that reflect the past as well as offering a few twists and turns that aren't expected. An enjoyable album from beginning to end even if not one of the top specimens of the Canterbury sound. Personally i love this one.