The Union - Distance Traveled. 1986 USA-California

The Union, from Los Angeles, is another new discovery for me. It's been a known quantity for some years, but I hadn't heard this album prior. I think I looked for it on YouTube once and it's not there. As luck would have it, I was able to secure a copy on ebay for cheap, and that's the way I prefer to first hear things anyway - on my stereo!

The general consensus is The Union is an out-of-time early 70s UK styled hard rock / prog album. It definitely isn't an 80s type album, and it does very much sound like an album from the 70s, where the only concession would be the synthesizer solo work. And the cover is really great, once again pointing to an earlier era. I had secretly hoped for one of those classic US late 70s private pressing hard rock albums - those that are proggy but still belong to hard rock. Like UHF, Legend, early Manilla Road, etc... No such luck. I would submit that The Union are grounded in folk rock, but with clear progressive rock ambition. Side 2 is a one track long epic with sub-titles like 'The Evolution of a Realization' and 'In the Heart of the Cerebral Forest'. Thunderpussy anyone? Perhaps closer to the mark, but there's no proto metal here. The instrumental work is progressive rock all the way, and there's plenty to enjoy. But the vocal pieces are straightforward folk rock numbers (for example 'Hope to Find' and 'Why Not Laugh') that lack the ingenuity within that one looks for on a prog rock record. It's almost yin/yang in that way.

For 1986, this is an incredible find. I cannot think of a year worse for progressive rock music. From an overall perspective, it remains a very good album, though not great by any means. Well worth seeking out for sure.

Ownership: LP: 1986 Laughing Tree. Recent online acquisition. Single sleeve cover with cool artwork. If you saw this in a record bin, it would jump right at you.