Tortilla Flat's debut album is an instrumental exercise in superb jazz composition combined with tight rhythms and driving rock guitar. Tortilla Flat were a six-piece with flute, electric and acoustic guitar, bass/fuzz bass, drums, percussion, and electric piano. The primary lead instrument here is the flute, with plenty of room given to the Rhodes piano and biting fuzz guitar, while the melodies are bouncy and playful, recalling Supersister's 1970 masterpiece Present From Nancy. The primary difference is that Tortilla Flat is a bit more jazzy and less psychedelic than their next door neighbors. This fact probably has more to do with the trends of the year 1975 than anything else. The seven tracks on display feature plenty of room for improvisational jamming over complex rhythms while the compositions are memorable and, at times, beautiful. One of the all-time Euro prog greats.
CD: 2019 Long Hair. Jewel case with great sound, full liner notes, photos, and two excellent bonus tracks not found elsewhere.
The CD had been long anticipated. Various labels including Laser's Edge and Musea had intentions of reissuing it. The band even sent me a masters tape CD-R sometime in the mid 2000s to assist in the matter.
As for the date, the recordings were completed on Dec 22, 1974. It's highly unlikely it was pressed and released in the next 9 days - during Christmas! Unfortunately the liner notes do not specifically address this matter. But 1975 stands to reason.
3/30/01 (Gnosis); 7/11/06; 11/11/20 (new entry)
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