I've spoken at length about Rainbow Theatre's sophomore effort Fantasy of Horses, but never did get around to putting any notes down for their debut The Armada. It's a similar style effort, a bit more unfocused and has less impact, but still a fascinating listen. In effect Rainbow Theatre is a combination of royal classical, progressive rock, and horn rock. Keith Hoban's vocals are operatic, and Julian Browning leads the group with his guitar, mellotron, and songwriting. There are two key lengthy tracks (each with 4 subsections) and 3 shorter ones sandwiched in between. The opener 'The Darkness Motive' is the winner here given its fast pace, heavy instrumentation, and constantly moving parts. It would be this track that provided the blueprint for Fantasy of Horses. As stated in the review for this second album, there really was (or is) no one like Rainbow Theatre, as unique a group as there ever has been. And it's not experimental, but rather they carved out their niche inside the confines of what is known and accepted.
Ownership: LP: 1975 Clear Light of Jupiter; CD: 2006 Aztec. The LP comes in a fine gatefold cover. I purchased this from a very good friend in the 2000 time frame. Like all Aztec releases, the CD is an essential supplement. It comes in a thick tri-fold digipack, filled with liner notes, photos, and memorabilia. As with Fantasy of Horses, the bonus track is a modern classical piece composed by Browning. I purchased this online shortly after release - interesting to note this was reissued after Fantasy of Horses.
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