This discovery from San Diego came about while I was researching a 45 that the band had released in 1975. In doing so, I had found far more music on YouTube, which all comes from this release. Once again, we have a band here in the US that toiled in the clubs and venues of the day, but are nothing but a distant memory for a faint few. For the most part this is progressive rock with a capital P, and follows the familiar path of Genesis, Yes, and Gentle Giant. The latter seemingly the primary influence here. They self-describe that they bring a large dose of humor as well. And for modern ears, that leads us to think of Canterbury, though the music lacks the jazzy insouciant melodies the genre calls for.
The choice cuts are the longer ones naturally enough, and the two openers and closers provide plenty of great music, with complex compositions and rich instrumentation, in particular the synthesizer work. The strong beginning and ending approach is a winning formula as it grabs your attention up front and leaves you with a positive impression afterward. The 5 shorter middle tracks are hit and miss with 'Holes in Shangr-La' (sic), 'Odds (or Even Odder)', and 'Another Winter' coming in strong. 'Big Top Rock' and 'Midnight Grin' are rather silly, and are best avoided unless you're in the mood for cartoons.
Overall a fantastic new entry for the long buried American 1970s progressive rock library.
Ownership: CD-R: 2020 private. digi-file cover. You won't find this one in Discogs, ebay, or Amazon. Or RYM for that matter. You can buy it direct from the band, and you'll get a signed copy. They advertise it as a CD, but I had a feeling it would be a cd-r and my instincts proved correct. Even if I had asked them, they probably wouldn't have known the difference (per many experiences prior). It's not that expensive in any case. The other issue here is the date. You'll note I call it "semi-archival". The base music comes from demos from the 1970s (none are dated specifically, though we know the 45 of 'Midnight Grin' and 'Holes in Shangr-La' is from 1975). At some point in the near past (likely the 2010's), the group added instrumentation and vocals. It's hard to know what they've done, if much. It certainly sounds like it's from the 70s, and it's an excellent production overall. So one has to date it 2020, even though it's really a 70s release. You can order the CD-R, hear all the music, and read about the band here.
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