As stated (all too many times), Pye Fyte are like many albums in my collection. I purchased them when new - enjoyed - and then filed. Where it patiently waited 23 years for its next visit. I had no recollection of what it sounded like. Vaguely recalled it was more analog than usual for its day.
Uhh... yea, you could say that alright. Pye Fyte is not just analog, but indeed it is stuffed with Moog and mellotron. Pye Fyte are a duo of John McNamara and Mark Cella. It appears to be mostly McNamara's show, as he wrote and arranged the titles, and plays all the instruments (guitar, bass, keyboards) except one. Cella provides the drums. Of course if you name your band Pye Fyte and your album The Gathering of the Krums, you aren't looking to be taken too seriously, even if it's a play on words. No matter, it's obvious these two put everything they had into this recording. A short release for the time, Pye Fyte stuck to an average LP length, and the lion's share of the eight song CD can be found on the final 2 tracks. Most of The Gathering of the Krums is old fashioned fastball-down-the-middle early 70s prog rock, with a slight English Baroque underpinning. Great production, inventive tunes, and well played instruments. I'm not too fond of McNamara's vocals, which can be placed into the "stilted American singer" category we often hear in prog bands from these shores. A small matter, as the album is mostly instrumental. The Gathering of the Krums is an album that long ago fell off the radar. Like in 1999... If the words above enter your comfort zone, you'll want to hear this album.
Ownership: CD: 1999 M&M. Jewel case with simple booklet containing release details. I remember Mark Cella as I had purchased some CDs from him during the 90s (M&M Music, same as the label for this release). I was sad to learn of his untimely death back in 2010.
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