Raw Material are one of the reference groups that define, for me at least, the English post psychedelic progressive rock sound. At the turn of the decade, England was arguably at the peak of creative thought in the world, and that mindset permeated throughout the globe in a very short time frame. The island was crawling with musical talent, each attempting to do more than the other - similar to what would happen 2 to 3 years later in Italy. The important thing to understand about this era is that the music itself is at the beginning of its journey, so it's nowhere near the Tales From Topographic Oceans logical conclusion. As such, music like this has aged better if one takes an historical outlook, rather than view every album as all things equal. With Raw Material's debut you get the classic mix of psychedelic pop, jazz, and yes, what would later be known as progressive rock. A very enjoyable album where the attention can be focused on the songwriting more than the instrumental dexterity.
Ownership: LP: 2020 Sunbeam. 2xLP. Gatefold.What an absolutely outstanding reissue, and the way you wish all were done. Comes in a superb gatefold sleeve design (the original was a single flapback sleeve), with a booklet chock full of bio details, and a replica promo poster. Even better is that the second disc includes all three 45s's (6 tracks) that they released from this era, plus a full album that I was completely unaware of by a pseudonym called Sounds Progressive. This latter album, titled Kid Jensen Introduces Sounds Progressive, is essentially Raw Material playing the cover tunes of the day. Perfect for bonus material.
This LP replaces the Akarma CD that was my introduction to the album (2004).
4/17/04; 10/15/21 (new entry)
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