---2/21/07
In the game that was the US Midwest underground progressive rock scene of the 1970s, Starcastle emerged as the winner (commercially speaking and not counting Styx, Kansas, etc... Keyword: Underground). There were plenty of other worthy competitors for the title (Ethos, Albatross, Pentwater, This Oneness, etc...)**. Surprise, from St. Louis, were one of the better ones to have participated. The genre itself can be defined as a mix of complex rock with a clear understanding of radio friendly chart music, as FM radio ruled the thoughts of the day. There's a common DNA amongst all these groups, and can be instantly recognized if your ears are tuned to it. Four piece group where everyone plays a multitude of instruments to add plenty of variety.
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** Almost five years from writing this review, I put together this listing for RYM. I credit this album for helping me form the idea.
---10/8/24
So here we are on my first revisit since that review. Not surprised, so to speak, to know I'm enjoying it more now than ever. Some of these bands in the Midwest really went "for the gusto" as the beer ad would suggest. There's much complexity buried in the mix, and yet you can tell they were trying to bring in some commercially acceptable music while at it. It was hopeless. The instrumentation is 1977 analog heaven.
In reading recent chatboard activity, this album has a poor rep. That's too bad. Sometimes I do feel there's some self-loathing over the prospect of enjoying albums like this. Of course it's not cool, and never will be. I have no such qualms. There was a small period of time when something like this could get recorded and released. Same with the where/place. 1977 St. Louis is the intersection of that phenomena.
Ownership: LP: 1977 Carousel. Single sleeve with booklet. Online acquisition (2020). Sports the kind of cover you would never miss if crate digging. If only such a occurrence would happen.
Former ownership: CD: 1995 Zarathustra. Jewel case. This was the source of the original review. One of those labor-of-love reissues. Today it's expensive in its own right. Since the CD didn't offer much more than the LP, I took the cash after acquiring the above.
2/20/07 (first listen / review); 10/8/24 (update / new entry)
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