When all of Britain were going nuts for punk and ditching all that was melodic and musical, EG put out this masterpiece by an often overlooked classic Prog rock band. This was the best album U.K. put out – after this, the line up changed and so did the chemistry. The line up here is stellar with Alan Holdsworth on guitar, Bill Bruford on drums, John Wetton on bass and vocals, and Eddie Jonson on keys and weirdness. I’ve always loved John Wetton’s vocals – I think he has that tone for a Prog band.
The album kicks off in perfect Prog style with In The Dead Of Night, which is in three parts. The drum pattern is recognizable to Crimson fans as it’s the same as Elephant Talk, which would bring back Crimson from the dead with the amazing Discipline. It’s a very expansive piece with oodles of keys, weird drum patterns, and guitar – a Prog lovers wet dream. The Side 1 close out piece, Thirty Years, is a fantastic Prog workout with a killer drum groove by Bruford, and lots of widdly keys from Jobson. In fact, I would say that Jobson is the dominant force of the whole album as each track is very keys driven.
Alaska opens up Side 2 with another Jobson driven piece, before we get to Time To Kill – its the most up-tempo track on the album, and has a fusion vibe going on until the vocals kick in. The last two tracks, Nevermore, and Mental Medication, are the only tracks on the record that Holdsworth had a hand in writing – and it shows. Nevermore opens with an acoustic guitar, and the whole song is more guitar driven – some of the leads are breathtaking. Mental Medication is Prog widdle overload and doesn’t disappoint. It’s a shame it all imploded after this as they make great music.
8.5/10 from The Grooveman.
