Reviews

Blimey! If it's a debut then what will be next?! I'm not going to say that it's more amazing first album since KULA SHAKER appearance but I'm reaaly close to it. Just 22 minutes of music but what a great music it is! Well, there could be many superlatives...

We are welcomed into the RICOCHER world with a short spoken into followed by the opener, "The Code", a two-part, half slow, half uptempo arresting composition. It's quite difficult to liken the band's sound to anything I'm familiar with. Oh yes, it's definitely progressive rock in its best with all its trademarks but it's original. Maybe there is a little of GENESIS theatrical approach to the vocal delivery yet the singer by no means tries to imitate Peter or Phil. Playing's thick and confident, guitars still humbly and delicately buried in the keyboards' layers. Until "Life in your Mind" gets in being a solid ballad with an anthem-like chorus, based this time on guitar. This talking instrument shines in solo, a kind of hard rock one. Then a pace quickens a bit, guitar steps back to let keys do the front work. The mood becomes more optimistic as it is being set by some McCartney-esque harmony.

"Your Pride" is a rocking (and rolling, yes) piece, guitar riffs and keyboards frolicing. And now it turns out to be not progressive rock as in previous two tracks, it's, I would say, AOR in the vein of ASIA or GTR. After bouncing guitar solo one can easily imagine how it is played live. And then it's turn for the main theme, the title track, "Quest For The Heartland". Soft piano chords paves a path for the passionate vocal. Singer lives a song. The lyrics are very inspired being a quitessence of the RICOCHER philosophy. Before the second verse in comes a bluesy guitar, soloing, wailing very heart-wrecking. Later on the song gets more tragic yet more driving.

Aftertaste is just great. And there's a need for a new shot of RICOCHER not to feel hangover the next morning.

*****

Oh yeah, a pretty good album. I guess, in a little time I'll really fall in love with Jorn Lande's voice. I haven't still heard his solo outing but listened to his David Coverdale impersonation in THE SNAKES. Well, he's a great singer and now seemes to have found the right band to complement his vocal and writing abilities.

"Hourglass" is Jorn's debut as a singer for MILLENIUM and what a stunning one it is! "Power To Love" slaps you right in the face with a capella intro followed by the furiest guitars attack I've heard for the last year. Remember how you were pressed down by, say, SABBATH's "Neon Knights"? The feeling's quite the same. Once you've managed to keep your breath there's a real surprise - a bit of classic piano, interplaying with guitar. And another one, march drumming close to the end of the piece. "Wheels Are Turning" is an uptempo track with a little poppy chorus and guitar solo which smells of John Sykes and prompts Lande to wear his Coverdale mask.

Title track is a masterpiece. Had it played RAINBOW instead of "Stargazer" we'd consider "Hourglass" a classic. Well, there is a real RAINBOW connection as the keyboards duties for this one took Don Airey. While the mighty riff is similar to Dio's "Sacred Heart", Jorn's voice this time turns out Tony Martin-like though some fragments remind WHITESNAKE's "Looking For Love". Anyway, if there was something borrowed, it was from the huge songs and the result appears to be huge, too. Piano chords open up and spread around "No More Miracles", a delicate atmospheric ballad sung in gentle voice. Straight-forwarded, keys-laden AOR shines through rather regular "Superstar". A short "Rocket Ride" is much better, in the beginning vocal's drowned in guitars layers but later it comes out to the fore to deliver a QUEEN-ey stadium chorus. Solo would suit Brian May as well.

You never heard of this band, I bet. But I'm sure that you heard about at least some of THE SIGN players. Some of the bands Bobby Rondinelli provided his drumming for were RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH and BLUE OYSTER CULT. Guitarist and singer Randy Jackson is a leader of powerful trio ZEBRA. Billy Greer served in KANSAS. Relatively less-known Mark Mangold and Terry Brock worked respectively in DRIVE, SHE SAID and STRANGEWAYS. So what - I've won my bet?

From the first sounds of "I'm Alive" it's clear there are seasoned musicians playing. There is strong self-confidence in their attack. Sharp riffage and lofty organ set the right mood and welcome folky guitar in. You just enjoy Planty vocals from Randy and great guitar/organ interplay following the driving keyboards solo. What a winning combination!

When opera singer steps aside to pop or rock a result usually appears to be rather awkward - or aimed to the alternative music audience. Well, every rule must have some exlusions. So here it is, an exclusion.

Don't be afraid of the title - Ms Brightman doesn't tread on the beaten latino path. "La Luna" is in Italian, a song with the music by Antonin Dvorak. Moon is a subject of the album and that's all. And around this axis very different but strictly top-notch songs spin. There is traditional "Scarborough Fair" side by side with "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" by PROCOL HARUM, and romance by Rachmaninov, sung in Russian with beautiful English accent.

Light rhythm, airy arrangements hanging on keyboards strands, a bit of orchestra and a piece of choir - and that terrific gentle voice showing all its operatic scale just ocasionally, when Sarah sings classics - Dvorak, Handel, Bach.

Fifteen (or sixteen, with bonus track hidden in the end) make a one, whole masterpiece. For each and everybody - for those in love with symphonies and those about to rock.

*****

If Rick Wakeman's first albums send shiver down your spine, "Mont Saint-Michel" is a feast for your thirsty years. While Rick now seems to have lost his love for gothic and medieval music, Patrick Broguiere proudly waves his banner. He went even further than Wacky did as he brought real strings and woodwinds to the fore. And another common point between the two is that both of them used to find inspiration in landscapes and buildings they like to tell about in music. This album is a praise to beauty and legends of French sanctuary of Mont Saint-Michel.

For youngsters, though, the first comparison to come to mind is, of course, ENIGMA because Patrick combine monks chants with synth drumming, too. Chants, preceded with cellos' notes open the album with "The Archangel's Finger", a wonderful piece with new age feel. It develops into light folky melody played by violins and, here it is, unexpectedly in comes a sax wailing brilliant jazz-tinged solo.

Once the landscape is outlined we are welcomed in with "Thirty Candles Quartet", gentle piano piece - the main theme is introduced back. "The Crypt Of The Large Pillars", on the contrast, is an uptempo number with jazzy feel to folky tune that's exquitely delivered on guitar interplaying with violin. Was barocco menuet relevant in the early Renaissance period? Maybe not - but does it really matter? Classical guitar solo is something you cannot help but surrender to.

Oh, it's metal thing. Good metal thing. True metal thing. Looks good, sounds cool. In the beginning, nothing quite original in the terms of style but undoubtedly interesting. And melodic - it's clear the guys started off being not on METALLICA, MEGADETH and this like but traced their way somewhere near to good ol' MAIDEN and other NWOBHM stalwarts.

It's a mini-album, just five songs - three from the "Mindfailure" album session and two recorded recently. All of them not new, though. The title track kicks in with fiery riffs and thundering drumming but voice drownes in the guitar canvas. All along the way the piece appears to be a little boring and fades out rather awkwardly. Which cannot be said about "Calendar" that starts as a Spanish serenade, gently sung and accompanied with acousric guitar playing and then developed into a great metal piece that leads to another acoustic intermission and again - to the battle of sound. Sometimes guitar starts weave the spell in a manner Blackmore is master of. So does it always need to be pure metal? The band's potential is looming much more large.

"Perpetrator of Dreams". Speed is what you hear but vocals once again sound too forced, unlike in the previous track. On the contrary, ".....at the Lowest point" shows the band's versatility - there's more acoustic guitar strumming and time changes. And in "Stasis" one can hear the band's love for blues. Do they listen to Jimmy Page? I guess, yes. The solos are great. Well, guitars are the big thing in the UNLEASHED POWER protocol but the band reaches its highest points when the axes make way for voice. Love your neighbour...

***

GNIDROLOG strikes back! The band that wasn't for the last 30 years got back with a vengence. They not only reformed to play live and cash on nostalgia for the days of old but came up with the album of original music that rocks on.

"Gnosis" is a real proof that progressive rock of early 70s can be relevant and modern today. The Goldring brothers fully retained the impetus that was lost by many of their peers, not to say about newcomers. There are pieces written in 1970 next to ones composed in 80s and 1999. And it's a pity that we were short of such a masterpiece from GNIDROLOG for so long. The album sounds extremely fresh.

All the folk stuff from all over the world seemed to be used in rock music to the date - but no, there is one that wasn't - the Jewish music. (Let's not talk about Israeli bands, they're not worthy, they are just awkward.) And here it is, Colin and Stewart Goldring not only artificially put those motifs to rock but they feel it. The listener feels it from the outset, "Reach for tomorrow", too. It's not a song, it's a prayer for peace turned to God - Colin calls out "Shaddai", one of His names. The tune is great making one understand he deals with something special.

"Reverend Katz" is an instrumental piece in the beginning resembling, maybe, TULL - but no, it's second to none. One guitar part overlaps another building a golden pyramid of sound. Although the tune is composed by Colin, it's Stewart who really shines here. One hell of a guitar player! Time comes to slow down a little bit and we're welcome to "Fall To Ground", soft acoustic ballad, very light and gentle that easily could make a Top 10 hit if anyone bothers to promote it.

It's hard to talk about "Masque Of Shadows" without permanently saying "wow!" because it's close to the album we've all been waiting for for so long. A gem and a real masterpiece. Could anyone tell me how American band was able to come up with such an English theme?

"Masque Of Shadows" is arresting even with its artwork. You take it anticipating to dive into something medieval and extremely interesting - and you're not disappointed once you gave the CD a spin. Now you start to understand all the ravings about the band!

"The Three Welcomes" is just a short intro with Celtic spirit, a teaser for the grandeur to come. And it ticks in in a form of "Black Tower", an exquisitely brewed tune soaked with steaming organ and jazzy-edged bluesy guitar. Well, there are TULL influences but hidden quite deep, and no, there's no flute on the surface, here we have blues harp played madly in a Plant manner. Rhythm changes, painted with marimba, are just great, turning almost Carribean towards the end of the piece. With "Shape of a Dancer" we step a little further into blues, this time more gloomy. Great keyboard solo intertwined with bass leading into light, dancing, guitar passages. "Magic Circle" smells with JETHRO TULL gone folk of '77-'78 but isn't it just pure Englishness oozing from acoustic instruments playing - guitar, dulcimer and - only now! - flute? Yes, there is flute, fortunately treated not in the Anderson's way.

With "Maiden Voyage" one begins to get a picture of some conception, the tune starts with a bass guitar and has its roots in Hendrix psychodelia, transforming along the way into something Oriental. The vocals sound a little thin now without slight echo that complements the chorus. And now we're reaching the heart, the core of the album, an epic "The Brook, The Mirror And The Maiden". Terrific a capella start and then keyboards flow in dripping like water. Voice, then silence - and the flute calls singing as oboe. Some Anderson-like notes and another keyboards wave comes near bringing crystal clear voice. (And what is this that dances around the melody? Female vocals not mentioned in a booklet? I really can't tell.) Great glockenspiel use and thunder and rain effects draw an amazing picture - especially when a driving rock part is pulled in introducing us to "Return Voyage", an end of journey we took part in.

There's always something special about solo albums of the 'band guys' which lets us see another facet of the talent we claim to know oh so well. They always have some surprise awaiting on us.

"Cosmas" is definitely NOT rock album, not the one we can expect from the singer with THRESHOLD who also takes part in AYREON projects. But it suits well for the man who sung in "Les Miserables" staging as well as on the Rick Wakeman recent tour.

The album starts off with "When I Leave This Land", the gentle tune played on the piano and sung in the vein of the David Coverdale's solo debut with etherial voice flying around. Strings add another dimension to quite a simple but beautiful song. Next we hear "She's Like A Fable" resembling "Norwegian Wood" with its folky motifs that penetrate all the album through. This gem could fit perfectly even for Ian Anderson whilst "Agony" has another mood kicking in, a jazzy, almost Broadway-like tune filled with dixieland brass section and piano. And yes, here it is - a cute guitar solo which leads to fade out.

Well, it's a singer's album and all the instrumentation and arrangements serve just to underline Damian's voice, soft, soothing and shining in a melancholy lullaby "You Hurt Me Inside", adorned with mandolin and accordion playing. And what's very pleasing is several small, half-minute, acoustic guitar/vocal dittos spreaded around "Cosmas"; "How Can You Turn So Coldly" is one of them showing the beauty of simplicity, the rule that many artists tend to oversee. Another one is "I Can't Change Your Mind" sung a capella.

"Please Don't Leave Me Till I Leave You" once more discloses Mr Wilson love for the Beatle-ish harmonies in their overt Englishness. "Naturally" is, er, natural and warm - Damian just sings and rarely lets his voice soar, he doesn't show it off. Mostly acoustic instruments got the listener relaxed a little so he's awake with the electric guitar riff, so odd sounding in this idyll. It's "Naked", bluesy and dirty a la Hendrix, and Wilson for the first time lets himself go with a scream, thus combining clear operatic singing with rock approach, akin to the way Ronnie Dio does, while creating a curious contrast with string sextet.

"Cosmas" appears to be very intimate and introvert piece of work that would be close to every dreamer of this world.

****

I really don't know how many fans of Patrick Moraz are out there. For many people Patrick remains the "guy who replaced Rick Wakeman in YES". Well, he did. And he dedicated a huge piece of his life to THE MOODY BLUES as well. Indeed. But the fact that Moraz is a top-notch artist in his own right can hardly be overseen.

"Resonance" is a pure piano album and is just great music to spend one hour listening to. It's not for everyone, it's not even for those of us who love Wakeman's piano exercises. It's more complicated and more jazzy. But aren't many of Patrick's works complicated and definitely jazzy? They are.

The opener is "Vortex Of Life", a four-movements piece which in the beginning sounds maybe a little sparse but very solemn and extremely melodic towards the fourth part - melodic in a Moraz way, of course, and by no means poppy. Next, we have two dances - "Sundance" and "Moondance", but while the former is pacey and jazz-soaked to the core, the latter is swinging ragtime turning into honky piano boogie improvisations.

Title track, "Resonance", on the contrary, a ruminative piece, slow but tight and beautiful as a spring. "Colloids Bounce Around" is rather eloquent title, isn't it? Just let your imagination go and here you are, having this uptempo cut, another one with theme that's hard to follow at the first listening, improvisional but really driving - all in only 3 minutes!

At this point one cannot help thinking there IS a flaw in this album, and the flaw is that some tracks fade out before they end: master such as Moraz could find a fitting resolution for each track.

"Standing In The Light" takes up the "Resonance" mood, being a bluesy number that develops into a kind of classical tune, loaded with bass notes. And now, the music gets straight into a classic pattern. "The Light" sets, er, the light mood, it's a long yet wonderful and arresting piece, slowly wrapping around you as it goes. When you think it's over, there are some more notes to enjoy, the melody returns and gets higher and higher along the scale. Just imagine how great it would be if fully orchestrated, just like some Steve Howe solo tunes (recorded often with Moraz, by the way).

And the final is "Birds On A Wire", a light serenade, a little scherzo to give an end to the vibe called "Resonance".

*****

For those who needs to be reminded I have to say that Steve Harley and "Harley-Davidson" have only one thing in common and the thing is rebellion. Well, you for sure saw Steve and his band on MTV. Right, he's that guy in furred coat singing merry ditto "Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)". Naturally, this megahit is present herein and there couldn't be any other way. For this album is a document of STEVE HARLEY & COCKNEY REBEL concert at German TV in January 1976 when the band was at the peak of its fame and creative strenghts.

A style that band confessed is traditionally defined as glam rock. Frankly saying, Steve and Co had very little in common with SLADE, Gary Glitter, SWEET and other glam stalworths. Glam was once touched by Bowie and it's at this point that we can find some likeness.

Steve himself can hardly be considered as a top-notch singer, but his modesty served him very well having spread over all the COCKNEY musicians. And they were just brilliant. Jim Cregan's soft guitar and absorbing keyboards played by Duncan Maccay let Harley pave the road abandoned by THE ROLLING STONES in 1967 and make a curious cross between rock'n'roll and barocco. Listen to "Make Me Smile" and you'll realize what was the gist of COCKNEY REBEL.

"Red Is A Mean, Mean Colour" is soft ballad smelling of Jagger at his best romantic mood; guitar sings like a fiddle - you rarely hear something like this. And how great the band deals with THE BEATLES' "Here Comes The Sun" turning Harrison's airy song into excellent ska underlined by Stewart and Lindsay Elliots' rattling.

"Psychomodo" is an eloquent title, isn't it? During Steve's laid back introduction of his colleagues Maccay concentrates on piano and starts slow yet canny improvisation taking the audience into the swirl of "Sling It". Two synthesizer solos and one, tasty, jazzy, rumba-tinged, on guitar are something exceptional!

The album ends with the band's debut song, 10-minute ballad "Sebastian", embellished not only by soaring guitar pirouettes but by Harley's yodelling. (Yes, he was quite near to Tyrol while he was taken away by his own music.)

CD two is a feast not only for ears but for eyes too as it features all the tracks in video.

****1/2

This is the unique recording for those who love punk. As well as for those who don't. How could it be? Just simple. Officially punk became an event in 1976. In a couple of years it went rotten as the Johnny's teeth. And on the surface remained those who were punks before punk was born. Well, I won't be digging back to the days of THE BEATLES and THE ROLLING STONES...

The first punk heroes appeared not in the conservative Britain but in the States - MC5 and THE STOOGES popped up in the end of the Sixties. Later, came the second generation and its diamond was THE RAMONES.

What was so special about "punks before punk"? They were sticking to traditions. While the "real" punks such as SEX PISTOLS just played dirty rock'n'roll saying loudly that there's no future and disregarding the past, their predecessors were more of a creative force.

This CD is a document of THE RAMONES' concert in Bremen on September 13, 1978 on "The Road To Ruin" tour. The gig is excellent yet shorter than "It's Alive" LP released in 1977. The traditions are clear. Listen attentively and you'll notice the Little Richard's influence on the band's music. Fifties are fifties but not many American bands remained intact, not bruised by the British Invasion. "Don't Come Close", for instance, shows THE KINKS' harmonies.And what about "I Don't Care"? Wouldn't you find here something in common with THE WHO's "I Can't Explain"? RAMONES respected even THE BEACH BOYS and "She's The One" (No, don't talk of Robbie Williams!) is a witness of this. Yet, Brian Wilson's band wasn't English.

With their combination of punk energy and good melodies, THE RAMONES were forerunners to THE CLASH and THE JAM. And that's the secret of success. Moreover, this dish should be served with special art in which the band really succeed: the recording shows their high spirit, you can feel it even before proceeding to see the video (yes, the whole show!). The guys just crack jokes and you cannot take seriously such songs as "Teenage Lobotomy", "Cretin Hop" or the two-minute long yet monumental "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker".

We can call it as THE RAMONES themselves did having titled one of their songs "Blitzkrieg Pop".

Unfortunately, "Rockaway Beach" is in the tracklisting but absent as audio track - and that's the only week point of "You Don't Come Close".

****

With every new GLASS HAMMER album we witness the band's progress in terms both of music and subject. The first CD, "Journey Of The Dunadan", based on Tolkien was followed by fantasy-tinged dilogy of "Perelandra" and "On To Evermore", all three albums showing the musicians' fascination with the dinosaurs - YES, GENESIS and, to a lesser extent, JETHRO TULL. The new product explores something different: the story itself is rooted in progressive rock of yore yet it's a hardly a concept album as such. But, from the musical point of view, this approach gave GLASS HAMMER an opportunity to be a contemporary band, not audionecrophiles.

What I definitely like about GLASS HAMMER is their clever use of keyboards but what I assume to be a weak point is lack of bright melodies. There were some on the "Dunadan" and, fortunately, some are here. I mean, the ones with acoustic guitar - "An Eldritch Wind" and "A Perfect Carousel". The latter is in vein of "Wish You Were Here", a kind of folk/barocco combination. While barocco touches may be derived off the Wakeman-ish organ playing, folk motifs are real good addition to the band's palette. (I guess, it's a new member Brad Marler who's responsible for that.) Wakeman seems to be very influential on GLASS HAMMER style - both as YES member ("Empty Space") and a solo artist ("Shapes Of The Morning"), although sometimes keyboards smell of Tony Banks and, when they attack, even of Jon Lord. Also there is something reminiscent of CAMEL which is just good - CAMEL never got over the top with their verve.

As on classic YES albums "Chronometree" consists of two parts with interlude and this middle section is something worthy to listen to time and again. If the band choose to follow this path in the future they'll get out of their own boundaries. Very contemporary atmospheric "A Perfect Carousel" gives space to a little choir in "Chronos Deliverer" chanting prayers. And yes, on this album electric guitars are quite prominent, especially towards the end of album - pay attention, AYREON fans: some parts are played by Arjen Lucassen.

Give this CD a heavy rotation and it'll grow on you. The next one tends to be a smash.

****

Oh well, every time a new Glenn's CD is out I hesitate for days before listening to it. I just fear it'll turn out the way I don't like. And every time it takes a lot of time to start loving a new one.

Hughes' is one of the greatest warblers in the world whose voices are still strong after all these years - Glenn, Ronnie Dio, Paul Rodgers. But music... That's the reason of hesitation. It's just strange from melodic point of view. While stylistically it's always what could be expected from Glenn, the melodies are not so catchy as they could be. (It's the same with Graham Bonnet, isn't it?)

On his last albums Hughes seems to have found eventually the right balance between his hard and funk leanings, but not in the same vein as it was in TRAPEZE days though. "R.O.C.K." kicks off with "The State I'm In", good opening, heavy and swinging with SABBATH-like riffs in the middle. Glenn's bass sounds brilliant not just building the base for a song - it grooves and almost soloes like Andy Fraser's one. And it's a bass riff similar to that in "Sail Away" that leads a listener into "Midnight Medicated". The Funk Man's love for Hendrix becomes more and more obvious.

If there's a hole in the arrangement left by bass it's always filled with organ roaring from Hans Zermuehlen. Er, having worked with Jon Lord Hughes really can appreciate the good keys. Funkier and funkier, we come closer to good old Glenn making Wonder and this time it's "It's Alright", a little liter track with short but pretty guitar solo by J.J.Marsh, tiny Hughes solo and catchy chorus. "Swith The Mojo" is good crossover which makes way for "Gone", the Hughes/Iommi tune written for Tony's solo album (Iommi turned down Glenn's voice in favour of Anselmo and Co. Phew! What a shame!). "Gone" is exactly what we expected from it: heavy viscous riffs with a strong melody.

As a compensation in "The Other SIde Of Me" we have familiar Hughesy funk, good and true. "Angela" is just beautiful, it starts off as a ballad with intro reminiscent of URIAH HEEP's "Midnight" but turns into uptempo catchy song and a great funky solo that shows interesting guiar-Hammond-bass intertwining. And what but an instrumental tune could "Owed to "J" turn out to be! Well, it's very different from "Owed to "G" being a good, pure AOR guitar piece embellished by pumping bass and a synthesizer solo. The pace quickens, Glenn begins to scream and lead us to another Motown-influenced tune, "Thin Life", featuring Hammond solo.

And at last, the great ballad we've been waiting for long, "Days Of Avalon", bluesy tune, wailing guitar, clear voice. So wonderful, you end up feeling you treated this album not as it's worth. But again, it's a Glenn Hughes album (see the beginning).

But bonus CD "GH - Live In South America" is something every Hughes fan dreamed about. There's just six tracks but it's better than "Burning Japan Live". A tighter band, Glenn handles bass himself and the band have fun. It swings and rocks. "You Kill Me" and "Neverafter" off "The Way It Is" sound great live as does "The First Step Of Love" from "Hughes/Thrall" album, airy tune convincing those who doesn't have "H/T" to run and buy it. The band is in improvising mood and make "No Stranger To Love" very different from the BLACK SABBATH original starting it with piano. Glenn sings lower than before. The last two songs are TRAPEZE ones, "Coast To Coast" and "Your Love Is Alright" (Hughes mistakably says they're from the same album, "Medusa"). Glenn lets it go, makes the songs jazzy, improvising. In the end bass turns "Your Love" into dance and it's hard to believe that there are just four men on stage. Let the full version of the show be released!

**** - "R.O.C.K."

***** - bonus CD

That's what I'd call modern progressive rock! You rarely see a progressive rock band that doesn't look back in time very much. ECHOLYN is such a bunch of musicians playing something extremely contemporary that's simultaneously firmly based on old masters' tradition.

"Cowboy Poems Free" is mutated progressive music which really rocks. Poems themselves - there are four of them - being, except for the last one, pure instrumental passages are just links between solid rock material framed by good guitars and underlined by Hammond splashes. With their hints of the late Sixties music, ECHOLYN's approach reminds sometimes of that of KULA SHAKER ("Gray Flannel Suits") while vocal polyphony in more heavy stuff leans towards good ol' URIAH HEEP ("Human Lottery") as it's catchy yet not poppy. "High As Pride", a solemn ballad with arresting slide guitar solo a la "Layla", shows the band's lyrical facet. You begin flying high but...

The second part of the album starts with a cocky "Swinging The Ax" goes past through "1729 Broadway", with its sax a Broadway tune indeed, but then becomes a little boring turning into soul-tinged stuff. An Indian intro for "Brittany" loaded with Indian banjo and tablas is much better than the rest of the track and it's a real flaw.

ECHOLYN's journey around the world and back fittingly ends with nostalgic "Too Late For Everything" which makes impression that it's not yet late to return to the first track, "Texas Dust", and give the CD another spin.

****

In my eyes, THE YARDBIRDS were the best British blues band of the Sixties - up to the appearance of FLEETWOOD MAC. And it's not so important that there were three guitar greats in the line ups - Clapton, Beck and Page. The band with Keith Relf at the mike was way ahead of THE ANIMALS and THE ROLLING STONES.

What is so precious about this CD? It reflects THE YARDBIRDS' break-up. No, this event wasn't sad - every musician went his own way. The name inherited Jimmy Page and the band's manager Peter Grant. The recordings on the "Cumular Limit" were made from March, 1967 up to April, 1968. A little later, in the fall, the new players were found and THE NEW YARDBIRDS flew to Scandinavia to get back as LED ZEPPELIN.

Last sessions display the band trying to find a balance between old sound and new trends. In these studio and live pieces one can clearly hear the thoughts that were developed by Relf and drummer Jim McCarty on the two first RENAISSANCE albums and, later, by Relf, in ARMAGEDDON. And Page... Yes, there are early versions of the compositions every ZEP fan know well - "White Summer" and "Dazed And Confused", the latter with Keith's lyrics - Robert Plant, as a good lyricist, would never let himself use the phonetically awkward words "to a certain degree".

There are four live tracks recorded on German TV in March, 1967 - the videos of these are on the bonus CD - and the most interesting of them is "I'm A Man", very different from the version created with Clapton just three years earlier: Page already started his bow playing exercises. McCarty was experimenting, too, as he sang on some demos instead of Relf.

Before its end THE YARBIRDS were racing headlong towards psyhodelia. Wasn't "Still I'm Sad" with its drone such a piece? It was. As are "De Lane Lea Lee" and "Glimpses" that are on the CD. Don't try to find the former, highly praised in the very informative liner notes, in the tracklisting - it's tagged to the end of "Dazed And Confused", after a 10-minutes silence.

A little more luck and the band would survive, in new quality. And we'd love "My Baby" in THE YARDBIRDS', not Janis Joplin's rendition. But in place of one band came several for us to enjoy. And to treasure the music of the band that gave birth to them.

*****