THE POLITE FORCE

This is not just an example of the Canterbury sound at its very best, it is a superior record of British Progressive Rock at the zenith of invention, energy and musicianship. Dave Stewart leads drummer Clive Brooks who kicks out the polyrhythms with passion, Mont Campbell's pumping bass, and a team of horn players in a session that rivals albums such as National Health's Of Queues and Cures (also with Stewart) and ELP's Tarkus. The first two cuts present the organ-based, Bach-infused material in digestible, melodic portions. Track 3, 'Boilk', begins as a blend of atmosphere, sound effects and psychedelic flip-outs that leads to a serious display of prime prog rock inspiration and facility. The closing cut is the 'Long Piece No. 3', a definitive statement of the era and a quintessential look at where rock music was going, or at least *capable* of going.

Not just for Canterbury fans but for all who love prog in its youth, Egg's 'The Polite Force' is an indispensable document and a true masterpiece of its kind.