THE JEWEL

Among the most important bands of the 80's British prog rock wave,PENDRAGON were found in Stroud, Glouchestershire by guitarist Nick Barrett.Actually their first name was ''Zeus Pendragon'',but it was soon shortened simply to PENDRAGON for not fitting well on a T-shirt.Their first official release was the mini-LP ''Fly high,fall far'' in 1984 and a year later their full-time debut ''The jewel'' was published.The work is dominated by the guitars of Barrett and the decent mini moog solos of keyboardist Rik Carter.However,do not expect a grandiose sound,the album contains mid-length songs based on strong melodies and careful guitar work,supported by the distinctive keyboard hooks.So,although ''The jewel'' is not exactly representative of PENDRAGON's later sound,it's a very decent work,especially for fans of easy-listening progressive rock.Recommended!