A SONG FOR ME

Following their second consecutive release with the same lineup Family underwent the inevitable staffing changes that characterized so many B-list prog bands of the early seventies. Bassist Rick Grech departed for a gig with the newly-formed supergroup Blind Faith (and later the spinoff Ginger Baker's Air Force) before Family's connections to Traffic paid dividends for him with a stint there, followed by a brief stay with the reformed Crickets (minus Buddy Holly of course) and on to more commercial success with KGB. He was replaced (sort of) by multi-instrumentalist John Weider of Eric Burdon & the Animals, who brought with him a new dynamic for the band with his considerable violin and dobro-playing skills, in addition to guitar and a little bass. The band also added piano along with another flautist in the form of John Palmer. Both would depart within a year, but their presence gave the band the ability to stretch their sound into new territories, albeit more along the lines of the more acoustic and folksy sound than the harder-rocking debut.

This proved to be a mixed blessing. One a positive note the band's music is rather more eclectic on this album than either of the previous ones, with more fusion ("Hey Let it Rock", "93's Ok J" in particular). And the piano and electric keyboards add depth to the mid-range of their sound that tended to be a bit flat and muddled on the first two albums (some of that owing to the dubious production of late sixties studios).

The downside I suppose is a decidedly more contemporary rocking sound on what can best be described as filler tracks, most notably the opening "Drowned in Wine" and the jam session titled "Love is a Sleeper". At times I wonder if I'm listening to a set of Wishbone Ash outtakes, including the almost countryish "Stop for the Traffic-Through the Heart of Me" and mushy "Good Friend of Mine".

Roger Chapman's vocals are as potent as ever though, and the blend of flute, dobro, piano and guitar trio of Charlie Whitney and Robert Townsend make for a bevy of well- constructed, easy-listening tunes even if not many of them offer much new in terms of composition or innovative arrangements.

Overall I have to say this is a slightly better album than the last, mostly due to the variety of instruments and occasional deviation from both blues and country rock they favored on the first couple of records. Their debut still beats this one out for sheer creativity though, so three stars out of five is the best I can do. Recommended to fans of the band and those who enjoy hearing what passed for new more than forty years ago. As a nostalgic piece you could do worse.

peace