SPRING

Oh yes, I know that this is a classic album but I only got it and listened it for the first time last month. It was during an i-Rock! (rock music community in my country where I'm very proud being a member) "Family Gathering" event when this CD was displayed at the CD counter of the event. I remember my senior Mr. Bhawikarsu recommended me to buy this classic CD which according to him this CD represented the first recorded material using a mellotron. Is he right? Maybe not because as far as I know, King Crimson "In The Court of The Crimson King" used it in 1969. Whatever the answer is - it does not matter to me. What I need to do is to give my view about this album (the only album by SPRING).

The album is truly a good representation of the golden years of seventies. I can sense it through the nuance projected by this CD: dark, mellow, mellotron-drenched and symphonic in style. To me, enjoying such kind of music is a joy and it feels like racing back my old days when I was a kid. From the opening track "The Prisoner", the composition demonstrates a music that flows in a slow paced style with heavy vocal of Pat Moran and the sound of (of course) mellotron. Ray Martinez gives his fills of guitar throughout the song. It similarly occurs with second track "Grail" which shares similar vein with the first track. The music is basically easy to digest.

The short track "Boats" is definitely a very The Beatles sound in its full psychedelic style with acoustic guitar rhythm and electric guitar fills. The guitar fills show the similarity of the Beatles. It moves then to the sound of marching drums backed with keyboard punch which reminds us to the music for a war at the fourth track "Shipwrecked Soldiers". Track 5 "Golden Fleece" shows the combination of symphonic and psychedelic. The music flows naturally with mellotron as main background backed with heavy bass lines. In some segments, the music reminds me to the nuance of King Crimson early albums. The guitar solo in the middle of the track is nice, accompanied with long sustain mellotron sounds and acoustic guitar fills.

"Inside Out" brings the music back to the influence of The Beatles performed in medium tempo. "Song To Absent Friends" piano introduction reminds me to the Beatles "Let It Be" even though it has different composition. It also reminds me to the classic album of Elton John. It is a nice mellow track. The album concludes with "Gazing" in medium tempo with early King Crimson style - heavily filled up with the sounds of mellotron. My CD has three bonus tracks: "Fool's Gold", "Hendre News", and "A World Full of Whispers".

It's a classic album and I recommend all of you buy this CD as it represented the sound of early seventies with its specific musical nuance. Production quality of the CD is excellent.

Life without music is a mistake. Music without progressive is a fatal tragedy!

Yours progressively, GW