PSYCHILLIS OF A LUNATIC GENIUS

My prog friend informed me about this band and I was not aware at all about it and the name did not ring any bell at all in my mind and I tended to neglect it. But I remember vividly the same thing happened to me when another friend of mine informed me about vintage band named as Nosferatu which in turned I liked the music. So is this case I don't wan to make any exclusion as who knows that it gives me something new. He did tell me at my personal blog that the band in some ways has some influences from National Health, Soft Machine those of Canterbury Scene. Hmmmm ... I pondered my head and was curious to know about the music.

Oh no .... Where have I been so far that I have never known PAZOP at all? In fact the music is really unique and it has a class of its own. A category of its own. Oh yeah ... I can find some falovors of Soft Machine, hatfield an The North, Egg or National Health ....but hold on ... Pazop is a bit different. I tell you what, when I first listened to the opening track "Le la Loo Loo le La" (2:29) it reminded me to the kind of circus music where it has all energy and dynamics to open the show at particular evening. With dynamic piano work this opening track sets the overall tone of the album. The following "Harlequin of Love" (2:50) has dynamic vocal in it and I really enjoy the strange music they make especially with the use of flute and violin! It then slows down with "Crying for Disaster's Hand" (4:08) demonstrating the kind of vocal that does not seem to follow memorable melody but it still very enjoyable.

The jazzy track "What Is the Further Purpose" (3:10) is a funny song and I tend to smile listening to how vocal harmonies work their ways to its best combined with dynamic basslines as well as inventive flutework. Wow man!!! Marvelous! It then slows down again when it enters "Swaying Fire" (3:32) using flute as main instrument on top of rhythm section accompanying the strange vocal screaming nicely: SWAYING FIRE!!!! Woooow .....!!! It's really wonderful man!

Let's reflect ...

I am not going to review at track by track level but I want to do some sort of reflection about this band. This only album was released in 1972 - an ultimate year in the history of progressive rock. Why? This was the time when Genesis crafted Foxtrot where they included an epic Supper's Ready with 20 plus minute duration. And we had also Yes penned their lose to The Edge album which this site by today makes it the number ONE prog album of all time. Yes, Yes also made epic track with duration approx 20 minutes. And then we had Jethro Tull who claimed themselves as teh first band who produced song with duration at the maximum space of one side of an LP: Thick As A Brick,

What did it tell you my prog head friends around the globe?

When all progressive bands made solid efforts in making concept album with epic tracks, PAZOP came into play with SHORT duration tracks but they are all one another make some sort of "links" that the transition from one track to another sounds like seamless eventhough they are not. So in this case .. PAZOP is a true prog band as they did not follow what happened in the market - in this sense ....

Overall, I highly recommend you to have this hard-to-find album especially those of you who enjoy the vintage sound and unique musical composition. To kill your curiousity, go to you tube and type PAZOP .. Boom! You got it full fledge album. Enjoy! This album deserves 4.5 stars rating. Keep on proggin' ...!!!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW