GREENSLADE

I remember I was always impressed by Greenslade´s debut cover. It is really one of Roger Dean´s best works and still stands as one of the ultimate prog icons. Unfortunate the music inside was no match for the striking illustration it comes with. Not that is bad, far from it, but certainly is easy to understand why Greenslade never reached the prime league of prog rock. It is the simple case of fantastic musicians who just didn´t gel together and neither had enough chops in the songwriting department. Yes, simple as that.

If you like keyboard driven prog music in the vein of ELP, Focus (without Akkerman, of course), Trace and others, give it a try, but don´t expect anything too symphonic or lengthy moments. The songs are shorter, not fully developed and nice. What are you Doing to Me has a bluesy, different approach that has its charm, but not much more than that. A pity, since they are obviously a talented bunch. The best tracks are Drawning Man and the long Sundance. The melodies are not exactly memorable, but there are some good moments on most tunes. Production is quite good for its time. 2,5 stars, really, for its great musicianship.