STARCASTLE

I've always appreciated Starcastle, ever since I first heard this album in the mid-seventies. I was really into Track 1 - Lady of the Lake which seems to be the song they are best known for, but very quickly got into the whole album. I thought Herb Schildt's keyboard and moog synth creations were first class; and being a bassist myself, I was drawn to the energy and melodic basslines of Gary Strater, who was quite modal in his writing (RE: Track 6 - To the Fire Wind). Each musician in Starcastle was talented and I think they created some masterful works in their short and somewhat underdocumented history. They had their own sound, too...perhaps in production quality but I also thought their sound came from the keyboard and bass parts and the drumming of Stephen Tassler. At times their writing sounded pop (I think this had to do mainly with Terry Luttrell's quality of voice) but I really appreciate their attention to dynamic; they knew how to take you on a musical journey on extended pieces (RE: Track 5 - Sunfield, Track 1 - Lady of the Lake). Out of all their albums I really only like this album and Citadel and can't comment on the others. As a final comment I think Starcastle deserve to be an honoured part of Prog history...and it's too bad that Gary Strater passed away several years ago.