MUSIC FOR A NEW SOCIETY

The inclusion of John Cale on this site is a brave decision, if not a truly progressive one. His general work doesn't sit comfortably next to any conventional, classic Prog Rock, yet his uncompromising compositions, his avantgarde approach to Rock'n'Roll and Pop holds more of its own to most outings of plenty of other bands on Progarchives. "Music For A New Society" proves just this case. At its core this album is primarily a collection of straight forward pop ballads (Broken Bird, Chinese Envoy, Taking Your Life In Your Hands) boiled down to their bare bones and given an experimental uplift, and avantgarde experiments (Sanities, In The Library Of Force) that could in some other strange universe be rock anthems. Damn Life is the highlight here - borrowing Ode to Joy from Beethoven's 9th Symphony for a melody hook as a gentle opener, sequeing into a midtempo rocker before returning to the main theme for a dark, moody conclusing. The closest any of these tracks comes to what most people understand as Prog. Although the production might for the most part sound very 'Eighties' it is all done in Cale's inimitable classy (and classical) way. If you like Hammill's output from the same era you will embrace this album with pure joy. Not a masterpiece of Progressive Rock Music, simply a masterpiece of Music, and therefore essential.