LONG LIVE THE SLICED HAM

A pretty silly album. It moves between instrumental energetic fusion and vocal jokeyness.

Down At Finckles opens the album with Nucleus esque rhythm and sax powering over as lead. There are some nice tremolo guitar licks, A short song, it fades out at four minutes.

Eye of Glass opens with a little laugh, then a few seconds of silence which is replaced by a quiet guitar line. This is joined by bass, drums and keys as the guitar line changes. Halfway through the song the organ is left alone to drone, then the rest of the band comes back powerful due to the twin saxophone.

Outsiders Of Reality is where they start singing/talking. A minute long monologue with line like "The secret sexual life of little red riding hood" is a poor opening to a poor song in my eyes. After this one gets lullaby keyboard work that heads into a cliche faux eastern guitar line that fortunately segues into a brief instrumental but nice instrumental. Sedated vocals come around three minutes into the song, mixed low in the mix and treated. The rhythm changes to something more driving and guitar plays fittingly. The earlier eastern run returns here and the song heads into just guitar playing. First keyboards return then the rest of the band, this is brief as guitar again changes it up. A faster, smoother section follows which is in turn replaced by a modified version of the eastern theme. I find most of the instrumental parts on this song pretty good however their arrangement is not to my liking, to often everything fades for just one instrument to play a little fill, preventing any strong build up.

Surviv'n Boogie is a real old time rock n roll track with with vocals delivered in a time appropriate bluesy growl. There's even a little harmonica run and back up singers adding doo wops, late 50s, early 60s. Unexpected song and not a fan, thumbs down.

The Walkin' Pile opens with a short monologue intersped with choral shoutings ", Join Us!". The actual track begins with a hypnotic keyboard that is replaced abruptly by a quasi reggae piece with nonsense vocals mumbling loudly. This is joined by the keyboards riff then a short guitar line comes and the rhythm becomes denser as the vocals continues. Saxophone replaces the "singing," squealing sparsely for a bit until the shouts return. The keyboard riff comes back, replacing guitar which then comes back ominously in the background. Both disappear as flute and vocals mumble over a repetitive beat then fade out. Feel the same as last track with this one.

The Hobbit opens with guitar on the left ear, piano on both and violin the right. It's a calm, short, pretty tune.

The Fancy Model opens with coughing and laughing. Then panning distorted keyboard note which is replaced by a jazzy piece led by guitar that is joined by double saxophone, one in each ear (this part is actually really nice, the saxophones progressively get slurred/squonkier). Slowly the instruments begin to drop off till it's just the bass quietly holding th rhythm down as the drums solo. Then *pop* everything comes back, piano chords in the right ear, bass picks up etc. Then the instruments hold their notes and fade out.

When She Flies Away begins with organ chords that are joined by drums and guitar till spine drums change it up. Bass replaces guitar and keyboards begin playing lead. The guitar returns, as keyboard goes back to chords. Vocals then come in, alongside lead guitar and female choral backup. I could do without the backup vocals, aside from that this section is probably my favourite in regard to singing. The guitar/vocals are replaced by trumpet(?) then quickly there's a fill and guitar comes back, this time with vocals like on Survivin' Boogie. The song ages out from here then another stupid dialogue comes, this time the sound of people using the lavatory. I dislike the second vocal part and the organ is used in a very amateurish way, just holding down chords for an eternity, annoying.

Reminds me of Frank Zappas early 70s.