CHOICE CUTS [AKA: MASTER'S APPRENTICES]

Masters Apprentices the Aussie prog 70s icons have created many singles in their illustrious career and of course there are a plethora of compilations, but this studio album is more or less the type of track listing found on compilations such as 'Fully Qualified'. In fact there are only three tracks on this that are not on "Fully Qualified".

'Because I Love You' is a chart topper that is featured on every compilation in existence on the band. It begins with innovative acoustic guitar that is lilting and beautiful, then Keays croons, 'its because I love you not because we're far apart...' and of course it build to the memorable mantra that is recognisable in pop culture, 'Ooh, Do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be yeah'. It repeats over and over at the end of the song and sticks in the brain. Everything about the track works and it will always be synonymous with the band's eclectic style. An indispensable Aussie treasure.

Rio de Camero is a Latin America sound alike with a great instrumental break and a huge hit for the band.

Easy to Lie has a great bass line that drives it along and it sounds psychedelic with filtered vocals and phasing guitars.

Michael is a strange one with excellent guitar work from Ford and emotive vocally.

Death of a King is a tribute to Martin Luther King with a slice of prog.

Our Friend Owlsey Stanley III is an off kilter track with wild phased guitars and a weird structure that is psych prog at its best.

Song for a Lost Gypsy is another strange one that changes time sigs and features an exceptional lead break.

In any case this is one of the best albums with some of their greatest tracks. I recommend this as an excellent starting point but there is so much more the band produced that are as good, if not better, than this album. "Fully Qualified" is the one to get, a compilation certainly, but the best document of the band featuring everything great on "Choice Cuts", 7 tracks, and all their unreleased singles.