KOWTOW

"Kowtow" is the second studio album of Pendragon and was released in 1988. This is a very different album when compared with their following studio albums "The World", released in 1991, "The Window Of Life", released in 1993, "The Masquerade Overture", released in 1996 and "Not Of This World", released in 2001. The band tried to write some shorter, more single oriented songs, but they didn't forget their long epics. Therefore, this must be one of the most varied Pendragon's albums. Anyway, I think this is a good (re)start for Pendragon at this stage of their career, really.

"Kowtow" is their first studio album with their classic line up. The two founder members, the keyboardist Rick Carter and the drummer Nigel Harris were replaced by Clive Nolan and Fudge Smith. So, the line up on the album is composed by Nick Barrett (vocals and guitars), Clive Nolan (keyboards), Peter Gee (bass guitar) and Fudge Smith (drums). It had also the participation of Julian Siegal (saxophone), Patsy Gamble (saxophone) and Dick Cadbury (drum programming).

"Kowtow" has nine tracks. All songs and lyrics were written by Nick Barrett except "Total Recall" and "Time For A Change" which were written by Nick Barrett and Peter Gee. The first track "Saved By You" was a song omitted from the original LP. This opener is a very simple track. This is clearly a pop rock song very nice and agreeable to hear with some nice rock guitar playing. It's one of the most commercial numbers ever written by Pendragon, indeed. The second track "The Mask" represents another nice and simple song with a good melodic line and a beautiful choral work. This is another commercial song clearly with a pop rock approach. As happened with the first song this isn't a bad rock song but it isn't also too great at all, really. The third track "Time For A Change" is another commercial song this time clearly with a touch of disco music. It's a song that reminds me the pop bands Duran Duran and A- Ha. This is clearly the worst song on the album. This is Pendragon on their lowest musical level. The fourth track "I Walk The Rope" has fortunately, nothing to do with the three previous songs. This is a very nice slow ballad with a blues feeling and with a gentle saxophone work performed by Julian Siegal that sounds very well to me. Finally, we begin to have some interesting music made by the band. The fifth track "2 AM" represents another good and nice song also with a blues feeling. This is a very calm song with a great musical ambience provided by the saxophone and the keyboards. With this song the things on the album are going better and better. This is doubtless the best track on the album, so far. The sixth track "Total Recall" is a lengthy progressive song which makes me think of the good old classic Pendragon's songs. It's an emotional song with a good guitar work and some beautiful piano work added by Clive Nolan. I also like very much of this song that represents the best and unique truly progressive moment on the album, until now. The seventh track "The Haunting" is another long and progressive song on the album. It's the lengthiest song on the album, very dark, with a beautiful musical atmosphere and a great guitar work. This is a song with a fine neo-prog musical structure and is clearly the closest track that indicates the musical direction that the group will take on their musical future. This is a fantastic song, by far the best and most progressive track on the album. This is Pendragon at their best. The eighth track "Solid Heart" is another song with a clearly pop rock feel. But, this is clearly a better song than their first three tracks in the beginning of the album. This is a song with a simple but effective musical structure that shows some type of enthusiasm. It's a simple, nice and pleasant song to hear. The ninth track and last track is the title track "Kowtow". It's a song with some intricate musical structure and a good guitar work. This is a nice song with a first part very calm, with great melody and with a very good rocking style in the second part of the song. It has also good lyrics about war that proves that Nick Barrett can write good lyrics too. It represents another very good musical moment on the album. My version of "Kowtow" is the new CD version. So, it has also three bonus tracks, which are three different versions of three songs, "Time For A Change", "The Mask" and "I Walk The Rope". They belong to the Millstream sessions and were recorded in 1986. All instruments used on these three tracks were performed by Nick Barrett and Peter Gee.

Conclusion: As I wrote above, "Kowtow" is clearly a very different and unique album in the entire musical career of Pendragon. After the release of their debut studio album "The Jewel" and after the changes on the line up of the group, "Kowtow" appears as a transitional album of the band. This album shows a difference in relation to their earlier studio albums. Nick Barrett tried to write some shorter and more simple oriented songs, but he doesn't forget the long epics. "Kowtow" is, surely, the most varied Pendragon's work. But unfortunately, not all songs are progressive and good enough. Still, "Kowtow" represents a nice try to (re)start Pendragon at this phase of their career, in that moment. It has a nice keyboard sound of Clive Nolan and the aggressive and subtitle drum work of Fudge Smith, makes of it a good album. The worst song on the album is clearly "Time For A Change" and the best is, without any doubt, "The Haunting".

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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