LIES TO LIVE BY

The final record by these Canadians ( also known as Christmas) is a very fine prog rock/ hard rock concept release. The material ranges from softly spoken ballads to guitar-dominated suites. When they started it in 1972 they were influenced by Jethro Tull, so the bed tracks (basic drum, bass, rhythm guitars) reflect that. Then the record company nearly went under and the project was stopped By the time they got back to it, the band had all been profoundly affected by The Mahavishnu Orchestra! The end result is kind of like John McLaughlin jamming with Jethro Tull but there are certainly other influences as well. A couple of tunes feature astonishing lead guitar work, and mellotron can also be heard on "Requiem War's Peace" and most of side 2."Lies to Live By is another highly recommended progressive rock gem from the 70s