BEYOND

Any music...well ok maybe not classical...can suffer from 'orchestration', either a side gig session for serious dot followers or re-created on the best keyboard tech the times could offer Keep referring back to this.

I actually like the vibe this album promised in parts but......see above. I usually prefer my JRF to have an edge and attack although sometimes a Steely Dan laid back but still compos feel can work. Throw in a Caravan 'influence' and you could be onto something. The opening track nods to the indigenous people of Australia for whom the bands name Rock is a sacred place. There is a tribal feel coupled with some JR chops and a breathy sax that you could imagine Pink Floyd employing. You are almost in SAHBs Faith Healer territory in parts too. So far, so fair enough. Unfortunately A Place To Go really isn't. Yes a lot of 'non prog but still rock and definitely not pop' albums had this blues based ...with 'clever' jazz nods for kudos...semi ballad...but they didn't ruin an ok song with lashings of an orchestra. Shame...but it happens/ed. Catchanemu goes back to tribal mixed with a more funky JR feel and while the two parts don't exactly gel, it is an improvement on what came before it. Song For Darwin has a more experimental electronica start and morphs into a JR attack and you think...ok lads am with you...then it suddenly goes all 'yacht rock' for no discernable reason. Can a poor man have a Steely Dan? If they did it would sound like this. Even a poor mans 10CC. I bet Darwin as he grooved along to the late 60's/early 70's period of great music would have been shocked to hear it evolve into this... Angel In Disguise could be a Gil Scott Heron song in the opening bars...but the orchestra must have finished their coffee break and were given something to do. If only they had gone to the pub instead. To be fair I hear a bit of early post Focus Jan Akkerman in here (nope the guitar player isn't that good) then a sudden 'hey guys I have a funky fast riff thing can we put it in here from left field' is waved on through....the annoying thing is this is the best part...until someone reminds the orchestra they haven't fulfilled their session obligations. Oh purleeze! The final track goes all Average White Band...with the Average part doing all the heavy lifting.

You really shouldn't touch this with a 10ft Jacaranda.