THE LOW SPARK OF HIGH HEELED BOYS

The title of the first track describes this album perfectly. The music is a fusion of rock, jazz, funk and folk; it was considered progressive rock in the early 1970s, although perhaps is not what people today would label as Progressive Rock. Don't let labels put you off this album, though.

The pace of the music is generally slow (nicely so), and by the time the jazzy noodling at the end of 'Rainmaker' has come to an end you should be so mellow you'll be horizontal. The 12-minute title track - a masterpiece - is built around a simple piano riff, with Wood's jazzy sax, Grech's bass and Reebop Kwaku Baah's bongos meandering around it. There's nothing particularly complex about the track, but it's marvellous all the same. But then the rest of the tracks are also good; there's no filler on this album. For those of you who like flute, 'Rainmaker' is very pleasant, as is the flute on 'Hidden Treasure' and 'Many A Mile To Freedom'. Winwood's guitar and keyboard work is also pleasing.

Capaldi's somewhat acerbic lyrics on the title track and on 'Light Up Or Leave Me Alone' are memorable. Mind you, so is the album title, a phrase dreamed up by the actor Michael J. Pollard when he and Capaldi were in Morocco waiting to make a movie that never happened.

This is an album I've enjoyed since the early 1970s and can recommend highly. I even like the psychedelic, understated LP cover with the cut-off corners and trompe l'oeil artwork. A classic such as this deserves 5 stars.