SONG OF THE MARCHING CHILDREN / ATLANTIS

Appallingly packaged it may be, but this two-on-one CD combines Earth & Fire's two symphonic progressive masterpieces, each with a stunning side-long (on the original vinyl) title track and some equally impressive shorter pieces (most notably the eerie and gothic "Storm And Thunder" and "Fanfare"). The opening "Carnival Of The Animals" is the only weak link, but it's still a solid five star set (even though they could have tacked on a couple of contemporary singles to flesh out the running time).