GRAVE NEW WORLD

I have just purchased the CD of this album having not heard it for at least 25 years and the first listen in a quarter of a century confirmed what I already knew but had forgotten over the years, namely that this is a masterpiece of progressive folk/rock. From the exquisite, hymn-like opening track, Benedictus, this album just gets better and better. With a birth to death theme running through the album, the songs concern themselves with the journey through life of an individual and vary enormously in style while retaining the same feel throughout. The possible exception to this being the track Tomorrow, which to my mind, always slightly disturbs the mood, being far heavier than anything else on the album. There is not really a bad track on the album however, as the storming start of Benedictus is followed by the short, acoustic Hey Little Man - Thursday's Child, we then move to my personal favourite on the album, Queen of Dreams. This is absolutely marvellous, atmospheric stuff, with backward tapes being used to great effect and a psychedelic section in the middle before returning to the original refrain. I could go on all day about this album and how great it is but suffice it to say that the other standout tracks are Heavy Disguise, New World, The Flower and the Young Man. The range of instrumentation is also impressive and there is even an appearance of the sitar in the eastern tinged Is it Today Lord. I have to endorse the earlier reviewer's opinion that this is Prog. folk/rock's Sergeant Pepper, it really is that good, if not better!