ADONIS

Anyone's Daughter emerged during the prog wilderness years to play an accessible style of symphonic prog which, at points, could arguably be called a prototype for neo-prog. (Proto-neo-prog?) Their sound is reminiscent of a combination of Eloy's highly narrative style of the era (particularly in the epic title track) with the pastoral symphonic style of early Genesis.

It's a matter for debate whether this album ever had any influence on the neo-prog scene which would begin to germinate shortly after its release, but at the very least it represents an independent stumbling on the accessible, melodic musical direction many neo bands took. so it is interesting on that level. That said, the album isn't without its issues. The sound quality on the earliest CD version from 1993 is not that great - though the recent remaster has done an admirable job of cleaning it up - and, on top of that, the narration-heavy vocal style may put off some listeners, as I admit it does me. Although Harald Bareth's lead vocals are at least less intrusive than they would be on subsequent releases from the band, they do still tend to annoy.

Overall, I can see how this album would stand out as an oasis first when it originally came out in 1979, when prog was on the decline, and then in 1993 when it got its initial CD reissue, back when the prog revival was just gathering pace. At the same time, there's just better pastoral German prog of this vintage out there - such as Neuschwanstein's Battlement - leaving Adonis an entertaining but ultimately second-tier release.