FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

After a number of years of making a name for themselves in the UK, the mythical Art- rock group Family might have had a bit of trouble bettering their outstanding debut, but yet they proved naysayers wrong and released an even greater sophomore album, the great "Family Entertainment".

For the album's opener alone, the symphonic classic "The Weaver's Answer" this song is worth the price of the CD alone. The song as excellent as it sounded, would become much harsher and lengthier in a live setting and would eventually wind up become Family's magnum opus, surviving the rest of the band's career. Other great songs on "Family Entertainment" includes concert staples "Observations From a Hill", "Hung Up Down" and "Processions" and the country themed beauty of "Dim".

It is while touring for "Family Entertainment", that after being courted by sister rival band Traffic's Steve Windwood for Blind Faith, multi-instrumentalist Ric Grech would leave the band on the wake of the Family's first trip to the US, leaving the band to search for a similar type muiscian, and humbling the band's first tour abroad.

Charles

Four 1/2 stars