STRANGE NEW FLESH

A great debut, however, not the best the band would offer. This lineup featured vocalist Mike Starrs (future Lucifer's Friend) and bassist Neil Murray (future Whitesnake/Black Sabbath), and while both are gifted players I found their departure to be a blessing (Starrs didn't quite mesh as well as would be expected, and John Mole is simply a better bassist). But that was in the future, and as far as this record is concerned, they do just fine. "Dark Side Of The Moog" is a classic, pure and simple. I find this album to sag just a little bit in the middle, but it ends in fine form, with drummer Jon Hiseman never playing better (until the next two records, that is). The current release of this album on Castle (2 discs) is a pure blessing, with some live tracks for the BBC going alongside several demo tracks that have never been heard before. Run, don't walk...