THE MOUNTAIN QUEEN

This album is probably their best. It was produced by Derek Lawrence, and the sound was heavier and more guitar driven than on their first album. References to Camel and early Roxy Music can be found. When you are interested in the music of Alquin, you must purchase this album. It is released together with their first album on one CD.

The album opens with the best track of their repertoire, and one of the best tracks that have come out of the Dutch progressive scene, The Dance. The intro has organ and some distorted guitar playing. It slows down so we can hear flute and vocals. After the verse the guitar is back. Halfway the track it changes drastically after another guitar solo, the track slows down again and it then sounds very loosely, jam-like with saxophone and electric piano. Soft-eyed woman is an instrumental track with mainly guitar. The next track is a strange but lovely track about the thoughts of a stewardess.

The title song is another long track, it is cheerful with some beautiful melodic passages. The short Don and Dewey is the only cover song they ever recorded, it perfectly transcends in the last track. This is the studio version of the same track of the first album.