IF

British seventies jazz-rock group If are not focused on now, not even as much as their contemporaries like Colosseum and Chicago, partly, i think, because the original band split in 1972 unlike Chicago, and did not enact a high profile reunion, like Colosseum did. It is a shame that time has not been that favorable to interest in this amazing band, because musically, they were of the highest caliber, and this debut album an excellent effort, all the way around.

If-If was released in the days of pioneering jazz-rock, and opened doors for the band- rightly so, as it is a strong and cohesive effort, with no weak songs or weak musicians playing in the lineup. This debut tells of a true band, a collaborative effort, where all musicians and lead singer are equally important to the music being conveyed, with the result that they keep you interested and musically stimulated all the way through every track on this record.

Vocalist J.W. Hodgkinson is quite good, and has a strong delivery without a lot of screaming or shrieking the way some vocalists do. All instrumentalists blossom individually without ever loosing touch with the overall cohesive spirit being conveyed, and the result is music that is exciting and fascinating to follow. There are drums, two sax players, keys, flute, guitar, and bass here and they do some really interesting things that are much more appealing than their colleagues Chicago or B,S and T. Whereas i have grown tired of those two bands, not so with If, who for me, have stood the test of time well. This group are in finest form in the first album here, and also If 3, their greatest oeuvre. The music on If's debut is so stimulating and pleasing to hear, i often find myself forgetting that it is over four decades old!

And like Colosseum, the band had a legendary live appeal that must have been a sight to behold back in the day. Well, this great record is the next best thing to being there. I highly recommend it, and give it five stars.