THE METRONOMICAL SOCIETY

Even though much of this material has been available in the trading community for some time, this is a must for any EGG fan. Here you have upgraded quality (pitch-corrected, probably from original or low gen source tapes) of BBC sessions and live gig recordings of classic songs from all three Egg studio albums, including most of the epic Long Piece #3 from The Polite Force. The real bonus is an 18 page booklet that has previously unseen photos and detailed recollections from each band member about band history, gigs, and of course all those glorious and bizarre Egg songs. You can read, as I did, with great amusement what Aaron Copland said about 'The Polite Force'. That he even heard the record and had anything to say about it at all is quite amazing I think. While its interesting to note that the band (most of the time) played live exactly what we all know from the recorded arrangements, they did throw in just enough 'off-roading' activity to show us they were indeed quite human, something that I for one doubted when I was listening to the album versions of this stuff back in the early 70s. This new disc of archive recordings shows that Egg did play with metronomic precision but also with great imagination, humour, and passion. They could and did kick some ass. And, on occasion, with no little amount of humour, as Mont Campbell's mock American-accent narrative demonstrates on the spoken intro for There's No Business Like Show Business. Yes, right along with Long Piece #3. Since there's plenty more good archival material out there that didn't make this compilation, one can only hope that there will be a Vol. 2. Many of us would like to sit front & center at a live gig and be transported back to 1971 for a Visit to Newport Hospital.

Finally- after all of these years, an official live Egg release! A band with such musicianship is worthy.

To anyone unfamiliar with Egg- it is a three piece experimental organ-dominated group under the leadership of bass player Mont Campbell. The music itself is difficult to describe with words. Sometimes it's heavy. Sometimes it's jazzy. Rarely is it repetitive. Barely any of the compositions feature common time. You'll just have to listen.

The album opens just as the original Egg album does, with a performance of While Growing My Hair. The sound quality is better than expected and the band has an incredible live power. This version makes the studio version seem stale. I think any prog fans should have Seven Is A Jolly Good Time on their MP3 players. It's a song written in multiple time signatures (7/8, 5/8, 11/8, and 4/4) with lyrics about the wonders of discovering new and odd time signatures. Songs including Germ Patrol and Wring Out The Ground [Loosely Now] have been slowed and slightly altered from their studio counterparts. The compositions are incredible. Ennegram is a masterpiece. Try to figure out the opening time signature, I'm still not sure if I know what it is. On all of the Long Piece No.3 pieces, the bass is incredibly difficult to hear. It almost seems nonexistent. This was a small let-down because Mont's bass playing is absolutely incredible. Egg covers Irving Berlin's There's No Business Like Show Business, and hilariously goes directly into a wah-wah tone generator jam (Blane Over Camden). It makes me giggle every time. The sound quality of Mcgillicuddie The Pusillanimous is decent.

I found it to be a great purchase. I'm not sure it serves as a compilation album to new Egg listeners, I would have them listen to The Polite Force first. Now if only I could find some live footage..

Previously unreleased gold!

"The Metronomical Society" is a compilation of Egg's previously unreleased radio and live recordings. This, ladies and gentlemen is the top shelf of progressive rock. Very difficult music, however still stays qualified as progressive rock rather than RIO or Avant-Rock.

Here, you can find the tunes we all know and love like "Wring Out The Ground", "Ennagram" or "While Growing My Hair" as well as rather unknown titles like "I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside" or "There's No Business Like Showbusiness". The pieces are so satysfying, that you can forgive the poor quality recording.

I am very glad this album came out, being even more of a proof for Egg's eggscelent know-how, musicianship and musical intelligence. This is a must have for all Egg and Canterbury Scene fans.