THE SOLAR KING

Jeremy Morris has released well in excess of 50 albums now, but this is the one that should have been the first but has only just been made available. Released on 12/12/12, this contains recordings that were made by Jeremy with his brother Mike on drums between 1980 and 1982. Originally destined to be his debut release, it was shelves after Mike lost interest in the project and some thirty years after the fact Jeremy has revisited the tapes and cleaned them off and made them available. Interestingly the comments are that they have been remastered, no comment at all about re-recording so it appears that these are as they were. Also, unless the original idea was to release a double album I am instead of putting together the album as it would have been back then Jeremy has instead chosen the best of the recordings as the CD is over an hour long.

What immediately strikes the listener is that it doesn't sound as if it some young guys just starting out. Remember, this wasn't a full band, as while Mike provided the drums Jeremy was singing, playing guitar, bass and keyboards so there would have been a lot of multi-tracking going on. Also, this is definitely very much Jeremy as we now know him as opposed to an amateurish project. In fact, when I played this the first time I hadn't read the CD booklet and the only thing that really struck me as strange is that not only was there a very long song included, but also that there are times when Jeremy seems much more in love with his guitar than usual with some rock soloing and power chords. I had thought that he was moving in a different direction (again), not realizing that this was how it all started.

Very much a Christian album, this fits in more with his power pop/rock style than that of his prog ventures, but yet again this is an album that those who enjoy his music will want to discover, and if you enjoy The Byrds with plenty of psych and melodic harmonies then this is for you. For more details on this and the other bands on his label visit www.jamrecordings.com

US composer and musician JEREMY has been and still is a highly visible presence in the US rock scene, making a name for himself among fans of what is often described as power pop as well as psychedelic rock first and foremost. Since his official debut album in 1982 he has released a score of albums as a solo artist in addition to various band and project involvements. "The Solar King" dates back to the start of 2013 according to the CD copyright notice, and was released through Jeremy's own Jam Recordings label.

Fans of Jeremy Morris can safely add "The Solar King" to their list of albums that warrant a purchase. While the music he made back 30 odd years ago isn't the same as the one he makes today, the music comes across as familiar and is generally well made and performed. While the compositions arguably lack the edge Jeremy would develop later on, there's plenty to enjoy still, at least if you're a dedicated fan. Those with a fascination for artists active back in the early 80's who made music with clear inspiration drawn from 70's progressive rock should also find this production to be of interest, but as far as I regard this album, dedicated fans are the ones who will find this CD to be most rewarding.