HARLEQUIN MASS

Halequin Mass was not exactly the most complex of prog out there. Keyboardist Lyle Holdahl played Moog and string synths, and a lot of the music tended to be acoustic, with female vocals from Nancy Deaver (later Nancy Kaye), drawing comparisons to Renaissance (and on parts of "Sky Caller", of Yes). The back cover of the album has an artist illustration of the band and for some reason Nancy Deaver looks too much like some hated school teacher I had to deal with as a kid rather than a singer in a completely obscure local prog rock band. Nothing on this album is rather complex. "A New Song" sounded like the band was desperate for a hit (even the lyrics went "I know I think it's a hit"). It's wasn't a hit, not even in Portland. "Love & Death" is probably the best song on the album, I really like the use of electric guitar. You can tell they're not exactly the most skilled of musicians. At least they don't try to play beyond their abilities, that's why they keep it simple, with folk overtones. It's not a bad album, but again, there are many bands, obscure and otherwise that can dance circles around Harlequin Mass. Apparently this band thought they'd stand a better chance in Seattle by moving there (I've been to Seattle, it's not exactly much more prog friendly, but then I was there in the mid 1990s just after the grunge craze had passed), but instead recorded some new wave-influenced stuff under a new name, and broke up. Apparently John Reagan (no connection whatsoever to Ronald Reagan, as far as I know) ended up running an internet mail-order prog rock catalog called Big Balloon Music (sadly now defunct), so at least he hadn't forgotten prog, just selling stuff he that he so much enjoyed.

I have to say, Harlequin Mass shouldn't be high on your list, but do get it if you want to add more obscure releases in your collection.

Or should I say New York ? I guess they are from New York because of their sound. A sound very typical for New York at that time. Or Greenwich Village to be more precise. We are talking bohemian laid back pop music with hints of folk rock and jazz. To this, Harlequin Mass has added both symphonic prog and punk/new wave. But most of all, this album reminds me a lot about what Edie Brickell did 10-15 years later.

The vocals sometimes comes across as new wave with hints of Squeeze and Madness. Sometimes she tries to sing in a symph prog fashion. But she is mostly restricted to her confines, which is pop/rock. Most of her vocals is dead flat and falls flat on it's face. The instrumentations is also a bit flat.

The quality is not good at all. This album is a confusion of many different styles melted into this Greenwich sound. There are some good melody lines well hidden inbetween the mediocrity. The opening minute for example. But most of this album is as fun as watching the doves in New York having breakfast. In short, please wake me up again.

2 stars

While this band never got any big attention by listners they manage to release a single album in 1978 selftitled. To me is a very good album reminescent of Renaissance or Earth & Fire (Atlantis or To the world of the future era). The album was released to late in my opinion in late '70's when punk, new wave or the burst of NWOBHM steal the show of most of the prog bands. So is clear that this obscure band from USA, Oregon, never gain any big aplause, not because of the music witch is quite strong and has very good moments , it because was put on the musical market in a wrong time, so they lived almost 2 years before disbanding in 1980. About the music, i find it intristing , well played with some strong compositions like Love & death - here everybody can see what this band is capable of in prog music - good prog piece, One step home another highlight of the album, mellow piece with great cello and acustic guitar, funy Space cats with upbeat tempo and the optimistic A new song, the rest are ok.The voice is alternating from female to male, but Nancy Kay has the main role here who also has a good voice remind me more like contemporary female voice Lana Lane than Annie Haslan or Jerney Kaagman - just check out Loss of a friend. So, as a whole this album desearve more attention by symphonic prog lovers, to me is an excellent addition to any collection. 4 stars, and ending this review with Sean Trane words: "worth investigate". My Cd is released on Mellow record and has 4 bonus tracks from Stubborn Puppet era ( the second reincarnation of the band under diffrent name) - the pieces are more mainstrem in sound that on Harlequin Mass and nothing really to talk about, not bad not good.

It is hard to pick points of reference, even with Nancy Deaver's voice naturally calling out "Renaissance", because while the band sounds a bit like an energized Renaissance meets Yes, Deaver does not sound like Annie at all, but actually more like the Wilsons of Canadian classic rockers Heart, with a lot less venom. For a terribly obscure reference, how about Pauline Filby of the British prog/folk group Narnia, although Harlequin Mass is definitely a far better ensemble. Like Renaissance, though, Harlequin Mass knew how to vary the vox by gender, and Lyle Holdahl's lead on "One Step Home" helps make this mellotron and synth drenched pastoral epic the highlight of this disk, hands down. The backing harmonies in the final segment don't hurt, nor does the emotional lead guitar solo that fades out at the end.

Most of the material is strong and takes a few listens to get into. "Love and Death" might be the most representative piece by the band, featuring extended instrumental runs and interesting time changes but also some more accessible segments especially in the latter half. "A New Song" starts like Heart's "Crazy on You", but becomes a sweet lyrical paean to the possibility of the band having a hit, but yet one gets the impression from the lyrics that this is more an expression of a pipe dream than any attempt to pander. The benefit of retrospect tells us that the chances of such a monumental event were very slim, and in 1978 most prog bands must have gotten the message.

I cannot comment on the bonus cuts as my copy is the Big Balloon CDR. Harlequin Mass may not even command a small footnote in American rock history of the 1970s, but this is a strong debut that might have launched a more commercially successful career a few years earlier.