ANDROMEDA

One of the original power trios that ushered in the hard rock 70s, ANDROMEDA was formed in 1967 by the legendary guitarist John Du Cann best known for his stint with Atomic Rooster. After two years of releasing singles in the psychedelic freakbeat band The Attack, Du Cann shifted gears and wanted to form a band that was both heavier and jumping on the progressive bandwagon. After recruiting his buddy and bassist Mick Hawksworth, later of Fuzzy Duck and Alvin Lee plus drummer Jack McCulloch who would soon be replaced by Ian McLane, ANDROMEDA was born and haunted the London circuit with a new heavier blend of psychedelia and more aggressive rock.

The band was enthusiastically supported by none other than DJ John Peel who was trying to woo them onto his Dandelion Records label however Cann was swayed by the self-producing aspects that RCA promised and the band released its first and only self-titled album in 1969 however RCA didn't really know what they got themselves into and didn't have the expertise to market a heavier band as the hard rock proto-metal sound hadn't become a commercial enterprise at this stage. The lack of promotion and label support ultimately caused Du Cann to accept an offer to join Atomic Rooster leaving ANDROMEDA a thing of the past.

A truly powerful and for the most part heavy album for 1969, ANDROMEDA prognosticated one of the major developments of the psychedelic rock scene in the late 60s and that was the increased heaviness of the rock paradigm. More hard rock than prog, the latter is showcased in the excellent three suite "Return To Sanity" which showcased Du Cann's more sophisticated songwriting aspects which would win him a slot in Atomic Rooster. The album begins with the heavy rocker "Too Old" which showcased what these days sounds like typical 70s hard rock but this was 1969 before these types of bands existed. ANDROMEDA somewhat served as one of those bridges between the heavy psych of bands like Cream and Blue Cheer and the whole slew of proggy hard rockers such as Captain Beyond, Stray, Groundhogs, T2 and beyond.

The album features plenty between blistering hard rockers with heavy fuzz laden riffing, beefed up bass grooves and a drumming technical prowess that was above the 60s norm. The opening "Too Old" introduces the brave new world of souped up heavy psych but the band also delivered a softer side as heard on the "And Now The Sun Shines" but these tracks are overshadowed by the power surge that amplifies the heavier moments that sound like Jimi Hendrix on methamphetamines. Another highlight is the closing three-part "When To Stop" which pulls out all the bluesy hard rock touches prog style. The album is actually pretty diverse in its approach even though it pretty much sticks to the blues rock paradigm and the exclusive instrumentation of the guitar, bass and drum.

While a flash in the pan as far as bands go, ANDROMEDA nevertheless has been recognized as one of those albums that provided the perfect transition between the heavy psych 60s and the hard rock 70s. Of course Atomic Rooster would take Du Cann even further into prog territory with the inclusion of a prominent keyboardist but ANDROMEDA was well underway into a complete metamorphosis into a prog butterfly. The original vinyl album LP fetches an insane price these days but luckily the album has been reissued many times including a newer remastered version with an extra disc of demos, bonus tracks and all kinds of goodies. All in all, ANDROMEDA delivered a hard rockin' album that was the perfect way to say goodbye to the psychedelic 60s.

When we mention John Cann (or Du Cann) (guitars & vocals) we always mention Atomic Rooster and never Andromeda, a trio formed together with Mick Hawksworth (bass & vocals; then in the fantastic Fuzzy Duck) and Ian McClane (drums & vocals) who in 1969 (for RCA) released an album that is described as Psychedelic Progressive but which has interesting Proto Metal moments, judging with today's eyes.

The best thing to understand this album is to dive into the music. That starts with "Too Old". "Too Old" is a bloodthirsty piece ... Proto Metal and Jazz, to understand. A piece a la Jimi Hendrix (to describe it as they would have described it at the time) but with a more European air, as more elaborate and endowed with a melody that, at times, is close to a psychedelic Folk which, however, also presents a neoclassical arrangement due to the band's musical background. If Progressive Metal had existed at the time "Too Old" it would have been a worthy example of this subgenre. "Day Of The Change" is a great piece with funky bass and lysergic atmosphere, played on choir and a really engaging folk guitar. As a rhythm it is a mid tempo with almost Free Jazz accelerations that create a really interesting controlled confusion. "And Now the Sun Shines" is a psychedelic Jazz Folk that can remember certain things more Folk than Rock and demonstrates an ability to create songs with an uncommon atmosphere, especially for the arrangements of the vocal parts. Nonetheless we are faced with a truly remarkable and not at all easy piece that is very poetic and emotional. "Turn To Dust" is a suite divided into 3 parts. The first part ("Discovery") is a great emotional Hard Rock that I would put in Garage Rock. However it gradually transforms into an extraordinary Progressive Rock piece a la ELP to lead to the psychedelic "Sanctuary" which is a soft Jazz score with Folk atmospheres and a sublime (and neoclassical) guitar. Finally, "Determination" is the opposite: a psychedelic guitar solo a la Vanilla Fudge or Iron Butterly (to understand, in terms of style) which takes up, in the finale, the main riff of "Discovery". "Return To sanity" is also divided into three parts and starts with "Breakdown", a gothic march at the beginning which, however, becomes more and more colorful and airy that leads to "Hope", a long section with psychedelic elements, Jazz Folk, Blus Rock and Hard Rock / Garage metal / Proto Metal played on an emotional vocal score and changes of rhythm and non-trivial atmospheres, so much so that, even if it is very complicated, easily assimilated, so much so that it can easily be hummed after one or two plays. "Conclusion" is an avoidable psychedelic outro. "The Reason" is a Hendrixian piece even if more shifted towards a Hard Rock but in some moments also neoclassical and, in any case, more Folk and Jazz with the usual emotional singing which, in hindsight, I could also define Beat. "I Can't Stop The Sun" is a psychedelic folk song that can remind you of certain things from the very first David Bowie. "When To Stop" is still a three part composition. After a Hard Rock start "The Traveler" (the first part) becomes a great Psyichedelic Folk piece with quiet and melodic parts and Hard Rock accelerations. Overall it's more of a psychedelic than Progressive piece, despite being Progressive, as a genre. "Turning Point" is the umpteenth tribute to Jimi Hendrix (good guitar solo) and "Journey's End" is the long western movie finale dominated by the acoustic guitar and it is really exciting, so much so that, at least I, I wish it would never end.

After this album Andromeda disbanded when John Cann joined Atomic Rooster and Mick Hawksworth joined Fuzzy Duck, who recorded an album closer to progressive Hard Rock than Progressive. Thus ended the brief existence of one of the most brilliant bands of the period. Unfortunately.

This long-forgotten British album treasure from the late 1960's era has experienced something of a a revival with the advent of the Internet. The original vinyl album was released in 1969 and a new Definitive Collection 2-CD set was released in the year 2000, containing a wealth of bonus tracks. The album straddles the transitional period from Psychedelic Rock to Progressive Rock and this can be heard on the album with significant elements of both genres of music very much in evidence. The line-up features John Du Cann on vocals who later went on to achieve success with Atomic Rooster. The highlights of the album are the three epic 3-part songs, running at roughly 8 minutes long. The three lengthy epics feature beautifully melodious renditions of well-known classical favourites, cleverly combined with heavy solid rock to make a truly unforgettable rock album as a whole. Andromeda should appeal equally to fans of Psychedelic Rock and Proto-Prog.

The album opener "Too Old" is a real rocker featuring powerful ascending guitar arpeggios in the opening chords which really grab the attention and serve as a perfect opening to a superb album. There's an interesting change of pace nearly two minutes into the song when John Du Cann's impressive vocals kick-in. The vocals, heavy guitar riffs, throbbing bass and pounding drums combine together to make a very memorable and impressive song. "The Sea of Change" is the second song on the album, featuring a steadier pace with some very pleasant guitar riffs and soaring vocals. There's a powerful guitar and drum break halfway through the song, before returning to a steadier tempo for the conclusion. Track 3 "Now the Sun Shines" is a beautifully melodic and laid-back song with richly-warm uplifting vocals from John Du Cann, which makes a very pleasant interlude and nicely compliments the previous two heavier songs. Next up is "Turns To Dust", a hard-rocking number and the first of the 3-part epic songs. The song features a very appealing change of pace to a gentler tempo in the second section, before launching into some really heavy guitar riffs and fast-paced drumming to round off a memorably epic number. Track 5 "Return To Sanity" opens with the very familiar and powerful sound of Gustav Holst's "Mars" from The Planets Suite. This awesome opening to the second epic 8-minute song is a real highlight of the album. The song feature some wonderfully freaky psychedelic guitar riffs, combined with a solid rhythm section. There are dramatic changes of pace throughout the song which adds to the appeal. Track 6 "The Reason" is a traditional rocker with skilful changes of tempo to maintain the listener's interest, followed by "I Can Stop the Song" which represents another change of pace with some gentle guitar playing and warm and pleasant vocal harmonies. Track 8 "When To Stop" is the third of the 3-part epic songs on the album. The song opens in traditional style with some hard-rocking guitar and drumming, before taking a surprising change of direction midway through the song with a beautifully-played rendition of Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto, a deeply emotional and uplifting piece of music which sends the spirits soaring. Track 9 on the album "Go Your Way" is an out-and-out rocker and Track 10 "Keep Out 'Cos I'm Dying" has a slower more bluesy feel to it with a dramatic change of tempo partway through the song. This is followed by the "The Garden of Happiness", a song which continues in similar style with some wild psychedelic guitar licks and impressive drumming. Another album highlight is the next song, "Return To Exodus", an uptempo and powerful guitar-driven version of the classic theme from Exodus. The final song "Journey's End" rounds off the album perfectly with a reprise of the stunningly beautiful version of "Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto" which affirms the fully-deserving five star status of this outstanding album.

A superb album which never fails to maintain the interest with the constant changes of pace and dramatic intensity, and combined with the memorable classical favourites, this is a very fine and memorable example of British Psychedelic Rock and Proto-Prog at its best!

I originally wrote this review for the metal archives but found this band is not represented there. Bear with the metal slant, will you kindly?

I firmly believe that 1969 was a keystone year in the development of both heavy metal and progressive rock. While it was prog that would define itself sooner by the early seventies, the elements associated with heavy metal had already been laid to vinyl over the past several years. That pivotal year followed the important years of heavy psychedelic music - 67/68 - when the American rock guitar and the British electric blues guitar styling were processed through further experimentation with fuzz boxes, extended instrumental sections, and for many musicians a copious consumption of LSD. By 1969 there were so many directions to take heavy rock guitar and Led Zeppelin's debut probably set the loudest example.

Though not as sonically polished in the studio, John Du Cann's Andromeda melded the guitar aggressive sound of the 1966 Yardbirds with the more aggressive rhythm approach emerging in the wake of Blue Cheer's January '68 release, "Vincebus Eruptum," but also blended a prescient vision of progressive heavy rock that was to stamp its footprints into the music scene of the early seventies, albeit mostly in the shadow of its symphonic prog brother.

The double disc here includes the entire album that was Andromeda's sole LP release along with the single "Go Your Way" and the b-side "Keep Out Cos I'm Dying", and also some additional demos all on disc one. Disc two includes more demos, BBC sessions, earlier versions of released songs and some live material.

The album opens with a heavy rocker, "Too Old" that roughly sets the tone of the band musically (not age-wise). The guitar sound, though making use of distortion, is lighter in tone than Led Zeppelin but still played with energy and power chords figure prominently. Lyrically the album also suggests this will be no love, peace, flowers, and beads affair.

The second song, "The Day of Change" while not as heavy in atmosphere, maintains the guitar distortion. Partway through it is strongly reminiscent of the Yardbirds' "Shapes of Things" but with more emphasis on the distorted guitar.

"Now the Sun Shines" is the obligatory laid back track sounding like lounge jazz with a heavy hand and lyrics that begin with observations of sunshine and playing children. Not proto- metal at all, this song is still well crafted and fits in very well with the song selection of an album of the times.

Now the album becomes more interesting with the first of a trio of three-part songs, "Turns to Dust". Without considering the parts, this song is an interesting listen as the music changes pace and mood but always with the heavy rock guitar at the forefront. It begins with a rolling riff and lightens a little for the first verse before going into a galloping riff. Perhaps where the song lacks real metal power is in the vocals which don't have the power of the likes of Robert Plant or Ian Gillan. When the song builds in heaviness after two minutes the vocals also contrast with the heavy power chords. One thing I noted was the pick slide and it had me wondering when pick slides became trendy. Around 3:30 the song changes into a more melodic arrangement very beautifully played. This is a power trio of drums, bass, guitar with guitar overdubs and they manage to take this piece through various moods and tempos. The last minute and a half is devoted to a speed-burner instrumental section resembling Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused" in manic guitar playing and charging rhythm section.

Next up is another three part song, entitled "Return to Sanity". "Part 1. Breakdown" starts off very calmly but slowly builds in tension until it becomes a full on powerhouse doom metal affair. If Diamond Head had decided to take this intro and us it for "Am I Evil" I would not be in the least bit surprised. After the thundering first part the song moves into its main sequence in "Part 2. Hope". This calm electric rock number keeps the guitar distortion close at hand however and brings it in near the end of the song before the dramatic heavy conclusion. By now, John Du Cann's approach to music composition and song structure is looking really advanced for the time.

"The Reason" sounds like it could have come from Cream somewhere between "Disraeli Gears" and "Wheels of Fire". The guitar solo part at 1:20 again turns into music structure more than soloing, illustrating once again how Andromeda are not just about going from one fuzzed out guitar solo to the next. "I Can Stop the Sun" is the second real slow break on the album. Not much to say about this one when the next track is much more interesting.

"When to Stop" is the last of the three-part songs on the album and Andromeda suggest from the beginning that this one is going to be epic. After a dramatic introduction they slip into an easy jazz rock type pace before moving into a little more aggressive rock format. The Zeppelin-esque guitar bursts come in around 3:40 and until 5:30 it's very much a driving rock guitar solo affair with the rhythm section barreling along. Then a new direction: a Spanish guitar solo that references the Yardbirds' "Still I'm Sad" The song concludes with washes of cymbals and strums on acoustic guitar.

Thus concludes the album. "Go Your Way" sounds like a blend of Iron Butterfly from "Heavy" and more 1966 Yardbirds. The b-side "Keep Out Cos I'm Dying" resembles a re-write of Cream's "Politician" until the "Dazed and Confused"-like speed guitar solo comes in and the song rocks on until fade.

The remainder of the tracks on disc one carry on the rock guitar atmosphere of the album and the most interesting surprise is the all too short instrumental "Return to Exodus" which sounds like it was recorded in the early seventies and had me thinking of Nazareth's version of "Morning Dew" at first. The music changes at least twice before fading out in the midst of something good. This could have been something more.

Disc two Includes some early or alternate versions of songs, plus other songs that were possibly for a next album. While the recording quality of some of the demos is a little weak, there are still some very good tracks here Though I've mentioned the Yardbirds, Cream, and Led Zeppelin often, I also hear a lot of similarity to the 70's American hard rock band, Dust. The only thing about the second disc that I dislike is the live tracks which I can't get through. There are simply too many other interesting songs worthy of playing again than forcing myself to listen to such an abominable recording.

In the end I have to say that although the sound of the guitar is a bit behind the times and the vocals could use more power, the music itself is a couple of years ahead of almost everything I've heard from 1969 (some tracks I read go back to '68 and '67). Several songs could be given a 1979 sound and with a more powerful vocalist they could fit right in with the NWOBHM movement. Andromeda took their post-psych aggressive hard rock very seriously and sought out ways to create songs of a more advanced composition level, with at least three tracks bordering on progressive rock while still providing the aggressive energy musically expected of heavy metal.

Interestingly, some days ago, after I had been listening to this album a bit, I was listening to a playlist I had made a couple of months ago and "I Can't Take No More" from Atomic Rooster's "Death Walks Behind You" came on and I could not place it. I thought to myself, "It sounds a lot like Andromeda but a couple of years after 1969". Well, there was good reason for my conjecture because it was the same John Du Cann playing guitar on both albums.

As a prog album I'd say the three longer tracks in three parts are the most interesting. For those you don't need the "Definitive Collection" but if you like them it might be worth while to get some of the other stuff presented here, too. I personally believe this album is better suited on the MetalMusicArchives as a proto-metal band. Good but not essential, especially if aggressive hard rock is not your taste.

Andromeda was a late 60's band that had John Cann (later he joined Atomic Rooster) in their line-up. They only released one album, the self-titled and amazing Andromeda (1969) by RCA Records.

Andromeda (1969) comes absolutelly soaked in Blues Rock, Proto Prog and Psychedelia and is, in many ways, the precursor of some bands.

Andromeda is completely Proto Prog in songs like the amazing opener 'Too Old', 'Turns To Dust', 'Return To Sanity' and 'When To Stop'. In other hand tracks like 'Day Of The Change' and 'Return To Sanity' sounds as Black Sabbath. But remember that Black Sabbath only released their first album in 1970. I could say that Tony Iommi was very aware of this band/album while Black Sabbath was writting their first album.

Andromeda (1969) also comes with high psychedelic colors of course (just look at the cover) in tracks like 'And Now The Sun Shines', the Cream influenced 'The Reason' and the folk driven 'I Can Stop The Sun'.

What we have in Andromeda (1969) is a beautiful and raw (recorded in less than a month) Proto Prog album with Blues Rock and Psychedelic colors. Everything packed with an amazing bass playing by Mick Hawksworth (that also played with Fuzzy Duck), solid drums by Ian McLane and loads of great guitars by John Cann and good vocals.

My CD version is the Repertoire Records 1994 version and has 8 bonus tracks. Bonus tracks are 95% of the time, wasted time, a fan thing. They were not good enough to be on the original record and are still not good enough to be on re-editions too. Not different here. We have some good tracks like 'Go Your Way' and 'Let's All Watch The Sky Fall Down'. But the rest is pretty much forgettable.

Too bad the band didn't survived to record a second album.

Andromeda was the band that John Du Cann was immediately prior to him joining Atomic Rooster. As well as a full band biog. and loads of photos, this double CD contains all of their hard to find and much collected album, along with some lives tracks, demos, and a session from John Peel's Top Gear. The line-up was John (guitar/vocals), Mick Hawksworth (bass) and Jack Collins (who was replaced by Ian McLane) (drums).

I know that this is hard to find music but thankfully in this case it is because not enough albums were pressed and people wanted to hear the music instead of collecting just because it is rare. Although it is very dated, the music on here is very interesting. There were no keyboards, but Andromeda would have fitted in quite happily with the prog explosion that was going on at the time. In fact, I have to say that I enjoyed this more than the album of solo material that was released by John through Angel Air recently. If prog/psyche is what you want then look no further as the authentic stuff is here. A goody.

Originally appeared in Feedback #57

Almost a rockier, more forceful version of Steve Howe's Tomorrow, Andromeda rank amongst the very finest of British psychedelic groups that emerged during late-sixties, featuring a power- trio set-up that lends much of their material a heavy, gritty feel. Definitely a pre-cursor to the first wave of progressive rock and operating somewhere between the jocular pop-psych of Tomorrow and the dark, brooding menace of early Pink Floyd, Andromeda's debut is a first-rate slice of proto-prog featuring expansive song-writing, skilful interplay and some suitably incoherent sci-fi themes lyrics. Led by guitarist/vocalist John DuCann and also featuring Mick Hawksworth(bass, vocals) and drummer Ian McLane, the group's debut album is highly- recommended for those who prefer the slightly heavier side of psych, though the real surprise here are the strangely catchy melodies that adorn tracks such as 'Now The Sun Shines' and 'Turn To Dust'. The material becomes progressively more ambitious towards the albums second side - the eight-minute mini-epic 'Return To Sanity' features some powerful guitar-and- organ interplay spread over four interlocking sections - yet the group's real strength lies in their ability to insert carefully-hidden pop hooks into their rather avant-garde sound. Recommended to all psych fans, the only real disappointment is that Andromeda stopped after just one album, leaving this self-titled effort as the only proof of their sadly-truncated existence. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012

Lots of empty space

This rather brief double CD collection could actually have fitted onto a single disc. The second CD is simply the band's sole album in full, devoid of bonus material or additional tracks. It is therefore to the first disc we must look for anything of interest for those who have already obtained the band's debut. (Those who have the original LP are of course sitting on something of a goldmine, such it its rarity).

The contents of the first disc are in fact in the main demos recorded by the band around the same time as the album. Naturally, both the A and B side of the non-album single "Go your way"/"Keep out cause I'm dying" are included. Apart from that, there are a mere six additional tracks, all of which are now available on the vastly superior double CD collection (overseen by John DuCann) "The definitive collection".

In terms of the music, the songs here are very much of their time, the band's ambitions tending to run ahead of their compositional and perfuming abilities. The songs are almost invariably guitar driven proto-rock affairs with so-so vocals and little in the way of memorable melodies.

Given the deficiencies of this particular package, those with an interest in the work of Andromeda would be well advised to pass this one by.

I can get the song name wrong

There have been many (too many) releases in the name of Andromeda over the years, all of which simply recycle the sole album and single they made, plus a few tracks which were left on the shelf.

In 2000, founder and band leader John DuCann decided to get involved in a project to come up with the "definitive" collection of pretty much everything the band recorded. He has therefore unearthed from his private collection a number of demos and live recordings not previously included on compilations. The original album naturally occupies pole position on the first disc, joined by the single "Go your way"/"Keep out 'cos I'm dying". The single is very much of its time, echoing the music of bands such as The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and The Move.

We then get a whole host of demos and alternate versions to complete disc one. These appear in the main to be pretty much the finished articles, although some fade in or out midway. One of the more interesting tracks in this category is "Return to Exodus", a guitar instrumental very much along the lines of Love Sculpture's "Sabre dance". The final track of this set is "See into the stars", a 7 minute blues rock jam, similar to the work of Welsh band Man.

On the second disc are 5 tracks recorded for John Peel's BBC radio programme around the time of the band's abortive effort to sign for his label in 1968. All but one of these tracks would subsequently appear in different form on the band's only album. In general terms, these versions actually sound better than the final product. "Return to sanity" for example is about 4 minutes shorter, and is thus far more focused. These are followed by two tracks recorded for the first album but left off due to lack of space. Of these "Ode to the sea" has an early Moody Blues feel and would perhaps have made a good single.

After a couple of tracks about which no information is given but which seem to simply be further demos, we find two tracks recorded even earlier in 1967. These are of historical interest only! Three live tracks are also added to the second disc. The quality of these recordings is to put it mildly awful, in fact they make your average audience bootleg sound like hi-fi. The most interesting of these is the 10 minute "Acidus", which turns out to be a lead guitar improvisation on a western theme.

The second disc is completed by the final track recorded by the band in 1970 "Step this way". There is though nothing particularly remarkable about the song which simply serves to confirm that the band had perhaps reached their destination.

The nature of the unreleased tracks is such that they sometimes appear to bear different names depending on the compilation they are on. "Ode to the sea" for example seems to be sometimes called "Ocean song". More worryingly though for a definitive collection is the inexcusable titling of "I can stop the sun" as "I can stop the song"!

In all, this is indeed the definitive collection for those interested in Andromeda. The band themselves however are frankly not particularly interesting, thus this collection is far from essential.

ELP's Great uncle?

Anyone who has ever indulged in genealogy will be aware that the roots of the tree can spread far wider than the branches. So it is in terms of music and the relationships between bands. Andromeda (not to be mistaken for the more recent Swedish prog metal band of the same name) are a good example of how the perceived importance of a band can lie not in what they did themselves, but in their distant relationship with others.

It is fair to say that much of the interest generated by Atomic Rooster comes from the fact that Carl Palmer of Emerson Lake and Palmer was their first drummer. Admittedly, Atomic Rooster did manage a couple of hit singles and their albums are well respected by the select few, but for many it is Palmer's presence which causes them to investigate the band's work.

So with Andromeda, the main interest here is that John DuCann, later of Atomic Rooster, was the leader of this one shot outfit. Ironically, DuCann and Palmer were not in Atomic Rooster at the same time. Released in 1969, this self titled album was the only original album released in the name of Andromeda, who split up when DuCann was asked to join Atomic Rooster.

On to the album itself, and there is no doubt that the music here is ambitious, especially in view of the rudimentary line up the band in instrumental terms. The sole lead instrument is the lead guitar of DuCann, which combines with his vocals to provide the sound that prevails throughout. The feel is a sort of cross between Cream and Led Zeppelin, with lead guitar flurries and multi-tracked vocals driven by a heavy drums and bass combination. Inevitably there are also similarities with the work of Atomic Rooster, albeit devoid of the distinctive organ sounds of the band.

The tracks are certainly more than simply pop rock excursions, their structures and arrangements covering up well for the one dimensional nature of the line up. DuCann's guitar work is original and adventurous, showing little or no desire to pander to the demands of a singles centric public.

Three of the tracks here are long for the period, running to 7 to 9 minutes. Each is in three parts giving the impression at least of something even more complex. This is a bit misleading, although "Return to sanity" does have a quasi-symphonic atmosphere at times, in part due to the "Planets (Mars)"/"Bolero" like intro which builds the expectation in the first part of the track. Too soon though it is succeeded by something altogether more prosaic.

The overall feel of the album is, despite the apparent complexities, rudimentary; this is an album which flatters to deceive. Perhaps it is the underlying quality of the song-writing which is the issue here, the songs being built on shaky ground. Whatever it is, while I find the album to be on one level admirable and ambitious, on another I simply find it unremarkable. DuCann and colleague are to be congratulated on making the best of what they had, unfortunately they needed a bit more.