AMBROSIA.

In June of 1975, the classic AOR FM station in Los Angeles, KWST, gave Ambrosia's debut a lot of airplay. I bought the LP on July 15th of that year and practically wore it out. The Band wrestled to get it released on CD and, as others have written here, it is truly an American mile post in progressive music, for it's day. David Pack's vocals are among the smoothest you'll ever hear.

I also like their sophomore release, Somewhere I've Never Traveled, which came out in 1976. I bought the vinyl LP on Sept 11, 1976. It had pop-up art work that folded into a pyramid. I consider this release largely progressive, again using the definition of the day, even though the track "Can't Let a Woman" broke into the pop charts. At this time, very few other bands were exploring the musical textures that Ambrosia was in those ten tracks (maybe 10 CC), and their music was refined, smooth, professionally produced and recorded.

My favorite tracks from this release include the opening three tracks: And..., Somewhere I've Never Travelled and Cowboy Star. Cowboy Star includes an interesting symphonic piece (beginning at about 3:10) that has a distinct big, western, Aaron Copeland feel - the thing about that three minutes of music is the engineering, which is beyond stellar, as is the pipe organ crescendo.

The track "The Brunt" takes some work to get familiar with or used to. The xylophone and percussive lyrics harken a tinge of Supertramp, but again lushness prevails in places, along with a center section that is remiscent of "Frank Zappa meets Leonard Bernstein." An African chant comes out of nowhere and builds to tribal drum, a stampede and then winds up in a mix-up in the fun house! What a trip! This is mid-70's progressive in an advanced form, maybe not everyone hears it that way.

Finally the track "Danse with me George" is brilliant. North's keyboards stretch from classical to honky tonk. Drummond's percussion hangs in all the way through with incredible variations throught. The sax solo in The Danse is a stitch, followed by latino rhythms - no one would ever have thunked it except the boys of Ambrosia. There follows a bit of music that again has Bernstein "West Side Story" themes, and then moves onward into an ambrosiatic layering of female voices that reach upward to heaven. Just fantastic.

Progressive? You bet!  - MacP


Edited by macpurity1 - September 08 2006 at 22:36

The first record was a monster.

Monster.

End of story.

SM.

Sure,after the 2 first albums they turned pop(ish).But there is good pop and there is bad.

I agree with the above I hav'nt heard any of their later stuff but i have the 1st album which is brilliant!

Ambrosia's first two albums are well produced (Alan Parsons) and have a few prog tracks (not more than two per album), but for the rest of the tracks were relatively radio-friendly FM rock making them albums AOR .

Heavyweights? No. Ambrosia is pop with proggy tendencies- even at their best. Their first album was okay, but after that- it went all downhill. Overrated, imo.