AT THE SOUND OF THE BELL

This album was suggested to me when I asked for jazzy material to explore after enjoying Gong's Camembert Electrique a while ago. It didn't really fit that purpose, although I can see where the link with Jazz-rock comes from, as amongst others Andy Mackay (saxophones) and Bill Bruford (surprise, on drums....) appear as guests. The sound of the band proved interesting enough to take a liking of this album. Alas, after also listening to it's predecessor Pampered Menial, my love for this album was reduced significantly. Beauty can be cruel to the less handsome ones...

The album contains some decent rock songs, which could be labelled as AOR, like the opener She came Shining which starts quietly with mellotron and vocals, and builds up into sound filled ending. Among the ballads (Mersey, Cold Nuggets), more AOR (Early Morning) and almost plain rock 'n roll (Try to Hang On), only two tracks are slightly more in the vain of Pampered Menial. These are Valkerie (with a very dark mellotron, and ruined by an annoying chorus) and the almost flawless Did You See Him Cry, which also briefly allows a fierce organ to appear.

Although this album does contain quite enjoyable music, it does not reproduce the layered rock magic of the band's debut. Not only has the violin, which did fierce battles with the other instruments before, disappeared, but so has the distinctive, hard rock based, layered sound. Both are dearly missed, and cannot be replaced even by the overall solid piano basis and the organ in Did You See Him Cry.

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