RHAPSODY

After a rumored brief hiatus Pell Mell returned in 1975 with their third album ''Rhapsody'', which made the direction of the group pretty clear.Line-up shakes were again in the program, bassist Jorg Gotzfried and keyboardists Hans Otto Pusch and Dietrich Noll were now replaced by Gotz Draeger, Frame's Cherry Hochdorfer and Ralph Lipmann respectively.Lipmann played occasionally the guitar and offered some vocals for this album, which was recorded at the famous Dierks Tonstudios.Third album and third label move for Pell Mell, ''Rhapsody'' was released on Dieter Dierks' Venus label.

The eponymous suite dominates the album and this one is a really cool attempt by Pell Mell on Classical Prog, even if this particular style was completely out of fashion at the time.Fortunately Thomas Schmitt & co. were clever enough to present a piece full of changing climates, evolving from violin-based interludes to synth-drenched, TRIUMVIRAT-like exercises and a good bunch of romantic, Classical textures akin to NOVALIS.Even if Pell Mell borrowed some themes from the classic works of Liszt and Rachmaninoff, they refined them pretty well in their own style, which also contains beautiful acoustic preludes and nice, emotional vocals, even if these are pretty limited.The new upgraded sound becomes even more apparent on ''Prelude'', containing big symphonic synthesizers next to the bombastic acoustic piano.The second side continues in the same style.While the work on Hammond organ is again pretty notable, Pell Mell stand exactly on the thin line between TRIUMVIRAT's Baroque inspirations and frenetic keyboard pyrotechnics and NOVALIS' more laid-back stylings, where vocals play some role in the compositions and the arrangements are colored by sweet melodic themes and elaborate harmonies.Schmitt's work on violin is rather reduced and the emphasis now is on twisting keyboard textures, often displayed in a dual mode, with the synthesizer established among the leading instruments of the band.

After an uneven album, Pell Mell returned with a strong third work, basically marking how Classic Prog should sound around mid-70's.Grandiose, symphonic arrangements with pompous moves, decent melodies and quirky keyboard injections.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.