CONCEPT

Now this is the kinda crossover prog I can wrap my arms around and warmly embrace. Canamii's Concept lives up to its title by unashamedly representing the size, breadth, ambition and absurdity of longwinded, high-envisioned rock. Founded with thick walls of synths and organs and sporting Claire Whittaker's spritely voice ~ South African and bearing the dated "AfroProg" label ~ it is (or was) a thing to behold.

Almost ceremonial in tone, this rockestra manages to do what so few actually did in the Prog Era: produce a genuine concept LP in all its distended pomp and overdone flash-bang atmosphere without taking it too seriously. And why not; Begun in 1977, finally released in '80, it was still an acceptable time to do this kind of thing without being laughed out of most venues (though time was running out fast). Not that I know or care what the "concept" is-- with an album like this, it doesn't really matter. What's important is the project itself: the album is the concept, and that's what counts. 'Afrock' bubbles-up gurgling, congested cataracts of Korgs; 'The Phantom Players' reminds of Electric Light Orchestra, Styx, and even Babe Ruth now & then; 'Spiral' baroques a bit and a distinct David Bowie influence begins to show in Tim Kensella's singing and the sultry use of saxophone. 'Rain' is negligible but okay folky romance, 'Come and Fly' backs it up with a well-timbred Folk lament, and ELP's 'Toccata' is attempted. 'The Duel' is an interesting look at hand-to-hand combat from a female perspective, and 'Tri' finishes as a desert-roving instrumental with a bit of Latin heat.

I don't know if I'd recommend this one, maybe because I don't know who I'd recommend it to. But it sounds great, the leaders having had full access to EMI's vast playground of sound sculpture, and the luxury to take their time which may've been an advantage. On the other hand, rock tends to blossom when conditions are less than ideal. It is what it is.