AIRCONDITIONING

Curved Air are one of those bands that the passage of time hasn't been kind too. Their name hasn't bridged the decades in the way that many Prog bands on an equal footing in the seventies have. They seem to be now largely forgotten and if their name comes up the usual reaction is "wasn't that the band Stewart Copeland was in before The Police?" It was but not on this album by the way.

Air Conditioning is their debut album released in 1970 and there's no doubting the talent in the band. The music is tastefully played with particularly good use of electric violin by Darryl Way and the rest of the band play their parts well. Their trump card is the melancholy tones of vocalist Sonya Kristina.

The problem here lies in the song writing. Whilst adequate little stands out as outstanding thus leaving an album that you're not likely to return to very often. Musically a difficult band to categorise; an eclectic mix of Progressive Rock with classical overtones on the track Vivaldi which is Violin dominated throughout. Though no doubt quite original at the time it finds this listener losing interest quickly longing for the next track. The theme resurfaces on closing track Vivaldi With Cannons, thankfully short at one and a half minutes.

There are a few moments where it works though. Album opener It Happened Today is a promising start with Piano and Guitar to the fore on this mid tempo piece which drops for a lovely Violin led ending. Following track Stretch is a decent Blues based shuffle and Blind Man has a bit of a Jethro Tull vibe to it as is largely acoustic, perhaps my favourite track on the album. The short Propositions has some enjoyable dual Guitar playing and has a Psychedelic feel to it, the type of track that would lend itself well to live instrumental jamming.

Overall then not a bad album but lacking a few killer tracks. No doubt it will be now put back on my shelf and not resurface for a few more years. 2 ½ stars.