A TIME BEFORE THIS

Julian J Savarin, musician and author - I don't know much about him, but JULIAN'S TREATMENT is a name I recall seeing from my first Prog-Rock resource, the Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Prog Rock - now it's all P.A. - where those in the know offer reliable information about these long-lost underground gems, and with that I can say that 'A Time Before This' is a beauty. Conceptually, the album is a "fantasy story set in part of our galaxy, about people whom we believe live in this galaxy.... " Savarin has assembled a solid band here, a proficient rhythm section keeping the soloists on their toes with hyperactive grooves, a lass by the name of Cathy Pruden on vocals (whose singing style and voice vaguely recalls Jerney Kaagman, from Dutch proggers EARTH & FIRE), an able Guitarist with a biting attack to his playing who also knows subtlety when he switches to Flute, and Savarin himself, who knows his way around the Hammond organ, and shows off his considerable talent on the instrument. A thought came to my mind whilst listening to this - think of CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN but without the craziness. This is an extremely memorable dose of Psy-Fi oriented Prog and an excellent addition to your collection. 4/5