NIGHTINGALES & BOMBERS

This album is wonderful. One of the most perfectly balanced record in the whole rock history. It blends a stunning rythm session within propulsive mini moog flights and tasteful hard-shaped electric guitar playing. The sound is very clear and the arrengements are perfect.

I don't think the highlight is the opener penned by Bruce Springsteen (Spirits in the Night). My favourite one is the exciting Countdown: only 3 minutes of perfect prog rock sound. It's a sort of mad crescendo with great bass playing and usual dynamic performance of Manfred on keyboards (organ and moog). Goose bumps for the obsessive electric guitar screams in the second part and what a curious effect of liquid waves thanks to synth. Perfect.

To be honest I should say that each track deserves a special place in every prog rock collection. Time is Right feature sharp and good vocals and, again, rich and bluesy interplay between electric guitar and the powerful rythm part. Another excellent number. Visionary Mountain is a pure classic (melancholic moog solo) and Crossfade has crazy synth effect. Nightingales and Bombers opening part reminds me of Yes' To Be Over or the Soon section from The Gates of Delirium. The closer Fat Nelly is really interesting with some vague Beatles touch and excellent (furious) drumming.

The remastered mini lp edition also features three bonus track: the catching live As Above So Below, the average Quit Your Low Down Ways and the single vrsion of the highly acclaimed Spirits in the Night that, I repeat, is a strong number but slightly overestimated due to the fact that was written by a certain Springsteen.

Almost a perfect album. 4.5 stars.