BEYOND THE BEYOND

This is one of those albums, that like groups like Eloy & Nektar, you end up telling yourself - If only this was put out 2-3 earlier. This is good symphonic prog. For 1972. At this point, the symph prog connoisseur has already enjoyed Genesis' Selling England by the Pound, Tull's Thick as a Brick, Yes' Close to the Edge, and even the beginnings of the classic Italian wave of prog , with PFM's Per un Amico, & Storia di Un Minuta. So is this album unnecessary or bad ? Well, as one who was disappointed with every Nektar album save Recycled due to what I felt were dated sounds. And also, as a prog fan that felt that even Eloy's best - Ocean & Dawn - sounded like echos of a more glorious past; I must say that ... well ... this album won't disappoint those who keep searching for the next new find in 70s symphonic prog.

But, if you are looking at classics, if you want to hit the highlights only , due to the many high quality releases during the 70s, this is an album that you can safely pass by. Good, but so what. The old dit-ons - been there , done that, done it better. Fine if you can get it a a great price, if not, save your money for more deserving hidden treasures.