WITHOUT INTRODUCTION

This one really surprised me. When I first heard this CD, by pure chance, I thought this band might be from Germany. So what was my amazement when I found here in PA that they were an american assemble, from Virginia Beach! Of course I knew it was recorded in the early 70s because of the instruments timbres and the obvious Emerson,Lake & palmer sounds of their first albums. This album was their sole effort from 1971, and for a long time was collectors item for the very few who actually knew about them, since it seems this LP never got much promotion and/or distribution. Which is a shame, for their sound is very interesting and well produced for the time.

Although the vocals are only average, their long instrumental breaks reveal a musicianship and a songwriting skill that is superb and one only wonders how far they would have gone if Polyphony had better luck at the time. Certainly at least one follow up to Without Introduction would be very interesting. As for their sound itself, it is obvious that ELP was the main inspiration, but not only. There are some hints of early Genesis too, and the inclusion of the electric guitar all the way through is another feature that set them apart of so many keyboard driven, ELP inspired combos. Glenn Howard is a guitar player that always makes his presence felt, even if Craig Massey organ and moog threatens to overwhelm the compositions all the time, just like Keith Emerson used to do so frequently. In the end, Polyphony sounds just like that: ELP-like band with lots of guitars. And it worked, at least most of it.

Although not perfect, some parts are a bit repetitive, even aimless, most of the time they show a maturity and skill that some others american progressive bands (Starcastle comes to mind) could only dream of. Without Introduction is a prog gem that I was glad to find. It is first class symphonic rock and I recommend it to anyone who loves early ELP symphonic prog.

Rating: 4 strong stars.