RED SEA

Warhorse's second album, also a famous Vertigo Swirl release like the debut is the logical follow-up (although they are slightly rougher sounding), but also fails to develop on an encouraging debut, although there was new blood at hand since Peter Parks now replaced Ged Peck on guitars and soon after this album the drummer will also leave.

Their sound oscillate between Deep Purple (obviously Nicky Simper is the reason for this, but it is also painfully clear that he never got over being fired from Purple along with Evans), some excellent Vanilla Fudge and a few other bands of the times. The Hammond-driven hard rock (sometimes hinting at The Nice with a guitar) is an immediate pleaser with me, and there are times when they show the willingness to experiment a bit but always back off when things are ready as if they were afraid to cross the line. Ashley Holt is really in excellent shape and he will enjoy more success in future musical adventures (notably with Wakeman in the 80's), but as there are some real fine tracks on the album, there is also one or two duds among which Mouthpiece plagued with a lenghty drum solo and the funky Sybilla. The last track is a little too reminiscent of The Moody Blues mating with Rare Bird to be honest on Shirley Bassey cover.

Although the band will survive until 74, no new album will come out since by that time recording contracts were becoming scarce for low-selling acts. I must say that both albums although developing a good and pleasant hard rock (I told you what they sound like above), they never really managed to have a sound of their own and always sound too derivative to have achieved stardom.