BREAD, LOVE AND DREAMS

Nice Folk album. I liked the band´s name and it made me curious about this obscure band from the late 60´s/early 70´s. Their debut is a very simple affair, with nothing really prog on it. Mostly acoutisc guitars, nice vocal harmonies, some strings, a little flute here and a little harmonica there. Although in their biography here on PA The Incredible String Band is cited as a major influence, I see nothing like that here. It reminds more of other folk groups in the vein of early Strawbs, Fairport Convention and The Pentangle, with a much simpler sound, of course.

It´s easy to understand why this album failed to chart: there were just too many artists doing the same thing at the time, or earlier. The tracklist is ok too: some traditional stuff, some original ones, some funny lyrics about drinking (the opener Switch Out The Sun is a good exemple), other more whimsical (The Yellow-Bellied Redback ) and the almost obligatory dylan like stuff (Virgin Kiss) and blues tune (95 Octane Gravy). All done with efficient, but very basic accompaniment. Production is very clear and good.

Conclusion: a nice record, even if it adds nothing to the style. No prog in here. I´m looking forward to hear their next releases to see if they did improve. If you like obscure 60´s folk stuff, this is a CD worth listening to. But for a prog site I can only give it 2 stars. Collectors, completionists and fans only.