SEQUENCER

In some ways, Larry Fast's followup to the first Synergy album was an improvement. His own compositions are better here than on that first album. The liveliness of his songs, and the freshness (for 1976) of his synth sounds made this a favorite of mine back when it was released.

It's in his choice of cover songs where Fast lapses here. Attempting Slaughter On Tenth Avenue was a bold decision. And one that he pulled off astonishingly well. On this album, he plays Mason Williams' Classical Gas, a pseudo-classical hit single, and the not very daring choice is fairly well done, but the obviousness of the selection diminishes the track. His other cover piece is an excerpt from Dvorak's New World Symphony, a grand classic which is impossible to perform without invoking massive yawns.

As I mentioned above, Fast's own pieces, which make up the bulk of the album, are good enough to more than make up for the lackluster covers. Cybersports and (Sequence) 14 are the two that consistantly grab my attention.

Another must for synth fanatics.