THE REST OF PENDRAGON

Released in 1991, at the time of their great ´comeback´ album The World, this compilation is really a bunch of songs released only as singles, b sides or EPs put together in one package. While none of the stuff here can be said of being essential to the prog collector, it is still a very nice set of shorter songs that shows how good Nick Barrett & co are at writing catchy songs with great hooks.

Strangely, the track list here is reversed: the last single of the 80´s, Saved By You is the opener, while their first EP they recorded (before their debut album, 1985´s The Jewel) is the last (plus a live version of Fly High, Fall Far as a bonus track). While I was not expecting much, some songs did make a strong impression on me when I heard these tunes: ok, the long, dreamy and very progressive stuff that made them famous is not here, and yet there are pretty strong tunes with nice and unusual guitar and keyboards parts like Elephants Never Grow Old, Chase The Jewel and Lady Luck. The most progressive pieces are from their four-song debut EP, very good. Some surprisingly rocking/popish stuff like Red Shoes and Saved By You are here, as well as a couple of simple, but effective instrumentals (Contact, Excalibur), the latter showing how important was Steve Hackett´s influence in Barret´s playing.

My favorite track is Dark Summer Day, with its slightly jazzy and Bossa Nova rhythms, great harmonies, nice keys and a terrific guitar solo at the end.

All in all not a bad collection of short prog rock stuff. A proof of Pendragon´s versatility, no doubt. It is clear that The Rest Of Pendragon (nice title!!) is not as powerful as any of their ´major´ albums, but it is very pleasant anyway and I loved it from the first time I heard it. Rating: 3.5 stars.