PAN & REGALIZ [AKA: I CAN FLY]

P&R's sole album has finally been released on Cd and the artwork sleeve is trying to match as much as possible the original although this is a digipack release. Having had to change name, label and drummer (Belgian Peter Van Eeckhout replacing Santiago "Jackie" Garcia), P&R settled in the studio to record a few tracks - they had released two singles before, which tracks would end up on the album - and what a fine gem it is for psych/proto prog fans.

Made up of five short tracks, the first side of the vinyl sticks very close to a bluesy/jazzy/psych-rock, which is very reminiscent of Jethro Tull's debut album. Highlights are the opening One More Day, Monsters's Garden and instrumental Thinking In Mary (somehow close to Serenade To A Cuckoo on Tull's debut), but unfortunately a rare out of context track (but thankfully short) closes that side. The second side is rather harder rocking with the sombre mood Bringdown complete with a great bluesy guitar and closing with the reflective acid-blues title track. But the centrepiece is clearly the 9 min track full of psych-out moments that give this album, the final touch of flavour for stoner-rock fans with its strange mouth harp, lenghty space Floyd-like space trips. The bonus track is the only track that was on a single release not to be part of the album and it is superb addition, blending perfectly with the rest of the album, but more the happier first side then the more sombre second side.

For some, it might be a little too derivative with its superb Tramp-like flute work (clearly even Abrahams's guitars were also present), but if you love that period of time, I Can Fly is a must-have.