THE WORLD AT MINDS END

The 1970's seemed to have a litany of fusion acts coming out of the woodwork from all parts of the world, some (mostly the American acts) getting more attention than others. So, I can't help but get excited when I come across a small, practically unearthed gem that few people have heard about. And to up the stakes, this is a British fusion band, the country that gave the world If, Nucleus, and a host of Cantebury acts that gave their try at fusion. Unfortunately, Skywhale won't be of the same breath as any of the bands listed above.

The big knock on this Skywhale album is that when you step back, this is nothing more than a nice fusion album. Okay, think if Yes had a ton more jazz in their sound and you've got the idea of Skywhale. It's all nice and uplifting, but not one song really makes any strong statement. There's no real strong dynamics; it's just there.

There's still nothing horrifically awful about this work, and the synth lines at the beginning of ''Epicure'' really stand out here. If you love everything that is jazz fusion, find the time for WORLD AT MIND'S END.