Friday, June 11, 2010
Arcadium- Breathe Awhile
Here we have a lost gem from the proto-prog era. Arcadium was a British psych/prog band, and besides a single that was included as bonus tracks, this 1969 album is their only piece of work. Its lineup consisted of Miguel Sergides (12-string guitar, vocals), Graham Best (bass, vocals), Allan Ellwood (organ, vocals), Robert Ellwood (lead guitar, vocals), and John Albert Parker (drums). Breathe Awhile straddles the fence between the heavy psychedelic rock bands like Cream or Spirit and a heavier version of symphonic prog.
Things kick off with the 11 minute "I'm On My Way". It starts out with twangy, airy guitars, before heading into a long section led by distorted guitar and keyboard effects. The whole thing is a little dizzy, but captures a fairly epic feel. The vocals don't come in until 6 minutes into the song, and they're pretty typical late 60's psychedelic rock fare. Overall, the song is addictive due to its trance-like beat. Next, "Poor Lady" provides the listener with an ahead of its time short-form Prog song. The bass beat is very catchy, and this stuff would rub off and become used by many prog bands like Birth Control and Magma in years to come. The last track on side A is "Walk on the Bad Side", which is a psychedelic jam. It's good stuff, and it's a sort of prog with no classical or jazz influences.
Continuing on, "Woman of a Thousand Years" is a quick psychedelic rock track. It's a bit forgettable. "Change Me" is similar to "Poor Lady", but not quite as memorable. Afterward, the pop-prog song "It Takes a Woman" makes a nice impression. This is the only track with standout drumming, and the guitar is also very strong. The album wraps up with "Birth, Life, and Death". This track is the most progressive on the album, with some a fusion feel, and many elements in common with the heavy prog bands from '70-'72. The guitar solos here remind me a bit of Wishbone Ash on a single guitar. This one appeases both psych ad prog fans, and is defiantly a grand finale for this record.
Breathe Awhile is a solid proto-prog album. It's got lots of progressive feel, especially in the keyboard sections. You can defiantly feel the impending transition to Prog going on here. However, the production quality on the album is rather poor, sounding too claustrophobic and fuzzy. Additionally, the averageness of many B-Side tracks hold the record down. Despite this, Arcadium does an admirable job, and this album is strong enough to warrant attention.
Psychedelic and Progressive rock are like two peas in a pod, and this album displays that very effectively with much to offer. Grade: B+
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