Sphere3 - Comeuppance
While I still think this is one of the best British progressive rock albums to come out in the last five or so years, I ended up dropping this a point after a fourth or fifth listen, noticing a few more digital tendencies that reminded me of some of the French groups like Edhels, it all just seemed a little more leadfooted than I remember. But I really hate to take it to a band like this, who remains something of a rarity being an instrumental symph band (this might even be considered fusion in the same way Kenso is at times) with an excellent sense of melody, in fact it’s nice to hear this sort of sensibility without the Fish clones that tend to ruin it. If they ever release a new one, I’m there.
Procol Harum - Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles 9/21/73 KBFH-FM
Have gone through several Procol Harum shows in the last week trying to find the best one, but really they’re just about all good both in sound quality and performance. This show from a bit later in their career covers just about everything up to that point and although I’m not as fond of Broken Barricades-period PH (which probably links to getting a thrashed LP of it when I was a teen), I found this quite enjoyable, but then again it’s hard to knock a document of this high quality. I even liked Simple Sister on this go.
Espers - II
Taking a look at Gnosis, it would seem that this is actually Espers’ third album, although I may be missing a detail or two. Irregardless, Espers are another bright spot in the long lineage of acid folk - everything from Fotheringay to Tirill appears in this fabulous mix. Apparently Espers are an augmented duo led by Greg Weeks and Meg Baird and like just about any folk group worth a damn, the vocals are enchanting. It’s a bit difficult to pick out what separates a progressive/psychedelic sort of folk release from your folk-rock groups, usually the difference is somewhat ineffable, possible more in the production than the composition, but given Week’s connection to a long-lost prog mail order service, it’s not a surpise this feels like a blend of numerous influences, all rather assimilated now.