Another singular album from the rich rock era of the early 70s, 1971 to be precise, and a hornrock band with poprock melodies, the brass riffs punching just that bit above soppiness, the organ too, so it is all good. Opener Alibi Annie has all the lyrical cleverness such alliteration and vowel rhythms can inherently produce, and there are elements of Colosseum in the sound on this track. Second Home Again has a sweet prominent bass line setting its stall, but it’s the horns again – descending, and then stabs – with organ and the sax solo that put out the pleasing display. Yes, pleasing. There’s an ever-so-slightly insipid version of the Manfred Mann and Pete Thomas One Way Glass because if you’ve heard the original jazzy cut on the great Manfred Mann Chapter 3 album this cover is bound to pall as hornpoprock. The fifth track is back on track with Is It Loud?, and at 8 minutes it’s the longest song and so expands as an instrumental, showcasing the fine credentials of the band. The percussive Devil Comin’ provides some further near-funk, sans horns, and actually has a garage feel to it, fuzzed/slide guitar the psychedelic focus here, for a moment. I like this kind of sound. Can’t compete with the likes of Chicago, or even If, but solid and really having to fight in a busy corner of such similar at this time and counted rather than punched out in the great historical scheme of such aural things.
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