Still Life - Still Life (1971)

"This is a very satisfying album of well executed Hammond organ-driven proto-progressive. Still Life was a fairly obscure early release on England's famous Vertigo label, and still a valued find on LP. Musically, Still Life isn't complex at all, but bears fantastic melodies and a slight aggressive edge. Parts of the album even have a hard rock feel, minus the electric guitar, and with a heavy organ emphasis. The sound quality is excellent on the CD release, and certainly adds to the warm early '70s vibe. Aside from the bass guitar and drums, the organ seems to be the only other instrument present, and far and away functions as the melodic focus of the album. The vocals come across very strongly when given a powerful line or melody to work with. Another strength is the nice bass playing, which provides a rich melodic backdrop to the organ. Like many early progressive works, Still Life is not a particularly complex album, concentrating more on creating atmosphere and good songwriting. For the most part, the band's approach is pop/rock with heavy organ and nice vocals, with plenty of allowance for instrumental breathing room. For this reason, the good songs on here are awesome, while some fail to excite me even in the slightest. "People in Black" is one of the greatest songs ever written in this style, aggressive and biting, with a totally catchy chorus and great organ riffs. "October Witches" sees the band stretch out a little more, allowing more room for the organ and bass to create some great textures, as the song once again showcases their more aggressive side during the vocal portions. A great track. "Dreams" is another hard rocker, very straight forward, but a lot of fun. "Love Song No. 6" is slower and more melancholy, and succeeds for the most part, coming across as very rich and emotional. The only throwaway on here is the limp "Don't Go", basically a typical rock ballad with nothing to distinguish itself. Boring. "Time" is another aggressive stomp that closes out the album in grand fashion. While perhaps overshadowed by the likes of Beggars Opera, Cressida, Marsupilami and other bands of this style, Still Life is an album I certainly wouldn't want to be without. A must-have for fans of the genre." (Gnosis2000)

1. People In Black
2. Don't Go
3. October Witches
4. Love Song No.6
5. Dreams
6. Time

Martin Cure - Vocals
Terry Howells - Keyboards
Graham Amos - Bass
Alan Savage - Drums

Not My Rip - Thanks to original uploader/releaser!
EAC-SEPARATE FLACS-LOG-CUE-SCANS

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