Label: Warner Music (Japan), WPCR 16300
Style: Progressive Rock, New Age
Country: London, England
Time: 42:27
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 285 Mb
The
aptly titled “Second Album” catches Curved Air at the peak of their
popularity following the success of the single “Back Street Luv” which
remains one of their best known tracks. However in line with the high
turnover that was to characterise the band’s line-up, seeds of discord
were growing between guitarist Francis Monkman and multi-instrumentalist
Darryl Way which led to one side being dedicated to tracks penned by
Way and other members of the band while the other saw all the Monkman
compositions lumped together.
The second album is always a tricky
step for a band who achieve success with their first LP. Usually
recorded in the gaps of a busy touring schedule, with little time to
come up with new material, it can be a band’s undoing. However “Second
Album” is a good effort which opens with not one but two bangs, the
excellent “Young Mother” that includes an excellent instrumental break
in its midst and the already mentioned “Back Street Luv”. “Jumbo” shows a
band stretching its wings with the use of a string section. “You Know”
is another good rocker that clearly displays the influences of american
band Spirit described by Darryl Way in the liner notes, the excellent
hook played in unison by the keyboard and the guitar works a
treat.”Puppets” meanders a little and might be the only real filler
track here but things pick up instantly with “Everdance” where Curved
Air’s trademark violin and an almost chidlike-nursery rhyme lyric make
it instantly memorable. Monkman’s inventivity shines through on “Bright
Summer’s Day 1968” with its unusual melodies and time signature changes.
Closing off the second side is the ambitious “Piece of Mind”, again a
track where Monkman’s singular music vision is well displayed. This
carefully constructed music suite manages to stay interesting for the
whole course of its thirteen minutes.
(louderthanwar.com/curved-air-second-album-album-review/)
01. Young Mother (05:58)
02. Back Street Luv (03:41)
03. Jumbo (04:10)
04. You Know (04:11)
05. Puppets (05:29)
06. Everdance (03:08)
07. Bright Summer's Day '68 (02:54)
08. Piece Of Mind (12:53)
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