I expected a solid, hard rock, driving band and there are certainly those undertones but its cut, to my eyes, with an element of soul as well. There is more than a hint of sax, trombone, flute and trumpet featuring throughout which gives it an almost unique sound.
If I am honest, whilst very well put together, there is no stand out moment on here although Side 2 is definitely stronger (‘One more dream to hold’ and ‘The Hole thing’ are real belters). Maybe, with a British band recording in the US, fairly unusual for a band with such a short history, they got caught somewhere in between. Or maybe the songs themselves were not that strong. But there is certainly enough on here to enjoy if you have an intriguing mind. And the more you play Side 2, especially, the more it grows on you. You have to love the title track.
It seems they split after this record, and as they only had one other in the back catalogue you won’t be blamed if they went under the radar a little. I suspect the fan base is not huge 50 years later but if you are seeking out a varied, rock/soul sound from a bunch who obviously knew how to play, with good production from Allen Toussaint (who I suspect influenced and perhaps encouraged the soul side) then you won’t go far wrong with this.
