Being a progressive rock fan I had heard of Starcastle, but had never actually heard Starcastle. Saw this LP today and decided to roll the dice. The gamble paid off. What a surprisingly good record!
Everyone who mentions Starcastle also mentions Yes in the
same sentence. And it’s true, they do
sound VERY similar. Busy drumming in
unusual time signatures – check.
Growling Rickenbacker bass – check.
70s Moog keyboards – check. Jon
Anderson soundalike – check.
But what Starcastle offer is a style of 70s prog rock that’s
a little more mainstream (i.e. less self-indulgent) than Yes. It’s still technically impressive, but more
approachable and that’s their real talent.
Making complex songs catchy and interesting. It's almost like all the "too complicated" bits got shaved off, leaving you with the best part of the song. Regardless, this is an extremely impressive album (especially for a debut)
and if you are into 70s prog rock (Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant) and all the countless neo-prog bands (IQ, Spock’s
Beard, Porcupine Tree) then this is definitely worth picking up.
The album was well recorded and the sound quality of the LP
is very good – it lacks some low end, but as a result, the recording is very clear
and all the instruments are well separated.
Vinyl – NM-
Sleeve – VG+
Price - $3.00
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