University of Virginia Library

Contemplative Note

The album is full of talent
and interesting ideas, all of
which have not yet found their
place. It strikes a contemplative
note between happy and sad
which coaxes one to sit down,
close his eyes, nod to the beat,
listen closely. It doesn't take
thoughtful listening, however,
for one to pick out the album's
major weakness: vocals
drowned in an already subdued
musical arrangement. While this
"major weakness" is obvious in
several places, it does not
outweigh the strong points of
the album: the imaginative use
of instruments, the freshness of
approach to the material, and
the high overall quality of the
music.

The first cut, "Woman of a
Thousand Years," exemplifies
the restrained, low-key
presentation of the other
selections. It is a distant,
melodic song in which some of
the words are unfortunately
lost in the music. The vocal
quality is good, the movement
smooth and easy; but some of
the lyrics make the listener
strain to try to understand, and
even then prove unintelligible.
"Woman" is also typical of the
softly electric quality of most
of the songs.

Listen for shades of Crosby,
Stills, Nash, and Young in
"Morning Rain," which comes
to life after a strong, but
uninteresting, start. Spots of
interplay between the still
muffled vocals and the guitar,
along with a bright background
piano, hold the listener's car
throughout.

Photo By Lovelace Cook