*. Spirogyra .* (Remaster 2013 + Bonus)

Album: Bells, Boots and Shambles (1973)(Remaster 2013 + 1 Bonus)
Genre: Prog Folk (British Folk/Canterbury)  /  UK

This album is of a rare breed; one that can shatter your emotions and slowly melt you into a deep hole for thirty minutes and reciprocate completely in about three. As well, for a British band, never before have I heard melodies so unmistakably American. Throughout my listening, images of the wild west, Grand Canyon and the wide open sunny plains filled my head, and it's truly a sublime experience. 'In The Western World' is written in such a way that, if you removed the lyrics and didn't tell me the title, I would nevertheless instantly know what the song was about. Songwriting of this caliber comes along far, FAR too scarcely, and I consider it one of the human race's great follies that so few are aware of this absolutely marvelous album. Barbara Gaskin's vocals deserve special mention; yes, they really are as good as people have told you, and I'm not going to tell you any differently. Listen to her range on 'Spiggly' and 'An Everyday Consumption Song' and tell me with a straight face that you can match that pitch. You can't. Leave it to the professionals who do it right. I'm not even going to tell you about 'In The Western World', because I don't want to even slightly ruin the experience of what is definitely one of my favorite songs of all time. It's perfect in every sense of the word from start to finish, and culminates in one of the best climaxes in all of recorded audio. It's truly worthy of a smile, a nod, and the assurance that, maybe if just for a while, all is right with the world. If there were some way for me to distribute this album to everyone on the planet, I would happily do so. I urge you to spend every penny it takes in tracking down this album. It's a crime that not enough people already have. 
Review by "Leningrad" (Prog Archives).

RATING:  9 / 10   **MARVELLOUS**

.