Benji

Recorded at various European performances from the spring of 1972, this is a substantial addition to the catalog of a band that only put out two studio albums. The sound is good, and the performances almost wholly instrumental art jazz-rock, not far removed from those heard in the early 1970s by the Soft Machine, drummer/singer Robert Wyatt's previous band. It's electric pianist Bill McRae who wrote most of the material. Wyatt goes off into some wordless scats at one point, but these aren't conventional rock-songs-with-lyrics at all. There is an admirable variety of textures with some distortion and buzzing, cooked up by McRae and guitarist Phil Miller, but it doesn't boast very accessible melodic ideas, preferring to furrow into angular and at times ominous progressions. The eerie, lectronically treated vocal scatting on Wyatt's mischievously titled "Instant Pussy" is a highlight. Five of the nine songs, incidentally, do not appear on the band's studio albums.

Richie Unterberger

Tom Principatos eleventh album sounds a bit like a bluesy guitar sampler. Principato and his sometimes band supported by horns graze the entire field of the funky blues from: “Play It Cool” begins with the entire groovy horn section in the back, “Santana Claus” sounds like a blend of the title hero, just like Carlos’ own last album (- maybe yes, the fun). “Shoe On The Other Foot” Albert Collins strives to, “Circumstances” which Eric Clapton popbluesigen. The old number was “Slippin ‘Into Darkness” comes in Second Line New Orleans-style and therefore “Blue Groove” is a tasty, instrumental Shuffle Stomp. So it goes merrily on and that’s all played great, Tom Principato is still a great guitarist. Only the own style, which remains on the line here and so is “Play It Cool” is more a demonstration than an album.