Eden Polani

Eden Brent hails from Greenville, MS, a place steeped in the Delta blues, but she's only 300 miles from New Orleans, and it's that city's carefree rhythms and happy-go-lucky attitude that informs the music on Brent's second album. Brent is a piano player with an impressive groove anchored by a strong rhythmic left hand and a playful way with the high end of the keyboard. Her vocals are just as strong, with a smoky, sultry feel that often brings to mind Janis Joplin, but a mellower Joplin who doesn't have to strain for the high notes or growl to get her point across. She's also a first-class songwriter, using the blues as a jumping-off place for her ironic musings on the familiar subjects of good times and no-good men. She cut this album in New Orleans and is joined by some remarkable players, including ex-Meter George Porter on bass, producer Colin Linden on guitar, and ace Americana drummer Bryan Owings.

A typical organ-led instrumental rock album from 1970, On the Way to Eden was Eden Rose's sole LP. Despite the strong filiation between Eden Rose and Sandrose (both groups have the same lineup), the two of them could hardly be more different. Instead of the latter's symphonic progressive rock, Eden Rose's music is a bluesy kind of rock influenced by Procol Harum, Savoy Brown, and early Atomic Rooster. Keyboardist Henri Garella runs the show, penning down all the tracks and playing lead. A very good organist (and already a sought-after session man at the time), he plays fast solos, knows how to make his chords sound dirty (and/or cheesy), and how to groove on the Hammond, but his writing cruelly lacks originality…

It may be hard to believe, but this is the CD premiere of this little-known, underrated, but quite important 5th release from such an amazing British progressive band! It was recorded in February 1974 (a whole year after violinist Dave Arbus departure, and now with Jo O'Donnell from Irish folk-rock band Mushroom on board) but released a whole year later by German Harvest label in striking, nude cover. Without a doubt it deserves for recognition. The band has offered a varied and well-arranged progressive-jazz-blues-rock songs stylistically similar to some of the tracks from the previous two albums (from 1971), but done in somewhat simpler and more consistent form. This CD has been expanded with many rare & unreleased live tracks.

By the time this third album came out, little was left of the original spirit of East Of Eden and only violinist Dave Arbus of the original line-up. They had changed from one progressive label Deram to another Harvest, but also lost their experimental edge in the process. As a matter of fact, aside from more conventional song structures, this album has a slight country music feel. This album is quite far removed from the experimental forays of their first two albums, but the album has many charms and holds some interest for progheads.

East of Eden's debut LP is one of the hardest-rocking albums to come out of the progressive rock movement, and maybe the best non-Rolling Stones albums issued by English Decca label during the late 1960s. It's also one of the most daring debut albums of its period, less tightly focused than, say, King Crimson's Court of the Crimson King, but otherwise equally bold and maybe more challenging. The whole record is eerie - coming from a pop culture where most psychedelic rock tended toward the light and airy - East of Eden use high-impact bass, drum, and guitar parts mixed with the distinctly Oriental and Central/Eastern European classical influences…

UK act Eden Shadow started out as the creative outlet of composer and instrumentalist Ryan Elliott, instigated while he was still in high school if the official biography is to be understood. While initially revolving around Elliott only, Eden Shadow have now developed into a full fledged band project as well with Alex Broben and Tim Burgess joining the ranks.
Their material is dynamic, passionate, often memorable, tracks are long with multiple sections and the atmospheres are usually quite vital. Again some Porcupine Tree-styled sensibilities and a few surprising jazzy manouvres on guitar are welcome. A nice one to say the least.