Under Their Skin

After a strong showing in the early '70s, Skin Alley drastically changed their lineup (and shifted their musical gears a bit) for their final two albums, 1972's Two Quid Deal and 1973's Skintight. There was still a strong prog rock base to their songwriting, but their folk and rock tendencies came to the fore on these two records more than ever before. Their deft instrumental technique screamed "prog," but never overshadowed the songs with unnecessary noodling or overt showings of musical dexterity. And that's the thing - there are "songs" here. With most of the tunes clocking in under the four-minute mark, there's no room for overindulgence. The arrangements are concise and even the instrumental numbers show a deliberately sophisticated restraint…