From Here to Mama Rosa

Following the dissolution of Immediate Records, Chris Farlowe cut this album with the band the Hill, which was comprised of Bruce Waddell on bass, Colin Davey on drums, Peter Robinson on keyboards, Steve Hammond -- late of Fat Mattress -- on guitar. with Paul Buckmaster (the same man who arranged the accompaniment on albums by Elton John, among others) filling in the last spot on cello. The results were a strange but beautiful amalgam of bluesy hard rock and progressive rock, highlighted by "Black Sheep" and "Mama Rosa" (a song about a drug dealer). It was all a new style for Farlowe -- a British soul shouter who was good enough to share billing with Otis Redding on the latter's Ready, Steady, Go debut -- and one that worked astonishingly well, and served as something of a bridge to his work with Colosseum. He shares the spotlight here with a very busy organist (with lots of cadenzas) and an extremely talented guitarist, but it all holds together and, in fact, is some of the most powerful progressive rock you're likely ever to hear. ~ Bruce Eder