Pentwater - Pentwater (expanded / remixed / remastered)
SKU
18-Beef 001
"Band-released reissue of 1978 progressive from Illinois, remixed and remastered from the original analog tapes, digipack with lyric insert. "This album starts with the completely insane 'Frustration Mass', where the singer goes totally off the deep end. It gives hope that this will be the kind of highly creative weirdness that gives prog a good name, but the rest of the album is a bit more typical of the genre, with complex song structures, lots of time signatures, and some spacy instrumentals. There are plenty of good and highly creative moments here, from the mesmerizing guitar riffs on 'Memo' to the innovative dual vocal lines of 'Orphan Girl', and there are a number of highly melodic songs as well. Initially, it's a disappointment that the rest of the album doesn't live up to the weirdo potential of the opener, but multiple listens reveal all sorts of pleasures here. It's a bit long at 50 minutes, but this is a good one, and not something that you need to be a prog fan to enjoy." —The Acid Archives. “Pentwater may well be the best progressive rock band whose name you have never heard. They formed in 1968, from several local Chicago rock and blues bands (Liquid Tension, Crystal Ship, Cranberry Rose, and The Oceanna County Pioneer's and Business Man's Band). Early in their career (while the band-members were only 16 to 18 years old), Chicago-based Dharma Records signed them to a four record deal—but the label went bankrupt before recording could begin. Over the years, the band toured with Rush, Hawkwind, and many others. This, their first album, was released in 1977, and leaned to the commercial side of Prog (as much as they could muster), while still providing sweeping Mellotron, cutting synth, and a twin-lead guitar style that was to become their signature. Cover art was provided by the award-wining artist, Kunio Hagio. Today this collectible LP brings hundreds at auction; the band released this remastered version on CD, with four additional never-heard tracks as bonus."