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Popel Vooje wrote: Andfurthermoreagain wrote: [quote="espsummer"]
But if you like the Cardinal album, moving back in time you should definitely go for The Zombies' Odessey & Oracle (Eric's voice is a dead ringer for Colin Blunstone) and get the two Left Banke albums (Pretty Balerina/Walk Away Renee and Too). Absolute musts if you like that whole baroque/chamber pop thing!
Absolutely! I'd second both of those recommendations without reservation, and add thet the Bee Gees' stakes its flag in similar territory, as does Emitt Rhodes' "American Dream". Michael Brown's post-Left Banke prject Montage is worth a punt too, even if it's not quite up to LB standards.
Yes, forgot the Montage album. Songwise it does more or less match the quality of Left Banke's first album, I think it's only really let down in the vocal department as Bob Steurer's vocals are fairly weak compared to the Left Banke's Steve Martin, but from what I seem to remember, the group were basically a garage band that Michael Brown hitched up with and took creative control of following his departure from The Left Banke.
It doesn't help that they re-recorded Desiree & Men Are Building Sand which are notably inferior to the LB versions (though LB's version of Men Are Building Sand was unreleased at that point) and there are a couple of bubblegummy clunkers on there too.
That said, I Shall Call Her Mary, Grand Pianist, Tinsel & Ivy and My Love are well worth the price of admission.
And good call on Bee Gees too, the first 3 albums (1st, Horizontal, Idea) are more towards The Beatles/Moodies style of orchestral/Mellotron pop-psych but Odessa is a sprawling (and rather odd in some places) baroque masterpiece.
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