The Choir

Nine songs from an early 1969 session that found the band moving from the more basic British mod-inspired rock of their earlier recordings into more sophisticated songwriting that also embraced psychedelic and soul influences. Four of these songs were eventually issued on Sundazed's Choir Practice CD; the remaining five, however, were not, which makes a copy of this cassette-only release desirable for serious collectors. These five songs are in the main acceptably gutsy pop-rockers that were probably too progressive for the Top 40 audiences of their time, yet not progressive enough for the rock underground. The long, keyboard-dominated instrumental "Foreric" (in the vein of the Blues Project's "Flute Thing") and the vaudevillian rock of "Mummer Band" show more diverse edges of the band's repertoire; "Have I No Love to Offer" is a wrenching, piano-dominated ballad worthy of the early Bee Gees. Sound quality is good. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide