WITH THE IMMENSE AMOUNT of ALBUMS RELEASED SINCE THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY, MANY HAVE SLID UNDERNEATH CRITICS' AND FANS' RADARS.
IN COLLABORATION WITH THE 730 REVIEW, THE Second EDITION OF UNDERSTATED + UNDERRATED RECONSIDERS Air Conditioning BY Curved Air, RELEASED IN 1970.
Progressive rock was a phase that is never remembered too kindly by the general public. No, I'm not talking about that really popular band, but rather the other multi-genre connoisseurs: King Crimson, Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Rush, Camel, The Van Der Graaf Generator, and Genesis. While Curved Air enjoyed some commercial success in the early 70's, the minimalist surge of the latter half of that decade that was seen in both "high" art (minimalist composers like Philip Glass and Steve Reich) and "low" art (punk rockers like the Ramones and Sex Pistols) doomed prog to the fringes of popular music. Listeners were growing tired of exhausting side-long melodramatic epics. Pop simplicity does have a notable appeal; contagiousness is a characteristic the old guard of progressive rock lacked. On the other hand, a significant appeal of prog was in its mastery of the classical tradition, and translating that into experimental rock.
Air Conditioning bridges both these appeals with intelligence and precision, an album is shockingly unspoken about in contemporary criticism despite breaking the Top 20 in the UK. Curved Air are in loose sense a band, but they take an approach that is more reflective of an informal musical collective, convened by lead singer Sonja Kristina. Line-ups shift from year to year, but her place is ever-present. Curved Air's debut album here, summarises the musical stylistic influences that culminated in prog's emergence, fusing neoclassical, folk and jazz. What makes the record so much more palatable for popular enjoyment, is that it is not weighed down by an ostentatious concept inspired by medieval literature or science fiction. It is instead a focused affair of 10 skilfully crafted songs that never exceed 7 minutes.
Riffs and refrains that act as the soil for progressive songs that strike an excellent balance between contagious and experimental. The introductory track 'It Happened Today' is an undeniable earworm, yet the manner in which Kristina delivers the hook is freakishly ominous, much like the unnerving obscurity of the lyrics. Grating violins and ascending guitars tear against her ghoulish banshee-like wails, creating something that is dissonant, but easily replayable. 'Stretch', 'Hide and Seek' and 'Situations' are other apt examples, both containing passages that belong on the radio, only to pull that away with a Hendrixian guitar solo, or roughened violin shredding. These unconventional decisions still work within the context of the melodies that are instantaneous to the ear, encouraging repeat listens.
Although both genres significantly influenced both the music and lore of progressive rock, classical and folk music tend to be diametrically opposed to one another. Classical is the music of majestic grandeur, requiring giant cascading halls filled with sizeable orchestras of epic proportions. Folk, on the other hand, has historically been passed down from generation to generation on local levels, being performed around campfires, in village halls and social centres (like pubs), in more intimate settings. Air Conditioning bridges these gaps too. 'Blind Man' and 'Rob One' both extract the kind of ballads associated with olde Englande, and transforms into a contemporary rock setting whilst retaining intrinsically intimate nature and easygoing humour. Alternatively, the neoclassical 'Vivaldi' is theatrical in its character. The violently-struck strings blanket a vast soundscape, and the reprise with cannons (à la Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture) draw the curtains with spectacle. There's nothing wrong with self-indulgence on occasion, and Curved Air know when to indulge and when to reign it back. Balance is what Air Conditioning strikes, arguably, better than any other prog band of its commercial height.
Listen to Air Conditioning here:
Air Conditioning bridges both these appeals with intelligence and precision, an album is shockingly unspoken about in contemporary criticism despite breaking the Top 20 in the UK. Curved Air are in loose sense a band, but they take an approach that is more reflective of an informal musical collective, convened by lead singer Sonja Kristina. Line-ups shift from year to year, but her place is ever-present. Curved Air's debut album here, summarises the musical stylistic influences that culminated in prog's emergence, fusing neoclassical, folk and jazz. What makes the record so much more palatable for popular enjoyment, is that it is not weighed down by an ostentatious concept inspired by medieval literature or science fiction. It is instead a focused affair of 10 skilfully crafted songs that never exceed 7 minutes.
Riffs and refrains that act as the soil for progressive songs that strike an excellent balance between contagious and experimental. The introductory track 'It Happened Today' is an undeniable earworm, yet the manner in which Kristina delivers the hook is freakishly ominous, much like the unnerving obscurity of the lyrics. Grating violins and ascending guitars tear against her ghoulish banshee-like wails, creating something that is dissonant, but easily replayable. 'Stretch', 'Hide and Seek' and 'Situations' are other apt examples, both containing passages that belong on the radio, only to pull that away with a Hendrixian guitar solo, or roughened violin shredding. These unconventional decisions still work within the context of the melodies that are instantaneous to the ear, encouraging repeat listens.
Although both genres significantly influenced both the music and lore of progressive rock, classical and folk music tend to be diametrically opposed to one another. Classical is the music of majestic grandeur, requiring giant cascading halls filled with sizeable orchestras of epic proportions. Folk, on the other hand, has historically been passed down from generation to generation on local levels, being performed around campfires, in village halls and social centres (like pubs), in more intimate settings. Air Conditioning bridges these gaps too. 'Blind Man' and 'Rob One' both extract the kind of ballads associated with olde Englande, and transforms into a contemporary rock setting whilst retaining intrinsically intimate nature and easygoing humour. Alternatively, the neoclassical 'Vivaldi' is theatrical in its character. The violently-struck strings blanket a vast soundscape, and the reprise with cannons (à la Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture) draw the curtains with spectacle. There's nothing wrong with self-indulgence on occasion, and Curved Air know when to indulge and when to reign it back. Balance is what Air Conditioning strikes, arguably, better than any other prog band of its commercial height.
Listen to Air Conditioning here: