Czar-Czar (1970)

Such are the vagaries of the music business that incredible talent doesn't always guarantee success or lasting recognition. This was the case for this British band, founded in 1966 as Tuesday's Children, who changed their name to Czar in 1970. In their early days, this English quartet stuck to the parameters of pop rock, with some flirtations with progressive rock, and during the late 1960s they were regulars at various London clubs like the Marquee and toured with The Moody Blues, The Nice, The Troggs, and King Crimson. Their lineup consisted of guitarist and vocalist Mick Ware, keyboardist Bon Hodges, drummer Derrick Gough, and bassist Paul Kendrick. Now as Czar, they entered the recording studio and poured their talent into their self-titled album, released in 1970. This work leaned more towards progressive and avant-garde sounds, with extensive use of the Mellotron, thus diminishing the pop influences of their earlier period. On this first and only album, standout tracks include the audacious, progressive-jazz-tinged "Tread Softly On My Dreams", a clear example of the influence of the early King Crims. This is followed by the epic symphonic "Cecilia", and the first side of the album closes with the vigorously progressive "Follow Me". Side two features the intense "Dawning Of A New Day" and the brilliant "Beyond The Moon" and "A Day In September", which serve as the culmination of this interesting album by this magnificent and now-forgotten band. As would happen to so many others, Czar failed to achieve the desired success, a fact that precipitated their demise a year later. In 2007, this unique album was reissued with extra material that was intended for the recording of a second album that was never released.