Ambrosia-Ambrosia (1975)

Ambrosia are undoubtedly one of the most exquisite and refined bands to have ever existed. Their fabulous vocal harmonies, catchy yet complex and intricately arranged melodies, and impactful compositions placed them at the pinnacle of 1970s symphonic pop. A brief biography of this understated and exquisite band was already presented in a previous post, so here we will focus solely on their first and seminal debut album. Released in 1975 under the Warner Bros. label and produced by Alan Parsons, this first offering from Ambrosia showcases a hybrid of the instrumental complexities of bands like Yes and the vocal and melodic harmonies of The Eagles. With superb guitar and keyboard work, Ambrosia displays in this debut a remarkable creativity that navigates between deeply rooted synchronicity and the most addictive pop. The psychedelic and ultimately most emblematic track, "Nice, Nice, Very Nice", opens this album in extraordinary fashion, while the melodic "Time Waits For No One" adds a folk touch with its balalaika sounds and the unmistakable flavor of the 1960s. The funk-pop "Holdin' On To Yesterday" and the country-acid-rock "World Leave Me Alone" provide a counterpoint to the bucolic "Make Us All Aware". Among the other tracks, the bluesiest, "Mama Frog", with its bluesy and funky rhythm over jazzy structures, stands out, as does the Southern-influenced "Drink Of Water", a pacifist anthem that serves as the perfect epilogue to close this album. This would be Ambrosia's most creative and progressive release, which would gradually shift towards more commercial and intense sounds but of undeniable quality until 1982, the year in which they released their fifth and final album.