Gravy Train-Second Birth (1973)

The third album from progressive rockers Gravy Train, and their first on the Dawn label after their first two releases with Vertigo. In this release, the British band's nascent avant-garde style continues to be influenced by genres like blues and folk, but always from a hard rock perspective. In the opening tracks, "Morning Coming" and "Peter", we observe that heavy rock character driven by J.D. Hughes' Hammond organ, the leadership of guitarist Norman Barratt, and a penchant for complex compositions underpinned by rich vocal harmonies. On the other hand, tracks like the bluesy "Motorway" leave us with a taste reminiscent of Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull, thanks to its bouncy flute and instrumental arrangements. The jazzy "Fields and Factories" becomes another highlight where there are deviations to the catchiest sounds and in the powerful and dark "Tolpuddle Episode", they again show those sophisticated arrangements, under the vindicatory lyrics of the martyrs who created the first British unions.