The Greatest Show On Earth-Horizons (1970)

The Greatest Show On Earth was one of the many unclassifiable bands that emerged in the late 1970s. Despite releasing two excellent albums of eclectic prog rock, they didn't achieve the expected and deserved success. Founded in London by guitarist Garth Watt-Roy and his brother, bassist Norman Watt-Roy, the rest of the lineup included keyboardist Mick Deacon, percussionist Ron Prudence, trumpeters Dick Hanson, Tex Phillpoots, and Ian Aitchison, and vocalist, guitarist, and flautist Colin Jennings. The music of this large band was a blend of different styles such as soul, jazz, R&B, and progressive rock, leading to comparisons with their American contemporaries Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago. This appealing mix of styles caught the attention of EMI's progressive rock sub-label, Harvest Records, who produced several moderately successful singles for them. In 1970, their first full-length album, "Horizons," was released. It opens with the exuberant and powerful "Sunflower Morning," where the guitar and heavy organ establish themselves as the driving and dominant instruments of the band's original style. "Angelina," the following track, is dominated by horns in a clear brass rock style. The captivating and moving "Day of the Lady" closes the first side, showcasing superb musicianship. The energetic rock track "Real Cool World," with its pulsating rhythm and powerful guitar riffs, became the song that propelled the album to success across much of Europe, while the hard jazz rock track "I Fought for Love" demonstrates the impressive skill of keyboardist Deacon. With the title track, "Horizons," the band reveals its most avant-garde side, a resounding and apotheotic tour de force of progressive hard rock, before concluding this debut album with the melancholic "Again and Again." After a second album released at the end of 1970, and due to a lack of chart success, it contributed to the breakup of The Greatest Show On Earth, and all its members went on to join other bands of the time such as Glencoe, Vinegar Joe, The Blues Band, Chaser, Tagett, or the Wilko Johnson Band.