Family - Bandstand
SKU
15-MYSTIC173
This is the new 2003 version that includes 4 bonus tracks - 1 studio and 3 live! How to explain Family's 6th album (1972) 30 years later? Take a idiosyncratic vocalist, who, like Peter Hammill or Don Van Vliet you either grow to love or hate (Roger Chapman) combine his talents with a standard guitar-led rock format, but add a multi-instrumentalist who plays vibes/piano/flute, a great bassist (John Wetton!), and have the guitarist add mandolin at the right times. Stir this wild and creative mix of hard rock and and folk and shake it all up with a lot of thought and experimentation, while still keeping it a 'song format' based album with almost all of the songs being well under 5 minutes, and you have this great album! Over the last few years I've gotten extremely fond of this band and of Chapman, but it's an acquired taste for sure, so this is conditionally highly recommended! Sadly, this was pretty much the end of the line for Family. One more (not very good, contractual obligation) album followed, which we aren't stocking.