Gizmo - Just Like Master Bates... (Reissue) (1979/2007)

Blinding late 70s prog gem, just don’t listen too much
Bridging prog’s lost years between the behemoths of old and new astral wanderers such as Porcupine Tree and IQ, Gizmo were deeply out of step with the times. Distilling the prog template of old into shorter, palatable songs, however, Gizmo fashioned a record that was in fact way ahead of it’s time. There are clearly New Wave touches to the likes of Those Lying Eyes and Long Gone Song, but the influence of the Canterbury scene generally, and Gentle Giant specifically, make this an album fans of both periods should savour. That the band clearly understood the limits of endless noodling is most discernable on Come The Day, on which Maurice Memmott’s able fiddle lends a welcome folkiness. Of course, Gizmo weren’t successful at the time, but this is testament that, come the tail-end of the 70s, prog was still bubbling healthily underground. With the original vinyl changing hands for ridiculous sums, this is an extremely welcome release for anyone interested in completing their prog jigsaw. The two bonus tracks just about make up for the ridiculous title.