Audience - Friends, Friends, Friend (Reissue) (1970/1992)

AUDIENCE was a London-based group that recorded their first album in 69 and had their eponymous debut pulled from the stores a few months after its release, which makes the album a major collectible (Cd versions were also hard to come by until a recent reissue). They got signed by Tony Stratton-Smith of the Charisma label ( GENESIS , VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, THE NICE and a few others) but although not a purely progressive group , they bore a lot of characteristics of the masters. Among which , a profound (and somewhat derangesome) singer whose voice reminds you a bit of PETER HAMMILL, a great wind players able to switch to from flutes to saxes and oboe and a bassist (who wrote the acknowledgement written above ) that doubled on KBs but those remain discreet.

Three more albums were released under the Charisma label , and Friend's Friend's Friend is easily their best although the much-better known House On The Hill is equal in quality , both featuring tight frenetic and high-energy rock but also virtuosity and inventiveness. No real long epics , but plenty of space for all musicians to expand themselves and minor classic tracks like "Raid" , "Jackdaw" , "Priestess" and "House On The hill" can be called minor classic in their own right. Then , the band seemed to want to take things a step further by adding three extra musicians ( a KbB and two reed men) writing a concept album that was supposed to be their crowning achievement. Sadly the album was only partially succesful and the band folded almost immediately after due to internal friction. Only a compilation album (never released on Cd) appaered later that yaer.

AUDIENCE is one of those almost forgotten band of the early 70's , that will bring you much shivers down the spine of most progheads.