Narnia - Aslan Is Not A Tame Lion (Reissue, Bonus Tracks Edition) (1974/2017)

Hyped up by dealers worldwide as a masterpiece of acid-folk, this has a few arresting moments, but is generally overestimated. The main problem is the compositions, which do not render anything not heard before elsewhere. At worst they are trite and lacking of depth, at best they are agreeable as on Agape and on by far the best track Living Water. The playing is good, while the lyrics have strong religious undertones. Pauline Filby sings very well, but often sounds uncomfortably like Dusty Springfield while the overall sound is reminiscent of The Seekers. The most positive effect of this album could be that one may want to re-read the excellent Narnia Cycle by C.S. Lewis.
In June 1972 the band Agape formed featured John Russell and Pauline Filby. Filby had been married for some time to Jack Filby who was a vicar. They formed a folk duo after their marriage and lived in Cliff Richard's home in Essex, which was a Christian Arts Centre. Pauline had been a folk singer for a few years before she married.
(Tapestry of Delights)

Narnia were really a vehicle for singer Pauline Filby, who following the band's demise maintained a career as a UK folkie. This 1974 album is a bit of a classic for mixing folk and pop together with a strong production and the album has generally survived the intervening years pretty well and still sounds fresh. These days the band are best remembered as being a project featuring future After The Fire band mates John Russell on guitar and Pete Banks on keyboards and certainly they add a solid musical backing to Filby's well crafted songs. Bassist Tim Hatwell and drummer Ginger Dixon completed the line up and provided a very effective rhythm section. The combination of folk and pop excel on songs like "Muddy Ground" and "The Juggler" but on songs like "Agape" and "Living Water" the band really stretch out towards rock, occasionally perhaps even in a prog rock direction. Thematically, for the times, the band are exploring spiritual themes but doing it in a creative fashion. The band sadly only survived for a year but they did play at the very first Greenbelt festival in 1974.