Ekseption - Bingo (Remastered 2023) (1974) [Hi-Res]

Ekseption began its fatal plunge to an eventual breakup with this uninspired LP. Keyboardist and founder Rick van der Linden departed for a solo career following the making of Trinity and he was replaced by Hans Jansen, though the remaining players (trumpeter Rein van den Broek, reed player Jan Vennik, bassist Cor Dekker, and drummer Pieter Voogt) stuck with the band. But the band moved farther away from its progressive rock roots to a bland fusion of various elements. "From Ekseption" is a long, meandering opener that alternates between funk and jazz fusion, with fine playing by van den Broek, but little else. "Smokey Sunset" sounds like it could have come from any number of generic fusion bands of the 1970s. "Brother Rabbit" is a bizarre work by van den Broek that starts as mixture of funk and Latin music, before transforming into a loping ballad with strings and then degrading into a monotonous rock riff that goes nowhere. Updated arrangements of earlier covers by the band of Khatchaturian's "Sabre Dance" and Grieg's "The Death of Ase" come off heavy-handed, lacking van der Linden's humor. Ekseption would continue to survive to complete at least one more album under Jansen before folding for good.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Ekseption - From Ekseption (Remastered 2023) (9:01)
1.02 - Ekseption - Nightwalk (Remastered 2023) (3:42)
1.03 - Ekseption - Smokey Sunset (Remastered 2023) (4:58)
1.04 - Ekseption - De Fietser (Remastered 2023) (1:50)
1.05 - Ekseption - Sabre Dance '74 (Remastered 2023) (2:55)
1.06 - Ekseption - Brother Rabbit (Remastered 2023) (3:23)
1.07 - Ekseption - Sunny Revival (Remastered 2023) (3:50)
1.08 - Ekseption - The Death Of Ase (Remastered 2023) (2:27)
1.09 - Ekseption - Bingo-Bingo (Remastered 2023) (6:45)