Spring-Spring (Rare UK Progressive Rock-1971)

Here’s a legendary band from the Early British Progressive Rock Movement, the sixtet SPRING including Pat Moran (vocals, Mellotron), Ray Martinez (lead guitar, Mellotron, 12-string guitar), Adrian Maloney (bass guitar), Pique Withers (drums, Glockenspiel) and Kips Brown (piano, organ and Mellotron). Peter Decindis played bass on two tracks. This is a one-shot band that released the album "Spring" in 1971 and put on CD by Laser’s Edge in ’92. It contains 3 previously unreleased bonustracks. Producer Gus Dudgeon (known for his work with Eric Clapton, David Bowie and Elton John) died a few years ago and drummer Pique Withers became famous with Dire Straits. The sound of SPRING is a ‘Mellotron’s heaven’, no less than three members use this marvellous instrument! So it ain’t no surprise that this album is loaded with Mellotron (flute - and violin-sound) but it doesn’t harm the compositions, there’s no overkill. All 8 songs from the original LP from ’71 sound warm and melodic with strong vocals, many floods of organ and sensitive electric guitarwork and beautiful twanging 12-string guitarplay. To my surprise, the 3 bonus tracks doesn’t contain Mellotron. The emphasis in these songs is on the organ in fluent rhythms with nice, slightly shifting moods. Certainly one of the gems, beloved by the ‘connaiseurs’.

Amazing rare album!! Good vocals, superb guitar solos, mellotron use and 12-string guitars. Good progressive guitar riffs, nice change of rhythms. Incredible melodies, got me into it for a long time. Deserves to be widely known. I like the cover artwork too.
An excellent album!!

- Pat Moran / vocals, mellotron
- Ray Martinez / guitars, mellotron
- Adrian 'Bone' Maloney / bass guitar
- Pick Withers / drums
- Kipps Brown / piano, organ, mellotron

Highly Recommended!!

Get it!