Critically underrated album
B. E Jackson | Pennsylvania | 12/16/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"While not really similar to Emerson, Lake and Palmer a whole lot (besides the occasional slab of keyboards) the Nice's very first album is nonetheless BRILLIANT because of the diversity in the songwriting. There's not a single weak moment here besides "Dawn", and even that song is alright, just a bit too quiet and empty musically.
You have psychedelic Pink Floyd tracks (such as the opener) the FANTASTIC title song with its Mamas and Papas style, and the constantly revolving keyboard swirls on "Rondo" adding up to one really good album.
One of the most underrated thing about the album is the guitar players amazing solos. They constantly keep me satisfied. He's really good. I love his playing on "War and Peace" even though it's brief. In fact, that song is quite awesome for the way it sounds like a blues boogie with classical keyboard arrangements and guitar solos. Really cool song. "The Cry of Eugene" sounds like early Pink Floyd, and I bet Floyd fans would love it.
Asking me to compare this to Emerson, Lake and Palmer is something I don't wanna do. Sure, the keyboards sound the same, but nothing else does. A VERY different band. Which band is better? Honestly, it's too hard to choose. The Nice are about pop songs and ELP were progressive rock giants of the 70's. Your call. I know one thing- we need more reviews for this album because one (now two) isn't enough."
First Prog Album?
E. Minkovitch | Montreal, Quebec | 03/03/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I make this pompous assertion on the strength of two instrumentals - Rondo and War and Peace, not to put down other songs, which are excellent and pretty darn original, but because these two tracks are so amazingly ahead of their time. This sounds like the symphonic prog right from the 70's! This is ELP, this is early Genesis and Yes. This is pompous, pretentious, brilliant, high-testosterone prog rock, and in 1967! The Beatles are still Fab, Mick Jagger has not put on a dress yet, and the Moody Blues just bought their first Mellotron. King Crimson are not even a gleam in their father's eye yet, and the Genesis boys are still in boarding school. And here is Keith and the Nice creating prog rock out of classical music, jazz, blues and psychedelic rock. How brilliant is that? We can overlook sound quality issues or quirky songs, when we realize how important this album is to the sounds to come in the next decade. If you like prog rock or the 1967 psychedelic scene, you'll love this album."