The Polite Force [Import]

Egg | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 27, 2008)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: 101 DISTRIBUTION
• ASIN: B0012NOKKU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,523 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2008 digitally remastered edition of the sophomore album from this Prog/Art-Rock trio, originally released in 1971. Egg featured the talents of Dave Stewart on Keyboards, Mont Campbell on bass and Clive Brooks on drums. The trio produced music of startling originality and energy, drawing on influences ranging from Rock to Jazz to Psychedelia to Classical. This fusion resulted in some of the most enduring releases to appear on Decca's Deram and Nova imprints and are now critically regarded as some of the more unique albums of the early 1970's. Esoteric.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Trey Imaginative!, November 23, 2011

By 

Chris Carter (my music room) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Polite Force (Audio CD)

Originally released in 1971 (a magic year for music, IMO), this is a wonderful, engaging slice of (at times) psychedelic jazz/rock/classical music, created by an organ/bass/drums trio known as Egg. No guitarist, and it doesn't seem to matter - the organ gets distorted. This might have been too weird even for that era - ESPECIALLY the 9 minute sound collage that is "Boilk". Not too weird for me, however - I likes my albums rare und bizarre. Actually, the other tracks aren't all THAT strange.....altho "Contrasong" gives the impression of Chicago on acid with a lounge singer, which I personally dig. You may feel different. Mont Campbell's vocals ARE a bit 'Holiday Inn'-ish, which doesn't bother me - the lyrics themselves are NOT lounge fare. The last track loses my attention a bit, hence the 4 star rating. If memory serves, it's a 20 minute instrumental, and VERY few (if any) bands can keep me interested with a 20 minute instrumental, even considering the diversity displayed.

Anyhoo, the playing is wonderful, the sound is great, the music's imaginative......you could do MUCH worse. A fantastic and fairly obscure band, this is probably my favorite of their 3 albums (tho The Civil Surface is great as well). In the vein of Caravan, Soft Machine, early ELP (but with humor), Hatfield & the North, etc, etc.