Comments for Browne, Duncan, variado fontalviano

The All-Music Guide (AMG) gives this album ****1/2 and all Browne`s other albums ***, while the Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock (GEPR) writes that it "has recently been dredged up and reissued on CD. This one is pretty much a stinker." What`s wrong with this picture? The truth is that it is neither masterpiece nor dud, rather it is a simple, gentle album of mostly acoustic guitar, sometimes with lush choir and string arrangements and Browne playing additional instruments. I first heard this album the day that my father died and played it a lot during the following week. Somehow the funereal, contemplative nature of it seemed appropriate. All lyrics are all by David Bretton, but are sweetly sung by the young Duncan Browne. "Chloe" has musical similarities to "Rainer" from SoLaW and "On the Bombsite" sounds like a typical Beatlesesque song of the era. It`s pleasant to hear Browne`s own voice, following his work with Tom Yates. His next, self-titled album sees him in transition from this nylon-string acoustic sound to his later rock sound. A pleasant, folky album, already indicating Browne`s excellent skills as an arranger. (Ian Thomas)