Week of October 26, 2003

Arc

Personnel:
Tom Duffy - Bass, Vocals
Mickey Gallagher - Keyboards
Dave Trudex - Drums
John Turnbull - Guitar, Vocals
Rob Tait - Drums
David Montgomery - Drums

Album:
Arc... At This (Decca SKL-R 5077) 1971

This progressive blues/rock album involved some former members of Skip Bifferty and is now a minor collectable. They formed the band in 1970 when Graham Bell joined Every Which Way but never really made a living on their own and later joined Graham Bell in Bell and Arc

Three parts Scottish and one part Australian their band now clearly stands up as a progressive rock outfit, but manages to avoid most of its pitfalls and the results are generally rather impressive. Most importantly they succeed in restraining themselves, without losing any emotional impact. They have the ability to write memorable tunes and arrange them well. The vocals are a strong point, often oddly harmonized and never overstated. Heavier tracks alternate with more poetic ones, although this at times acts to the detriment of the album's coherence. All in all a very pleasant album to listen to, but not essential to own. 

(Marcel Koopman/Vernon Joynson)

Taken from The Tapestry of Delights - The Comprehensive Guide to British Music of the Beat, R&B, Psychedelic and Progressive Eras 1963-1976, Vernon Joynson
ISBN 1 899855 04 1


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