This week’s selection is one of those rare songs that came to personify its age. This complex song, recorded in 1970 and released in late 1971, would never have appeared on the charts today, given its more than eight minute length. This musical gem consists of several distinct parts, beginning with a finger picked 6 string guitar and four recorders in a Renaissance music style, ending at 2:15, followed by a slow electric middle section (2:16-5:33), then a long guitar solo (5:34-6:44), leading up to a more up-tempo hard rock finale (from 6:45 to its conclusion).
Some have opined that the song’s intro and opening guitar work closely resemble the 1968 instrumental “Taurus” by the group Spirit. The group originating this week’s selection appeared with Spirit on an early American tour, so they would undoubtedly have heard “Taurus.”
The inaugural public performance of this piece occurred at Belfast’s Ulster Hall on March 5 1971. The crowd, apparently wanting to hear songs that were more familiar, was described as appearing bored to tears. A somewhat more positive response was noted during an early performance at the L.A. Forum, which took place before the record was released. The song’s world radio premier was recorded at the Paris Cinema on April 1, 1971, in front of a live studio audience and broadcast three days later on BBC.