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Although they would become better known for smooth AOR ballads like "How Much I Feel," Ambrosia first made their name with this album of progressive rock with a pop music twist. Its songs skillfully blend strong melodic hooks and smooth vocal harmonies with music of an almost symphonic density. Good examples of this crossbreeding are "Drink of Water," which sounds like the Beach Boys tackling a Pink Floyd space rock epic, and "Nice, Nice, Very Nice," which utilizes a combination of stately close-harmony vocals and dynamic instrumental breaks to put forth a clever lyric derived from a Kurt Vonnegut novel. The complexity of the music is further highlighted by its crystal-clear sonic landscape, mixed by Alan Parsons, which highlights unique touches like the use of a Russian balalaika ensemble and 300-year-old Javanese gongs on "Time Waits for No One." Despite this prog rock ambitiousness, the group is smart enough to avoid letting their instrumental chops take precedence over their music's melodic content: They keep their songs succinct and punchy (nothing extends over six-and-a-half minutes) and they infuse tunes like "Lover Arrive" and the radio favorite "Holdin' on to Yesterday" with a delicate sense of pop songcraft that makes the group's cinematic sound easy for listeners to assimilate. The end result is an album that is intricate enough to please prog rock addicts but catchy enough to win over a few pop fans in the process. Though Ambrosia would go on to score bigger hits later in their career, this is definitely their most cohesive and inspired album. ~ Donald Guarisco
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Recorded at Mama Jo's, North Hollywood, California. Includes liner notes by Freddie Piro.
Personnel: David Pack (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Joe Puerta (vocals, guitar, bass guitar); Christopher North (vocals, keyboards); Burleigh Drummond (vocals, drums, percussion); Chuck Girard, Fletch Wiley, Daniel Kobialka, Andy Toth, Keith Johnson, Splash Price, Jim West (violin); Ian Underwood (saxophone); Ruth Underwood (marimba).
Recording information: Mama Jo's, North Hollywood, Cal.
Arranger: Us.
Ambrosia: David Pack (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Burleigh Drummond (vocals, bassoon, drums, percussion); Christopher North (vocals, keyboards); Joe Puerta (vocals, bass).
Engineers include: Chuck Johnson, Billy Taylor, Tom Trefethen.
One of the best album in rock history Ambrosia made some of the most importen record in the name of mordern pop/rock history...absolutely amazing..
one of/if not the best debut album ever... Submitted by lldobw (sweden) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 1 of 2 found this helpful.
missed a really good cd that i've missed for years Submitted by a44red (ch'ville va) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
a Must have For any Ambrosia fan this is Mandatory
listening Submitted by harpdawg1 (Burton, Mi, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
West-coast romantics Ambrosia call this their love-project,and it surely is. Beautiful songs and good handiwork crossed with a
brilliant production makes this an album worth having. Submitted by a reviewer (Oslo,Norway) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
As good as I remember It's great to hear this classic again. A needed CD to your Prog collection. Submitted by a reviewer (Newburgh, IN) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
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