After the big selling "All Around My Hat" album the band was more or less forced by the label to repeat success with one more in the same commercial style. The pressure together with a busy schedule caused uneasy feelings within the group which led to Peter Knight and Bob Johnson leaving after the recordings and the next - "Storm Force Ten" - to be their last studio album for three years. Against that background you wouldn't expect such a pleasing result, but IMO this is musically as good as AAHM. In a way more rock'n'roll with prominent bass/drums it's also playful, providing a wider spectra, like the Maddy Prior/Tim Hart antiphony to rythm instruments in "Fighting For Strangers" and quite a few odd details on other cuts. '45 pick "London" is in the same vein as AAMH title track and almost as catchy. Unfortunately the album don't blossom the same way as earlier ones - for two main reasons. It's badly mixed - vocals too low most of the time - and also treated with more limiting than usual, making the outcome blunter with less natural feel. Maybe only this UK issue suffers from that, in any case it's a pity on such fine songs. First US on Chrysalis came with same label, number and cover design. Remastered 1996 CD on BGO (BGOCD 318). Premiere UK had label as shown here and glossy cover with lyric insert. (BRYF*) (FÄV*)(SÖPX*)
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