Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Eela Craig - One Niter [Esoteric Recordings - 2014]

The rather strangley monikered Eela Craig were a eight piece  Austrian progressive rock band, who existed between 1971 & 1988. The projects sound was a fairly varied, shifting & synth/organ heavy mixture of prog, symphonic Rock, fusion, and dips into all out funk. One Niter is the bands second album from 1976-this is a 2010 reissue of the album, that has just been recently  repressed on  Esoteric Recordings (the prog/ 70-80’s electronica sub-label of Cherry Red Records).

The album features just five tracks- which take in two lengthy song suites in the form of tracks one & three( in the form of "Circles" & "One Niter Medley"), and three slightly shorter tracks  in the form of tracks two, four, five("Loner's Rhyme", "Venezuela", "Way Down"). As mentioned in the introduction paragraph the band have a rather genre shifting sound- so one moment you’ll be listening to a dramatic & moody Pink Floyd like blues tinged prog run, the next you’ll be knee deep in down ‘n’ dirty funk that’s weaved  by both spaced-out synth swoops & jazzy organ runs. Or you’ll find your self in more mellow Yes like prog drifts with John Anderson-eque soaring vocals & harmonised backing, then next you'll be chilled-out & swooned by a mixture of matinee focused easy listening/ classic tinged symphonic Rock, or the band will easy down into a mellow flute & slightly jazz tinged early King Crimson moments- really the whole album thing nicely twist & turns along it's way, and even after a few plays through you’ll still surprised by were the tracks go next.

Though the album is broken-up into five tracks, really the whole thing feels like one long trip or journey, as the lengthy tracks are quite episodic & shifting in their unfold, and themes/ structures seem to reappear over the whole album, and not just in one set track….so it really all flows together, yet that said it always remains relatively focused & never too over indulgent or nodding.

This reissue comes with a eight page colourful inlay booklet, that takes in a three page write-up about the One Niter album, it’s time of release, and the band. Also we get a few pictures of the band, as well as the albums full lyrics.

In summing up this release I’d say on the whole it’s a  great and very welcome  reissue of this rather obscure yet rewarding & genre shifting bit of Prog rock history. So all in all this is another very worthy release from the excellent Esoteric Recordings label.

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Roger Batty
Latest Reviews

Eela Craig - One Niter
The rather strangley monikered Eela Craig were a eight piece  Austrian progressive rock band, who existed between 1971 & 1988. The projects sound wa...
150925   Creepshow 2 - Creepshow 2(VOD)
150925   múm - History of Silence
150925   Various Artists - Disk Musik:...
150925   The Sea of Wires - Self Titled
120925   Through And Through. - Throug...
120925   Ride A Wild Stud - Ride A Wi...
120925   Osvaldo Coluccino - Rispecch...
120925   Didier Rotella - Zone Grise
110925   Tim Lucas - Succubus(Book)
110925   Perpetrator - Perpetrator( Bl...
Latest Articles

Third Window Films - A Label For ...
Formed in 2005, London-based Third Window Films has been one of the key film labels releasing Asian cinema in the West. Their catalogue touches down in a lot...
030925   Third Window Films - A Label ...
130825   HNW fest- Barcelona- 12th Apr...
250725   Raté interview - Walled-in F...
180625   Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sha...
280525   The Residents - Visits From T...
090525   Ennaytch - Of walls, abused ...
150425   Dead, Dead Swans interview - ...
110325   Sebastian Tomb - Walls of unb...
040225   Alien Sex Fiend - Possessed B...
231224   Best Of 2024 - Music, Sound &...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2025. Twenty four years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom