The band's started in the early 1970’s when fellow Royal College of Music graduates, multi-instrumentalist Richard Harvey & Woodwind player Brian Gullard began the project as an all-acoustic ensemble, mixing together traditional English folk music with medieval and Renaissance influences. Fairly soon they were joined Guitarist Graeme Taylor & drummer/ percussionist Dave Oberlé. 

In early 1973 the four piece entered Riverside Recordings and Livingston Studios, and fairly soon their self-titled debut album was born- and this, of course, starts off this two-disc set. The album took in twelve tracks, and it saw the group utilizing a fairly curious & quirky selection of instrumentation- with Harvey playing recorders, organ, harpsichord, soprano & tenor Crumhorns, harmonium, glockenspiel, mandolin, and classical guitar. And Gulland on Bass Crumhorn, bassoon & vocals. Taylor on guitars, harpsichord, organ, and vocals. And lastly, Oberlé on drums & percussion. From the opener "Kemp’s Jig"- you know your not in for standard prog fare- the decidedly buoyant & ornate instrumental track  sees the four-piece playing their own arrangement of medieval tune- with a it’s blend of jaunting ‘n’ urgent krumhorns & recorders, backed by tight rapping drums & percussion- with rising choral-like organ & harpsichord flourishes. As the album progresses we move from seesawing & quirky jolly sailor lined vocalizing & brightly bulbous bassoon piped “Three Jolly Butchers”. Onto the taut marching jig of "Estampie"- with its fluid, bright & urgent mix of recorders, Crumhorn & percussion- & later playful jazzy bassoon appearing. The album is a blend of shorter often instrumental tracks, with slight longer more vocal & song based tracks- with it ’s just shy of 38 minutes playtime flying by an in a blur of bright, playful & effortless intricate melodies with real medieval & renaissance leanings.

The band's follow-up album appeared in spring 1974 and was entitled Midnight Mushrumps. This came in at the slightly longer forty-two minutes and offered up just six tracks.  It begins with the nineteen-minute title track- this instrumental work moves from building & grand opening few minutes of choral organ simmer & boson elegance. Through to cascading sways of acoustic guitar intricacies, onto ornate & dramatic organ, harpsichord, and piano interplays. Moving towards more symphonic rock rises embellished with jaunting ‘n’ lumbering crumhorns & boson embellishments.  The remaining five tracks move between medieval melody lined folk-rock upfront-ness of “The Ploughboy’s Dream”. Onto the building piano & brooding organ weave of "Gulland Rock".  Through to darting, slightly angular & mad laughter lined renaissance flavor prog-rock jaunt of "Ethelion".

Moving onto the second CD & first up is the band's third album 1974’s Red Queen To Gryphon Three. This four-track album is the bands most recognized & known album within wider prog circles. It’s a concept album that’s based around a game of chess and sees the now five-piece( with the addition of bass guitarist Philip Nestor) offering up an release that effortlessly brings together worthy & event-full composition, memorability, virtuoso-yet- focused musicianship, and a real feeling of focus & point.  The album mixers prog & symphonic rock stylings, with more straight popular classical musical idioms, folk- rock edges, and Baroque-to- Renaissance harmonic flourishes.  As well a few jazz-rock touches, that bring to mind Zappa’s 1970’s work.

Finally, on disc two we have the fourth album from 1975- it’s entitled Raindance, and takes in nine tracks. This release sees the band going further towards the more traditional blend of prog & symphonic rock, with touches of fusion. With more formal rock instrumentation joined by mini-Moog, mellotron & keyboard elements- though we still to get additions of the likes of flute, Crumhorns, bassoon, & recorders. The album opens with the “Down The Dog”- which is sort of an odd blend of funk, jaunting medieval jig, and choppy/ bouncy synth-scaping. Through to quirky junk-yard percussion meets lumbering bosson & clear acoustic guitar twang of “Le Cambrioleur Est Dans Le Mouchoir”. Onto the epic sixteen minutes final track “(Ein Klein) Heideneben” which moves between bombastic blend symphonic synth work, wailing guitar work, and marching rock drums. And more darting & lush blend of jaunting piano, horn work, and flute/ recorder interplay- with later more medieval feel coming into play with classing sword percussion & rapid Crumhorn runs.  On the whole, Raindance is certainly still a worthy & well-crafted album, it’s just at times does fall into prog/ symphonic rock clichés.

Esoteric Records are of course part of the Cherry Red family of labels- so we get a classy bit of presentation to the release. With the two CDs coming in slim-line clear jewel case- each disc features a colorful recreation of the bands first & third album covers. We get a glossy twenty four page booklet- this takes in a new seven-page write-up about the band & the four albums by respected rock journalists Malcolm Dome. Onto of this we reproduction of all four album covers, studio & live pictures, and full credits for all four albums.

Raindances- The Transatlantic Recordings 1973- 1975 is concise, though wholly worthy bringing together of the first four albums from this fairly unique British prog band. It goes without saying this be of interest to prog-heads, but equally, it will be appealing to those who enjoy folk-rock, jazz-rock & of medieval & renaissance music with a more 70’s feel.