With a strong
Canterbury influence implanted into their sound,
Egg's first album has the band looking to establish their niche as a progressive group, with
Dave Stewart's sharp, effective keyboard work outlining much of the album's overall feel. Mixing
jazz and
progressive rock drifts, the tracks on
Egg contain rhythms and meters that are never at a standstill, with ongoing instrumental action encompassing nearly every track. Numerous
classical overtones make for a familiar listen against a backdrop of loose-ended
jazz fusion and an unordered yet inviting array of haphazard progressive spillages. The fragmented instrumentals sport an attractive inexperience, especially on
"Bulb" and
"The Song of McGillicudie the Pussilanimous," which also introduce
Egg's lighthearted whimsy. Both
"Blane" and
"I Will Be Absorbed" represent the most colorful example of
Egg's
progressive rock fundamentals, with quick tempos and assertive keyboard runs. Although
Egg's cohesiveness as a band is in its early stages,
Dave Stewart ascertains himself as an elite keyboard player throughout the album, later moving on to play with
Hatfield and the North and
National Health.
Egg's next album, 1971's
Polite Force, has them sounding firmer and more self-contained, but their debut presents an entertaining example of different progressive genres playing off of one another. ~ Mike DeGagne
