Samurai

I generally prefer my rock and roll without flutes and saxophones, but that’s not an option when it comes to Samurai. Formed from the remnants of a three-record progressive rock ensemble called Web, this five-man band released its lone self-titled debut album in 1971 on Greenwich Gramophone Records (its always a treat when the original label is even more obscure than the record itself). The central figure here is vocalist and keyboardist Dave Lawton, himself a future member of Greenslade, who leads the band through a smattering array of jazz-influenced progressive rock. “Saving it Up for So Long” and “More Rain” represent the album’s more melodic, listener-friendly tracks, Lawton’s laid back vocal approach meshing well with the aforementioned, er, flutes and saxophones, but things take a turn for the worst on the record’s more elongated numbers. “Face in the Mirror” and “As I Dried the Tears Away,” both of which clock in at well over six minutes, are ultimately a prog-rock lover’s dream and a casual listener’s worst nightmare: Odd vocal phrasing, multiple time changes, complex rhythmic patterns and, yes, those dreaded woodwinds. Incidentally, there was another band calling themselves Samurai during this same time period. That flute- and saxophone-less group featured bassist Tetsu Yamauchi, who played in later versions of both Free and The Faces.