Quill
Sursum Corda

When talking about American progressive rock from the '70s, most casual fans of our favorite music genre think of the great Kansas, authors of some masterpiece albums, and stop there. Fortunately, true progsters, long accustomed to surviving in a small musical niche systematically ignored by the vast majority of mass media, are generally more savvy. Once through fanzines, now also through the internet, they manage to gather all kinds of information on every aspect of progressive rock (discographies, lineups, musical scenes, bootlegs, new releases, and reissues). Anyone in this group of enthusiasts can list a series of U.S. bands that had only lesser record label luck compared to the aforementioned Kansas, but certainly not lesser artistic value (in most cases, they managed to produce a single beautiful album before prematurely disbanding…). Bands such as Yezda Urfa, Pentwater, Eastern Island, Albatros, Babylon, Cathedral, Lift, Fireballet, Happy the Man, Mirthrandir, are names that therefore deserve to be (re-)discovered and should not be missing in a respectable progressive rock discography. The U.S. label Syn-phonic has been performing a commendable reissue of albums by many of the above bands for some time, sometimes even producing unreleased works or those that, although recorded at the time, remained shelved.

This "Sursum Corda" is thus the reissue of the only recording of the American Quill, a classic prog-trio comprising keyboards, bass, and drums. Considering the lineup and having a look at the tracklist, which comprises only two mega-suites with a total duration of about 35 minutes of music, it is clear where we are heading in terms of the group's style. The dynamic trio ELP from the "Tarkus" period is indeed the main source of inspiration for this album, literally dominated by keyboards. Piano, various synths, Hammond, and a measured Mellotron now mimic Emerson's style, now Wakeman's, crafting an album of classic prog full of theme alternations, tempo changes, epic and grandiose passages, and powerful melodies.

In short, "Sursum Corda" is definitely an excellent album that will surely satisfy those of you who wish to discover or delve into the flourishing U.S. prog scene of the '70s. It’s worth noting that for this album, as well as for the second record of Kalaban, Syn-phonic has also produced a luxurious version where the CD is not enclosed in the usual jewel case with an accompanying mini-booklet, but in an LP-like cardboard package. The result, in the case of Quill as in Kalaban’s, is beautiful and finally does justice to truly well-made artwork that used to be belittled by the normal 12x12 cm format. It is truly a pity that this kind of packaging, surely a bit retro and nostalgic, has not had any diffusion even in the progressive field, where artwork has always held significant weight (at least I am not aware of any other such productions, and you?).