Skid Row
34 Hours

The Skid Row (from which the much more well-known '80s band got its name, even paying royalties for it) is a group that, despite boasting none other than Gary Moore among its members, does not have many albums to its credit (due to Moore's departure), only two, in fact. The first, "Skid," is a good rock-blues debut, but with "34 Hours" (1971) (a title derived from the hours allotted by CBS to record the album - thanks to Wikipedia), the band approaches the progressive genre, extending the tracks into fully-fledged suites. The style tastefully blends rock attitude, bluesy reminiscence, and typically progressive instrumental moments. The album's sound is guitar-dominated, given the absence of keyboards (quite unusual for prog) as if to emphasize a closer relationship with classic rock, from which they do not wish to stray too far.

The album opens with an intricate 9-minute track, "Night of the Warm Witch", perhaps the most complete, inspired, and varied piece of the entire record. The haunting beginning whispers, then guitar and drums come alive, and the suite unfolds as planned, alternating long instrumental sequences with more measured sung parts (Gracious' structure and Osanna's "L'Uomo" sound come to mind, but without the brass). The following track, titled "First Thing in the Morning", is short, fast, and intense, "Mar" is a softer, more relaxed, and straightforward piece, while with "Go, I'm Never Gonna Let You, Pt. 1-2" the band returns to hard blues and simultaneously to the suite structure. The work concludes with "Lonesome Still", a country ballad (an incomprehensible choice from my point of view) and "Love Story, Pt. 1-4", a track with sustained rhythms, appreciated for its variety.

"34 Hours" is certainly an enjoyable record that, straddling rock, blues, and prog, never bores and will leave enthusiasts of the genre satisfied. The Irish trio showcases excellent technique without excessive virtuosity and hits the mark by frequently alternating more measured riffs with more acoustic or fast-paced and lively parts. Personally, I consider the first part better, but all tracks (except for that out-of-place country one) prove themselves worthy of an organic and complete work. The only flaw, if it can be called that, lies in the limited number of instruments used and the exclusion of keyboards, brass, strings, and other instruments widely used in prog, resulting in a somewhat sparse and repetitive sound, but the band's hard blues attitude fully justifies this choice.