The debut album by Lake was released in 1977 (in North America), and I picked it up in 1980, or 1981 - I can't remember exactly, but it was my senior year of high school. The first time I heard of the band was when I bummed a ride with a buddy when our art class went on a field trip. This was when you could still load up a car and drive off the school lot. Anyway, he had a cassette copy of the album, and he really liked the song "Jesus Came Down" which was odd to me as he swore like a sailor with
Tourette's syndrome. Anyway it was a bit of a drive (these things are relative in a small town) and I got to hear most of the album, and true to his word "Jesus Came Down" was indeed a pretty awesome song. In fact it was a really solid album, and I played it a lot, and over time I'd end up with a few of their albums. I play the second album as much - although I've not heard it in over forty years, and their third album Paradise Island I really liked too. Oddly when I finally found Lake on CD it was one of those two in one things, and it was their first and third albums, so I may not have been alone in dismissing their sophomore effort.
Side two is three songs one of which is the song that sold me on the album. The big surprise was the nearly eleven minute "Between the Lines" that didn't feel overlong or boring. It was the '70s, Al Stewart could drop "Nostradamus" and Supertramp "Fools Overture" so there was no reason Lake couldn't stretch things out a little if they wanted. The guitar solo here still makes me smile. If keyboards are your thing, there's enough finger gymnastics here to give you a grin too, heck the introduction sounds like it was lifted from Jon Lord from Deep Purple. It's a great piece of music. I'll be honest here, I'm listening to this for the first time in a long time, and I'd actually forgotten it was this long.I never really thought about it. I just pulled out the album and put it on, and as I read the back cover I was a little surprised the album had only eight songs.
I should list the boys in the band, after all they should at least get some credit where credit is due.
Martin Tiefensee - bass guitar
James Hopkins-Harrison - lead and backing vocals
Alex Conti - guitar, vocals
Dieter Ahrendt - drums, percussion
Geoffrey Peacey - keyboards, vocals, guitar
Since I didn't have the internet or anything there was really very little information other that what you could pick up out of the credits. All I knew was these guys were as good as anyone out there and it's too bad they didn't get a wider audience. James Hopkins-Harrison had a great voice and he was perfectly fitted to the music the band was writing and it was just unique enough to not sound like every other singer out there. The other great surprise was Alex Conti on guitar who could play a mean guitar and knew what was needed for the song. Nothing was needless wanking and overplayed. The songs were also grounded with a lot of keyboard work that was at times very prominent and others just holding things together - the opening notes to "On the Run" let you know this wasn't just like every other band. Of course I don't want to dismiss the rhythm section. Dieter's drumming is solid, and thick and has was wisely recorded clean and crisp and is right in the pocket with Martin Tiefensee's bass that was a little more elaborate than anchor notes but was never distracting out of place.
This really is a pop gem and a lost classic.
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