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3.4 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Underrated then, ignored now, 26 Sep 2005
By John R. Hodgkinson - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Argent/Circus (Audio CD)
(This reviews only the Circus part of the twofer, I leave the other album to the experts.)
The progressive rock meme had long since infected popular music by the time Argent released Circus in 1975. But musicians still couldn't decide whether they liked best the harmonic changes, the artsy orchestra, the jazz element, or the bombast. Bombast won, in case the 70s were before your time.
So Circus lacks the chops and big budget of "Tarkus" era ELP, or the bulging brains of "Lamb Lies Down" era Genesis. But, in a minimal sort of way, it's tasty nonetheless.
A standount for me is The Jester, where they don't take themselves too seriously. Dig the off-mike laugh before the bridge guitar solo and the witty, sloppy clincher (ragtime was not meant to be played fast).
Highwire hangs together, despite being one of those 9-minute "bring the band members into the studio on different days" tracks. Even sounds like they were all in the same room for the "getting dangerous" unison toward the end, to good effect.
Shine On Sunshine is just a knock-off of "Good Day Sunshine", but it turns out McCartney was going to be quite good at plagiarizing himself. No praise, no blame here.
Best avoided are the tracks where Argent personnel were starting to go their separate ways (Trapeze), or try too hard to recreate those quaint synthesizer-in-a-stadium solos (The Ring).
(As a sidebar, the circus meme was also rampant in the first half of the 70s - see the "radikally" different track Cirkus on King Crimson's 1970 album Lizard. There, by the way, jazz won.)
I've tried, but I just can't help but like The Clown - Pagliacci minus orchestra, jazz, and bombast - "and so I stand at last revealed a clown". So over the top, it actually rings true.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lost treasure, 2 July 2007
By James J. Rossignol - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Argent/Circus (Audio CD)
Argent Circus is an overlooked gem from the seventies. It is my favorite Argent album and finds them at a mature peak. The songs are cohesive from beginning to end and full of energy. The musicianship is topnotch and the concept of the album is realized. The feeling of being at a circus is captured in all its glory. The band fails to miss a beat throughout the whole album. Unfortunately, the album was overlooked in the seventies by bigger bands. This release gives those who missed out the first time a second chance and gives me the chance to fill in a gap in my cd collection. This release was long overdue and ranks as an all-time sleeper hit. I never tire of listening to Circus as I am a die-hard rock and roll fan. The seventies was my decade and I am glad to relive the seventies one more time.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The odd couple of Argent albums..., 22 Jun 2008
By Mark Gatzke - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Argent/Circus (Audio CD)
I'm not sure how someone would come up with the idea of putting together two Argent albums that are so disparate. The distance between them, both chronologically and musically, not to mention the absence of Russ Ballard on Circus, makes the transition from one to the other rather jarring. Argent's first album is different from their other albums as well, if not to the same degree. Its sensibilities are firmly planted in the late 60s, with plenty of influence from Rod Argent's former band, The Zombies, and that connection is kept well throughout. Circus, on the other hand, boasts improved songs and slick production values learned from years in the studio. Improved songwriting might be arguable on a couple of cheesy numbers penned by the overly introspective Rod, and, compared to their debut, Circus lacks the balance of Ballard's superior writing talent. All that said, both albums are competent and enjoyable as separate entities, even if neither one necessarily represents Argent's best efforts. I think newcomers might be better served checking out All Together Now or In Deep as a proper introduction to Argent's music.
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