Mothballs

CONSUMER WARNING TO ALL PROSPECTIVE PURCHASERS: The liner notes to this album claim that seven songs (including Hallucinations, Real Life Permanent Dream and My White Bicycle) released by the proto-progressive rock band Tomorrow (featuring Steve Howe on guitar) appear on this cd. The back insert claims six songs by Tomorrow (among them Real Life Permanent Dream & My White Bicycle) are included here. In actuality, only FOUR Tomorrow tunes are actually on this disc; NOWHERE on my copy can one hear the tracks Hallucinations, Permanent Dream or My White Bicycle. Also strange is the fact that the liner notes claim this disc to be "An rpm production", bearing a copyright year of 1994, while the outer spine of the jewel case claims that the disc is released by BIG EYE MUSIC. Now, the topper here is that the DISC ITSELF bears the marking "LIMITED GOLD EDITION PURPLE PYRAMID CLP 0254-2" and features a copyright date of 1998. All of this leads me to believe that there is something definitely amiss here and that this Purple Pyramid disc may not be properly authorized for release by Steve Howe.

The recordings themselves are great. Included here are selections from Steve's work with The Syndicats, In Crowd, Tomorrow, Canto (INCREDIBLY rare) and Bodast, along with two very obscure solo singles released by Steve before he joined YES.

Purchase this disc only if you can deal with the fact that three songs which should (by all indications) be included here are not. Hopefully someone who knows the true story behind this particular compilation will read this review and fill us all in on where the complete, authorized version of Mothballs can be obtained. Until then, buyers should be aware that the music here is historically significant to all who wish to better understand the background and influences of one of the 20th century's greatest guitar virtuosos, but that this particular edition of Mothballs is seriously defective and is (more than likely) not an authorized release.