Category Archives: Black On White

Freedom were formed by drummer Bobby Harison and guitarist Ray Royer, both formerly of Procol Harum. This 1969 debut (recorded the previous year) is a lot more psychedelic than the later hard rock efforts and was the soundtrack to the Dino de Laurentis film of the same name.

The sound is keyboard led with a melodic bass line, vocal harmonies, it nods at hard rock in a very whimsical way. Some light strings add to the atmosphere, and there is in places something sounding like a harpsichord.

Elsewhere it does go into proto-hard rock territory.

As period music goes it is strong, and will please fans, especially with the plethora of sleevenotes (including band involvement), remastering and extra tracks (including two 1968 singles). But this is far from the band’s best album. Whether their hands were tied to the soundtrack or the musical period, Freedom did go onto much better things. 3/5

Joe Geesin, www.getreadytorock.com (September 2009)

…robust blend of late 60s psych-rock, recalling the likes of Spooky Tooth and Traffic…intriguing missing link in the Procol Harum story.

Record Collector (October 2009)

The primal use of mellotron and violin in a rock context is also of note to proto-prog devotees, as it is highly accomplished and exciting here.

Classic Rock Society (September 2009)

…period-perfect keyboard-driven psych pop

R2, (October 2009)

…the overall sound of the group was pretty much what you’d expect for the British music scene of the time, especially when you compare them with bands like Traffic and Procol Harum…psychedelic tinged pop…

classicrockrevisited.com (November 2009)

…a superb slice of 60′s pop/soul/psychedelia…another gem from Angel Air

Classic Rock Society, (Nov/Dec 2009)