Category Archives: CONSORTIUM
CONSORTIUM 13th Hour
…heavy progressive atmosphere…the album feels like a stately ghost from the past, fleshed out gloriously and very much alive for all to marvel at.
Let It Rock ( www.dmme.net ) (February 2010)
Drummer John Parker died in 2001 and the rest of the band, on finding these precious recordings were determined to complete their legacy by releasing these recordings in homage to their dead friend. There can be no finer tribute to an old muso than this.
TNT Audio ( www.tnt-audio.com ) (February 2010)
…nine tracks…that celebrate Consortium’s mid 70′s classic rock sound, so there is a pleasant retro feel permeating throughout the album…If you like classic rock that has elements of prog, folk and west coast American pop you should definitely check out what Consortium has to offer…
Ryan Sparks, Sea of Tranquility (March 2010)
Where most of their contemporaries fumble at summoning times past as they creak back onto the road in the 21st century, Consortium sound as credible as creative rock force as they were in their heyday on the strength of this Tardis of an album. Tour dates? 4/5
Peter Muir, www.getreadytorock.com (March 2010)
PROBABLY THE BEST EVER ALBUM RELEASED BY ANGEL AIR…
I have heard every album released by this label – over 300 separate albums in total…and this is possibly the best of the bunch. This is prog rock at its most classy, intelligent, dynamic and clever. The songs are superbly constructed, catchy, well written and in a league all of their own. What is more, they sound like a fresh new band rather than a cluster of ageing rockers! Superb!
J.McCarraher, www.amazon.co.uk (March 2010)
…anybody with fond memories of the original band will have no trouble recognizing the ingredients, a quality that renders 13th Hour a stunning addition to the old collection
Dave Thompson, All Music Guide (April 2010)
…hugely enjoyable. It has that distinctively plodding heavy/proggy sound…and is a wonderfully nostalgic listen
Classic Rock Society (April 2010)
CONSORTIUM Rebirth
A step back in time for anyone who remembers the band from their heyday.
Evening Star (March 2006)
Mixing prog and pop, heavy folk in places, it’s a decent affair that would have probably sounded out of place at the time… Well packaged, as is usual from Angel Air.
www.getreadytorock.com ( February 2006)
After some long years of singles and live performances, the UK band Consortium finally sees the light of day for the first time ever of its sole album, Rebirth, recorded around 1975…
Like many albums of its time, Rebirth stands at the crossroads of psychedelic rock, hard rock and progressive rock. The music can be described as a hybrid between Grand Funk Railroad and Uriah Heep: its dirty, train-like rumble and down-to-earth lyrics (sometimes to the point of banality as in the case of ‘I Want You’) resembling the earlier, while its operatic harmonies and grandiose dimensions reminding of the latter…
And so Rebirth is about the decades that shaped rock music being reflected through a certain point in time. It is therefore a shame it was not released close to its recording, as it could have established its reputation as a pivotal album. Still, it holds most of its vitality to this day. (8.25/10)
Maelstrom, Issue 43
…after 30-odd years, the album finally – and deservedly – sees the light of day. Solid guitar riffs propel their hard rock sound…
Record Collector (May 2006)
The booklet details lots of information about the band and their career…as well as plenty of photos…there are some wonderful harmonies, along with some fairly interesting songs…
Feedback (May 2006)
Led by vocalist Robbie Leggat (also known as Robbie Fair), West Coast Consortium, as they were initially named, issued a half-dozen pop and psychedelic singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
As members left, Leggat soldiered on, assembling the heavier bass-drums twin-guitar attack that toured widely without releasing any new records.
These songs represent that lineup’s studio output, revealing a style that encompasses album-oriented pop, progressive and hard rock. Relying on his pure, choirboy tenor, Leggat brings a beautiful edge to songs such as ‘Rebirth,’ ‘For Me To Forgive’ and ‘I Want You’; with their changes in tempo and mood, the songs suggest the pop side of early Yes, minus the keyboards…
The guitarists mix pastoral folk patterns into the midst of the nine-minute ‘She Gave Me Life’ before closing the opus with a blistering dual-guitar playout. Rebirth is accompanied by a 20-page booklet filled with photos and Keith Smith’s liner notes tracing Consortium’s obscure history by directly quoting band members.
Joseph Tortelli, Discoveries (June 2006)
The outstanding feature is the harmonies, which had become the band’s trademark in a way…
Classic Rock Society (June 2006)
…if you’re into progressive rock, flavoured with some fine pop sweeteners then you’ll want to get your hands on this 11-tracker.
Hartlepool Mail (July 2006)
…swings between proto-metal dynamics…and rock and roll energy…A little gem, actually, that deserves to be recovered: as one used to say, better late than never.
Fulvio Adile, Silent Scream (August 2006)