CAPTAIN BEYOND – Sufficiently Breathless ’73 [Japan SHM-CD remastered] HQ

Deep Purple fired singer Rod Evans in 1969 because they thought he didn’t have the chops to sing hard rock, but the 1972 self-titled debut of CAPTAIN BEYOND, a band that also included former members of Iron Butterfly, proved that he could sing with the best of them.
As requested, here’s “Sufficiently Breathless“, CAPTAIN BEYOND‘s second album in its Japanese SHM-CD remastered version which really brings upfront the recording sonic dynamics. The bass lines now are present better than ever and guitar / drums are clearer all over the tracks.
While the CAPTAIN BEYOND’s self-titled debut album is revered among both fans of Deep Purple and hard rock, the band’s second album, ”Sufficiently Breathless”, caught fans by surprise with its somewhat more mellow sound. But the sophisticated arrangements and soaring melodies are still there.

Released in 1973, only a year after the debut LP, Captain Beyond’s second album must have confused the die-hards. Where their self-titled debut had upheld the basic progressive heavy rock blueprint of lengthy instrumental explorations, constant tempo changes, and cinematic lyrics, ”Sufficiently Breathless” downplays them for a subtler, song-oriented production.

The results were intelligent and self-assured resulting into an stupendous song collection, yet the band’s never-ending bad luck again intervened when vocalist Rod Evans quit in late 1973, leaving the album adrift.
The band would proffer a markedly different style on their return four years later, but anyone dismissing progressive heavy rock as an oxymoron should definitely check out ”Sufficiently Breathless” first.

Captain Beyond were on of the best rock bands from the first half of the Seventies. They don’t make albums like this anymore…
Highly Recommended

01 – Sufficiently Breathless
02 – Bright Blue Tango
03 – Drifting In Space
04 – Evil Men
05 – Starglow Energy
06 – Distant Sun
07 – Voyages Of Past Travellers
08 – Everything’s A Circle

Rod Evans – lead and harmony vocals
Larry “Rhino” Reinhardt – guitars
Lee Dorman – bass
Reese Wynans – electric and acoustic pianos
Marty Rodriguez – drums, backing vocals
Guille Garcia – congas, timbales, percussion
Paul Hornsby – organ on “Starglow Energy”

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