The House On The Hill - AUDIENCE***

Jackdaw/You're Not Smiling/I Had A Dream/Raviole/Nancy/Eye To Eye/I Put A Spell On You/The House On The Hill

The House On The Hill was the third and final album with the original line-up from the progressive group Audience. Their inconsistency in songwriting prevented them from achieving greater public acceptance.

“Audience managed to capture much more than a rock album here, they have embraced the best of progressive rock, psychedelic music, and atmospheric layering, in what can only be described as the best of art-rock. All of it comes from the darker side, without seeming over-theatrical or silly. The whole piece manages to ring true, like a fine score or soundtrack, and very believable.”

“These songs are all pretty nice but nothing special, except for the title track which is very cool. As a whole this is better than their debut but a bit weaker than their second album.”

“They seem to be lightweights that remind me of Barclay James Harvest, and that is not exactly a compliment. There is a lot going on but it sounds sterile. A little testosterone would have helped this along. It is pleasant enough but in the end just boring.”

“This is a good progressive rock album with some folk elements, saxophones, flutes and vocals. There are no great highlights here, except the awesome title track.”

“A timeless classic full of energy. The vocals are raw, and untamed and the melodies grab you by the throat. The title song has a haunting quality that has never been imitated.”

“This album is book ended by two great tracks. Musically you can't fault the playing or individual tracks but for me the album stylistically is all over the place.”

“Although crossing genres there is still a consistent sound throughout. Nice folk moments with some really full on saxophone sounds. Cool rock out moments and some anthemic melodies.”

“Another overlooked prog-rock classic from the early 70s. I know record companies could not promote everything being released but there was a lot of good music that did not get the exposure it warranted. All in all, no self-respecting prog-rock fan should be without this in their collection.”