Bandstand - FAMILY***

Burlesque/Bolero Babe/Coronation/Dark Eyes/Broken Nose/My Friend The Sun/Glove/Ready To Go/Top Of The Hill

With Bandstand the progressive rock band Family moved in a more commercial direction, although still retaining an eclectic mix of tracks using a wide assortment of instruments. Includes the UK top 20 hit Burlesque. (US:183 UK:UK:15)

“Fine musicianship and wonderful tunes, they actually reached a high level of quality at a time where many were being over-rewarded for much less. They were also legitimate practitioners of unrepentant creativity.”

“Family were ahead of their time by using an assortment of instruments previously not normally used in rock bands, such as clarinet, and displaying a slight jazz influence. What is most noteworthy about this band, is the almost unbelievable vocal intensity of front-man Roger Chapman.”

“Higher production on this LP yields a much more polished sound which, coupled with the overtly mainstream orientation of their material, misses the mark substantially. Moving in a distinctly more commercial direction, their quality suffers dramatically. Gone is the hard rock edge of earlier releases, replaced by a substantially greater use of strings. Their descent towards the depths of mediocrity is in free fall. Still, there are a few decent tracks to salvage here.”

“Bandstand is by far their most polished work which gained them some much needed notice in the States. As with many of their albums, this is a rather eclectic mix with the perfect balance of depth and accessibility that makes all of Family's albums an enjoyable experience.”

“While it may have lacked some of their more creative moves, the results made for their most consistent release, showcasing a distinctive switch towards a commercial, hard rock influenced sound. Exemplified by the lead off rocker Burlesque and Broken Nose, Chapman's unique voice proved well matched to the genre and served as kind of a precursor to his forthcoming post-Family Streetwalkers project.”

“Not a bad listen, but not real good either. By this point Family were doing a bit of everything, including a big funk influence. Still a lot of nice prog/rock moments.”