Skin Alley – SKIN ALLEY***

Living In Sin/Tell Me/Mother Please Help Your Child/Marsha/Country Aire/All Alone/Night Time/Concerto Grosso (Take Heed)/(Going Down The) Highway

Self titled debut album from the British progressive group Skin Alley. It is an eclectic mixture of psychedelic, blues and jazz with prominent use of flute and organ.

“This is strictly keyboard prog, but it works. The tracks are well written, basic songs that foray into organ solos and turn corners with interesting interludes.”

“They pull off a sound that brings in elements of psychedelia and blues. They are a solid progressive band that somehow eluded the spotlight that shone on the acts that we now know as legends.”

“The intro track, Living In Sin, promises a very entertaining album. However, the rest of the LP is a very eclectic mix of styles that does not generate much energy. Maybe progressive, but it does not rock all that much.”

“This is melodic progressive rock that tends heavily to flute, Hammond organ, harpsichord, some mellotron, with nice creative passages to go with it. Living In Sin is a wonderful opening cut.”

“Very good jazz flavoured prog, featuring sax, organ and guitar. The album probably represents their zenith. It was all downhill from here.”

“Quite a daring sound for 1969, Skin Alley mixed psychedelic rock and jazz rock with some symphonic flute led parts to present a fully fledged proto-progressive rock style, often with a dark sound. With an obvious tendency towards long instrumental passages, their compositions are characterized by psychedelic organ sounds, driving flutes, bluesy guitar work and the jazzy rhythm section. These elements are often blended with jamming sax parts in a free music form, together with good vocals. Along with the organ, one can detect some really decent effort on mellotron and harpsichord in a couple of the more classical inspired tracks, as well as some jazzy piano lines.”