Co-produced by Jack Richardson and Jim Mason, 1972's "Antithesis" found the Gypsy signed to RCA Victor. Along with a new label, the band sported a new bass player in Randy Cates (having replaced Willie Weeks, who had replaced David Larson). With the first two albums having vanished with little recognition, new label RCA apparently insisted on some musical changes. Accordingly, the third all original set found the band tinkering with their patented UK-progressive influenced sound. As before, the album's underpinnings remained firmly planted in a progressive mode, but this time around the band turned in a series of compositions with shorter and more focused song structures. While tracks such as 'Crusader', 'Facing Time', and 'So Many Promises' weren't quite top-40 pop, they were surprisingly commercial and would have sounded quite good on FM radio - in fact two of the more commercial numbers 'Day After Day' b/w 'Lean On Me' were released as a single. Exemplified by tracks such as 'Young Gypsy' and 'Don't Bother Me' the set was full of strong melodies and some interesting arrangements. Not meant as an insult, but on tracks such as 'Travelin' Minnesota Blues (Go Gophers)' and 'So Many Promises' the album reminded me of early David Pack and Ambrosia, or a strong Guess Who LP.
Needless to say, longstanding progressive fans were appalled by the change in direction, while the album simply wasn't commercial enough for top-40 fans to pick up on it. Initially I was in the former category. My stance probably wasn't helped by the fact the band's legal team had recently sent me a letter threatening court action if I didn't stop selling Gypsy materials online. (Those lawyers apparently didn't understand the difference between someone selling used albums and someone pressing and selling bootlegs. They disappeared after I sent them an email explaining the differences.) Having listened to the album dozens of times over the years (the fact I've kept a copy tells you something), I'll readily admit I was wrong and this was an excellent collection full of melodic and memorable performances.
by Scott R.Blackerby March, 2024
Tracks
1. Crusader (Enrico Rosenbaum, James C. Johnson) - 3:10
2. Day After Day (James Walsh, Randall Cates) - 3:15
3. The Creeper - 3:10
4. Facing Time - 4:11
5. Lean On Me - 3:15
6. Young Gypsy - 3:06
7. Don't Bother Me (James Walsh, Enrico Rosenbaum) - 3:15
8. Travelin' Minnesota Blues - 2:33
9. So Many Promises - 2:25
10.Antithesis (Keep Your Faith) - 3:22
11.Edgar (Don't Hoover Over Me) (James C. Johnson) - 3:26
12.Money - 4:53
All compositions by Enrico Rosenbaum except where stated
Gypsy
*Enrico Rosenbaum - Guitar, Vocals
*James Walsh - Keyboards, Vocals
*James Johnson - Guitar, Vocals
*Bill Lordan - Drums
*Randall Cates - Bass, Vocals
