Plain and Fancy: Polyphony - Without Introduction (1972 us, organ drivin' heavy psych experimental prog rock, 2011 remaster)

Friday, July 4, 2025

Polyphony - Without Introduction (1972 us, organ drivin' heavy psych experimental prog rock, 2011 remaster)

Polyphony were a Virginia US band who released this concept album originally in 1972. Polyphony proved to be even more deeply rooted in the sound of the psychedelic era than their British contemporaries. Despite this foundation in the sound of the late 1960s, their energetic compositions give the impression that the band simultaneously wanted to break away from this very heritage. They had undoubtedly arrived in the present day of the symphonic variant of progressive rock music, as evidenced by the frenetic use of the Moog synthesizer and powerful bass lines. The addition of Latin-inspired percussion in the form of a permanent conga player lends the whole a special touch.

In the opener, "Juggernaut," Polyphony presents themselves as torn between eccentric, exuberant psychedelia and progressive, dynamic symphonic music. It is precisely in this "battle" between these opposing poles that the appeal of the truly unique sound of "Without Introduction" lies. After the explosive Moog interlude "40 Second Thing In 39 Seconds," all of this is taken to the extreme in "Ariel's Flight," culminating in a "symphonic trip" sound rarely heard in other bands, the climax of the entire album. The late-entry vocals, combined with the euphoric keyboard sound, evoke memories of Lee Jackson in Refugee. The rather understated "Crimson Dagger," with its vocal lines still rooted in the 1960s, concludes the album as an impressive testament to the early phase of US progressive rock.

by Horst Straske