Fantasy

An obscurity from 1970, this eponymous LP by Fantasy held promises. The group offered a brand of psychedelic rock itched by the mood swings of progressive rock — Jefferson Airplane meets Babe Ruth. Lead singer Lydia Janene Miller is the group's strongest asset. Her voice, still rough-edged and untamed, allies the bluesy rawness of Janis Joplin (striking in "Understand") or Carol Grimes with Grace Slick's acrobatics. The liner notes state she was only 16 at the time, but that is simply too hard to believe! If the vocals are fantastic, the music needed improvement. Psychedelic rock for the thinking man, Fantasy often sounds self-indulgent. "Stoned Cowboy" is a flat instrumental number where Vincent James DeMeo, Jr. delivers an overlong generic solo on fuzz guitar. And what about Mario Anthony Russo's classical quotes (à la John Hawken on Renaissance's first two LPs) in "What's Next"? On the other hand, the alternating verses and choruses in "Happy" work out perfectly, and further developments in "What's Next" (a nine-minute epic) serve up a highlight. If you can overlook the misjudgments of youth and a certain naïveté in the lyrics, seek out this rarity. Miller's soul-piercing voice is something you don't easily forget. ~ François Couture, Rovi