Bad Words & Evil People

After a strong showing in the early '70s, Skin Alley drastically changed their lineup (and shifted their musical gears a bit) for their final two albums, 1972's Two Quid Deal and 1973's Skintight. There was still a strong prog rock base to their songwriting, but their folk and rock tendencies came to the fore on these two records more than ever before. Their deft instrumental technique screamed "prog," but never overshadowed the songs with unnecessary noodling or overt showings of musical dexterity. And that's the thing — there are "songs" here. With most of the tunes clocking in under the four-minute mark, there's no room for overindulgence. The arrangements are concise and even the instrumental numbers show a deliberately sophisticated restraint. Tales from Topographic Oceans, this is not. In packaging these two fine albums together (along with two bonus singles), Castle Music has one-bettered the bootleg "greatest-hits" collections by offering an undisturbed and complete picture of what was certainly Skin Alley's most polished period. A boon for fans who have coveted the rare vinyl pressings (the Stax-released Skintight being scarily collectable), Bad Words and Evil People: The Transatlantic Anthology 1972-73 is a collector's dream package and, for those taking their first tentative steps into the genre, a great place to enter the world of prog rock without fear of being suffocated by mystical dragons and epic guitar wankery. ~ J. Scott McClintock, Rovi