To Samuel a Son by The Gods

The Gods sounds like precursors to Uriah Heep!?! And in fact both bands consisted of Ken Hensley the great organist and composer.  In 1970 this was The Gods' second and last album, just before Uriah Heep were really born.

The album can be heard as an early kind of rock opera, in the wake of Who's Tommy. The Gods build the story of Samuel's son Sammy, from birth to marriage and so on...

as my Spring Record # 1507



Genre :

Already here Hensley's spirit shows big similarities to the harmonies of Bowie (his Space Oddity /Ziggy Stardust epoque), so I begin to ask myself who may have influenced who?! Even if Bowie never can be labeled prog:ish or early metal - as both Gods and Heep surely can.

I also associate their feeling partly with Deep Purple -69, Pink Floyd, Procol Harum, The Move, earliest Genesis, yes, bands which you maybe won't compare the first thing you do, and who soon went quite different directions, still gathered round some core of keyboard based rock soul. (Even the beatlesque Badfinger lies close, as allmusic mention).



most Soulful song: TO SAMUEL A SON (on a sunny day in May...)

most Imaginative song: STICKING WINGS ON FLIES (growing apple pies)

most Amusing song: PENNY DEAR

most Beautiful song: AUTUMN

most Strong song: LONG TIME, SAD TIME, BAD TIME

most Sexy song: LOVELY ANITA [Bonus track?]

most Grounded song: LADY LADY



I don't at all find these heavenly hooks and melodies being second-rate, as some believes, not improper for the single market either. But I can understand it never overwhelmed the big audiences, since The Gods' playing + production skills are the most obvious values here. Only disappointment is the album ends a bit vague, less than it's fantastic potential has built up almost the whole way...

Bonus version of Bernsteins & Sondheims MARIA should rather have been the very ending. This Maria feels surprisingly full of magical beauty, as rich as any ordinary musical could make her.



(6) compositions

(7) instrumentations

(6) playin' feelin'

(3) lyrics (incl titles)

(6) synchronization + variation

(6) cover picture

(4) historical importance

= 38


I now give 1-7 for each cathegory
where 3 is good and total possible 7 x 7 = 49 never exist(?)






0W0