Скачать или смотреть Function 1979 Album: Play It Maestro -B3- The Beast And The King

In the early 1980s the Lamb & Lion label attempted to expose this unusual Swedish album to the American market. Apparently it must have flopped in a big way - I seem to remember every Odd Lots store in Ohio ending up with about one million copies each. Pity because it's a fairly interesting attempt at progressive jazz-rock fusion style. Solid electric guitar with occasional blues-rock influences, especially 'Bigcityblues' and 'The Beast And The King' (the latter sounding a little like fellow countrymen Vatten). The synthesizer, piano and violin leads give a couple faint impressions of artists like Chick Corea/Return To Forever and Jean Luc Ponty. Curious titles like 'Queen Of Nothing', 'Unborn Child', 'Life Is Not A Passing Dream' and 'I Was Walking Through The Gardens Of The Night '. Some of the slower plodding tracks can be difficult to approach on first listen, but overall Play It Maestro stands as a rather singular expression in Christian music. This original 1979 Swedish press (sung in English) is the same recording as the U.S. version, though it comes in a much classier gatefold cover.

Function
Album: Play It Maestro
Label: Prim
Country: Sweden
Released: 1979
Genre: Jazz, Rock, Pop
Style: Jazz-Rock, Prog Rock

Lars Ludwigson: Vocals, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer [Micromoog], Electric Piano [Yamaha CP 70], Piano, Synthesizer [Minimoog], Organ [Hammond B3]
Claes Hilliges: Organ [Hammond B3], Clavinet, Synthesizer [Minimoog], Electric Piano [Yamaha CP 70], Piano
Per Furberg: Guitar
Sam Bengtsson: Guest, Bass Guitar
Stefan Wågsjö: Drums, Violin, Piccolo Trumpet
Producer: Lennart Sjöholm
Engineer: Boje Lundberg
Published By Förlaget Filadelfia
Design by Anders Bühlund
Illustration [Cover] by Michael Sanz

A1 Queen Of Nothing (Lars Ludwigson, Per Furberg)
A2 Unborn Child
A3 Bigcityblues (Lars Ludwigson)
A4 Play It Maestro (Lars Ludwigson, Stefan Wagsjo)
B1 Life Is Not A Passing Dream (Lars Ludwigson)
B2 The Old Mans Word (Lars Ludwigson)
B3 The Beast And The King (Lars Borre, Lars Ludwigson)
B4 I Was Walking Through The Gardens Of The Night (Lars Ludwigson, Stefan Wagsjo)
B5 The King Is Alive (Lars Borre, Lars Ludwigson)

Interesting mix of Jazz and Prog Rock from this Swedish band that sings in English. Sometimes it feels like they are a bit mellow, but then they hit a nice progressive influence and they pull back from veering into elevator music land. Apparently, their attempt at fusing jazz and prog didn’t go over well with public at the time, as there are reports that multiple copies were left unsold in many bookstores. However, those same reports are people that have come to love it later. Gotta say, I’m not necessarily a huge fan of the two styles they mix here, but I do enjoy this tape. Also released on vinyl back in the day. (Christian Tape Underground)
It's true that GINO VANELLI's influence is all over this album, from the sentimental, ultra-clean vocals of Ludwigson to the period synthesizers and organ and the discreet jazzy vibes, not to mention the fair amount of dramatic and melodic guitar solos and the standard songwriting values.For the most of its part you can consider this album to be a blend between Jazz Fusion and Art Pop, containing some light psychedelic touches and a good dose of Funk, it's a pitty that this is quite of a vocal-heavy release, as some of the instrumental parts are pretty cool and these guys could definitely play, even if the period sound lowers the overall value of the album. Some tracks are pretty cliche with more Funk than Fusion thrown in, reminding that this is indeed 1979, others are more delicate and intricate with blistering jazzy solos, interactions and sounds among the vocal parts, led by crying guitars, soft piano and even some organ parts. All these are in force just before the end and the farewell of ''The King Is Alive'' with the band recalling their early days and moving into dramatic Symphonic Rock with strong FOCUS overtones. With also a slight Teutonic edge ala NOVALIS and a depressive atmosphere akin to THE TRIP they offer one Classic Prog piece with melancholic melodies and vocals and excellent work on piano, organ and guitars. In 1982, while Function were already part of the history, the album was reissued in the States by Lamb & Lion Records. Wagsjoe continued his career with the Comedy group Galenskaparna, Ludwigson released some Christian solo albums and Hillages' depressive compositions were often used in funerals. Furberg is said to have become a lawyer. Average album at its best with Gino Vanelli's principles leading the sound. The last track is great, albeit not very original, and some Fusion executions are well-performed, but it is often that the Pop sensibilities dominate this work. For fans of obscure 70's releases. (Rate Your Music)