Published on Oct 14, 1999
In many ways, the career of Ambrosia proves that you can indeed
be two bands at once, if you’re good enough – but you’ll probably
get snubbed for it. Five albums spanning 1975 to 1982 took the band
from being one of the darlings of early FM radio to purveyors of
slick, harmonized pop music; the path was strewn with letters from
Kurt Vonnegut, guest appearances from Leonard Bernstein’s favorite
violinist, and critical acclaim.
Anthology is a comprehensive overview of the forgotten band
of American progressive rock.
So why, you ask, are they forgotten? Simply, they committed the
cardinal sin that the progressive rock establishment can’t forgive;
they became popular and successful, even if only for a brief time,
and to be fair they forgot their own roots as well. Fortunately,
Anthology focuses much closer on the roots than the last few
bitter fruits, and in truth it’s a treat for prog rock and pop
music fans alike, though a few of the hits are still cloying from
overplay.
Ok, complaints first. Why don’t more greatest hits compilations
put things in chronological order? It’s hard to get a mental
picture of how a band developed and changed if the song order on
the CD jumps all over, and
Anthology is no exception. It’s frankly irritating.
Especially in this case, it would be nice to just be able to play
the earlier work and avoid the later songs, because gods know I’ve
heard them enough.
Now that that’s off my chest,
Anthology does a good job of documenting Ambrosia’s career.
The 1975 self-titled debut contributes both the pop hit “Holdin’ On
To Yesterday” and two tracks that would be worthy of any luminary
of progressive rock, “Nice Nice Very Nice” (a nod to Kurt
Vonnegut’s
Cat’s Cradle, written and performed with the author’s
blessing) and “Time Waits For No One”. The production of Alan
Parsons has held up very well over the years, certainly better than
Parsons’ production of Paul McCartney and Wings from the same
period. The progressive vein continues with tracks from the band’s
second CD,
Somewhere I’ve Never Travelled, including the title track
(here presented with a new instrumental intro, “And”) and the
Copland-influenced “Cowboy Star”.
The end of the prog era for Ambrosia was near, though, with the
1978
Life Beyond L.A. and its huge
mega-massive-gargantuan-badly-overplayed-in-the-eighties “How Much
I Feel”. While there are still a couple of prog-influenced tracks
remaining (“Angola” and “Life Beyond L.A.”), it’s all soft rock
from here on out, with “Biggest Part Of Me” and “You’re The Only
Woman” being the sort of songs Ambrosia is best remembered for
now.
Three formerly unreleased tracks round out the CD. “Sky Is
Falling” is excellent, a rollicking, infectuous romp and “I Just
Can’t Let Go”, a duet with Michael McDonald and James Ingram, is
sweet and heartfelt, cleaned up with the rerecording of new rhythm
and instrumental tracks. Unfortunately, the third new track, “Mama
Don’t Understand”, is rather flat and forgettable. (Remember,
sometimes bonus tracks are forgotten gems, and sometimes they’re
songs that were left off CDs for a reason.)
After Ambrosia’s 1982 breakup, members moved on to other bands.
Bassist Joe Puerta joined Bruce Hornsby and the Range, drummer
Burleigh Drummond formed Tin Drum, and lead vocalist David Pack
became a producer of some note, as well as reuniting with Parsons’
on 1992’s
Try Anything Once. The band reformed in 1989 for occasional
tours.
Ambrosia is slowly being rediscovered by progressive rock fans
who are looking past the vaguely saccharine ballads and finding the
complexities underneath.
Anthology comes strongly recommended for anyone who wants to
make that effort. It’s worth it.