From Blogspot:
A good progressive/hard rock outfit, their first album was recorded live in the studio and their strength was
really as a live act. Lou Stonebridge went on to play for McGuinness Flint. Joe Jammer also recorded as a solo
artist.
Paladin may only have ever released two albums, but their second "Charge" is an absolute classic of early 70's
prog. There are many different styles and sounds on the album, yet the whole is nothing less than a coherent
masterpiece.
The Roger Dean sleeve may not be an absolute guarantee of quality, but Paladin sit well with their peers such as
Yes, Uriah Heep, Asia, etc., whom Dean graced with his artwork.
There are four feature tracks on the album. The opening "Give me your hand" sets the tone, with rich organ and
guitar backing a strong vocal for a fine piece of melodic hard rock. "Good lord" is a slightly softer but still
upbeat song with some excellent guitar work by Derek Foley. It leads into the album's best track, the wonderfully
atmospheric "Mix your mind with the moonbeams". The multi-tracked vocals and trippy lyrics are pure early 70's
("Let the cosmic light diffuse itself, in all its magic ways"). The track is awash in keyboard layers, and chiming
guitars. This is PENDRAGON years before Pendragon existed! Also included is an all too rare Hammond organ solo,
similar to the one on URIAH HEEP's "July Morning".
The closing track "Watching the world pass by" has everything in about 9 minutes. It starts with some interesting
keyboard moods, before breaking into an almost funky harmonica led wall of sound backed piece. About midway, we
suddenly lurch into a barn dance, before a superb guitar solo of some length brings the album to its climactic
conclusion.
The album is rounded out by three shorter tracks. "Well we might" is an almost SLADE (yes Slade!) like rocker with
some great guitar and some very effective stop go interludes. "Anyway" is a melotron backed ballad which contrasts
superbly with the generally upbeat nature of the album. This track appears to have been a late addition to the
original LP, as it appears on a sticky label added to the track listing. "Get one together" is the only dip, being
a pretty nondescript instrumental.
"Charge" is a truly superb album, very much of its time, but still highly enjoyable. The band were destined to
split before recording any further albums, but at least they went out on a high.
Lyrics:
Finding the way
It gets harder every day
When we know you try until you die
And if you lose the way
Well we can only pray
that you find it before the day you die
Good lord you make it hard now
Hard in every way
Lord it gets harder now
Harder every day
Nothing that comes easy
can be good for you
We are all know that inside
is a little lie thats true now
When it gets too tough
and your life's a little rough
You must fight it all you can
and when it gets too hard
and you start to drop your guard
find if you'll be a better man
Lord you make it hard now
Harder every way
Lord well it gets harder now
Harder every day
This is the path we gotta take
if I gotta get that life
gotta do the best we can
if we are to make it in our time
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Turn of the Century by Yesby vzqk50CL4,858 views
Thank you!! I am shareing with FB..
elkins5560 2 months ago
The good ol' seventies (...amazing 1972).
Chapako01 2 months ago