SEALED 1971 ARGENT RING OF HANDS ZOMBIES Prog Psych

$

64

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              1971 STILL SEALED !!!  

              ARGENT  

          Ring Of Hands      

                            USA - EPIC RECORDS - 30128

STILL SEALED ((never opened)) 1971 original in thick gatefold cover...Eighteen months after keyboard virtuoso Rod ARGENT left the famous sixties band The ZOMBIES, their single "Time Of The Season" from their last album "Odyssey & Oracle" topped the US charts and sold one million copies! There was a hugh demand to re-group The ZOMBIES but Rod ARGENT preferred to form his own band to make more progressive music. He recruted bass player John Rodford, drummer Bob Henritt and guitarist Russ Ballard and called the quartet ARGENT.

Argent's self titled first album had been an exploration into a slightly different musical terrain than The Zombies, and that was both a plus and minus. While some songs had a bit of the Oddesey and Oracle magic others sounded commonplace. It was a good, but not great album with a few great moments. Ring Of Hands was the first album of Argent's to really find a comfortable place between the wondrous melodies and vocal work of The Zombies and a heavier harder rocking sound. The songs are great, with several extremely impressive solos from Rod Argent in the longer tracks and controlled interplay between the group in others. The Cream influences in the vocals that were there on the first album are still here, but they've matured into something more individualistic. The reason why this is there best isn't easy to put into words, yet isn't pure nostalgia either. Russ Ballard never was a great guitar player, but when it came to a great voice and great songs he delivered! He and Argent's collaborations with fellow Zombie Chris White side by side with each other are brilliant. There's Russ's harder edge and Rod's melodic, emotional, even spiritual approach. "Celebration" is a beautiful song with Russ sounding great with his lead vocal and really fine harmonies. Also, "Pleasure" "Rejoice" and "Lothlorien" are the best songs Argent ever came up with, full of great melodies, pounding swirling organ, and harmony vocals that are astonishingly professional, but that will come as no surprise to anyone who listened to The Zombies. Every track here tries something different and suceeds, without being too all over the map. Ring Of Hands was the first album to successfully create Argent's own unique sound, but it also was an album of uplifting melodies in a time when uplifting music needed to be made. Follow up albums veered from the brilliant (In Deep) to the hodgepodgy (All Together Now) to the fantastic fusion prog of Circus, but Ring Of Hands is the best Argent album. Also strong are some of the bluesy songs like "Sweet Mary" creatively speaking Argent and White were at their best around this period, also composing great songs for the silver voiced Colin Blunstone, whom in case you didn't know is the greatest singer in rock and had fronted The Zombies. Blunstone isn't here, but the vocals are good anyway and it's still a masterpiece, their best since Oddesey and Oracle.

1. Celebration
2. Sweet Mary
3. Cast Your Spell Uranus
4. Lothlorien
5. Chained
6. Rejoice
7. Pleasure
8. Sleep Won't Help Me
9. Where Are We Going Wrong

CONDITION: STILL SEALED (never opened in nearly 40 years) ...a nice flat & square copy with only tiny staple holes at top left where the sales tag was originally applied by the store (some stores use to do this staple/tag method) ...otherwise other than the outer cellophane(which is fully intact) is a little worn from being around SO long, the thick gatefold cover underneath the cellophane is MINT/never opened.

SEE: SELLERS OTher items for more & more of similar cool sounds for "head" people...

EFFICIENT/CAREFUL GRADING

All imperfections are noted both cover & record