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Title: It ain't Shakespeare, but it sure rocks
Review: The 1972 debut by this little-known "minor supergroup" (as they are referred to in the CD liner notes) is well worth your attention if you are a fusion and/or prog rock fan. The Tempest sound is propelled by the tasty fretwork of gifted British axemeister Allan Holdsworth (Gong,Soft Machine,etc.), the rhythm section from pioneering jazz-rock outfit Colosseum and the formidable warbling of one Paul Williams (no, not the diminutive composer with dubious pipes who penned "Rainy Days And Mondays", but another!)The most amazing thing about the album is how contemporary it sounds; the only thing that screams "early 70's" are the occasional silly lyric (a la Spinal Tap's "Stonehenge"). Several cuts sound like virtual templates for the Dixie Dregs, Dream Theater, King's X or Queensrhyche; especially with Holdsworth's fat, sustaining guitar tone, sophisticated chord chemistry and his occasional flourishes on the electric violin. Prog-rock heaven!
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