Британская группа The Web относится к числу коллективов, чьи диски должны быть в наших коллекциях. Состав: John L. Watson (вокал), Tom Harris (флейта, саксофон), John Eaton (гитара), Tony Edwards (гитара), Dick Lee-Smith (бас-гитара), Lennie Wright и Kenny Beverage. Авторами песен в основном были Эдвардс и Итон. Группа известна прежде всего двумя своими классическими альбомами "I Spider" and "Samurai" (после чего она сменила название на Samurai). Альбом же 1968 г. менее популярен среди почитателей классического рока.
The Web were best known in progressive rock circles for releasing two classic albums with Dave Lawson in the early 70's in form of "I Spider" and "Samurai" (the latter one after changing their name to Samurai). But before Lawson joined the band, the black American vocalist John L. Watson was their singer, and had a quite different style. The debut "Fully Interlocking" is some kind of late 60's psych with jazz-influences and a few minor early progressive tendencies. I'll admit that a large clunk of the songs on this record doesn't do much for me, being quite typical lightweight and whimsical 60's psych, although the band's rich and colourful arrangements make them more listenable than what they otherwise would have been. This goes for songs like "Wallpaper", "Did You Die Four Years Ago", "Reverend J. McKinnon" and the ballad "Hatton Mill Morning". "Harold Dubbleyew" is better, simply by being a swinging and catchy little tune with nice use of the band's brass-arrangements. And in the "best" psych-tradition, there are also lots of weird and quirky sound effects on the record, including fake surface noise and skipping! "Watcha Kelele" toys with some African ethnic influences, and the instrumental "Green Side Up" is probably the track that best hints at what the band later would do, although in a very embryonic form. The most ambitious piece on the album is the five-part mini-suite "War and Peace" that occasionally can remind a bit of what The Moody Blues were doing at the same time, including some very Graeme Edge-like narration. But overall I would rather advise you to save your money for "I Spider" and "Samurai" instead. And you'll definitively need money if you find those albums. (Vintageprog)
