DESCRIPTION:
CZAR
Formed: 1969
Disbanded: 1971
Country: United Kingdom
Genres: Progressive Rock
Members:
Paul Kendrick (lead-vocals, bass)
Bob Hodges (Hammond organ, vocals)
Mick Ware (guitar, vocals)
Derrick Gough (drums)

Album Tracklist:
01. Tread Softly Of My Dreams
02. Cecelia
03. Follow Me
04. Dawning Of A New Day
05. Beyond The Moon
06. Today
07. A Day In September
Bonus Tracks:
08. Ritual Fire (LP out-take)
09. Oh Lord I'm Getting Heavy (45 A-side)
10. Why Don't We Be A Rock and Roll Band? (45 B-side)
11. (She's A) Lady Of Love (demo)
12. I'll Try Hard (demo)
13. Good Morning Sunshine (demo)
14. Oh Darlin' (demo)
15. I Laid It On The Line (demo)

There seems to have been a near-endless supply of early-progressive rock bands like Czar hopping around in Britain both sides of the sixties/seventies borderline, bands that pitted electric guitar against organ and occasional Mellotron, hoary blues-based rock riffs against rudimentary classical licks recalled from piano lessons or the family record collection, in an effort to stretch the rock idiom beyond the three-chords, four-square-beat boundaries. Czar's sole effort is not the most glorious of this lot, as the band lack the depth and skills that the best bands had. Most of these songs are drawn-out but structurally pretty ordinary rock tunes where thudding drums splash in muddy puddles of scratchy guitar riffs under a clear blue Mellotron sky. It is the beauty of the Mellotron work that often makes the difference, e.g. the gothic main riff of "Tread Softly on My Dreams" which stands in stark contrast to the vocal hooks that are leftovers from second-division sixties pop. "Cecelia" features a nice if predictable swathe of acoustic guitar and harpsichord, but is ruined by a turgid guitar solo backed by monotonously grungy riffing. Overplaying their hand with weak cards is Czar's basic failing, worst example being the psychedelic organ work of "A Day in September", which cycles through cliches with minimum authority and even manages to squeeze in that requisite circus motif before the fade-out. It is not hopeless, but other bands were turning out much better product out of the same basic material at the time, and I suggest trying some of them before delving into this Siberian basement to discover Czar's musical legacy.
Resume: It's one of the best rock abums of the British progressive in the early 70's! Highly recommended!