Sailor

The first album by Sailor dropped onto the U.K. glam scene in late 1974 like the greatest secret you've never been told. Comparable in its underground impact to the first, similarly overlooked albums by Cockney Rebel and Queen a little over a year earlier, Sailor boasted a spellbinding introductory single, "Traffic Jam," a slew of magical follow-throughs, and the promise of a glittering future that could not have been broadcast any louder. And so it proved -- a year on, and Sailor was everywhere. "Traffic Jam" remains one of the group's finest achievements, an ecologically themed reflection on the history of the motorcar, executed in shamelessly Beach Boys-esque style. "Let's Go to Town" and "Sailor's Night on the Town," meanwhile, conjure visions of a bizarre collision between 10cc and Jacques Brel, poignant pop with a beautifully bittersweet bite. It is difficult to play favorites among the first three Sailor albums -- like the other bands to which the group can most readily be compared (add Roxy Music and Sparks to the aforementioned litany), each has a distinct character that is as unique as it is inseparable from the main body of work. However, simply for the joyous rush of "Traffic Jam" and the aching melancholy of "Josephine Baker," Sailor stands not only as a dynamic introduction to the magic of this band, but also as the yardstick by which the group could not help but measure its own future endeavors. - Dave Thompson, All Music Guide



"Glass of Champagne" 1976