Jonesy have a right to consider themselves unsung. Three decent albums between 1972 and 1973 saw them making all the right noises at the right time, but success unfortunately eluded them. Proponents of the more melodic end of the prog spectrum, inhabited by the likes of Cressida and Spring, Jonesy also threw in bits of free jazz and conventional rock, melding a messy concoction that was rather hit and miss.
Ricochet, their only single, blends Mellotron and wah-wah into a fine rock number, while Preview showcases their ability to delicately blend jazz and reggae tinges into their ambitious framework. Pinning together such disparate influences took virtuosity, but lyrically and vocally they are simply not up there with the likes of VDGG and Crimson.
Cherry-picking from their entire output, this is a fine introduction to their work that, in the main, illustrates their rare ability, through sheer will, to avoid the traps that the likes of Yes and Genesis gleefully wandered into. Oh, and disregard the dated, anti-prog slant of the sleevenotes, these guys were prog with a capital ‘P’, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of anymore.
