Following in the footsteps of such prog heavyweights as King Crimson and Gentle Giant was not the easiest path to take for a young band in 1972. Samurai, on the strength of this self-titled debut (though they had previously been known as Web), showed an invention and talent that places them up there with their heroes.
Released on the short-lived but influential Greenwich Gramophone label, Samurai did not do well. It’s a shame, because this is, frankly, one of the best heavy prog albums money can buy. Dave Lawson, later of Greenslade, never sounded better than he does here. In many ways, Greenslade was an expansion of the ideas packed into this album. Pastoral whimsy courtesy of the flute-driven More Rain, catchy prog singles in the form of Maudie James and Holy Padlock, and the sprawling end epic As I Dried The Tears Away, it contains all the facets a balanced prog album should. Esoteric, who are getting better at this reissue business with every release, have managed to track down Lawson, who gives a decent interview. There are plenty of unseen pics to gawp at to stop you lamenting the inclusion of any bonus material – it warrants more because this is a genuinely unsung masterpiece.
