Egg, the trio of organist/pianist Dave Stewart (not to be confused with the Eurythmics star of the same name), bassist/singer Mont Campbell, and drummer Clive Brooks, excited much interest amongst the progressive underground upon the release of their self-titled debut album. That was recorded while the band were still in their teens, their follow-up, Polite Force arrived the next year, a testament to how quickly the members were maturing. Even more musically complex than its predecessor, and boasting a series of unusual time signatures, the album comprised two long numbers, the shorter Contrasong, and the side-long Long Piece No. 3, an improvisational suite, even more startling than Symphony No. 2 which filled the second side of their debut set. This time around, Egg improvise around rhythms and harmonies rather than build Long Piece from classical works, as they did its predecessor, and in that respect, it is a much more complex and progressive number. Bolik, in contrast, shares nothing with the song on Egg, other than its title. While the brief original featured a tape-looped Mellotron, this new Bolik is an extended avant-garde number. Contrasong, like much of Long Piece, is built around complex and shifting time signatures, and boasts a four-piece brass section to enhance the jazzy fusion of sounds. Having thus experimented with rhythms, harmonies, and structure, A Visit to Newport Hospital is an excursion across moods and melodies, a series of lovely and intriguing soundscapes that act as a backdrop to Campbell's dry and wry recollections of the members' previous band Uriel's residency at the Ryde Castle Hotel. As exceedingly clever as this set is, the trio are so caught up in their own musical world that amazingly enough the music never comes across as pompous or showboating. Like all the best and most innovative records, the group were not looking to impress others with their music, but to stretch themselves to their own creative limits, which is precisely what they did to amazing effect. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, Rovi

1		A Visito to Newport Hospital
2		Contrasong
3		Boilk
4		Long Piece No.3