Search - Third Eye :: Awakening

Child prodigy on the verge of progressive

Golovanov Alexey | Limassol, Cyprus | 06/07/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

""The Third Eye" is another almost unknown (or well forgotten) mega-rarity resurrected by "Shadoks Music" (Germany). That was a weird, talented band from Durban, South Africa, founded in 1968 by female singer Dawn Selby (also on piano and Hammond) - she was 14 only at that time, and her brother Ron (guitars). In 1969 they've recorded and released this first album, followed next year (1970) by another two. I would say that the first album apart from a couple of inevitable covers (Janis Ian, Bob Dylan) present mainly original material performed in surprisingly mature way - crafty orchestration, brass section, fuzzy guitars, piano, Hammond... Music - vintage psychedelia (more convincing than sickly efforts of better known bands) on the verge of progressive. I would say, that some tracks are closer to "Beggar's Opera" (Act One) than to US sources of inspiration - as some critics insist ("Electric Flag", Keef Hartley Band). A very welcome comeback. Two other albums are worth knowing, although without Dawn Selby they've lost a lot: Searching,Brother"