Island – Pyrrho (2005, 2xCD, Switzerland)

CD 1 - Home Recording, 1975, in Windlach / Raat (Switzerland)
1-14. Pyrrho (39:04)

CD 2 - Live Version, 1976, in Africana St. Gallen (Switzerland)
1-24. Pyrrho (45:23)

Musicians:
CD 1
Peter Scherer / keyboards, vocals
Dani Ruhle / guitar, vocals
Guge Meier / drums, percussion, vocals
Egon Eggler / bass, vocals
Beni Jager / lead vocals, percussion

CD 2
Peter Scherer / keyboards, vocals
Beni Jager / lead vocals, percussion
Guge Meier / drums, percussion, vocals
Rene Fisch / saxophone, vocals
Alfio Sacco / bass, vocals

Great archival private-press Island album, which shows the band's evolution in a couple of years.CD1 sees the band performing the 40-min. ''Pyrrho'' suite (a home studio recording) with guitarist Dani Rühle (and bassist Egon Eggler), so the music is actually GENESIS-influenced Symphonic Progressive, lots of similarities to ENGLAND, plenty of smooth Hammond organ, Moog synthesizer, mellow electric leads and solid vocals in English.Great piece with superb instrumental complexities.In 1976 Island performed this track on stage (CD2) with Rühle/Eggler gone and new members Alfio Sacco on bass and René Fisch on sax.So the same track was captured in a guitar-less version with the sax taking advantage and now the acoustics are somewhere between GENESIS and VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR!The organ filling is often phenomenal.The complete evolution of Island (both guitar-less and bass-less sound!) can be heard in their official ''Pictures'' album. (apps79)