Now We're Six - Chrysalis 1974
It is obvious that the expansion with a drummer gave the group the opportunity to even more determinedly to continue to along rocking direction which was been taken with the two previous albums "Below the Salt" and "Parcel of Rogues." Especially on the albums strongest track "Thomas the Rhymer" this new potential comes to expression. Unfortunately, the choice of songs for this album is very uneven, and in fact only "Thomas the Rhymer," "Long a Growing" and to a minor extend "Drink Down the Moon" continue the high standards of their previous albums. The instrumental "Mooncoin Jig" is of course fine, but otherwise the rest of the album come silly or slightly uninspired.
The two children's songs "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Now We're Six" seem misplaced. The same applies to the old pop hit "To Know Him is to Love Him".
"Edwin" and "Seven Hundred Elves" are basically good and interesting stories, melodically just not very strong. It should be noted that the original album version of "Thomas the Rhymer" is the same edited version as on the single. A longer and even stronger version has been released released on some compilations.
