Post Description

Lake - Lake II (1978)
Rock | 47:35 | scans | mp3@320cbr | 110mb

“'4stars - Rolling Stone called them “the Eagles meet Tangerine Dream.” Apparently, every German band who’s ever used a synthesizer for anything has to suffer a Tangerine Dream or Kraftwerk comparison. Of course, I was surprised to find that Lake II sounded nothing like Tangerine Dream. Even the singer is Scottish. The suggestion in some quarters that Lake is a progressive band is likewise misinformed (at least as relates to this album). Not even progressive pop. I’m not as put off by the prog label because it comes from a desire to preserve Lake’s underappreciated body of work, and the prog label buys considerable cachet. But if you’re going to make a case for Lake II as a progressive pop/rock album, then you need to also make the case for the Doobies and a host of other ‘70s bands. There are some mildly progressive moments like “Scoobie Doobies” and “Welcome to the West” (the best track on here, imho). Actually, Lake II is about as good as I expected an album with a stranded goat on the cover to be. If they’d stuck to the dreamier and more ambitious formula of the first and last track, I might rank Lake alongside Starcastle. But the middle of the record is less ambitious; songs about rock stars (“See Them Glow”) and cuckolds (“Letters of Love”) may have occasioned the Eagles reference from mister marsh. I wish Lake (and every other band) their champions, but I fear they won’t come from prog’s quarters.' biography at connollyco.com ”

Tracks Listing:
01. Welcome To The West (Detlef Petersen, James Hopkins-Harrison) 5:05
02. See Them Glow (Detlef Petersen, James Hopkins-Harrison) 4:57
03. Letters Of Love (Detlef Petersen, James Hopkins-Harrison) 3:38
04. Red Lake (James Hopkins-Harrison, Geoffrey Peacey) 4:55
05. Love's A Jailer (Detlef Petersen, James Hopkins-Harrison) 4:27
06. Lost By The Wayside (James Hopkins-Harrison, Geoffrey Peacey) 4:22
07. Highway 216 (Detlef Petersen, James Hopkins-Harrison) 3:35
08. Angel In Disguise (Detlef Petersen, James Hopkins-Harrison) 4:25
09. Scoobie Doobies (James Hopkins-Harrison, Geoffrey Peacey) 7:43
10. On The Run [secret bonus track] (Petersen, Hopkins-Harrison, Peacey) 4:03

Releases information:
GER 1978 CBS LP 82651
US 1978 Columbia LP JC 35289
CAN 1978 Columbia LP PC 35289
US 2005 Renaissance CD 126

Line-up:
DIETER AHRENDT -- drums and percussion
ALEX CONTI -- guitar and vocals
JAMES HOPKINS-HARRISON -- lead vocals
GEOFFREY PEACEY -- keyboards, vocals and guitar, engineer
DETLEF PETERSEN -- keyboards and vocals
MARTIN TIEFENSEE -- bass
Peter Hecht -- string arrangement
Paula Scher -- cover design
Jim McMullan -- cover illustration
Jim Houghton -- sleeve photography