Another Week Another Vinyl: Starcastle

So once again I made a trip over to my local record store (Atomic CD's in Pt. Pleasant, NJ), and like last time, I was hoping to find some King Crimson in the mix. Once again the "K" section was void of any Crimson. I looked around hoping to stumble upon some gems, but didn't find anything that really caught my eye. I made my way to the letter "S" and saw Starcastle. I was never all that familiar with the band, the only thing I knew was they were one of the lesser known progressive bands of the 70s. I've heard their name tossed around amongst prog enthusiasts and figured I'd give it a shot--there was nothing to lose, it was only a dollar!

When I placed the needle on the record I was wondering if maybe the wrong album was packaged. What I was listening to had to be some Yes album that I've never heard. Maybe it was some bootleg Yes album or something. There was no way it could be any band other than Yes. Well the album clearly stated Starcastle on it, and the lyrics which covered the record, matched what I was hearing.

Starcastle mimic's Yes more than any Yes cover band ever could. And when I say they mimic Yes, they replicate practically every concievable sound. The vocals are spot on to Anderson's, the guitar is just like Howe's, the keyboards are just like Wakeman's (with a little Keith Emerson thrown in there) and even the bass sounds like Squire's. For being so unoriginal, the album is pretty decent. I love Yes, so it ended up working out for the most part. If you're feeling like a poor man's Yes, then Starcastle may be your answer.