Great Vocal Pop/Folk by Design: Design - Design 1970 & Tomorrow Is So Far Away 1972 (2011 RPM Retrodisc)

The British vocal group Design were an odd ensemble. They're sometimes described as soft rock, and there's a lot of validity to that categorization. Yet they were more idiosyncratic and eclectic than most early-'70s groups saddled with that tag. And although the wholesome-looking-and-sounding four-man, two-woman sextet had some of the traits of a manufactured group, they wrote most of their own material and did their own vocal arrangements.

This U.K. CD compiles their first two albums, 1970's Design and 1971's Tomorrow Is So Far Away, onto one disc, with lengthy liner notes by one of the group's original member/singers, Barry Alexander (nee Barry Johnston). Guitarist Tony Smith (the only instrumentalist in Design's first recording lineup) wrote most of the material on their debut, whose most attractive features are the high, feathery female vocal harmonies.

This has generated comparisons with the 5th Dimension (on the back cover of this reissue, at least), and those elements also slightly resemble the female harmonies in some of the more pop-oriented folk-rock groups, like the Mamas & the Papas and (more obscurely) the British band Eclection. Yet Design weren't by any means as soulful as the 5th Dimension, nor as folky or progressive as the Mamas & the Papas. With their orchestrated, poppy arrangements, they were more a whitebread act, and their pleasant songs fell on the precious and dainty side, as can be gathered after reading some of the titles alone ("Willow Stream," "The Minstrel's Theme," "Buttercup Stranger," "Children of the Mist").

Smith's songs aren't outstanding enough to command attention, yet the material's just a little too pleasing to fall into the category of easily ignored background music. It's soothing stuff that's best when it's at its folkiest, though lacking enough grit or imagination to appeal to many listeners who don't specialize in sunshine pop or soft rock. Smith left partway through the recording of Tomorrow Is So Far Away, on which just four of the songs are his compositions
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That accounts in part for a change in approach which, though hardly dramatic, is noticeable. Other members take on some of the writing duties, and a few odd covers are inserted. Though hardly heavy, the instrumentation and tunes are a mite more forceful. Things are still on the wistfully upbeat, mildly folky side, even on a song ("Jennifer No One") that seems to be about a young mother giving up her son for adoption.

Again, the album's too trifling to sound like it should have gotten a wide audience, but too substantial to dismiss entirely, even if you're not an early-'70s vocal pop/rock specialist. The cover of "Strawberry Fields Forever" that starts off with a cappella choral scat vocals, however, is more novel than enjoyable, though there must have been few (if any) other covers of "Man We Was Lonely" (from Paul McCartney's first solo album) at the time.(allmusic.com)

In my opinion, first-class pop music with a folk touch is delivered here. Because it did not meet the commercial requirements of the market at the time, it is this certainly not a quality feature. Judging music by record sales is a benchmark, but not mine. I think a completely different audience should be addressed here. This should never sound like Californian sunny beaches and this has solved the band first-class, also by intensified work in some songs with typical big band harmonies and partial arrangements. In my opinion first-class vocal pop music that mostly moves on its own terrain, even though some songs have references to American sounds (e.g. ''Ladybird Don't Fly). I think who likes first class vocals and well done pop music is right here.(Frank)

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