Psychedelic Rock: Front Page Review - Mystic Soldiers 1968 (1997 Big Beat)

Middling late-'60s psychedelia with some California influences from the likes of the Doors and the Jefferson Airplane. Steve Cataldo had a pretty dark lyrical view, with lyrics that alluded to nuclear war and dead children, but no one was about to confuse him with Jim Morrison. There are some hints of interesting ideas in the periodic unexpected tempo/melodic changes, but this is a pretty meager effort that won't find favor outside of certain hard-bitten psychedelic collectors.

One of the lesser lights of the late-'60s Bosstown Sound, Front Page Review recorded one unissued album in 1968 that was planned for release on MGM, but wouldn't surface until 30 years later. Guitarist and singer Steve Cataldo wrote all of the material for the group, which played minor-league,  minor-keyed brooding psychedelia.

Like many Boston groups, they were heavy on the weedy electric keyboards, and like most of the Bosstown acts, they didn't offer much in the way of imagination or idiosyncrasy to make them stand out from the psychedelic crowd.

After Front Page Review broke up, Cataldo did a solo album for ABC, and then hitched onto the new wave by forming the Nervous Eaters, who made a couple of LPs. Front Page Review's album was finally unearthed for CD release in 1997. (Richie Unterberger, allmusic.com)

The sixties bands that came from Boston did not exactly have the best reputation, although there were exceptions. For me, FPR is such an exception. The album certainly wouldn't have been groundbreaking (released 30 years later), but it has mostly good songs and is worth listening to. Enjoy.(Frank)

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