This is the original Quill that came from Boston in the late 60's, not the band named Quill from California or the one from England or The Quill from Sweden. This album has been in my collection for a while and I may have listened to it once, although I do not recall putting it on the turntable, what a shame. Quill released this album after they had performed at Woodstock but it didn't go anywhere and is now a sought after collectable.
The opening track, "Thumbnail Screwdriver", is a nice slow driving tune with a good guitar sound and nice vocals. Track two, "The Tube Exuding", surprised me, the beginning did not show much promise but as it evolved I found myself wondering where it was going next. The final song on side one, "They Live the Life", is nine minutes on a progressive rock ride but surprisingly it doesn't seem that long.
Side two begins with, "BBY", which I feel sounds like Zappa meets Floyd or in other words, an alternate progressive pop rock tune. It is followed by, "Yellow Butterfly", which is a very groovy trip into a psychedelic land. At times it could pass for a Pink Floyd tune, when Syd Barrett was still in the band. Next up is the song, "Too Late", and it is the only tune with commercial appeal. It has good lyrics, harmonies and is upbeat. Afterwards is, "Shrieking Finally", this really shows their talent for composing and is a fitting song to end the album.
I do not know why I have ignored this album for so long but I will be putting it on my top 100 play list. It was released on CD in 2010.
