My latest flea catch just for 3 euros. Allmusic review by Jon "Mojo" Mills is unintelligible. He is wrong! Shame on him! I mean this comment by him: "The fact that Titus Groan tried so hard to be prog is their downfall. As a standard pop record, this could have been great, but the constant twiddling becomes off-putting so quickly, which is a shame. In hindsight, this is an album that is well worth skimming through for the finer moments -- but watch out for the progressive nuances."
Constant twiddling! Ha! I think that as a standard pop record, without "twiddling" this would be like any other, but specifically its "progressive nuances" (twiddling) make it very interesting, authentic, well-balanced and enjoyable. Titus seems to awake reminiscences to amazingly many directions. At least the following bands are mentioned in reviews when concerning Titus Groan: Gryphon, Fruup, Egg, Nucleus, Chicago, Soft Machine, Gentle Giant, Jethro Tull, Czar, Cream, King Crimson, Colosseum and Pretty Things (SF Sorrow). What does this tell us? I haven't the foggiest idea. No, it can't mean that Titus (1970) tried so hard to be prog that had influences from all those bands mentioned. The only evidence of copycatting is a well recognized descending base guitar riff from Chicago's "25 Or 6 To 4" on their "Hall of Bright Carvings" (about at 1.50). (Maybe one "mission impossible" tune too :-)) After all Titus Groan transmits authentic joy of playing without any undesirable over producing. This proto-progish sound just hits me.
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