Tamalone."Interpreter"1979 Dutch Prog Rock

Tamalone."New Acress" 1979 Crossroad label Dutch Private Prog Rock.

"... Imagine Ian Anderson and some other members of Jethro Tull taking a vacation in some rural farm, just before recording Songs from the wood and suffering from a post Minstrell in the Gallery melancholic sickness. Image him attending occasional folklore shows and living in perfect harmony with the calmness and soul healing effect of the green pastures. Imagine the unexpected company of Mark Knopfler, while young, still searching and discovering his distinctive guitar sound, pre-Dire Straits. If you can picture this set, you either have listened to this album already or will have a pretty good idea of how it sounds like.
New Acres has this real rural feeling, just like it was recorded to be listened while in voyage we cross the fields, the woods and the pastures of the most deserted parts of the country. It kindly mixes some folk acoustic sounds with the electric components of 70’s progressive melodic music.
Cees van Aanholt sounds exactly like Ian Anderson, both in his vocal sound and (especially) the way that he sings. And also in his flute kind of play, though the flute parts are comprehensively less than the ones we listen in a Jethro Tull album. His acoustic guitar sounds simply delightful, setting a very harmonious structure upon which his voice blossoms.
The most curious element here is, in my opinion, the electric guitar, which rhythms sound a lot like the earliest works of Dire Straits. Even some Jan van Hout solos sound just like a rough Mark Knopfler version, before Sultans of Swing.
If New Acres and Triangle Tune seem like songs just out of Songs from the Wood. Good Earth’s Wine and Song for Ophillus have a more Heavy Horses sound to it. They all have very beautiful melodic lines, perfect to fill your soul with refreshing and anti-stress thoughts.
In Moment of grief you will clearly discover the Knopfler’s rhythm and solo alike sounds.
The use of female vocals, gently provided by Ester van der Hoorn add some originality to this band. They are very clear and beautiful, enriching songs like Interpretor and Answers. In Homage to Life, only the vocals and the flute approximate Tamalone to the Tullish sound that prevail throughout the rest of the album. This song is much more straight forward in the rhythm department, sounding a lot like early 80’s rock’n’roll.
The acoustic Epilogue has a bitter mood musicality, though the lyrics are pretty much the contrary as they are about hope and strength to carry on. Which, for our displeasure, they didn’t. This is the only work released by Tamalone, leaving us the impression that they could have had a pretty good future, for this album is an enjoyable display of kind and calm sounds.
The fans of the most light, relaxed and simple Jethro Tull songs will appreciate New Acres a lot. So will those who like uncompromising prog, with a very acute harmonious sense..."