Feeling Free - The Complete Recordings 1971-1973

British progressive rock band Fields was short-lived but powerful, combining the forces of Rare Bird keyboardist Graham Field, (the bands namesake) King Crimson drummer Andy McCulloch, and bassist/vocalist Alan Barry for a 1971 album that offered a slightly more accessible reading of prog rock than some of their contemporaries. Fields was mostly overlooked by the record buying populous of their time, and a lineup shift (Barry was replaced by Supertramps Frank Farrell shortly after their debut) and a label that decided against releasing their 1972 follow-up didnt help their prospects. Feeling Free: The Complete Recordings 1971-1973 collects everything the band put to tape in their short lifespan: the self-titled 1971 debut, the long-shelved second album, two alternate versions, and two unreleased songs from a BBC session from December of 1971. The majority of the standout material happens on the debut. Fields technical playing and overdriven organ tones start "A Friend of Mine" out with pseudo-classical bluster, but the song soon morphs into a driving rocker with pop undercurrents provided by Barrys smooth, double-tracked vocals. The song is more Procol Harum than Van der Graaf Generator, and even in its most dizzying passages feel relatively grounded for prog rock. Songs like "Three Minstrels" and "Fair-Haired Lady" call on the bands folksier side, and the piano-driven "Feeling Free" is a bluesy rock anthem that would have sounded at home on FM radio in the early 70s. The bands second album, recorded for CBS in 1972 with Farrell on lead vocals, was kept in the vault for over 40 years before being released as Contrasts: Urban Roar to Country Peace in 2015. Contrasts is a more cerebral listen than their self-titled album, with Field and co. flexing more of their academic music muscles on songs like "Let Her Sleep" and "Set Yourself Free," experimenting with quick shifts in instrumentation and production on the orchestrally tinged "Wedding Bells," and returning to conventional song structures on the pained ballad "Someone to Trust." Almost every song on the set takes a dramatically different route than the last (possibly the reason for the contrasts mention in the title), with "Wonder Why" showing some interesting use of synthesizers and complex backing vocals. Feeling Free showcases the strengths of this largely obscure band, one that existed as a footnote among more celebrated prog bands of the early 70s, but had their fair share of incredible moments nonetheless. ~ Fred Thomas