Young keyboardist Rick van der Linden, leader of
Ekseption, was inspired to arrange rock treatments of classical music after hearing
the Nice in concert, which led to the group's debut LP for Phillips in Europe. Although their somewhat jazzy treatment of the theme from the first movement of Beethoven's well-known Fifth Symphony was a hit in Europe, this song has not aged well. His treatments of works by Bach and Khatchaturian have their moments, but are equally dated. The group also delves into then-current rock and jazz.
Jethro Tull's "Dharma for One" comes off heavy-handed, with an overly long drum solo and mediocre flute. What is truly bizarre is his arrangement of
Bobby Timmons' soul-jazz composition "This Here," which is bland beyond belief, with the leader alternating between harpsichord, piano, and organ via overdubbing. Little better is the furious original "Feelings," which has a lot of energy but nothing to offer the listener.
Ekseption may have won some fans initially with this release, but most of this music has disappeared without a trace since the end of the LP era, with good reason. ~ Ken Dryden