The group's first album for Polydor is several steps above their EMI work. Most of the psychedelic-era influences are softened here and broadened, and transmuted into something heavier and more serious, even as the
Beatlesque harmonies remain intact. The guitars sound real heavy, almost larger than life here, while the swelling Mellotron and synthesizer sounds give the music the feel of an orchestra. By this time, the group had also mastered the
Pink Floyd technique of playing pretty tunes really slowly, which made them sound incredibly profound (it's actually a technique that goes back, in different forms, to
Gustav Mahler and
Anton Bruckner).
John Lees gives superb, virtuoso performances on lead guitar on "Paper Wings" and "For No One."
Les Holroyd's gorgeous "Poor Boy Blues" sounded more like
Crosby, Stills & Nash than
CSN did in those days, and is almost worth the price of the CD. [
Everyone Is Everybody Else was reissued in 2003 with five bonus cuts.] ~ Bruce Eder