The first four tracks of
Family's
Anyway were recorded at Croydon's Fairfield Hall, and while their sound throughout these songs is messy, overly loud, and remarkably bottom-heavy, their is an emitted energy that would change
Family's persona from this point on. Aside from the piano, violin, and drum barrages,
Roger Chapman's vocals are simply electrifying, even with a voice that sounds slightly stretched and flattened. It was these four cuts that transformed
Family's sound into something that audiences other than their cult following could adhere to. The eight minutes of "Good News -- Bad News" and the sharply written "Holding the Compass" are testimony to what the band was transforming into. And, while the studio tracks weren't as boisterous, they were indeed rough, especially the title track and the modernized feel of "Part of the Load," sounding slightly ahead of its time. Poli Palmer's percussion work is both resounding and highly inventive, as is his flute playing, taking drumming duties away from
Jim King. While many critics dismiss this album, it was the first real release that merged
Chapman comfortably with the band's bizarre instrumental outcrops that actually stuck. Sure, the music is off-center and follows no precise direction at times, but this is what
Chapman needed in order to find a home for his quavering voice. While albums like
Bandstand, It's Only a Movie, and the earlier
Family Entertainment have received greater praise,
Anyway's abrasiveness is just as relevant. ~ Mike DeGagne