Short Reviews [Touch - 2018 - We Feel Fine]

US band TOUCH was among the earliest of the bands from the US that is regarded as being a progressive rock band. The band formed in 1968 and disbanded the year after, releasing one single and one full album during that time. 50 years after the band was formed, UK label Fruits de Mer Records got the permission to reissue some of the songs from this band's sole album. With a non-album song added in as well, the result is the EP "We Feel Fine". From the label description, this band is an important one for label main man Keith Jones. He came across this band while growing up, presumably a few decades back, and I can understand why this band made an impression with their wild, no boundaries and eccentric take on psychedelic rock, one so wild that it becomes progressive rock by default. But in the mind of a more jaded music reviewer like me, this eccentric roller-coaster ride becomes just a bit too much, and the end result does feel a bit haphazard. Some rather compelling piano motifs is a key feature in the last two tracks, but there doesn't seem to be a plan for all the sounds applied on top of it, and the transitions and alterations strikes me as being a bit too clumsy. As far as the lead track of this EP is concerned, replace piano with organ and the remaining elements are pretty much the same. Back in the day I rather suspect that material like this was rather on the edge, vital and innovative. But 50 years later too many people have crafted and released material with a similar scope and sound, but assembled in a much better way on just about all levels. Hence, at least for me, Touch is a band that as of 2019 appears to be, well, too much out of touch. Still, those that do enjoy listening to the groundbreaking innovators, and can manage to enjoy them for what they were back then rather than how they come across 50 years later, this EP should be a fine addition to your music collection. Eccentric, wild, old school progressive and psychedelic rock with a liberal flavoring of freakout tendencies.