Arlequins (in Italian)

http://www.arlequins.it/pagine/articoli/alfa/corpo.asp?iniz=P&fine=Q&ch=1287

Quanti di questi gruppi sono esistiti, in America o altri posti del mondo? Gruppi di cui non si è mai saputo nulla perché non hanno lasciato tracce ufficiali dietro di sé? Gruppi di cui ci stupiamo e ci entusiasmiamo al momento in cui qualcuno riesce a ripescare documenti sonori registrati chissà dove. I Prism erano un gruppo di hard rock di Dallas (Texas) attivo alla metà degli anni '70 che caratterizzava già la propria musica con sonorità e ritmiche strane per un gruppo rock convenzionale (se pensate al Texas, cosa vi viene in mente, musicalmente parlando? Country e ZZ Top...), tanto che nel documento live qui in esame è presente anche una cover dei King Crimson ("The great deceiver"). Non siamo di fronte a niente di imperdibile, ma la buona qualità sonora ci consente di apprezzare un buon gruppo che cominciava a muovere i primi passi e che nel 1977, dopo vari cambiamenti di formazione, cambia il proprio nome in Hands, cambiando altresì obiettivo musicale... e qui ritorniamo al discorso iniziale: è mai possibile che avremmo potuto non sentir mai parlare di questo gruppo? King Crimson, Kansas, Jethro Tull, Yes, EL&P, PFM... le influenze degli Hands parlano di queste bands, ma il modo in cui sanno mettere in pratica queste influenze è bellissimo, a tratti entusiasmante. E' straordinario come il gruppo sappia integrare alla perfezione la strumentazione classica di un gruppo rock con flauti,viola, violino, oboe... senza che il tutto si faccia pesante, anzi mantenendo una certa allegria di fondo nelle ritmiche. Senz'altro non posso che sconfinare nei più biechi luoghi comuni (ma quanno ce vo', ce vo'!): un cd consigliato!

Alberto Nucci

Babel Fish translation:

How many of these groups have existed, in America or other places of the world? Groups of which never it has not been known null because have not left official traces behind of himself? Groups of which we are astonished and us entusiasmiamo at the moment in which someone it succeeds goodness knows to find again recorded sonorous documents where. The Prism was a group of hard rock of Dallas (Texas) active to the half of the years ' 70 that characterized already own strange music with sonorità and ritmiche for a conventional group rock (if thoughts to Texas, what comes to you in mind, musically speaking? Country and ZZ Top…), a lot that in the document live under investigation is present here also a cover of the King Crimson (" The great deceiver"). We are not of forehead to nothing of imperdibile, but the good sonorous quality concurs to us to appreciate a good group that began to move the first steps and that in 1977, after several changes of formation, also changes own name in Hands, changing objective musical… and here we return to the speech begins them: it is never possible that we could not have never felt to speak about this group? King Crimson, Kansas, Jethro Tull, Yes, EL& P, PFM… the infuences of the Hands speaks about these bands, but the way in which knows to put these infuences practically is beautifulst, at times entusiasmante. E' extraordinary as the group knows to integrate to the perfection the classic instrumentation of a group rock with flauti, viola, violino, Oboe… without that all make yourself heavy, indeed maintaining a sure joy of bottom in the ritmiche. Senz' other I cannot that to sconfinare in the more biechoes common places (but quanno ce vo' , ce vo'): a cd advised! 

Alberto Nucci

BABYBLAUE

http://www.babyblaue-seiten.de/index.php?content=band&bandId=2338&left=newReviews2&top=reviews

Prism war die Vorgängerformation von Hands. Entstanden war die Gruppe irgendwann anfang 1973, als die beiden Texanischen Gruppen Quarts Of Wheat und Gargoyles miteinander verschmolzen. Zuerst nannte sich die neuentstandene Band Festoons, dann Ibis, ehe 1974 der Name Prism gewählt wurde. Höhepunkt der dreijährigen Bandgeschichte war 1977 ein Auftritt im Vorprogramm von Gentle Giant. Ende 1977, als sich die Gruppe um einen Plattenvertrag bemühte und feststellen musste, dass eine kanadische Band sich den Namen Prism schon rechtlich gesichert hatte, wechselte wieder der Bandname. Hands waren entstanden. Prism haben zu Lebzeiten keinen Tonträger veröffentlicht. Erst 1997 brachte Shroom Productions eine Kompilation mit Livemitschnitten und Demoeinspielungen unter dem Titel "Live 75-77" heraus.

Achim Breiling

Babel Fish translation:

Remarks Prism was the predecessor formation of Hands. Had developed the group sometime for at the beginning of of 1973, when the two Texan groups of quart OF Wheat and Gargoyles merged with one another. First the again-developed volume Festoons, then, called itself Ibis before 1974 the name Prism was selected. High point of three-year volume history was 1977 an appearance in the interlude of Gentle Giant. At the end of of 1977, when the group strove for a disk contract and to determine had that Canadian volume had itself the name Prism already legally secured, changed again the volume name. Hands had developed. Prism published no clay/tone carrier during lifetimes. Only 1997 brought Shroom Productions a compilation with Livemitschnitten and demo bringing under the title " Live 75-77" out.

Achim Breiling

Eclectic Earwig Reviews

(scroll down to PRISM)

http://www.eer-music.com/reviews/hands.html

Here is pre-Hands aka Prism in an earliest 1975-76 incarnation and the 1976-77 near- Hands form that finally coalesced into Hands. Get a sneek peak at the raw and true life of a band struggling to be heard through noisy nite club chatter, apathetic ping pong ball echoes, local Texas radio shows, live and in the studio. Prism plays mostly original tunes but does cover Gentle Giant’s “Plain Truth” and King Crimson’s “Great Deceiver”.  Their Crimson cover is impressive, even in such a raw format and Prism sings as good as if not better than Wetton. The best offering of this early era is the live studio session cut, “Triangle Of New Flight”.  Probably a crowd pleaser with all its funk but weakest cut to me was the you-can-dance-to-it, “Multi Dimensional Jive”. Things polish up noticeably with late era Prism’s “Hands in the Fire” which sounds much better than the later version found on Hands. Definitely the hippest, jazzy, offbeat cut is the 8:43 “Nasebluten” which shows just how creative and what potential these guys really had. This is great Canterbury jazz fusion stuff here. Tracks 11-15 are all from Prism’s opening for Gentle Giant at the Electric Ballroom in 1977. We hear a great flute solo, then “Ditty” which is found on Hands’ Palm Mystery release. More quality Prism follows in a Dregsian mode, then a keyboard solo, and another Palm Mystery cut, “King’s Mischief”. Prism outros in a whacked, jazzy, and playful tune called “Skeletone Rag”.

For fans of Hands this a completist must-have.

      

~ John W. Patterson

Exposé

http://www.expose.org/expo-nl.html

issue #14 - 1998

(page 72)

Harmonié Magazine (in French)

http://www.harmonie-magazine.com/allnumeros.php?page=30

issue #32 - September 1997

(page 85)

iO Pages (in Dutch)

(issue number 12)

http://www.iopages.nl/archief/io12.html

(scroll down to reviews then to PRISM)

ProGGnosis

http://www.proggnosis.com/MUSIC_DBArtist.asp?txtArtistID=3575

The band started as IBIS in the late 60-s taken from Flight of Ibis a song from McDonals and Giles. Soon changed it into PRISM. Later Prism changed into Hands.

Progression

https://store.progressionmag.com/index.php?page=0&act=viewCat&catId=3

issue #25 - 1997

(page 105)

Progressive Newsletter (in German)

(scroll down to PRISM)

http://www.progressive-newsletter.de/index.htm?/cd_p.htm

Infos gleich null, außer dass Prism die Vorgängerband von Hands waren, deswegen ohne Umschweife zur Musik. Bei Prism schwebt ein großer Name fast wie ein Damoklesschwert über der Band: Gentle Giant. Doch begingen sie nicht den Fehler und orientierten sich ausschließlich an deren Sprunghaftigkeit und Komplexität, es waren vielmehr die Vielseitigkeit und das Instrumentarium (neben klassischem Rockhandwerkszeug auch Violine, Saxophon, sowie Flöte), wodurch Prism ihren goldenen Mittelweg fanden. Fast schon logisch, dass fünf Titel aus der Tätigkeit als Opening Act für Gentle Giant's U.S. Tour 1977 stammen und auch gleich noch der Klassiker "Plain truth" gecovert wurde. Des weiteren befindet sich unter den 16 Titeln zusätzlich King Crimsons "Great deceiver", womit der zweite Einfluss von Prism auch abgehakt wäre. Art und Jazz Rock treffen auf Klassik, die einfach gesagte, aber nicht einfach umgesetzte Formel. Prism schaffen es, sie glaubhaft und spielerisch gekonnt umzusetzen. Trotz des Mankos einer eher historischen, aber anhörbaren Soundqualität, scheinen die Qualitäten der Band aus den Südstaaten durch, deren Schwerpunkt eindeutig im instrumentalen Bereich liegt. Aus einer Zeit, die im nachhinein zur "Goldenen Zeit" des Progressive Rocks glorifiziert wurde, gibt es auch in unseren Tagen immer noch unbekannte Juwelen zu entdecken. Prism gehören sicherlich im erweiterten Kreis dazu.

Kristian Selm

© Progressive Newsletter 1998

Babel Fish translation:

Information equal zero, except that Prism the preceeding tape of Hands were, therefore plainly to the music. With Prism a large name floats nearly like a Damoklesschwert over that volume: Gentle Giant. But they committed not the error and exclusively oriented themselves at their Sprunghaftigkeit and complexity, it were rather the versatility and the equipment (beside classical skirt tool also violin, saxophone, as well as flute), whereby Prism found their golden middle course. Nearly already logically that five title from the activity as Opening act for Gentle Giant' s U.S. route 1977 come and also equivalent still the classical author " Plain truth" one gecovert. The moreover additionally King Crimsons is " under the 16 titles; Great deceiver" , with which the second influence by Prism would be also checked off. Kind and jazz skirt meet the simply said, but simply not converted formula on classical period. Prism create it to convert it convincingly and playful skillfully. Despite the deficiency of a rather historical, but listen toable sound quality, the qualities seem that volume from the Southern States through, whose emphasis lies clearly in the instrumentalen range. From a time, which " afterwards to; Golden Zeit" progressive one was glorifiziert the skirt, gives to discover it also in our days still unknown jewels. Prism surely belong to in the extended circle.

Kristian Selm 

© progressive newsletter 1998

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