Album Of Queues And Cures by National Health Review
There was some sunshine and lightness on National Health's debut. By the time of this however, with a new bassist (John Greaves from Henry Cow) and no guest keyboard player, they were down to the basic quartet. And therein, perhaps, lies the problem. All superb players, they seem content to display their mastery of instruments and form rather than play melodies. It's self indulgent to the nth degree. Hints of melody do occur, notably on "The Bryden 2-Step", but they're quickly lost again by a band that seems more interested in vanishing up its own backside that having an audience. If anything, this is a disc that goes out of its way to be as far removed from commerciality as possible, but that ivory tower truly isolates it - even in comparison to its predecessor. There's no doubting the prowess of the players, and hopefully they enjoyed making the music. But when listening becomes a chore, then a bore, it's hard to look fondly on an album.Review by allmusic.com
