"Spinal Tap In A Monastery?" - Canterbury Glass – Sacred Scenes and Characters reviewed by Ted Sayers.

This 1968 album has recently found a CD release after many years and much curiosity from Steve Hackett fans due to its inclusion of Steve’s first ever recording, having contributed to the song Prologue. However, it’s an album that should be approached with caution. It shouldn’t come as any surprise to hear that this album sounds very dated, but from the first track I struggled to give this my full attention. Right from the off it sounds like Spinal Tap recorded in a monastery. It’s dull and repetitive to the Nth degree and it’s not even lifted by Steve’s presence which comes along in the final track. That track is a 9 minute piece called Prologue and there is very little to indicate Steve’s future held within this.

Nowhere is the repetitive nature of this album more to the fore than on Prologue itself. The chanted “bloody blade” is pure Spinal Tap and utterly annoying. This is most likely the worst Genesis related album I’ve ever heard, be that only limited participation by one member. It contains everything that was bad about 60s progressive rock and every cliché from that era. It should have remained in the abyss from whence it was spawned.