LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Label: DERAM

Egg were an English progressive-rock trio formed in London in 1968 and closely linked to the Canterbury scene. The main lineup featured Dave Stewart on organ/keys, Mont Campbell on bass and vocals, and Clive Brooks on drums. They became known for a keyboard-driven, experimental prog style that often draws on classical forms and uses offbeat time signatures.

The Polite Force is Egg’s second album, issued in February 1971 on Deram. It was recorded in May 1970 at Morgan Studios in London and produced by Neil Slaven. Built around longer, suite-like compositions—especially the multi-section “Long Piece No. 3”—the album blends forceful organ-led prog with strong classical influence, and is frequently likened to early ELP-era keyboard prog.

Track Listing:

• A1 A Visit To Newport Hospital
• A2 Contrasong
• A3 Boilk (Incl. Bach: Durch Adams Fall Ist Ganz Verderbt)
• B Long Piece No.3 (20:42)
• Ba Part One
• Bb Part Two
• Bc Part Three
• Bd Part Four