Banquet is the fourth album by German progressive rock band Lucifer’s Friend, released in 1974, where Lucifer’s Friend finally combined the many different elements of their sound (prog, soul, jazz, hard rock) into a coherent and completely distinct style.

This time, the main focus of the album is on epic progressive songs with complex orchestrations that go through a variety of surprising and ambitious changes in their orchestrations.

The opening track, “Spanish Galleon”, is a pirate-themed epic that begins with a Latin-flavored rock groove, further enhanced by the addition of horns, continues into a lyrical section, culminating in a gripping chorus, taking a turn into an orchestral section filled with jazz solos, and then ends with a thrilling reprise of the song section.

The other progressive tracks continue in a similar vein, reaching heights of almost orchestral complexity, but working with enough hooks and solid songwriting in their compositions to keep the listener engaged.

Another standout track on this album is “Sorrow”, a keyboard epic that features a wonderful middle section where a keyboard solo is accompanied by a rich string arrangement.

Lawton’s voice is perhaps the band’s best feature: powerful when it needs to be and emotional when it needs to be, but always catchy. It shows us why he is by far one of the most underrated rock singers of the ’70s. But he is not the only one with plenty of talent to show off. Bornhold’s fast drumming, Hecht’s bluesy piano, or Hesslein’s guitar skills are all excellent, accompanied by excellent orchestration.

Banquet is simply a feast of good taste that balances its epic tracks with a pair of shorter, more pop songs that manage to showcase the band’s firepower and complexity in their tightest form.

The best is “Dirty Old Town,” the closing ballad that builds to a jazzy horn chorus. Overall, Banquet is definitely an underrated musical gem, fresh, original and plenty of fun, it’s an album that simply didn’t get the attention it deserved and is a must-have for any fan of ΄70s music and beyond.

From this excellent album I select, what else, “Spanish Galleon”.
 
Tracklist

1. Spanish Galleon 11:55
2. Thus Spoke Oberon 6:45
3. High Flying Lady – Goodbye 3:41
4. Sorrow 11:49
5. Dirty Old Town 4:44